School is out in many places and summer vacation has officially begun! Many families plan summer vacations but with the price of gas skyrocketing, not everyone can afford to go away. Here are some easy ways to spend quality family time together without breaking your bank account:

Encourage your children to continue reading by starting a family book club. Pick a nice shady spot in your yard or at a park, choose an interesting chapter book from the library, and take turns reading out loud to each other. Take turns guessing what will happen in the next chapter and discuss the meanings of difficult words. Consider making this a weekly ritual that everyone can look forward to.

Put on your pirate hats and search for some lost treasure! Everybody in the family can scour the yard, park, or local beach for treasures to put into a chest and have a parent hide it or bury it in the yard. Whoever buries the treasure then makes a map for the kids to follow. Or simply work together to type up a list of items to find as part of a scavenger hunt. Look up some fun facts about pirates and their ships on the internet for extra fun.

Encourage your children to learn about gardening by planting and cultivating their favorite fruit or vegetable plant. Let them research the conditions their plant needs to thrive, find a small area to dig a garden, or even plant a container garden if your space is limited. Encourage them to keep a journal to chart their plant’s progress from planting to harvesting.

Bond with your child by learning more about their interests. If your child is into sports, find some fun facts about their favorite team or player or make a scrapbook with photos and memorabilia. Ask them to teach you the skills necessary to play their favorite game. Break out the board games or dance to their favorite tunes!

Start your own “dinner and a movie night”! Rent a movie from the library and pick an easy family favorite dinner. Each child can take turns choosing the movie and dinner or you can just munch on a jumbo bag of popcorn while lounging on pillows in your own “home theater”.

Kids like to be entertained but most important is spending time as a family. Stir up some low-cost fun this summer by using your imaginations and listening to what your children like. Plan some of those activities as a family and enjoy your summer.

For more help, visit Finding More Family Time for tips for a happy family life.