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Easy family weekends: 14 free(ish) ideas for kids 4 to 10
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items As a mom of two (ages 7 and 9) who would happily turn every Saturday into an adventure, I'm always collecting simple ways to spend weekends together that don't cost much or take hours to plan. These are the ideas we keep coming back to, from backyard...
This is my go-to when the kids start bouncing off the walls on a Saturday morning. Grab a bag, head to the park, and hunt for a red leaf, an acorn, something fuzzy and something that smells good. My 9 year old turns it into a race and my 7 year old w...
Observing Nature | PBS KIDS for Parents
Pumpkin patch day is a fall tradition in our house, and the kids start asking about it the minute the weather cools down. Apple picking is just as fun and you come home with enough apples for a weekend of baking. I use this site to find farms near us...
Pick your own Farms in the U.S. Canada, Others; Find a farm near you + Canning Directions!
Before you plan a real camping trip, try a night in the backyard (or the living room if the weather says no). The kids get to set up the tent, tell stories with flashlights under the blankets, and eat s'mores, and if anyone gets scared at 2am, their ...
Tips for Camping with Kids | REI Co-op
A late night on a Friday feels like the biggest treat to kids. We drag out blankets, make hot cocoa, and lie in the yard looking up. NASA's monthly What's Up guide tells you exactly what to look for and when, in plain language. This month the Orionid...
What's Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA
My kids love being the "expert" at something, and this free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology makes them feel like real birders. You hold up your phone, it listens, and it tells you which birds are singing around you. You can also snap a photo ...
Merlin Bird ID
Think real life treasure hunt using your phone. People hide little containers all over, in parks, along trails, even right in town, and the app guides you to them with GPS. Inside there's a tiny logbook to sign and sometimes small trinkets to trade. ...
Join the world's largest treasure hunt.
If there's a national park, monument or historic site within driving distance, ask at the visitor center for a free Junior Ranger booklet. The kids work through the activities while you explore, then a ranger swears them in and hands them a badge. Ki...
Become A Junior Ranger (U.S. National Park Service)
Free, hands on, and the kids walk out holding something they built themselves. Home Depot runs a Kids Workshop on the first Saturday of every month in the morning, for ages 4 to 11, with all the materials included. There's hammering involved, which i...
Free DIY Workshops & Classes - The Home Depot
Baking together is our rainy weekend fallback. King Arthur put together a list of easy recipes kids can really help with, like pizza, homemade tortillas and cheesy quick bread. Measuring, mixing and rolling keeps little hands busy and sneaks in some ...
10 kid-friendly recipes for young bakers
These are hands on science experiments from the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco, designed to work with cheap stuff you probably already have at home. Each one has a simple materials list, step by step photos, and a clear explanation of what's h...
Science Snacks
Save your delivery boxes for this one! The Cardboard Challenge was inspired by Caine's Arcade, a short film about a 9 year old boy who built an entire arcade out of cardboard. Watch it with your kids first, it's so sweet and gets them fired up. Then ...
Imagination Org Cardboard Challenge
Game night gets a fun twist when the kids invent the game themselves. This PBS KIDS activity walks you through making your own card game with paper and markers, and then the whole family plays by their rules. Fair warning: the rules may change halfwa...
Create Your Own Card Game for Family Night | Kids Coloring Pages
Spending a Saturday morning doing something kind together is one of my favorite ways to show my kids what really matters. Doing Good Together is a nonprofit full of family friendly ideas, from little projects you can do at the kitchen table to volunt...
Doing Good Together™
This one surprises so many parents! Lots of public libraries lend out free or discounted passes to local museums, zoos and science centers, just like checking out a book. All you need is your library card. This guide explains how it works, then searc...
How to Use Your Library Card to Get Free Museum Passes