Toddler Approved Summer Activities for the Family

Summer is almost here! In fact, this is my husband's last week of college courses for the semester, which means starting next week he'll have some free time available to hang out with the three coolest people he knows!

Last summer Rooster was still too little to really enjoy the beautiful weather, so this year I'm hoping to make the most of the sunshine by doing lots of fun things as a family. 

So without further adieu, I present to you...

"Ten Things To Do In The Summer When Your Wife Is Tired of Being Stuck at Home With the Kids and Really Wants to Do Something Fun as a Family Without Spending Any Money."

Catchy title, right?

Rules: 
Activity must be FREE! Or use only things that fit into your regular grocery budget. 
Activity must be reasonable for little ones AND fun for mommy. 
(Really, these things are all about me here. My kids don't care what we do.)
Activity must be something we do as a family. 

1. Camp out in the backyard. Pitch a tent and sleep under the stars in your own backyard within walking distance of your refrigerator, bathroom, and fresh diapers. Best of both worlds! Plus, tents make a great outdoor play area for little ones without the having to worry about bug bites and bee stings. 

2. Visit the Local Library. Free books, movies, and story hour for the kiddos! Our local library has a great children's section with board books and stuffed animals for Rooster to play with while my husband and I take turns looking for books. 

3. Invite friends Over. We love a good card game! Plus, the best way to get your house clean is to invite company over. Talk about motivation! I love having people over instead of always going somewhere because the kids get to bed on time. 

4. Go to the Park, and leave the cell phones at home. Get off that bench and play! Facebook will be there when you get home. 

5. Take a Picture Walk. Load the kids up in a stroller and just take a walk around your neighborhood/town/local park and pretend to be a famous photographer. You can end up with some pretty fun pictures.  

6. Do-It-Yourself Backyard Water Park. Set up a small swimming pool, a sprinkler, and of course a Little Tykes slide and you've got a toddler size water park!

7. Go on a Picnic. Sandwiches, fruit, veggies, chips and a nice big blanket! Finger foods make great picnic fare and are just the right size for little fingers. Go all out and have fun planning your menu (including dessert! Homemade ice cream? Yes!). 

8. Get Messy. Make some toddler finger paint or create your own sand and water table. Let your little ones enjoy making a mess! Summer is the perfect time to spend all afternoon in the backyard digging in the mud. 

9. Host a Play Date. What could be more fun that a couple extra preschoolers and Popsicles?!?!

10. Free Community Events. Check with local churches and the local library for free community events you could enjoy as a family. Also be sure to get a list of local festivals in your area! Most have craft booths, terrible great food and free concerts!

*Bonus* 
Visit the Zoo. This one isn't really free, but since we were gifted zoo passes for Christmas we'll definitely be going whenever we can!

What are your favorite things to do with little ones during the summer?

P.S. Have you seen this floating around the internet yet? It's an amazing ebook bundle going on sale Monday. It's the complete homemaker/mother/wife guide to everything. I'm pretty excited about it. Mother's Day gift maybe? {hint, hint, husband!}