Top 10 No Cost/Low Cost Summer Fun Activities
By Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach

The end of the school year is upon us! If you are a busy working parent like me, this season can be both fun AND challenging. Even if you don’t have children, summer is a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends and family members.

For the majority of the clients with whom I work, true success in business is more than a financial goal. It’s about maintaining a good balance in key areas of their life. As the summer season approaches take some time to rejuvenate yourself and spend time CONNECTING with family and friends to bring more balance to YOUR life. Making your meals at Simply Homemade is a great way to increase the amount of time in your week for these Top 10 Low Cost / No Cost Summer Fun Activities great for the whole family!

1. Go Hollywood – The movies are a popular treat (one of my favorites) and can be enjoyed a variety of ways. Check your local theatre and see if they offer any FREE movies. The Regal Cinemas is again providing their Free Family Film Festival. Click here to search for a theatre near you. Selected G and PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. Feed the kids a hearty breakfast and you can probably even skip popcorn! What a great rainy day alternative.

Did you know there's still a DRIVE-IN near us! Yep, the McHenry Outdoor Theatre is not that far away! Why not pick a night to head over with family and friends. You can go an hour prior to the start of the first movie and BBQ or play some games before the movie starts. Bring some lawn chairs and sit out in front of your car to watch the show. The drive-in is friendly to the family budget with ticket prices of $3 for children and $6 (PLUS you can bring your own snacks!

2. Go Cruisin’ – Many local towns host a Cruise Night where folks bring out their cool classic cars and hot rods. To find a cruise night near you, check out the Chicago Area Cruise Night Calendar. These events are filled with music, food and fun. Our town has a different car theme each week, such as Harley Bike Night, Street Rod Night, and Muscle Car Night, to keep things fresh.

3. Picnic in the Park - Pack a lunch and head to your local park for a relaxing meal. Bring along a ball or some cards and engage the whole family. Fox Lake has free ski shows on their lake early on Friday evenings that can turn your picnic into “dinner and a show”. Need some time alone with your significant other? How about a sunset picnic dinner?

4. Get Movin’ - Dust off your bicycle or roller blades and hit the paths! Did you know Illinois has some wonderful biking and walking paths that go for miles? Click here for some trail information. You can often find a food stand or ice cream stop along the way!

5. Head East – Towards Lake Michigan that is. The lakefront is beautiful in the summertime and filled with fun, and even FREE, activities. There are fireworks at Navy Pier each week as well as July 3rd, the Zoo, museums, Venetian night, and much much more! Click here for a listing of seasonal happenings and be a tourist in your own city!

6. Get Crafty – Did you know that many Home Depot stores offer fun activities for kids the first Saturday of each month? Our nephew built a plane at one such event and had a ball! If you aren’t near a Home Depot, create your own craft time with Popsicle sticks, foam, ribbon, and any other odd items lying around the house. Kids are very creative and will surprise you in what they can create.

7. Take in the Local Festivals – Many communities have festivals and County Fairs. A trip to the County Fair can also be educational. The local festivals provide lots of entertainment, carnival rides and family fun close to home. If you get a sitter, Mom and Dad can have a night out and hear some great bands. Check the links below to see who's coming this year to the local festivals by me:

• Crystal Lake Gala
• McHenry's Fiesta Days
• Algonquin Founders' Days

8. Check out your Library – The Library isn’t just for checking out books these days. They offer a full range of multi-media such as video games, movies, CD’s and DVD’s that can all be checked out for FREE! There are also a host of programs for children of all ages - - and some Libraries even have complimentary tickets to events like Ravinia.

9. Take a Dip – In the local pool or at the beach and keep cool on those hot summer days. Better yet, what friends or family members do you know with a pool? Why not offer to bring lunch and get together at their place.

10. Family Fun Night – Start a new tradition by designating one night a week as Family Fun Night. Get your whole family involved and even let them choose the event for the evening. It could be a video night complete with popcorn and M&M’s or a bonfire roasting marshmallows in the back yard. Be creative! One client’s children implemented the idea and each child loved getting to choose the event and even made admittance tickets for each family member. You’ll not only be connecting as a family but also creating lasting memories!!

If you have any ideas of your own not covered, I’m always looking for new activities to add to my list and would love to hear from you! E-mail me your ideas at Victoria@TheGuiltFreeCoach.com.

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About the Author
Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach, helps ambitious working Moms create more time and focus to accomplish their goals, grow their business, and live guilt-free! Get free resources for increasing YOUR time and reducing stress at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/gift.

Top 10 No Cost / Low Cost Summer Fun Activities © 2005 - 2008
Victoria Cook. All rights reserved.

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