I know you might say, “Only THREE things?” Three doesn’t sound like very many, but if you’re like our family, your summer calendar is already full of stuff. So three totally free things will fill in the gaps and save your wallet after all the other stuff! So let’s get right to it.
Number one-Visit your local library! Check out their calendar for all the FREE summer programs and activities. Then cruise through the different genres and pick out a few books. Our library hosted a free cursive writing class. (Yours truly taught it.) They’ve had a chicken program with live chickens, storytimes, programs in the park, and much more. I’ll bet yours is the same.
Number two-After you visit the library and pick up a book on astronomy, spray on some bug repellent, and hit the backyard before bedtime to do some stargazing. If you live in town, you might want to take a drive to get away from the city lights to see more stars. There are apps you can get that tell you what you’re looking at. If you’re like me, I’m not always sure which star is which, or is that a planet?
Number three-Take a drive to your nearest antique store. Not the fancy one but the one with barely enough room to walk in the aisles. Let your kids walk around and look for a while. Then pick up random items and ask them how they think it was used. If you don’t know, and you might not on some stuff, ask the owner. Most of them are happy to explain how that strange contraption
was used. This is a great time to discuss life without electronics or even electricity!
There you have it. Three totally free things that will jump-start conversations and adventures with your children or grandchildren. Let me know if you try any of these in the comments. Meanwhile, summer on!