101 Free (or low cost) Things to Do This Summer with Kids!

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Denver moms here are some free or low cost things to do this summer with your kids. Get them out exploring, spark their imaginations, and let their creative sides run wild. 

Summer is just around the corner and soon my kids will be home for 80 days. That’s 80 days where I’ll want to keep them busy, active, and occupied. My goal is to get them out exploring, spark their creative imaginations, and keep them busy all while having fun. We have about 80 days to enjoy summer break, but this list is 101 things long. There will be some extras, but it will give us some additional ideas of things to do or multiple things to do in one day.

1. Visit a local library for story time
2. Go on a hike
3. Draw self portraits of each other
4. Visit a new park
5. Cool off at a splash park
6. Watch a movie in a park
7. Listen to music at an outdoor concert
8. Decorate the sidewalk with chalk
9. Make your own bubbles
10. Ride bikes
11. Camp in the backyard
12. Build a couch fort
13. Play a new board game
14. Have a sunset picnic in a park or your backyard
15. Scavenger hunt
16. Make homemade ice cream
17. Play in the rain
18. Build paper airplanes and have a race
19. Visit a local attraction on FREE day
20. Go swimming (look for free day at a local pool)
21. Have a water balloon fight
22. Write your own story/book
23. Hot Wheels car races
24. Look for shooting stars
25. Roll down a hill
26. Fly a kite
27. Explore a state park
28. Look for constellations
29. Make a walkie talkie with tin cans
30. Go fishing
31. Grow a plant or vegetable
32. Do a science experiment
33. Run through the sprinklers
34. Make a crayon leaf rubbing
35. Paint rocks
36. Make homemade playdoh
37. Tell scary stories
38. Have a sleepover
39. Look at the clouds and find shapes
40. Go on an adventure using a map
41. Play hopscotch
42. Go cardboard box sledding down a hill
43. Bird watch
44. Jump rope
45. Play tag
46. Make a pinecone bird feeder
47. Find animal tracks
48. Watch the sunrise
49. Watch hot air balloons
50. Write letters to friends/family
51. Decorate shirts
52. Learn a magic trick
53. Do something kind for a stranger
54. Have a three legged race
55. Create an obstacle course
56. Have a dance party
57. Make popsicles
58. Shadow puppets
59. Play soccer
60. Bake something delicious
61. Go bowling (free)
62. Home Depot Kids workshop (free)
63. See a movie (usually very cheap)
64. Create and stage a play
65. Splatter paint project
66. Make slime
67. Visit a fire station
68. Shoot a rocket into the sky
69. Have a tea party
70. Play charades
71. Build mini lego models (free at stores, must register)
72. Create a reading journal and get a free book from Barnes and Noble
73. Visit a local factory for a free tour.
74. Go roller skating (for free)
75. Fill out rewards calendar and get free tokens for Chuck-E-Cheese
76. Arm wrestling matches
77. Visit American Girl for a free craft project
78. Explore your city for street art
79. Wander through a farmers market
80. Play at a beach
81. Take photos and collect things to create a summer scrapbook
82. Learn to make origami
83. Catch bugs
84. Learn a new card game
85. Climb a tree
86. Wash the car
87. Make a collage with old magazines
88. Play i-spy
89. Visit a car show
90. Check your towns website for free events like festivals
91. Play in the mud
92. Visit a farm
93. Attend a local kids sport event
94. Tie Dye t-shirts
95. Potato Stamping
96. Visit local nature preserve
97. PJ Day & Movie marathon on a rainy day
98. Melt crayons
99. Do a new art project
100. Donate old toys
101. Go geocatching

What free or low cost things do you like to do with your little ones during the summer?