Summer Fun on a Tight Budget

Summer break arrived about a week ago at my house, and I'm already hearing how bored both my boys are.  My family has had a rough year financially, so a vacation is definitely out of the question.  I've been exploring ideas from dozens upon dozens of "summer bucket lists" and "kids' summer fun" lists available online to come up with my own list that appeals to my children (not an easy feat with one teenager and one early elementary child).  We may not get to all of them, and that's fine.  The important thing is to have fun and ENJOY.  Some of these ideas may seem a bit 'juvenile' for a teen boy, but rest assured he likes to have fun and be silly as much as his younger brother.

1.) Visit an aquarium on free admission day.
2.) Visit a nearby education center on free admission day.
3.) Try a new cookie recipe.
4.) Try a new muffin recipe.
5.) Try a new pancake recipe.
6.) Try a new smoothie recipe.
7.) Juice bottle bowling.
8.) Miniature golf.
9.) Water balloon fight.
10.) Go on a picnic.
11.) Get squirted with the water hose.
12.) Go to a farmers market.
13.) Make a fort.
14.) Read books inside the fort.
15.) Make seedling pots out of tp and paper towel tubes for fall planting.
16.) Listen to an audiobook.
17.) Make a creation out of recyclables.
18.) Make a sandcastle.
19.) Make lemonade.
20.) Make orange creamsicle popsicles.
21.) Have a family 4th of July party.
22.) Movie night with popcorn.
23.) Play a board game.
24.) Go to a "new to us" beach.
25.) Make a seashell craft.
26.) Make homemade bubbles.
27.) Make and fly paper airplanes.
28.) Go thrift store shopping.
29.) Go to a rummage/yard sale.
30.) Find shapes in clouds.
31.) Play in the rain.
32.) Make a birdfeeder.
33.) See a movie.
34.) Watergun fight.  (Done)
35.) Make nature art.
36.) Go out to lunch.
37.) Try a new candy recipe.
38.) Try a new biscuit recipe.
39.) Make paint chip art.
40.) Cut a watermelon with cookie cutters.
41.) Play charades.
42.) Learn how to tie different types of knots.
43.) Play "I Spy".
44.) Hula hoop contest.
45.) Make sidewalk chalk.
46.) Have a family luau dinner.
47.) Cardboard sledding.
48.) Attend a free outdoor concert or festival.
49.) Play bingo.
50.) Visit a nearby nature center.
51.) Squirt bottle water fight.
52.) Do a random act of kindness.
53.) Scavenger hunt.
54.) Play balloon tennis.
55.) Make and fly a kite.
56.) Make origami.
57.) Skip rocks on our pond.
58.) Play paper plate ring toss.
59.) Have a family Summer Solstice party.
60.) Make oyster mats.
61.) Laser show or movie at the planetarium.
62.) Minor league baseball game.
63.) Learn how to play chess.
64.) Wii bowling tournament.
65.) Visit a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
66.) Play tic tac toe with nature items.
67.) Go for a drive with no particular destination in mind.
68.) Make finger paints.
69.) Make handprint art.
70.) Obstacle course in the yard.
71.) Make shadow puppets.
72.) Play on our town's new playground.
73.) Do a 1000-piece puzzle.
74.) Build an archery target.
75.) Practice archery.
76.) Make sunbaked recycled crayons.
77.) Make a foil river in the yard.
78.) Dancing raisin experiment.
79.) Water balloon target practice.
80.) Driveway silly drawing photos.
81.) Explore a "new to us" city.
82.) Go to the free splash pad. (Done)
83.) Make ice chalk.
84.) Camping in the living room.
85.) Target practice with Nerf guns.
86.) Pipe ball lawn game.
87.) Play on Freerice.com
88.) Sponge finger painting.
89.) Read Christmas Jars by Jason Wright.
90.) Write messages on stones with permanent marker and leave in random places for people to find.
91.) Minute To Win It games.
92.) Draw faces on balloons.
93.) Family movie night in our pj's complete with blankets and pillows.
94.) Sumo wrestling with pillows stuffed in shirts.
95.) Make liquid sidewalk chalk.
96.) Watch as many seasons of Doctor Who as possible.
97.) $3 admission day at the zoo. (Done)
98.) Make our own paint.
99.) Potato stamps.

edited to add.......

100.) Enjoy watching baby birds learn to fly.  (Done)
101.) Print/Make some items to have ready to send to our Compassion child in the coming months.
102.) Christmas in July party.