What can a family of seven do that is cheap for the weekend?

Question

I have a family of seven and only one income and we are having problems finding things to do in oklahoma that we can afford to do with the kids. All we do now is go to the grocery store and play board games at home. We need some help finding things outside that house to go that will not break our wallet. please help I have run out of ideas. that we can all do we have small children.

Just so those of you that are seeing this as bad for one income and seven people here is the scoop. I recently became disabled and my fiance is the only one working and i have a caregiver that is a family member her with us.

Answer 1

girl i feel your pain i too have a family of seven the things i like to do that i have done for under say 20 dollars is go to the park what i would do is explain to the kids what we were going to do and how much money we had to spend i would take them to the park go and get about say three or four drinks to share cups of ice from a fast food resturant and some either dollar burgers and shared fries we would go get the food and two big bottles of water before the park go and stay for hours on end walking the nature trails looking at the ducks bugs turtles trees rocks grass or whatever while they were at the park one of us would leave to go and get some plain cheese burgers and ice come back and eat and play and look some more leave and go home they be good and tired if not the park just a long walk will do aronud the nieghborhood or explore the woods together its fun and educational but the thing that me and my kids liked to do at home was watch the discovery channel then on these "nature trails" we would find the bugs and animals we saw on tv in person it was really really fun me kids ages are 15, 12, 9, 3 ,2

Answer 2

You could go camping, or some other outdoor activity that takes you to a park or something. You could also find museums, or historical or natural landmarks that are close by to go visit. You could also save some money for a time and take the whole family to see a matinee movie, when all the other kids will be there and no one will actually see the movie, but it'll be fun trying! Maybe check out any carnivals or county fairs nearby. They are usually inexpensive to get into, then use a budget once inside. My family likes to do the old fashioned cookout in the backyard. It is a change of scenery from the walls of the home, and kids screaming outside is not as deafening as inside. Plus, cookout food is usually fairly inexpensive and kids generally love it. I hear the view of the stars at night in Oklahoma is pretty amazing.

Answer 3

My kids love a picnic. You have to eat so you need to buy food anyway. go o a nice park and have a picnic. Take along a ball and / or Frisbee, etc. and enjoy the day in the sun. Try looking for a park that has a playground, then you can have a break and just let the kids burn off steam.

PS: They'll sleep real good that night too, bonus.

Answer 4

Many public libraries have passes to nearby museums and other fun educational places. Check with local zoos. Many have certain days of the month that are lower in cost. Pack a picnic lunch and go to your nearby playground. Make an evening of it as the evenings tend to be cooler. Get a butterfly net and collect bugs as items of interest and temporary pets. Find some hiking trails. Take the nets and hike and bug hunt. It's free. Little ones also love to set up little lemonade stands. Just think of the things that you did when you were little.....

Answer 5

This is what we do: We pack a picnic of sandwiches and go to a lake. We go into a park and find trees to climb. We also find rocks and boulders to climb (with a 7 & 12 year old). We stroll through neighborhoods of old houses. The girls give each other manicures. You could start a big/small/flower pot garden together & grow & pick flowers & veggies. Kids love to watch things grow, and anything "physical" is always good. We take funny digital photos & make slide shows on our home computer.

Answer 6

Find a park, and take a picnic lunch or dinner in the cooler evening; Go to a public pool; invest in some water toys for outside that will last the rest of the summer i.e. Slip N Slide, water guns, water balloons are fun!

Answer 7

Try a lake or a nice park for the day. I'm not sure of the area in OK cause I live in NH but I have 4 kids and my wife and I like to go to the beach and the park. Most times it doesn't cost much if anything. Good luck and have fun.

Answer 8

Go to a state or national park. You don't mention specifically where you are or how young your crew is, but weather permitting, you have hikes to, from, and along water (natural or man-made) is always fun. I'm always surprised how much fun we have outside away from A/C and other amenities. A natural or science museum family pass is great if you are going to make multiple trips; there is often reciprocity between several organizations.

Answer 9

I was going to say "the beach"..but then saw you're in Okie. But I'll still say it. There must be lakes and so forth in your area...state or county parks. most are free..or maybe a parking fee and that's usualy a pittance. Get into geocaching. My family did and for the initial investment of about 100 bucks and just the gas money (which can be a killer now too...but bear with me) you and yours can have a lot of fun.
http://www.geocaching.com/

Answer 10

state park, usually one fee for car full, most states about 5 dollars for the day, take a picnic, usually there is a nature center thats free or only like 50cents each, take a library book with you on identifying trees , flowers, birds. etc, ask to borrow some binoculars from a friend. various parks have various sorts of activities. collect rocks, wade in a creek in sneakers, there are lots of things to do, and some city parks are like that too, and most have swings and so on to play on. you can find lots of kid activities to do on line, simple crafts etc, you can often go to some museams free on certian days.