Back in April, I did the spring version of Free or Cheap, but today I’m focusing on family-friendly, outdoor, summer activities. You can go as a family or turn these ideas into a date night!

Pools

If you’re like me, you don’t have your own backyard pool to relax in at night…or to have your kids burn off some energy. You might have an outdoor community pool that you pay for via HOA, or a recreation center/YMCA.

If you belong to an HOA that has a pool…What. Are. You. Waiting. For! Go use it! Get your monies worth!

If you don’t, head over to a recreation center. They may have pool, day, or summer passes. If you are sure if it’s something your family would enjoy, ask around. You might be surprised that someone you already know is a member. You could be their guest for a day and check it out!

Town splash pad/farmers market

Every Saturday, in the spring and summer, our town has a Farmer’s Market in the town center. Conveniently, it is located at the park which has a cute little splash pad.

You could take up an entire morning or early afternoon with just this event. If you go in the morning, you could grab breakfast out, walk to the farmers market, do some shopping, and walk through the splash pad. If you go in the afternoon, switch out breakfast for lunch!

Library Perks: Adventure Pass

Our county library has what they call adventure passes. If you go on their website, you can enter for a free family pass at different parks, museums, concerts, etc.

Yes, free! As long as someone in the family is a library member, the entire family can get access to these places. I can also use my membership to get extend trial periods on specific digital media, online classes, etc. While your library may differ in their offerings, it is always worth checking out!

Chamber of Commerce: Summer Kick off

Our Chamber has started putting on a summer event that is free to the community. It has water games, regular games, splash zones, food, and shade. It’s like a mini carnival meant for kids from 0-12 to enjoy.

This will be our first time going, so I’ll keep you updated. My thought with this event is that even if we only go for an hour and then leave for nap time, at least we got out and moved around in the sun!

Free Concerts

Concerts are always fun, but free concerts are even better!

The summer concerts here are held at the recreational centers outdoor area, near the kid’s park. The music is usually something everyone in the family can enjoy, you bring your own food, can move around at will, and you are home at a decent time–usually by 9PM.

Another perk I almost forgot about? The sun is setting during the concert so you aren’t sitting out in the scorching heat!

It’s a win-win for everyone!

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If you couldn’t tell, my goal with the summer activities list is to tire out any and all family members! In the comments, leave any of your suggestions or let me know if you found any outdoor activities you didn’t know existed!