October 20, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Cheap Fun
October 21, 2010 at 2:00 am
On a recent bank holiday I decided I was fed up of taking the kids to parks where they ask for rides on the train, drinks from the shop, ice cream and goes on the bouncy castle. What has happened to cheap trip to the park. It now costs to much..... Other organised events all had a cost element. Not wanting the kids to get bored and the house trashed (not a good idea when my wife is at work) I needed an alternative.
What we did is a tour of local swings and slides. We took some snacks and drinks. All it cost me was a little bit of petrol. The kids had a great time as they took this as a little adventure. Not an ice cream van in sight (mean parent that I am).
We could not do this every holiday as the novelty would soon wear off - however I was quite pleased to have a day out without digging deep into my pockets.
October 21, 2010 at 3:23 am
We certainly found an excellent investment in a good book on paper aeroplanes. It's amazing how many of my kids' friends are continually thrilled by the idea of a paper aeroplane competition.
For fair weather days, my kids get lots of fun from making things to play with; kites to fly, boats to let loose down the river, tree houses or dens from whatever's lying around in the woods, dams across the stream and many more possibilities.
For rainy days, we're more likely to make some music. Between us, we can manage something recognisable out of a 'cello (actually two), a clarinet, a banjo, a piano, a recorder or a harmonica (most keys represented). Obviously, most of those instruments are quite expensive, but once you've started down that road, it costs nothing to pick the instrument up and play.
For when the kids aren't feeling well, we're back to books. Difficult to think of a fiver as an unduly limiting amount of money, since many of our books are secondhand anyway.
Add to that the idea that, at suitable points throughout the year, we harvest vegetables from the allotment or go berry picking or nut collecting, then we have a ready-made excuse (not that it's needed) for the kids to get into the kitchen and cook something out of almost entirely free ingredients. Apple crumble, anyone?
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat
October 21, 2010 at 3:24 am
This is the post where I reveal what a stingy parent I am....
Having raised 2 boys to 15 & 16, and a girl to 10 (in the UK), the best 3 cash-saving-but-have-fun things (off the top of my head) that I have found are:
* birthday parties (or other occasions). Forget the extortionate local ball-park-fun-fair venue, and take kids plus parents for picnic/bbq in the woods. The kids run off into the woods, swing sticks and make dens (you can organise a few wide games but on the whole they do their own thing) while the adults drink and eat the snack contributions they brought with them. Just keep someone sober enough to drive and take camping chairs. My 16-year-old wants another one next year.
* in London, a great day out for pre-school boys is the woolwich free ferry. We had the passenger deck to ourselves all day... Just after 4 hours I didn't know the north bank from the south.
* scouts. For a very little help on your part, they take the kids for you and are fantastic value. My son, at 10, went for 2 weeks to Orange County California and, among many theme parks, went on a helicopter over the grand canyon; all for £600 (which he raised half car-cleaning). I can't sing their praises long enough; the kids learn to have fun and develop themselves responsibly at the same time.
And then there are allotments; those steel-framed paddling pools (younger); setting them off on bikes or foot and rendezvous with picnic (older kids - you have a duplicate map so you can help them over the mobile phone when they get lost), cookery... the world's your oyster!
Anyway I could go on, but I have some SQL to write...
October 21, 2010 at 3:28 am
For those of us who live in the Hinterlands - taking the kids out into the woods to explore is all it takes.
Whether its simply throwing sticks, or picking mushrooms, there is always stuff to see and do.
In the north country, Michael's is more of a fabric joint, where wives go to let their husbands wander the local hunting/outdoor store (at least they always seem to be built together around here)
Cheers
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October 21, 2010 at 5:41 am
A country walk or a day at the beach - usually the beautiful Dorset Jurassic Coast.
It's a chance to play with toys you've already got, whether it is bats and balls or canoes and sailing dinghies. Car parking is always the most expensive item.
October 21, 2010 at 5:59 am
No kids here, but the future wife and I like to scrounge through the offers at surplus and used stores. Even if we don't buy anything or something small it's good to see and talk about various objects, books etc...
October 21, 2010 at 6:01 am
I always find this question that Andy has presented as a bit of an odd question... We live and work in a time of technology and throughout the raising of my two offspring we have always found time to play... wait for it!!!.... VIDEO GAMES!!!
Yes, thats right... My son and I have played multiplayer video games for all his life. Same thing with my daughter. For my boy and I, we have trekked across Europe winning World War II with the "Call of Duty" series. We have flown in our glider packs for years in a super-fun game (that sadly never developed a good following) called "Outwars" from Microsoft.
My daughter and I have 'played' the Sims for years - that is, she plays and I sit and watch - but it was fun none the less, and she and I have probably played 10,000 games of Scrabble multi-player.
When consoles came along well, that sort of changed things because to this day I cant work the damn things!!! I came up on PC games and cant master working the console controls without looking at my hands... But! Since both my babies are now in college, we don't get that much time to play anymore.
I always laugh when I hear people say things like "You mean you exposed your kids (my son really) to the violence of video games!!!" - Yes I did. But I did it with them and though my boy and I have "killed" quite a few thousand Nazi's and done in a whole planet full of space aliens, those games led him to curiosity where he studied the real War, and got very interested in outer space, while not becoming any kind of serial killer or anything. (Relax parents... Kids CAN be taught what is real and not real)...
And NONE of this has cost me a dime other than buying the games which I would have purchased anyway.
Its always been a great deal of fun, and bonding - and uh, it amazes me how many people in the tech industry don't use the very thing they work with in a positive way to bond with their kids. Give it a try!!!
October 21, 2010 at 6:12 am
One perk to my job is the server boxes. My girls LOVE those-they make big houses, draw all over them, make doors and windows, then dismantle and change the whole design. Probably many of you do not manage all of the servers and are also the DBA, but since we run so lean I do everything, including dismantling printers, so the boxes are all mine after the equipments runs fine for about a year!
In all types of weather we also make great use of the city and county parks in the area. We have 5 all within 5 miles of our house, but we try to visit all 14 county parks and many city parks as well, though we don't live in the city. I purchased a used book called Art & Nature, and there are many great suggestions on combining art with hiking. Even though my girls are only 6 & 8, they can easily hike several miles on the trail. It has been great for mind, body, and soul!
October 21, 2010 at 6:25 am
blandry (10/21/2010)
Its always been a great deal of fun, and bonding - and uh, it amazes me how many people in the tech industry don't use the very thing they work with in a positive way to bond with their kids. Give it a try!!!
I could not agree more. My son and me have been enjoying quality time together over the last couple of years (he is 6) playing games - anything Star Wars is great with him. Fantastic times together. Lately my daughter has been getting in on the act - we have family bowling competitions on the Wii. The best thing about this is that I know I have many years of this type of bonding together before they get too old to play games with dad.
I would also add that watching TV can be a great way of bonding. We watch Star Wars together - this type of shared experience prompts many great conversations.
October 21, 2010 at 6:36 am
Well, I have no children of my own but one of my friends did this for her niece and nephew - food fight! She put the kids in old clothes, put goggles on them (which she has all the time since she's the safety coordinator at her job) armed everyone with ketchup and mustard bottles then they went to the backyard and made a huge mess of everything. I guess for an even cheaper option a water fight would be good too but the element of being messy is even better.
Quite a handy topic for today... I am taking notes for when I help spawn some child processes.
October 21, 2010 at 6:42 am
I saw an article in Parenting magazine lately that talked about creating a summer camp for your kids, don't suppose it necessarily has to be in the summer. You get together with a couple other parents from the block and decide whose house gets to have the 'camp', then you plan activities as a group and the kids get to have fun without you having to send them away to an expensive camp.
Other ideas might be collaborative story-telling, you write the first part of the story, the second person writes the second part, the third person writes the next part, etc.
Or I'm sure there are fun things to find on the internet.
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
October 21, 2010 at 6:44 am
Ian Massi (10/21/2010)
Well, I have no children of my own but one of my friends did this for her niece and nephew - food fight! She put the kids in old clothes, put goggles on them (which she has all the time since she's the safety coordinator at her job) armed everyone with ketchup and mustard bottles then they went to the backyard and made a huge mess of everything. I guess for an even cheaper option a water fight would be good too but the element of being messy is even better.Quite a handy topic for today... I am taking notes for when I help spawn some child processes.
That's a great idea, I'll have to remember that one...
here's a seasonal one - let the kids play in the leaves you're raking up. I LOVED that as a kid.
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
October 21, 2010 at 7:00 am
Roasting marshmallows over the backyard "camp fire". Scrounging Half Price Books or yard sales for books. A walk to the ice cream store.
October 21, 2010 at 7:01 am
I love the pile of leaves idea! We just planted some new plants in our small garden (which probably won't surive the squirrels attention), but the highlight is the kids getting dirty and then they get to run back and forth while I spray them with water.
But about YOU, as adults, what's your cheap (and PG rated) fun?
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