I know that they say there is nothing in life that is free, and while I know that there is some truth to that, I have also found that I really enjoy finding free resources – whether from our community or our church or our school- and I thought I would share a little list of some of the things that we have found/used that are free.
This is just a general list- it should apply to most anyone who lives in the United States, although I understand that some resources aren’t available everywhere.
How many things do you use or what else would you add to the list? I would love to hear in the comments from you- what is one free thing that you are planning on doing (or utilizing) this summer?
- Library – I feel like this one is obvious, but how often do you use your library? Not only are all the books free, but the library provides so many other resources, too! Many libraries have more than just books- they provide magazines, DVDs, puzzles and games, hotspots, zoo/museum passes. I also learned earlier this year that we can have library cards at ANY local libraries, which means the amount of access to resources is a lot! My library also prints on my receipt how much money I save each time I check out, which is such a cool statistic!
- Imagination Library – Have you ever used Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? Dolly Parton created a program that sends one free book to every child registered every month from 0-5 years old. My kids were all signed up for this program, and they LOVED getting their monthly book. They are good books, too! We still have many of them around our house.
- Parks and Splash Pads – My kids are starting to grow out of parks and splash pads, but boy have we used these free community resources for YEARS! We didn’t have a pool or a pool membership, so splash pads were a frequent stop for us in the summers
- Park Programs – on this note, not only are parks free, but they often run fun programs (especially in the summer) that you can attend as a family! I remember a few years ago one of our local park districts did a 51 park challenge, and families were incentivized to visit every single park in their district. It was SO FUN. Some of the parks were so boring, but we found some real gems driving all around the local area and taking our picture at each park.
- Hiking- Hiking is one of our favorite family activities, and it’s almost completely FREE. We don’t buy any specialized hiking gear, we literally just put on some shoes and go. All of our local hiking trails are free and it’s such a fun way to spend an afternoon as a family.
- Buy Nothing– My local Buy Nothing group is hopping, and I’ve gotten so many great things from there! If you aren’t familiar, Buy Nothing is a Facebook group that is based on location. The rules are that there is NO selling or soliciting- everything must be free. Basically, instead of taking a load of stuff to goodwill, you snap a picture and upload it to your Buy Nothing group and someone will say “I want it!” and then you put it out on your porch and poof! -its gone. Magical. And then likewise, I can comment on a post and go and grab a gift off of someone’s porch. I have so much love for my Buy Nothing group!
- Little Free Libraries– I will admit, I think that most Little Free Libraries are full of junk. I don’t mean distasteful books, I mean books that absolutely nobody wants to read because they are approximately 80 years old and written by your second cousin who doesn’t actually have a gift for writing. But! I have stumbled across some LFL that have GEMS of books in them, and it’s also SO EXCITING. I found Theo of Golden at a LFL in the Cincinnati Airport and I was beside myself with excitement. It’s worth it to just stop and look!
- VBS– If you have younger kids, I highly recommend finding a summer VBS and allowing your kiddos to attend- or helping out at one! These are completely free of charge and a great way to get to know a church or local community resource
- Street Fairs – The Hines family loves a good street fair! It’s usually free to get there, and then we can walk around, check out the booths, see some live music and maybe grab a snack or buy a fun craft. It’s a great way to pass a morning and get to know local, small artisans.
Now it’s your turn! What are some free resources that you use?
Did you learn anything new from this list?
Our library has specific programs that are free. For instance, there are specific classes for teens with an activity such as making bracelets. There are some adult/teen activities such as a basic self defense course and there are many geared towards kids. You do generally have to sign up in advance as there are finite spots. Also, our town and Centerville (probably others too) have free concert series at city parks. Kids likely may not appreciate an Eagles tribute band but for a cheap date night, the concerts can’t be beat :).