Frugal Entertainment for Families with Multiples
The idea of outings with your multiples may sound daunting if yours are still in diapers, but as you reach preschool and elementary school age you’ll be looking for cultural and other events for family entertainment. The cost can also be daunting, so ask moms of older children and watch your local newspaper for low-cost entertainment options for your family of multiples. Here’s what’s working for our family:
- Arts & Crafts: If you have a Lakeshore Learning Store in your area, they offer FREE art projects every Saturday for ages 3 and up. Michael’s Arts & Crafts also offer projects every Saturday; some have a small charge for materials, but many are FREE.
- Building Clinics: Both Home Depot and Lowe’s offer FREE Saturday workshops for kids 6 and up. Each session, they build a project with wood and tools; kids also receive an apron and goggles. My son loves these programs!
- Circus: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus offers a FREE ticket to anyone under 1 year of age; while you have to request the ticket in your babies’ first year of life, it can be redeemed anytime. Hold onto it until they’re older, and you’ll enjoy it more.
- Movie Theatres: Starting in May and June, many of the national chains offer FREE summer movie programs. I tried this out last summer, thinking it was okay if my 3-year-old twins couldn’t make it through, since it was free, but they did great.
- Museums: Find museums in your area that offer FREE days, like these museums in the Target Events & Museums Program. For museums that charge admission, look for Family Membership packages that benefit larger families (sometimes the family size is 6), and be sure to visit enough times during the year to make it worth the cost.
- Public Library: We’ve enjoyed magic shows, puppet shows, concerts, and more through our local library, all for FREE.
- Theme Parks: If you’re a military family, you’re eligible for FREE admission at the Anheuser-Busch Parks (Sea World, Sesame Place, Busch Gardens) and special discounted tickets at DisneyWorld. If you’re not a military family, one way to get discounted tickets is through a group rate. I bought 20 tickets to Sesame Place one summer (they throw an extra in for FREE), and sold them to two other families in my MOMS Club. When you have a family with multiples, getting to 20 isn’t that hard!
One of the ways I’ve made outings easier with my three (twins + big brother) is to bring along another adult or even a parent and child. That way, we have as many hands as their are kids, for crossing streets or getting through crowds, and you have an adult to chat with. Remember to pack your own snacks, drinks, and even lunch if you’re doing day outings with your family; this can save you a lot of money over eating out at museums, zoos, etc.
PS-I just grabbed your button! One of the inspirations for my blogs was raising my twins!
Pottery Barn Kids has a story time every Tuesday morning. The story time is free and each child gets a little "passport" to collect stamps in. Each story time equals one stamp and each book holds 5 or 6 stamps. After the book is full it's worth $10 at the store! You can't combine the cards to purchase one big item, but those little cards came in super handy at Christmas time for buying stocking stuffers!
We also just bought a family membership to the zoo. Pretty sure that'll be the best $80 we spend all year.
Oh and for free entertainment when it's cold we take the boys to the nearby Bass Pro Shop (Cabella's would work too). They love looking at all the live fish ponds!
Great ideas! We do storytimes and visits to our libraries often, too.
Since my twins were about 10 months (and 2.5 year old big sis) we try to hit the community center toddler gyms here in our city. They do cost a dollar or two, especially if they are walking, but for that they have full run of a gym filled with riding and climbing toys, balls, bouncy house, etc. Its feels like a good deal to me for an occasional energy buster.
We also hit the parks quite often. I've scouted out which parks in my area have playgrounds or nice wide trails off the street (or better yet, behind a fence) so I don't have to worry so much about constantly keeping them safe.
I know that Lowes will sometimes have children workshops. I believe they are free and they provide all the materials!
I just found you!
I used to take my b/g twins, who are now 7, to our local indoor McDonald's playland during hot summer afternoons. I'd buy myself a coffee and bring water,snacks, and hand wipes for the kids (my son cannot eat their food). They were good for at least 1.5 hours! Best of all, there were very few, if any other kids, in the place when I went.
Wow! All great ideas for things to do.. especially for FREE! Growing up in NYC, we didn't do much because mom always said that there was nothing for free and that everything costs money! It's nice to show her that it's not always true.