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Family fun is an important part of family time. But it can be costly! Did you know, it’s really not necessary to spend a bunch of money on family fun. There are a ton of activities in most areas, but you can spend a pretty penny, especially if you have a larger family. Below we’ve got some free family fun ideas for you!

Family time is important

Family time is something that is precious. After all, we only get about eighteen summers with our kids before they begin their own lives in adulthood. Gosh, even typing that makes me want to cry! Time is fleeting, so let’s make the most of it! Taking time to be together, time that is purposeful and uninterrupted, is so very important!

7 FREE Family Activities

We’ve complied a list of our favorite 7 FREE family fun activities.

#1 Family movie night

This might sound like a no brainer, but just you wait! Were going to show you how to take your family movie night to the next level. Planning should be included in the fun. We like to choose the movie as a family, make movie tickets, a fort for snuggles and a delicious snack board.

Choosing the movie

My husband and I usually pick out three family friendly movie options. Then we let each of our boys choose their favorite. The most popular pick wins. And if the boys can’t decide on their own, usually daddy steps in and makes the ultimate decision. Once the movie has been picked out, we make homemade movie tickets. The boys can design their tickets, write each person’s name, the movie start time and anything else they feel is important.

Making the fort

Sometimes, if we’re feeling like taking our movie night to the next level, we make a fort out of chairs, pillows, blankets, etc. It’s always super fun to see the boys’ creative ideas to make the fort. They always like to lay out a blanket for the “picnic” area of our fort as well.

Dinner

One of the very best parts of our family movie night is dinner! The boys love getting to eat their dinner in the living room and they love getting to snack throughout the movie. We usually like to have a healthy snack board for dinner and a second snack board for the popcorn and candy… dessert! We just make a snack board based on what we have in our house. No extra shopping required!

We’ve made breakfast snack boards, filled with mini pancakes, mini waffles, bacon, scrambled eggs and fruit. And of course we warm up maple syrup and peanut butter to dip. We also love cheese, meat, nuts, veggies, fruit, crackers and dips on a snack board as well! You could also make homemade pizzas or different dips. For our dessert board we always have popcorn, candy, cookies, etc. Just whatever we have on hand.

There are so many ways to make a movie night special. Just include the kids in the planning and make an entire event out of it. Trust me, they’ll love it and so will you!

#2 Hiking

Spending time outside is obviously a great way to spend time as a family and it’s free! Find a local park that has hiking trails and get ready to have an adventure! Maybe you even have a trail in your own back yard!

Play games

While you’re hiking, suggest playing a game. We like I Spy. My boys love picking out a specific tree, rock or hill and having the rest of us guess which item they have spied. Follow the leader is also another family fav. We like to make it really fun by walking across a fallen tree or skipping down a hill.

Learn together

You can even make hiking a learning experience. Talk about the birds you see. What leaves match which trees. There are even apps out there that you can download to take a photo of a plant or a bug and it gives you lots of cool information.

#3 Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? And it can be totally free! Occasionally we do like to throw in a treasure at the end of the hunt, like ice cream or a new outdoor toy, but that is totally not necessary to have some family fun.

All you have to do is draw a map or come up with a fun riddle for clues. You can do a scavenger hunt indoors or outdoors. You can plan one for a hike or just for something to do on a rainy day. Trust me, your kids will love it!

Additional scavenger hunt ideas

Picking a theme for your scavenger hunt can make the planning a little easier. You can have your kids track down certain items. Example: find a yellow flower, a red flower, etc. Use things that are already in nature to make it easy.

Items like:

• Animal tracks
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Birds

All of these items can help you plan a super quick scavenger hunt without much thought.

#4 Hide ‘N Seek

Yes I said it! Hide ‘n seek. Perhaps one of the most popular and favorite activities for kids. Don’t be shy! Parents can totally play this game too! We love to play both indoors and outdoors. We add flashlights and seek in the dark, we pair up in teams, create an area for jail for those who have been found, we even sometimes include the game kick the can as well… Really there are so many options and fun ways to take this game to the next level.

#5 Plan a picnic

A picnic may seem simple but you can make it really special. Have the kids help you make lunch and choose the location. Sit around and enjoy your lunch together while discussing your favorite memories or a “win” for the day. You could bring a board game or play I Spy while you sit around and enjoy your lunch.

Lunch ideas might include: sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, wraps, snack boards, homemade lunchables, etc. You can find some of my easy lunch ideas for on the go here.

#6 Make art

We all have materials laying around that can be used for a simple craft or art project. Grab a bunch of stuff and create something cool together. Make a big structure or house. Draw a picture of your dream vacation together. Paint your dog. Be creative and have fun!

Find items in nature

You could even combine your art with a scavenger hunt! Find items to use for an art project while on your hunt. Flowers, leaves, rocks are all great items you could use in your next family art project.

#7 Backyard camping

Perhaps one of my husband’s favorite family things is backyard camping. If you have a tent and some sleeping bags, put together an evening to camp out together. You really don’t have to go anywhere to enjoy a night under the stars. If you don’t have a tent, camp out in your living room. You could build a blanket fort and pretend you’re sleeping under the stars.

Campfire dinner

You could cook your dinner over a campfire. Grab some hotdogs and roast them over the fire. Roast marshmallows or little pies.

Backyard games & activities

If you have games like corn hole or croquet, set those up. You can play hide ‘n seek or even throw some water balloons. If you have a movie projector, create your own outdoor movie theater.

We hope you enjoy these free family fun ideas as much as we do. The whole point is just taking time to pause the chaos of life and be together as a family unit. Cherish time together!

Let us know in the comments: What is your favorite free family fun activity?