This year, maybe more than ever, more families are struggling with the rise in expenses and are feeling that they aren't able to buy enough gifts for their kids. As many moms has said in support, kids don't remember gifts. They remember the time spent, traditions upheld, and love that is shared. There are many ways to make Christmas magical without spending a lot of money on gifts. We really love the idea of creating a coupon book with activities and ideas that will last the whole year. You could make coupons or even use popsicle sticks to color code and write the idea on. Many of these can be re-used throughout the year.
Create your list based on your family budget and a realistic time commitment. For example, maybe you only do 1 activity a month that costs money, and 1 activity per week that is free or low cost. Below are ideas for free and low cost fun. Be sure to add the things that you know your children love to do and things that you would like to become a family tradition. What are the things you'd wished you would have made more time for this year? Put those on the list.
Free fun:
Camp in your back yard.
Stay up late for family movie night.
Bake something together- teach a family favorite recipe.
Do a simple craft using items from around the house.
Skip a chore.
Take a drive to watch the sunset from the parkway.
Kids choose dinner- Ice Cream for Dinner? Pancakes for Dinner?
Pick several hikes for weekend fun days.
Find something fun and different at the local library. Check out the Library of Things.
Seasonal scavenger hunts. Spring Hunt. Fall Hunt. Winter Holiday. Trick or Treat Hunt. Scavenger Hunt for Teens.
Acts of Kindness. These ideas work year round.
Splash in the Creek. Creeks Guide
Visit a new park/playground. Parks and Playgrounds in Roanoke City.
Visit the Farm Animals at Johnson's Orchard. (Visit in the fall for apples picking)
Low Cost Fun:
Spend a day at Community Park Beach at Smith Mountain Lake. (Only $3 admission) Pack a picnic.
Visit Mill Mountain Zoo.
Salem Red Sox Game. (the Kids Club is great if you can spring for it!)
Firehouse Skate & Play offers Unlimited Fun & Pizza night on Fridays.
Bowling. In the summer, many places have Kids Free Bowling
Go thrifting. Set a budget per family member and make a game of finding the best find.
Watch a movie at Starlite Drive In.
Visit SML Alpaca Farm.
Moderate cost:
Visit the Starcade.
Breakfast with the animals at Mill Mountain Zoo.
Visit the Safari Park.
Visit Sea Quest.
Visit the VR Center.
Try out an escape room.
Road trip to the lake - visit Bridgewater for the arcade, ice cream, and feed the carp.
Trail Ride at Spring Valley Farms.
Free Annual Events:
March- St Patrick's Day Festival by Downtown Roanoke Incorporated
April- Local Colors Festival, Vinton Dogwood Festival
May - Strawberry Festival in Elmwood Park, Festival in the Park.
May-August- Free Movies in the Park (we will update our guide for 2024)
June- Free Fishing Day (article will be updated for 2024)
July- Touch a Truck in Green Hill Park
September- Taco Fest, Henry Street Festival
October- GO Outside Fest & Macaroni KID Downtown Candy Crawl
December- Dickens of a Christmas, Fashions for Evergreens at the Hotel Roanoke, & Santa at PBS
How to use popsicle sticks to organize the activities.
Buy popsicle sticks in a variety of colors or buy markers or paint to paint plain ones. Create a color code. Example: Blue- Free/Repeatable Activities, Green- Low Cost Activities, A color for each month (if using annual events for your ideas) or a color for each season. Use a sharpie to write the idea on a stick and then put them all in a jar. Make a fun label or use stickers to decorate the jar.
