Quote:
Originally Posted by panchodog
No kudzu, I've got a 9 yr old and a 6 yr old. I'm not a huge fan of summer camps anyway! We've done a few, but it's fun to just have lazy unstructured days—go to the pool, make homemade ice cream, do science experiments with household substances (ever heard of "elephant toothpaste"?), play outside, stargaze at Jordan Lake, make your own bubble solution and bubble wands, go to the Saxapahaw Farmer's Mkt (a free music festival every Saturday with great kids activities), go swimming in the Eno, play with friends. We have a great time and don't do much camp at all.
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That's what we do too. Also the library always has great books on science experiments and craft activities (our favorite are the ones that use recycled materials).
Ask their school teachers for summer enrichment materials. Their teachers probably know ALL the best websites for free stuff.
There are free music events in Durham, near the American Tobacco Campus ... the Indy usually lists those. Also, I have attended some free events at the Plantitarian on the UNC campus. You might check the Nasher to see if they have Family days as well.
We always take a day in the summer and have a picnic at the Am. Tobacco Campus and then walk around. My kids love that little river area. Then we head over to the Scrap Exchange where we can get some cool craft stuff. We make a game of how much cool stuff that we can get for under $5.00.
This summer I'm going to add visiting the college campuses to our list. My oldest is 10 and I want them to get a little college exposure. Again we plan to take a picnic lunch and explore. At Duke we'll visit the Sarah P Duke Gardens. NC State we'll add Pullen Park to the visit. And UNC we'll add the botantical gardens to the list.
While it will take a tank of gas, this is a cheap day vacation. Pack a lunch and some snacks in the cooler and head to the beach for the day. North Topsail Island has some nice public beach accesses with outdoor showers and bathrooms. Send me a pm if you want details. Also, Pilot Mountain is a great 2 hour trip.
Lastly, we have made coupon shopping a game with our kids. They help me clip the coupons and when they go grocery shopping with me they like to see how much we can save. Sometimes I will give them part of our "savings" to reward them for helping. Plus, it's a GREAT exercise in real life math.
Lastly, consider joining Triangle Mommies... they list lots of free events in the area.
I'm sorry to hear about the lay off. I hope that he finds a new position soon.
Take Care!!