MAKE UP KID’S GAME ON THE CHEAP

The other day my mother was taking the wrappers off of coffee creamer bottles. I asked her what she was doing. She replied that she was making a bowling ball set for her great grand children to play. When she finished taking the wrappers off of the coffee creamer bottles I noticed that they really did look like bowling balls. My mom proceeded to put stripes on the bottles and came up with a small (cheap) rubber ball from her basement. Using this old ball that was the approximate size of a bowling ball and then reusing the creamer bottles she had made a very nice bowling game which cost her nothing. In addition, the bowling pins could be left empty inside for easy indoor knockdowns and then used outside in nice weather by putting sand in the pins to stabilize them from the wind and rough surfaces.

I have made mini golf games on the cheap. A real golf club can be purchased at places like Goodwill for just a couple of bucks. I have found golf balls left on my property over the years so I have never had to buy any. By taking a few plastic cups and placing them in holes in the ground you can create your own mini golf course. You can use logs or stones for obstacles and maybe even have sand traps and little ponds to miss. Obstacles could be anything including old tires, unused lawn edging etc. It is really up to your imagination and your kid’s imagination on how to set up the course. The great thing is that you and your kids can improve and modify your backyard mini golf game all summer.

In addition to a mini golf course you could set up a Frisbee course or even one in which the kids just kick a ball through a course of obstacles. Of course you can also set up a weekend treasure hunt. The found treasures could be anything from old jewelry or watches to even some change. Even if you give out a dollar or two in change in treasure hunts you are still entertaining the kids at a fraction of the of taking them to a place that charges huge fees for everything. Remember also, the treasure the kids are looking for on a treasure hunt may not be as important as the fun of looking for it.

You local dollar stores have quite a few games that are cheap. Chess, checkers, magic cards etc. can be an inexpensive way of providing entertainment. Whatever you do by entertaining the kids on the cheap, you will save a fortune.