Entertaining your child on a Tight Budget

If you are currently following my blog, A New You at http://mommytymeswordsofwisdom.blogspot.com you are aware that I am currently working on keeping my finances under control, looking for ways to cut expenses, and save money. In doing that, I am having to find new unique ways to have fun with my son (age 4) that does not cost an arm and a leg. Below are a few things I have tried this week with him and found that he really enjoys...

1. Movie time- this week we hit the red box (1.00 a night) and got the movie Caroline. This was a really good movie and had a great message for kids. My son is 4 and he seemed to understand most of the underlying messages, but if your child is much younger than that, I would wait a while. There are some scary graphics ( a cat eats a rat, there is a spider monster, etc), but for the most part it was really fun. Tim Burton always takes movies to a new level, and this was not a disappointment. In fact, the message is really appropriate for what my family is currently trying to do, Not Waste Money. The story line is very similar in that Caroline's family is not wealthy, and Caroline can not have everything she wants. She is lonely, and her parents work a lot, but they really love her. Caroline gets pulled into another world where she is given everything she wants, but she soon learns the grass is not always greener on the other side. Below is a link to the trailer you can watch. If you have kids 5 and up, this is a great movie.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uDMTsiJnYU

2. Treasure Walks- this also goes along with my commitments made in the A New You blog, as my son and I take several walks a week down the trails and find treasures. My son looks for pine cones, leaves, etc. We bring them home, he pastes them on his "art" and we get a chance to talk about nature, changes, etc. This is just me and him time. He looks forward to it, as do I. This is free, easy and fun. I think the quality time we spend is important, and for him this is a huge adventure. Simultaneously, I am getting some REAL exercise.

What are some cheap, fun ways you spend time with your kids? Have entertainment ideas for people on a tight budget? Share them here. Remember, every person who comments, subscribes or participates in the blog, web site, etc. is automatically entered into a drawing for free goodies from Mommy Tyme Bath and Gifts.

(visit http://www.mommytyme.org for more details)