Things to do with your kids this summer on a budget

As the summer approaches finding things to do with your kids can be a challenge, especially if you are looking for things to do on a budget. If you are like me, you want to keep your kids busy during the summer doing fun activities, so they aren’t always on their electronics.  My girls are now teenagers at 13 and 14 years old. They love hanging out with their friends and this summer they will be busy playing softball, but on days they aren’t at the fields I wanted some go to activities I could entertain them with.  I have been doing several of these activities with my kids since they were toddlers and each year there are a few more things to choose from. It’s great to have more options. Here are a few of my favorites.

Since my girls are getting older they can now go to the gym and workout. We are fortunate to live in the city of Seminole and have a free gym at the Seminole Recreation Center. You have to be 12 years old to go with an adult, so they can both go with me. Be sure to check and see if your city’s recreation center offers free memberships to their residents. If you don’t have a free gym, you are in luck. This year Planet Fitness is offering free workouts for teens agers 15-18 all summer long from May 15 to September 1. You can find out more by clicking here. 

If your kids like going to the movies several of the theaters offer discounts on movies for kids during the summer. Cobb theaters offer Free Kids Summer Movie escape with free movies for kids starting June 11 and will continue every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10am through the August 1. Some of the movies include Smallfoot, Smurfs, Curious George and more. We have several Cobb theaters in the area you can find out more information by going to their website by clicking here.  AMC theaters is offering a $4 special for kids and it includes a movie ticket and kids pack including a drink and popcorn. It is every Wednesday and the movies include Trolls, Lego Movie 2, Teen Titans Go and more. Here’s a link for more information click here. Studio Movie Grill offers movies for $5 on Tuesdays all year long and you can see any movie for $5.

If your kids like to fish the Kiwanis Club of Seminole Breakfast has several free fishing days for kids ages 14 years and younger. This summer mark your calendar for Saturday, June 1 and August 3 from 8am-11am. Fishing is done at Taylor Park located at 1100 8th Avenue SW in Largo. They provide the bait and the fishing poles. On August 10 from 9am-3pm Angler Armory is hosting a back to school free fishing day at Madeira Beach Recreation Center, 200 Rex Place, Madeira Beach. They will have bounce houses, raffles, food, prizes and more. Every kid 15 years and younger will get a free membership to Angler Armory. For more information go to their website by clicking here.  Gates open at 8am that day to register.

If it’s too hot to be outdoors or maybe it’s raining and you want to get the kids out of the house, there are quite a few deals to go to museums for free this summer. If your child is a fourth grader they can get a voucher to go to museums for free this summer. The program is called Every Kid in a Park. Kids can get free admission by visiting the website by clicking here. There is also a program called Museums on Us if you are a Bank of America, Merrill Lynch or U.S Trust cardholder. You can get a free ticket on the first full weekend of every month at over 225 participating museums including The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Museum of Art, Florida Holocaust Museum and Museum of Fine Arts. You can find out more here. Don’t forget Glazer Children’s Museum always offers the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County free Tuesdays the first Tuesday of the month from noon to 6pm. They are located at 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza in Tampa. The museum is great for kids ages birth to 10 years old.

I know bowling and roller skating is fun to do with the kids. Did you know you can do it for free all summer long? The Kids Bowl Free program offers two games a day of bowling all summer long. All you have to do is pay for the shoes. If you have shoes you don’t pay a thing. You must register here. Locally we have some great bowling alleys all over Pinellas County participating in this program including Seminole Lanes in Seminole, Liberty Lanes in Largo, Sunrise and Ten Pin Lanes in St. Petersburg, Maple Lanes Countryside in Clearwater and Dunedin Lanes in Dunedin. Go to the website for other participating bowling alleys. Kids must be between 2-14 to register. 

I found locally Astro Skate in Pinellas Park, 10001 66th Street N. offers free skating for kids 12 years and younger. Skating passes are good for Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6:30 pm- 8:30 pm. You can find out other participating locations on the website and register here. 

It’s important for kids to read this summer and if they read they can get a free book at Barnes and Noble. Kids grades 1-6 can earn a free book. Go here to register your child and start reading. My girls have done this the past several years and it does seem to motivate them to read. You print out the reading log and when finished turn it in for a free book. 

I found a few other ideas for the summer with Microsoft and Apple. They have offer free workshops and camps for kids. Apple has their Apple camp for ages 8 to 12. It is free and is at area Apple stores. They are 90 minute sessions and include coding and robotics, moviemaking or musical storytelling. To find out more click here. All campers must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the camp. Microsoft has a free camp at International Plaza. Most of their camps are for ages 8 and up and 13 and up. To find out more go to their website by clicking here and look for events for students. There you will find the different camps offered.

Younger kids can take part in the free Home Depot workshops for kids. The workshops are offered all year long, the first Saturday of the month from 9am to noon.  On June 1 the craft for the month is building a tabletop putting green. I know my kids loved going to Home Depot on Saturdays with their grandpa to make all sorts of wood items. Now they have outgrown it, but my sister and brother’s kids still go. It ’s a great place to learn basic skills of carpentry like how to use a hammer and how to paint. Kids get to build their item and either paint or put stickers on their craft. Kids receive a certificate and a workshop apron and commemorative pin all for free. 

I hope you are able to use at least one of these ideas. 

A time and a season for everything

Click here to hear song

Have you ever heard the song Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds? It was a pretty popular song and was number one on the billboards in 1965 and also featured in the movie "Forrest Gump." The lyrics are very similar and almost word for word from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 in the Bible, except for the title of the song.

Here are the words from Ecclesiastes.

“a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

“a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend,

“a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

The words are about how there is a season for everything in life. Our lives begin when we are born and they end when we die, but the in-between is what matters. It’s how we live our life. What I have found is no matter how much joy or sorrow we go through that, too, is a season. It usually doesn’t last forever, which is good when we encounter things that bring us sadness.

I know for some, the holidays can be hard. Maybe your kids are gone, you got divorced or someone close to you died. These words can give hope that it’s only a moment in time.

We really have to remember time is constantly changing. You can’t stop time. We are only given so much time and we should use our time wisely. As we start a new year, really think about the season you are in and how to live it to the fullest. I found this past year I was trying to do so many things, but wasn’t doing them all to the best of my ability. I had to make some big decisions on what to cut back on. Some of the things I decided to cut back on are things I have done for years and love doing, but as I am reminded in these words, there is a time for everything.

What matters most to you? What season are you in? Are you with a newborn at home? Do you have a toddler? Do you have a teen? Are your kids grown? Maybe you have grandkids? For me, I am in the middle stages of life and my two girls are now teens. People who have kids older than mine have told me your kids will grow up fast and they are right. It seems like just the other day they were born. When they were younger, I would always tease them and tell them to stop growing up. You can’t stop time, you can’t even slow down time. We have to live in the season. Being a mom is a season of life. It’s one of the best jobs I could ever have, definitely one of the most challenging, but also one of the most rewarding.

As I write this, one of the things in life I will be cutting back on are my articles. I have been writing this column for more than eight years and now is the season to step back. To all my readers I thank you for allowing me to share my personal life with you over the years. There is a time and a season for everything.

13-year-old turns birthday into a time of giving to others

Mackenzie Dunn holds money in her hand at her birthday party
as part her donation to Operation: Miltiary Matters. 

Thanksgiving, is a day to be thankful and a time for giving. I couldn't think of a more giving story than the one I am about to share.

A few weeks ago, my 12-year-old daughter Graci brought home a handmade invitation to her friend Mackenzie Dunn's 13th birthday party. I was amazed to see inside it said, "instead of gifts this year please bring donations for Operation: Military Matters" and she gave a list of suggested items to donate.  Operation: Military Matters, is my daughter Graci's nonprofit. She sends care packages to the military overseas. When I saw Mackenzie was asking for donations for it, I was very impressed. Most teens aren't thinking about giving to others these days, they are more interested in themselves one reason they are labeled the "me generation."

 Mackenzie's birthday was on Veterans Day this year, so that's why she wanted to do something for the military. In the past Graci has shared with her the impact the care packages make on our military.  

When I picked Graci up from the party, Mackenzie handed me a $200 check and three bagfuls of items to send in the care packages. This generosity and unselfish act really made an impact on me and I am sure others including the kids at the party and her family. To see a young teen give up all her presents is really unheard of. I mean she could have had a new phone, iPad, Apple watch, etc. She was such a cheerful giver too, she even told me the other day she received another twenty dollars and her mom was going to give it to me. She knows that will help pay for shipping for another care package. Mackenzie realizes even at her young age what she is doing is making the lives of our soldiers a little bit brighter with the care packages. She told me she wants to help pack the next round of care packages for the troops. Wow, not only is she donating money to a charity, but also her time!  

As I think about this wonderful story of our youth and how there are young kids doing good deeds in the world, it makes my heart so happy. We have to share these kinds of

stories. I know there are more stories like this. We need to report more good news instead of all the bad things kids are doing. My hope is when kids see others being recognized for doing good deeds, maybe they will do something good.

I believe, as parents we need to be the ones to set an example of giving. We need to give to others and teach our children this and tell them it feels great to give. Maybe we can all learn a little something from 13-year-old Mackenzie and her giving heart. As we approach the holidays over the next few months, think about giving to others.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!