Summer is the favorite time of year for many young kids. It means no school, pool parties, and endless popsicles. For parents however, the rising Heat often comes hand in hand with soaring expenses. While it may not seem like much to begin with, the Summer camps, daycares, and babysitters, and pool trips can wreak havoc on your family budget.

The average American family can expect to spend an additional $958 per child each summer. For young children of working parents, there’s the added costs of daycare as well. Many families can expect to pay 20 percent of their monthly income on child care each summer month. With the cost of ensuring your children are cared for, it’s reasonable for there not to be much room left in the budget for extras on the weekends.

To help your family beat the heat on a budget, Mint created this printables to help you and your kids stay engaged and cool all summer long. Plus, we included activities to help keep your children’s math and reading skills up through the summer slump that also teach responsibility and strong financial habits.   

Beat The Heat

While it’s over 100 degrees outside, it can be a bit difficult to take advantage of many traditionally free activities like playing in the backyard or going to the park. These creative crafts are the perfect way to spend an afternoon out of the heat, or to use outside.

Printable Fan Craft

For a great activity indoors that will keep you cool all summer long, try making these simple paper fans. You’ll just need some glue and popsicle sticks to go along with tit. Simply print and cut the pattern of your choosing, and decorate as you see fit!

Pinwheels

These fun spinning creations are easier to make than they look, and all you need is a pencil and a pushpin! They come together in a snap, and make great decorations for garden or backyard barbecue.

Summer’s Cool

Known as the “summer slide,” studies show that two to three months of learning are typically lost over the summer. Among the most affected are reading and math skills. To help your child be successful when school starts up again, here are two great printables to keep their brains reading and using numbers.

Reading Incentives

It can be hard to get your kids to read over the summer, so this reading tracker will help keep them motivated. Visually track the pages on the top part of the sheet, and write in the rewards at the bottom. It could be as simple as a family movie night, their choice of dessert, or more extravagant like a trip to the aquarium.

Money Math Game

This printable money is a great help teach your kids the value of money and boost their addition skills. You can even use the bills as rewards for chores or pages read!

Staying within your budget this summer doesn’t have to mean making sacrifices. Whether a night in playing board games, or a free craft with your kids, there’s plenty of affordable activities the whole family can do together. With smart planning you can make your money and your moments last longer, and get down to the quality time that really matters together.

The post Free Printable Activities to Help You Beat the Heat on a Budget appeared first on MintLife Blog.