I am SO glad that it is spring. I love feeling the sun get warmer and it is ALWAYS a good day if I can sit outside and work on our deck. Fresh air, birds chirping, sun shining…ok I’m getting ahead of myself! We aren’t there yet but the start of Spring is so exciting because I know that it’s going to be warm soon! Inevitably, we will have some cooler days ahead of us and just like all winter, you’ll be dying to get out of the house with the kids for a change of scenery. I’ve come up with three family outings that will be fun for the kids on those cool (or rainy) spring days that won’t affect your monthly budget!

Budget-Friendly Kid-Date # 1: IKEA. To most people, this place is old news but for those of us in the Halifax region, having an IKEA is still a novelty. On Sunday, Tim and I took the kids to this magical place for a budget-friendly family day. Who knew that kids could have so much fun looking at furniture?!

To them, it was like walking through a life-sized playhouse. Eva decided to have a tea party in every room that had a tea set and open every cupboard, dresser or door she could find(and there were a lot of these)!!

When it comes to IKEA, it will keep your kids entertained for hours and can be completely free! Of course, that all depends on your willpower. We walked out of there having spent only 10 bucks (I mean, who can resist buying at least something!)

Budget-Friendly Kid-Date #2: THE LIBRARY. I know, I know, why would you take your kids to a place where one of the main rules is to stay quiet? Sounds like a nightmare right? But the library is a versatile place with plenty of activities to keep an active kid busy. Most public libraries have a designated kid’s area so it’s totally okay for them to stop with the whispering in that area.

The libraries in Halifax are really awesome. They have a play area with tons of toys, an iPad station, a gaming (PlayStation, Xbox, Wii) area and they also have an entire room designated to special events and activities for kids. I like to look up and see what kinds of events are happening at the libraries and then I try to take my kids to some of those events.

When Eva was a baby she loved the baby classes at the library. It gave her a chance to interact with kids her age, sing songs and play with toys. When the boys were out of school for the winter break, the library was having a winter party. They gave cake to the kids, had arts and crafts for the kids to work on and even a face painting station! The boys loved this!

Check out what sort of things your local library has going on and take your kids to them! Libraries are an amazing resource for parents looking to stick to a budget.

Budget-Friendly Kid-Date #3: VOLUNTEERING. Tim and I have decided that we want our kids to be aware of the community around them. We want them to grow up and be kind and helpful to other people and we think that the best way to do this is to take them to places where they can be little volunteers. When they come with us to help at a charity or organization that is focused on helping people, they will grow up knowing that these are important values to our family.

Make it a fun family outing to go and volunteer at your local charity. This doesn’t have to come across as a chore – make your kids excited by being excited about it yourself. If you value the experience, tell them that! They will follow your example and will start to see the value in it as well.

Family outings can be fun AND about raising your children to be aware of others by learning how to serve and reach out to others. Give them the opportunities to practice these skills and lead by example.

What are some of your favourite family outings that are budget friendly? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them!