Frugal Family Fun

Finding fun things for your family to do can be tough if you're on a budget, but if you're creative, you'll find there's plenty to do for just pennies.

With the rising cost of, well, just about everything, it can be difficult to indulge in the kinds of entertainment you may be used to. Never fear - there are things you can do that cost very little yet offer hours of family fun.

Game Night
Whether it's a board game, charades, video games, cards or a made-up game, the whole family can get in on the action with a night of games. Add some fun snacks to the mix and get ready for a night of fun. This is a great option for older kids.

Movie Night
Head to your local video rental store and stock up on some good family movies, then settle in with some popcorn and candy and enjoy! If you want to go all out, you can even print some “movie tickets” and dim the lights to recreate the full movie experience. (Spilling popcorn and drinks on the floor is optional!) Best of all, you can always hit pause for bathroom breaks and no one cares how loud you're laughing.

A Craft Affair
Do your little ones love to paint, color, cut and glue? Have them make decorations for whichever holiday is approaching. You can also have them decorate blank note cards, so you'll always have a stash of unique cards ready to send out.

Cool Cooking
If your kids are like mine, they love to help me cook and bake. Borrow a kid's cook book from the library and pick one recipe each week to work on. Of course baking sweet treats is fun, too, so be sure to keep cake mix, frosting and sprinkles on hand to make impromptu cupcakes.

On Your Marks
If you have some open space in your living room or basement, set up an obstacle course and then divide your family into teams for some friendly competition. The obstacle course doesn't need to be elaborate, and you can use things you already have on hand such as pillows, laundry baskets and chairs. To make it even more challenging, have contestants perform some sort of feat during one leg of the course, such as carrying a plastic egg on a spoon without dropping it.

Befriend Books
If you really need to get out of the house, check out your local library. Both kids and adults love browsing the books, and some locations even offer story times and computers with Internet access and kid-friendly games.

Family fun doesn't have to cost a fortune. Try some of the ideas above or use them as starting points for creating your own brand of fun.