My children has just finished their first week of summer vacation and we are already looking for fun family things to do without breaking the bank. Spending quality family time during the summer does not have to be expensive and can be a lot of fun.

One of the first things we have already enjoyed doing this summer is going for walks in the evening as a family. My family typically walks between two and five miles. My older daughter enjoys riding her scooter and we push our little man in a stroller. We find that this does not only provide great exercise, but also provides a great opportunity to talk to our children about their days and gets them away from the television.

Another fun and inexpensive family activity is flying kites. We live next door to a large soccer field and flying kites provides for hours of entertainment for our family. You can find several nice kites for a dollar.

My children also love playing in our lawn sprinkler. It cools them down, gets them active and provides lots of fun.

Other favorite activities for my family that are fun and cost friendly include visiting area playgrounds, attending our church’s Vacation Bible School, playing with sidewalk chalks, bubbles and visiting our local library. We also like to participate in family movie night and family game nights. We typically pick out our movies from the local library.

My husband also has a telescope and on several nights we will stand outside and look at the stars and planets. The activity is a lot of fun and also provides another opportunity for great family bonding.

Let me remind you that several local communities also sponsor free concert series and movie nights. Make sure you check out what your local parks and recreation departments have going on throughout the summer.

Remember there are lots of fun things to do this summer and it does not have to break the bank.

Do you have tips to save money? E-mail them to localnews2005@yahoo.com.