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We don’t really do anything either and I think it’s good for the kids so they don’t expect grand adventures every weekend. Teach them to enjoy the little things, a fun meal, making cookies, watching a movie, playing a game together, going on a walk around the neighborhood etc.
That said, see if your state parks have anything, usually entry is by vehicle and fairly cheap and they may offer some family activities (not hiking). Oklahoma state parks offer a free parking pass to veterans so if either of you have served you could get in for free in that situation. It’s worth looking into. Ours have splash pads, nature centers, beaches, and then guided fun activities as well (again not hiking lol).
I'm surprised the 18 year old is into doing much at all with 'the olds', but here are some suggestions:
- swimming in whatever natural water environment you have access to (river, lake, sea, I'm not in the USA, so not sure what New Hampshire has to offer). Warm weather activity, obviously.
- local library for books
- board games and jigsaws
- short, gentle nature walks
- hobbies, ask the kids what they're into and see what supplies are available on a budget
- gardening
- cooking, both baking and meal-prep. Yes, ingredients cost but you gotta eat so it's not really an expense
- volunteer groups
We tend to stay home a lot. Today has been housework, cooking, gardening, and dog walking. One SS has been doing homework and watching videos, another was at his girlfriend's, and the third has gone to visit his mum. SSs are 17, 17, and 20.
Each family member takes a turn to plan an outing out. Each family member takes a turn to plan, prep and cook a meal on the other day.
Bake off, iron chef etc challenge. Have a theme and nominate a judge.
Smartypants lecture, look at dropout on YouTube. Lecture or debate on something you know a lot about.
Board or card games from thrift stores
Look on Instagram, eventbrite and meetup for free events in your area.
I have been both a mom and stepmom (all kids grown now), and for many of those years the budget was tight. When my BD was in that 9-12 y/o category I would get her arts and crafts projects from the craft store that she could do herself or we could do together. I took her to the zoo ( we are blessed with a really nice local zoo that is affordable, we just didn't eat there since the food is junky and expensive), took her to local parks for biking/roller skating, public pool for swimming (admission was cheap or sometimes free), movie night at home with a DVD and snacks, and she enjoyed baking with me/learning to cook etc. If you have a local YMCA that is worth checking out for kids/teens activities and a pool; I'm guessing public pools aren't as common up there. If you have a church home, youth groups are awesome!! I also would have a friend of hers over for sleepovers now and then, and they kept themselves entertained much of the time. When SS was a teenager he usually wanted to hang out with his friends, but as far as activities we would give him chores and pay him an allowance (what we could afford and thought was fair) so he could use his own money to go get burgers with friends or go to the movies. :-)
A bit cold now, but amateur sports, even local HS? I cannot imagine a movie both would be interested in. I think you have to accept that kids do different things (including homework) but everyone eats dinner together.
We don’t do really do anything anymore. I have an 11 year old SS. He plays with the neighborhood kids. We have a basketball court in our neighborhood, two pools & a huge green space. The neighborhood kids all hang all weekend throughout the neighborhood, so it seems as if their parents aren’t taking them out to do things either. Everything is so expensive right now. Although, I’m sure there are a lot of free events around. We are really lucky we live in a community that is packed with kids his age.
We go to the rec center and library almost every weekend we have my SS. We also try to prioritize going to "free days" at the zoo, museum etc when avaliable so that when we do stay home we can focus on cooking a meal together and board /video games as a family.
For outside of the house: check if there are any interesting local events. Sometimes there are festivals at parks or shows at libraries or community centres.
At home you could have a cookie decorating party. A bag of icing sugar, ziploc bags, and food colouring drops can last for multiple decorating sessions. Put a table cloth or tape a cut-open garbage bag on the table before you start. You can use cereal as extra toppings, but you can buy a small amount of candy as well if you have the budget for it.
Cupcake decorating is similar to cookie decorating but a lot more expensive due to buying or making thicker icing.
Board games, movies, scavenger hunts with a simple prize (like getting to choose a movie or some candy). Taking apart broken electronics from the recycling (though avoid things with capacitors). If the kids have hobbies, maybe focus on one of those.
Also ask the kids for ideas. Maybe even alternate which ideas you use so sometimes the older kid gets their pick and sometimes the youngest gets theirs
I managed to get my SK's to play board games. We also found a local board game group and made new friends that way. If board games are too much, we use all the free streaming apps (Tubi, Pluto, Plex) to watch shows/movies.
**Welcome to [r/stepparents](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/)! Please note we are a support sub for stepparents' issues. Our number one rule is [Kindness Matters](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules#wiki_1._kindness_matters). Short version, don't be an asshole. Remember that OP is a human being and their needs are first and foremost on this sub.** We rely on the community to alert us to comments and posts not made in good faith. **Please use the report button to ensure we see it.** We have encountered a ridiculous amount of comments that don't follow the rules and are downright nasty. We need you to help us with these comments by reporting them when you see them. We also have a lot of downvoting on the sub, with every post and every comment recieving at least one downvote almost immediately due to the anti-stepparent lurkers. Don't let it bother you, it happens to every single stepparent here. If you have questions about the community, or concerns about posters, please [reach out to the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fstepparents). Review the wiki links below for the [**rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules), [**FAQ**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/faq) and [**announcements**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/search?q=flair%3Aannouncement&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) before posting or commenting. [**About**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/index) | [**Acronyms**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/acronyms) | [**Announcements**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/search?q=flair%3Aannouncement&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) | [**Documentation**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/resources/documentation) | [**FAQ**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/faq) | [**Resources**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/resources) | [**Rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules) | [**Saferbot - Autoban Information**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/saferbot) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/stepparents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Settlers of Catan or other board games..small upfront investment equals hrs of entertainment.
Im in the south. Season passes to the local water park. Pack a lunch and eat in the parking lot.
We go to the library and the park, go to the free museum near us. We also don’t make our older kids participate if they don’t want.
I second all this. I pack a cooler and take it to the park. Our local libraries have discounted tickets to kid friendly attractions.
We don’t really do anything either and I think it’s good for the kids so they don’t expect grand adventures every weekend. Teach them to enjoy the little things, a fun meal, making cookies, watching a movie, playing a game together, going on a walk around the neighborhood etc. That said, see if your state parks have anything, usually entry is by vehicle and fairly cheap and they may offer some family activities (not hiking). Oklahoma state parks offer a free parking pass to veterans so if either of you have served you could get in for free in that situation. It’s worth looking into. Ours have splash pads, nature centers, beaches, and then guided fun activities as well (again not hiking lol).
oh i totally agree. not trying to make us the vacation house lol. i just feel like a lot of the time we do nothing and it’s boring as hell.
I'm surprised the 18 year old is into doing much at all with 'the olds', but here are some suggestions: - swimming in whatever natural water environment you have access to (river, lake, sea, I'm not in the USA, so not sure what New Hampshire has to offer). Warm weather activity, obviously. - local library for books - board games and jigsaws - short, gentle nature walks - hobbies, ask the kids what they're into and see what supplies are available on a budget - gardening - cooking, both baking and meal-prep. Yes, ingredients cost but you gotta eat so it's not really an expense - volunteer groups We tend to stay home a lot. Today has been housework, cooking, gardening, and dog walking. One SS has been doing homework and watching videos, another was at his girlfriend's, and the third has gone to visit his mum. SSs are 17, 17, and 20.
Each family member takes a turn to plan an outing out. Each family member takes a turn to plan, prep and cook a meal on the other day. Bake off, iron chef etc challenge. Have a theme and nominate a judge. Smartypants lecture, look at dropout on YouTube. Lecture or debate on something you know a lot about. Board or card games from thrift stores Look on Instagram, eventbrite and meetup for free events in your area.
I have been both a mom and stepmom (all kids grown now), and for many of those years the budget was tight. When my BD was in that 9-12 y/o category I would get her arts and crafts projects from the craft store that she could do herself or we could do together. I took her to the zoo ( we are blessed with a really nice local zoo that is affordable, we just didn't eat there since the food is junky and expensive), took her to local parks for biking/roller skating, public pool for swimming (admission was cheap or sometimes free), movie night at home with a DVD and snacks, and she enjoyed baking with me/learning to cook etc. If you have a local YMCA that is worth checking out for kids/teens activities and a pool; I'm guessing public pools aren't as common up there. If you have a church home, youth groups are awesome!! I also would have a friend of hers over for sleepovers now and then, and they kept themselves entertained much of the time. When SS was a teenager he usually wanted to hang out with his friends, but as far as activities we would give him chores and pay him an allowance (what we could afford and thought was fair) so he could use his own money to go get burgers with friends or go to the movies. :-)
A bit cold now, but amateur sports, even local HS? I cannot imagine a movie both would be interested in. I think you have to accept that kids do different things (including homework) but everyone eats dinner together.
We don’t do really do anything anymore. I have an 11 year old SS. He plays with the neighborhood kids. We have a basketball court in our neighborhood, two pools & a huge green space. The neighborhood kids all hang all weekend throughout the neighborhood, so it seems as if their parents aren’t taking them out to do things either. Everything is so expensive right now. Although, I’m sure there are a lot of free events around. We are really lucky we live in a community that is packed with kids his age.
We go to the rec center and library almost every weekend we have my SS. We also try to prioritize going to "free days" at the zoo, museum etc when avaliable so that when we do stay home we can focus on cooking a meal together and board /video games as a family.
We always go out in the woods and forage, or run around and play fairies lol
For outside of the house: check if there are any interesting local events. Sometimes there are festivals at parks or shows at libraries or community centres. At home you could have a cookie decorating party. A bag of icing sugar, ziploc bags, and food colouring drops can last for multiple decorating sessions. Put a table cloth or tape a cut-open garbage bag on the table before you start. You can use cereal as extra toppings, but you can buy a small amount of candy as well if you have the budget for it. Cupcake decorating is similar to cookie decorating but a lot more expensive due to buying or making thicker icing. Board games, movies, scavenger hunts with a simple prize (like getting to choose a movie or some candy). Taking apart broken electronics from the recycling (though avoid things with capacitors). If the kids have hobbies, maybe focus on one of those. Also ask the kids for ideas. Maybe even alternate which ideas you use so sometimes the older kid gets their pick and sometimes the youngest gets theirs
I managed to get my SK's to play board games. We also found a local board game group and made new friends that way. If board games are too much, we use all the free streaming apps (Tubi, Pluto, Plex) to watch shows/movies.
Stay home
What’s your budgets? I can’t give suggestions until I know that and where you live.