How to Have a Great Summer Break With Your Kids on a Small Budget

Last week, I donated money to an organization that provides summer camps and activities for families and children facing financial challenges. It got me thinking about how many parents experience a mix of excitement and anxiety when summer arrives.

For many families, summer means creating memories, spending quality time together, and giving children experiences they’ll remember. But it can also bring worries about money, especially when it seems like every fun activity comes with a price tag. As a single mom raising three teenagers on my own, I know that feeling all too well. Last summer, and this summer too, I’ve spent plenty of time wondering how I can give my kids a fun and memorable summer while staying within a very small budget. At the same time, I want our choices to be as sustainable as possible.

The good news? Many sustainable practices also happen to save money. So if you’re looking for ways to enjoy a meaningful summer without overspending, here are some of my favorite tips.

Go on a Staycation

How to Have a Great Summer Break With Your Kids on a Small Budget

Instead of traveling long distances, consider exploring your own area and discovering local attractions, parks, beaches, trails, and hidden gems. Staying closer to home reduces transportation costs, lowers your carbon footprint, and supports local businesses. This summer, my family is traveling by train, taking a bike vacation, and camping along the way. It’s an affordable way to see more of our own country while enjoying some much-needed family time. Sometimes the best adventures are closer than we think.

Embrace Thrift Shopping

Summer often comes with a long shopping list, especially if your kids have grown since last year. Before buying new, check out local thrift stores, secondhand marketplaces, or organize a clothing swap with friends. You can often find bikes, skateboards, outdoor gear, sports equipment, and summer clothing for a fraction of the original cost. Thrifting helps reduce waste, lowers the demand for new production, and keeps more money in your pocket.

It’s the perfect combination of budget-friendly and environmentally responsible.

Pack Your Own Food and Use Reusables

One of the biggest money drains during summer can be food and drinks purchased while you’re out. A bottle of water here, a snack there,it all adds up quickly, especially for larger families. Whenever we leave the house, I try to bring reusable water bottles, utensils, napkins, and containers. Packing our own food not only reduces single-use plastic waste but saves a surprising amount of money over the course of the summer. Eating at home and cooking from scratch is another way I save lots of money, and of course, we sometimes eat out, but kids usually comment that the food we cook at home tastes better anyway.

And honestly, food just tastes better outdoors.

Some of our favorite picnic foods include:

• Pizza rolls
• Tofu egg salad sandwiches
• Pasta salad
• Fresh fruit
• Homemade muffins

There are also plenty of great plant-based picnic recipes available online if you’re looking for inspiration.

Bake and Make Homemade Treats Together

One of my favorite ways to save money during the summer is to make more things from scratch. Baking your own bread, cookies, muffins, and other treats is often much cheaper than buying them from a store, and it usually creates less packaging waste too. Making homemade popsicles and ice cream is another fun summer activity. You can use fresh berries, fruit that’s getting a little too ripe, yogurt, or plant-based milk to create delicious frozen treats for a fraction of the cost of store-bought versions.

The best part is that these activities become more than just a way to save money; they become family memories. On rainy days or when it’s simply too hot to be outside, spending an afternoon baking bread or making popsicles together can be the perfect indoor activity. Kids get to learn valuable life skills, experiment with flavors, and enjoy the satisfaction of creating something with their own hands.

And if you ask me, homemade always tastes better.

Spend More Time Outdoors

Some of the best summer activities are also the cheapest.

Summer is the perfect season to enjoy nature through activities such as:

• Hiking
• Biking
• Swimming
• Frisbee
• Badminton
• Nature walks
• Outdoor games

These activities support both physical and mental well-being, require little to no money, and create opportunities for genuine family connection. Nature has a way of slowing us down and reminding us that entertainment doesn’t always have to be expensive.

Try Foraging

I grew up foraging in Sweden, and I’ve raised my three kids the same way. Summer is one of the most exciting times of year for foraging. Depending on where you live, you may find wild berries, edible flowers, herbs, mushrooms, nuts, and other seasonal foods growing naturally around you.

Foraging teaches children where food comes from, helps them develop a deeper connection with nature, and turns an ordinary walk into a treasure hunt. My family loves spending time outdoors searching for wild foods, and it’s become one of our favorite summer traditions. If you’re new to foraging, make sure you learn from a trusted guide and only eat plants or mushrooms that you can identify with complete certainty. I can tell you how excited the kids are making pie, fruit leather or ice cream from foraged berries or cook a meal with foraged greens and of course they especilly love making dandelion syrup that we eat with pancakes and nettle cake (sounds strange but so good).

Start a Small Garden

Gardening is a fun, affordable, and sustainable activity that children of all ages can enjoy. You don’t need a large backyard to get started. Even a few pots on a balcony or windowsill can be enough to grow herbs, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, or strawberries. Kids love helping plant seeds, watering them, and watching them grow over time. There’s something magical about eating food you’ve grown yourself. Gardening teaches patience, responsibility, and where food comes from, while also encouraging children to spend more time outdoors and connect with nature.

And let’s be honest, kids are often much more excited to eat vegetables when they’ve grown them themselves.

Focus on Memories, Not Money

When I look back on my own childhood, I don’t remember expensive vacations or costly activities. I remember bike rides, swimming in lakes, picnics, camping trips, picking berries, and spending time with the people I loved. As parents, it’s easy to feel pressure to provide an Instagram-worthy summer. But what children often value most is our time, attention, and presence.

A great summer doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

By embracing simple, sustainable activities, you can create meaningful experiences, reduce your environmental impact, and stay within your budget. In many ways, the most affordable summers can also be the most memorable.

Here’s to a summer filled with adventure, connection, fresh air, and moments that matter.