Entertainment Tips for the Family

Christmas is not only the time of the year where you give gifts to friends, family, relatives and colleagues, but it is the time of the year where family members have longer time to bond and to share precious moments together.

Because of the busy and hectic schedules that parents and children have from January to November yearly, seldom can they have enough quality time to share their thoughts, laugh together or have picnic or dine out together.

However, Christmas is not as luxurious or expensive event compared to previous years due to the onset of economic crisis worldwide. The tough economic condition not only impacted finances and operations of companies and organizations, but it also affects the budget and activities of families.

If you plan to spend quality time together, parents should plan ahead and should allocate money several months beforehand, like saving 50 to 60 dollars per payday. Economic crisis should not mean boredom to your you and your children. Just like everyone else, you and your family needs to relax, to have fun and to get way from all the hassles of city life. During recession, it is where your resourcefulness and creativeness comes in, by planning entertainment and recreation with your budget. You must find resourceful ways to beat the high cost associated with modern family entertainment.

You do not have to limit yourself within the four walls of your home due to the meager money they have, but you can have other means of entertaining yourself and your family by organizing cost-efficient and meaning events. Some ways to keep your family entertained without putting too much of pressure in your budget.

Suitable bonding activities for your family:

Gardening. It is considered one of the most productive and cost-efficient way to entertain yourself and your children. With gardening, you can teach your children ways of growing fruits and vegetables, which you can use for your meals. Through it, you can spend quality time with your children and promote family life and good health.
Camping. It is not only limited to outdoor areas, but you can camp at your backyard, thereby saving you money on transportation and travel time. Your garden or backyard can be the inexpensive and less-stressful alternative to have camping with friends and family. You can cookout and campfire during the night.
Watch Ball Games with your children. You can buy football or basketball tickets and watch them together with your wife and your children.
Community events. By letting your child participate in community voluntary works helps instill in them the importance of cooperation, voluntarism and helping other people in the community.
Hosting a Garage Sale. Aside from having fun, you can teach them an inexpensive way to earn additional money.
Renting DVDs and CDs. You can save money by renting DVDs and CDs than watching movies in theaters because you can do away with dining out and buying snack foods inside theaters.
Online Games. With the millions of online games available in the Internet, you can play games with your children.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_G._Steinmetz