Fun Outings with 3 Children

Check with the local bowling alley-they have special time where you can bowl for $1 a game or sometimes they charge a flat fee per lane for X amount time. Lawrence, KS also has an indoor aquatic center open the the public and have neat swim areas for all ages. Fees are reasonable. Check out there web site- google Lawrence ks aquatic center. There are also local roller skating rinks that are fun for adults & kids. For yonger kids they can tighten the wheels of the skates so they can stand up when trying to skate. I have 5 grandsons(ages 5 to 11) & they love doing all of the above.

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Kaleidoscope... it's free... they have family sessions and it's amazing!!! To save money on food, you could pack a picnic and eat downstairs of Crown Center by the Coterie and then check out the free art exhibit... there is always something different!

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If you haven't gone pumpkin picking yet...head out to Crockett Farms. It's on US 59 (10 minutes outside of Atchison en route to St. Joseph)...They totally rock! You can let the kids pick ANYTHING they want...honestly! The biggest pumpkins were probably 30lbs and only cost $5!!! My kids picked like 10 pumpkins and 15 gourds for only $23! Our WHOLE porch is full of them! It was a fun little trip, they have goats and chickens the kids can feed too if you are so inclined.

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When my children were young we were on a tight budget. I took them to the library and while they were looking around and getting books for themselves I found the books on our local area and what to do within it. There were a few with free and nearly free interests, which I was unaware of. When we got home I explained to my children that I had something I needed their help on.

We took the books and they each started going through them and picking out the things that were of interest to them. They had guide lines they had to follow. I told them it had to be within a 45 minute drive and within a certain amount in our budget. After each child had their list I went through and eliminated the items that were too far away or too expensibe. From their lists we were able to plan a whole years worth of activities. They were each excited when a trip to some where on their list came up. It was one of the best ideas we had and to this day I still remember their excitement.

I hope you and your little ones have as much fun with it as we did.

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Try out the Fun-Run business in Liberty. You can google them and their website will come up. Talk to the owners. They do have group rates at 5 dollars each instead of 7 dollars. I believe they would give you this rate since you have 3 children.

S.

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I'm not sure what area you live in, but you might contact your conservation department and ask about programs for kids. In south/west St. Louis County there is a marvelous facility run by the Missouri Conservation Department called Powder Valley Nature Center. There are 3 paved hiking trails and a building with wonderful displays where kids can put on their own puppet show with animal puppets, explore the 'factory' that works inside a tree, and study a pond through a glass wall. There are fantastic programs for all ages and you can subscribe to their calender of events. I remember our son went to a program where a naturalist brought pelts and paws/hooves/claws of many animals so the kids could not only see, but could touch them. Then, we had brought a plain white T-shirt and they used molds of real animal paws and stamp pads to decorate the shirts with paw prints. Another time he enjoyed a series of art classes where a great art teacher taught them to draw nature scenes. Other than buying the T-shirt and art materials, these programs were all free (if you can avoid the gift shop)! I think Powder Valley is one of the best kept secrets in St. Louis County.

Not far from there is another conservation area, Lone Elk. There are nice picnic areas where you can get out and explore a bit and there are areas where you can only drive through. We have seen bison, wild turkeys, elk, deer, and more. If your older ones have cameras, it could be a great picture hunt opportunity.

Not far across the Mississippi is a great museum for kids at Cahokia Mounds where kids can see a number of artifacts and a movie about the ancient people who built the largest man made earthen structure in North America. We have our own little Machu Picchu right here in St. Louis. Climbing the stairs on Monks Mound may be a bit of a job for your youngest, but the view is fantastic. You can not only see the arch, but even some of the tall buildings in Clayton. And, again, it is free (also has a gift shop). There are also special events you can learn about, such as Pow Wows and performances.

Of course, St. Louis has a fantastic zoo and one of the best botanical gardens in the world. The art museum also has special events and programs for kids, but those often require some fee. Also at Forst Park is the history museum.

Many people mentioned the library, but be sure to ask your librarian about special programs, such as story time. Some book stores also have special programs for kids. Around the first week of May, St. Louis hosts a story telling festival. Great performers and story tellers from far and near come to St. Louis and you can find great free events held at schools, libraries, and other locations, such as under the Arch, etc. And, of course, there is always our fantastic Science Center.

You can also look at websites for places like Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL, to check out the events they sponsor. In September we went to the Festival of Peoples and Faiths they hosted. They had fantastic performances from a vast variety of cultures, story telling, and booths offering foods and novalties from around the world. You could buy anything from trinkets to clothing, but there was no charge to attend and enjoy all the shows.

You might also ask about volunteer programs at your local community center, library, church, temple, or faith community. There are also organizations, such as Circle of Concern or Faith Beyond Walls, who are always looking for volunteers. You could always ask if there are projects the whole family can get involved in. When my father suffered a stroke and lived several states away, there was no one to take him for a walk in his wheel chair except for the times we were able to travel to him. There are people in rehab or elder facilities that would love to have a nice family drop by and take them out for a little sunshine. In many ways, volunteer activities can bring a family much more joy and enrichment than activities that are simply entertaining.

Oh, and I almost forgot the Butterfly House in Chesterfield. There is a fee, but it is another great 'picture hunt' place. I'm sure there are other great places, but my son is 22 now and I have been out of that loop for a while. Hope these ideas are helpful to you.

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kaleidoscope at crown center downtown Kansas City is free and kids that age love it. It has a lot of fun areas to be creative and there is also the Hallmark museum there they can go through and see the history of Hallmark cards and also how the cards and bows are made. You can also check out the crown center schedule of events on their website and find fun things to do.

The Great Mall in Olathe is also a great place to walk around and has some kid areas to play in. There is also an outreach program there with games they can play that is free. There are also other fun things to do that cost money but can make an outing of it when you have a little money to spend on recreation.

If you like to take the kids to movies, there are a few 2.00 theaters in the area. I know there is one in Independence but not sure where the other ones are.

sometimes Union Station has free nights in the science area and is fun with different experiments for the kids to do. Check out their website and see which events are free this year.

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We do have a free nature center in KC too...I'm blanking on the name right now, but it's run by MO Dept of Conservation and it's amazing! They have trails, a pond and always offer classes to make art projects and it's always free. Check it out! It's right off the plaza...sorry I can't remember the name but look it up on the MO Conservation website or even call information.

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Bowling, ice-skating, roller skating, Wonderscope, museums, The Arboretum (great for the outdoors), Deanna Rose Childrens Farmstead (its free), Pumpkin Patches, Playgrounds, Kite-flying. Look for coupons for many of these activities---our school sells the Entertainmnet Book and there are lots of coupons for these things. Our family has designated Sundays as our "family time" and we have a unified vote to choose our which activity we will do. Usually we can find some kind of coupon to help with the cost---we also have three children. We belong to a gym which also enables us to go swimming indoors during the fall and winter to stay active.

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Maybe take them out to a local farmer's market to pick out a pumpkin for each of them to carve for Halloween. Maybe bundle them up & take them to a park to a campsite to roast marshmellows & make s'mores. I'm not sure where you're located but if you're in the Stl area Babler State Park has some beautiful trails & a basic campsite is on'y $7 a night & there's only a limit on how many cars are parked @ each site. If you don't have a tent I'd suggest Uncle Sam's. I got a 6 person tent for $40 (REALLY cheap). I'm the outdoorsy type so those are a couple of things I would suggest.

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Hi, I would go to the library and get an outdoors book on leaves or trees or insects ect. and to on a trail or to the woods and look around and see what you have locally and if it is poisonous, eatable ect. This way you get physical activities and education that is fun for the family. My kids love it. And I never entroduce it like it is work. I let them explore.

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Try going to Kalidescope? down at Crown center or the Art Museum.

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Monkey Bizness at the Great Mall of the Great Plains is great for all ages.

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N.,

The zoo is free the whole month of Oct and November. Kalediscope is also free down at Crown Center. Log onto their websites for all the info. I am not sure where you live but in Liberty they just opened a plance called Fun Run. It is similar to Jump Zone (where they have all the fun bouncey things.) I believe it's pretty in-expensive and you can spend several hours there plus it's a great way to wear them out. I have heard the Children's Museum is really neat. If you even just google free kids things in KC, you can find a list of things to do. Hope some of this helps.

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The Science Center is free and there are all kinds of things they can touch and manipulate. My kids are 3 and 5 and they loved it, and I didn't buy tickets to anything, we just did the free activities. It is even better for the older kids, and since it is indoors it is a great way for them to get out some energy when the weather is bad.