(WXYZ) — It could be difficult and costly to keep kids busy during summer break.
We have some budget-friendly ideas that children of all ages will enjoy, so you don’t waste your money.
Taking your kids to the library or a public park are quick, easy and usually free ways to keep them busy during the summer.
There are also structured activities that are productive and not too hard on the wallet.
“Parents are scrambling, trying to figure out what to do with their kids," said Tammie Jones of the United Way of Southeastern Michigan.
With schools out, boredom can set in – that’s why for the second year in a row, the United Way of Southeastern Michigan is offering a website that helps you find a summer camp.
“Arts, it could be sports, robotics it’s literally anything you can think of.”
It is called Summer Spark. They have camps that offer activities for all ages, some go on for weeks, others may be as short as a day or two.
Many have fees associated with the camp, some are low cost, free or offer scholarships. Some include lunch.
There are several Meet Up and Eat Up programs that offer free breakfast or lunches for kids 18 years and younger.
“Those summer months can be very hungry months for too many kids.”
For teenagers looking for a free place to do something productive, Planet Fitness is offering free memberships to teens all summer long.
Bloomfield Township teens Nikhil Chopra and Andrew Baskin signed up.
“It’s a new way to discover different areas of a friendship because this is not something you would normally do with your friends,” Chopra said.
Both agree it’s a great way to stay healthy and be safe.
Baskin added, “Being productive, you are doing something you want to do.”
For a link to the Summer Sparks, go to https://summersparksem.org/ and for Meat up to Eat Up programs, click here.
