Dollar store summer activities

By Stacie Gaetz

It’s here – the end of August!
Your summer budget may be dwindling about now. Excursions to local attractions, summer camps and back-to-school shopping haven’t been cheap but there could be as much as another month of warm weather to come.
If you want to save some dough while still serving up end-of-summer fun, look no further than your local dollar store. Here are 10 ideas for dollar store activities that will keep both your wallet and kids happy.

Pool Noodle Sprinkler

This one could not be simpler: purchase a pool noodle, poke some holes in it, duct tape one end, and put a hose in the other end. Voila! Cool down fun for everyone.

Hula Hoop Bubbles

A hula hoop, bubble solution and a baby pool can create hours of excitement making giant bubbles that fly far and high.

Lanterns

All this one takes is an glass jar and glow sticks. If you want to bump up the fun factor, add water, a few drops of dish soap and sparkles for your kids’ very own glitter lamp.

Magnetic Cookie Board

One cookie sheet + magnets of any kind = a travel activity board. Some great ideas for magnets are letters and numbers (so they can count or do math and spell words) and magnetic dress up dolls.

Frisbee Tic Tac Toe

You may wonder what a shower curtain has to do with tic tac toe. Lay it on the ground, add some painters tape in a crosscheck pattern and throw different colored frisbees in the squares for a larger-than-life tic tac toe game. You can also use the shower curtain and painters tape to make a racetrack, skee-ball or bean bag toss.

Duct Tape Jewelry or Pouches

Grab your kid’s favorite patterned duct tape, fold it in half and fasten it around their wrists for a colorful bracelet. If your kiddos aren’t into jewelry, grab a plastic storage bag and add strips of duct tape for a handy pouch that they can store anything from pencils to trinkets to money in.

Incredible Ice

Pick up a popsicle or ice tray and make your own sweet treats out of juice, pop, yogurt or ice cream. Put water and food coloring in the moulds and paint with ice. Add small toys in the moulds and cover with water and watch as your little archeologists chisel their treasures out of the frozen iceberg.

Shaving Cream Creations

Possibly one of the most overlooked items that can contribute to hours of creative crafting is shaving cream. You can use it to make bathtub paints, foam slime, foam dough (similar to playdough), puffy paint that can dye clothing and paper, for sensory play and more.

Trick Out Your Bike

A few items from the dollar store can be used to redecorate your kid’s bike or scooter. Add a plastic basket to the handlebars with some zip ties or grab some stickers to put on their bike or helmet. Some larger dollar stores even carry bicycle supplies like seats, reflectors, horns, bells and saddle bags.

Paint Possibilities

Dollar store paint offers hundreds of opportunities for outdoor fun. One of our family’s favorites is using paint mixed with water and putting it into spray bottles. Get the kids to spray it on canvases for interesting and colorful artwork that they can hang up in their room or playroom. You can also do outdoor finger paint, paint rocks for the garden, paint the inside of your windows, repaint plant pots in your yard… the possibilities are endless.

End-of-summer fun doesn’t have to break the bank. One trip to the dollar store can provide hours (even days) of fun and won’t leave you with a ton of stuff to clutter your house after the activity is over.