There is only one rule with a no spend weekend. You can’t spend a dime. No last-minute runs to the store and no cheating. You can use gift cards if you already have them but otherwise, you cannot spend money on your no spend weekend. Here are the best things to do on your next no spend weekend!
Indoor Activities On A No Spend Weekend
Cook Together
A family that cooks together stays together. Kids are never too young to get familiar with the kitchen and see how to make family favorite meals.
Make Dessert at Home
Instead of going out for dessert, make something at home! If you are out of cake or brownie mix, see if you can make something from scratch.
Cards
We are big card players in my family so we learned young to play cards. Even if it’s UNO or Go Fish, your kids will love playing cards together as a family.
Library
The library is a hidden gem on a no spend weekend. Take a trip to your local library and you will be amazed at what it can offer – all for free with a valid library card! You can access DVDs, CDs, magazines, audiobooks and even video games. Your kids will love trying out a new videogame, and you will love trying it for free!
Board Games
Pull out those board games from your closet and teach your kids how to play the games from your childhood. They might just become their new favorite games in their childhood!
Pick a Book
It’s easy to pick a book for yourself, but have you ever picked a book for someone else? Visit your local library and have each person pick a book for themselves and for another person in the family. Who knows, you might end up liking what books were chosen for you!
Night ‘In’ at the Movies
Let your kids pick a movie and enjoy a ‘night in’ at the movies. Make it special by having popcorn, candy on hand, or make a yummy dessert. Remember, it’s a no spend weekend so no cheating with a trip to the store!
Animal Shelter or Pet Store
Be glad it’s a no spend weekend so you can’t bring home any pets. Maybe next weekend…
Play Hide ‘N Seek
A good old game of hide ‘n seek will surely bring out the kid in you. You can switch things up by having one person hide and the finders, once they find the hidden person, will hide with them until the last person finds the hidden person.
Make a Blanket Fort
Making a blanket fort is a must do activity on a no spend weekend. Gather all the blankets from around the house and see what fort you can create using the furniture you have!
Crafts
Raid your craft closet and see what you can create! Use whatever you have on hand to create something together or individually.
Finger Paint
Become a child again and finger paint with your kids. It’s a great way for kids to see you having fun and have fun with you.
Do a Puzzle
Get everyone in on a puzzle. You can have little kids gathering up like-pieces and older kids putting them together, or pair younger kids with older kids to work together to complete the puzzle.
Play with a Pet
If you don’t have a pet of your own, see if a friend or neighbor will let your kids play with their pet. Your kids will love the chance to play with a new friend, and you might just be persuaded into getting a pet for your own family.
Outdoor Activities On A No Spend Weekend
Park
Going to the park is a great way to get outside with your family and enjoy the sunshine. You can even make a play date so you and your kids can spend time with friends.
Free Local Attractions
Have you visited the free local attractions in your town? In the towns around you? A quick Internet search will lead you to the free attractions near you, giving you a new adventure on your no spend weekend.
Camp in Backyard/Indoors
My family wasn’t into camping growing up, so I love the idea of camping in the backyard or even in the living room! We make our camping close to home experience fun by bringing things for S’mores and roasting them over our gas stove. It’s a great way to get away – even if it is just out your back door!
Make Water Park
We created our first water park completely by accident. It was a very hot day and all the stores were out of water toys for kids! We decided to do a no spend weekend and use the things we had on hand. We filled buckets and bins full of water and turned on the sprinklers. Our daughter loved getting to play in the water on a hot summer day!
Play Sports
Pull out the soccer ball, frisbee, and football to play sports with your kids. You can teach them how to play some of your favorite sports.
Biking
Go biking together as a family. If you have young children that don’t know how to ride a bike, see if you can borrow a bike stroller or even teach them how to ride a bike!
Go Fishing
If you aren’t a big fisher and don’t have the basic fishing supplies, get creative with some sticks, string, and bait you have on hand! You might be surprised by what you are able to catch!
Gardening
Gardening doesn’t have to always be a chore. You may just spark an interest for your kids when you teach them how to plant and take care of plants.
Chalk Art
Grab some chalk and get creative! You can choose a theme to let the artwork tell a story, or allow each kid the chance to let their creativity sore.
Volunteering
It’s important to teach your kids about the importance of serving and giving back. There is no better time to do it than on a no spend weekend. It’s a chance to serve others and realize the things that are truly important in life.
Free Museum/Zoo Days
It’s common for museums and zoos to have family days or free days where admission is free. Take advantage of these days to go with your family and save big on the cost of admission! Pack a lunch to avoid eating out and stay true to your no spend weekend commitment!
Visit a Farm or Petting Zoo
Visit a local farm or petting zoo. Your kids will enjoy a hands-on approach to seeing animals in their own environment.
Hiking
Hiking is a great way to spend a no spend weekend. Enjoy nature, a bit of exercise, and time as a family in the great outdoors.
Go Swimming
Since this is a no spend weekend, think of people or relatives you know that have a pool. I’m sure they would be happy to let you spend time in the pool as a family.
Community Calendar
If you can’t think of what to do but want to get out of the house for your no spend weekend, check your community calendar! You are more than likely to find a free event going on in your community that catches your interest.
Pokemon Go
What originally started out for kids that love Pokemon has quickly turned into an activity my husband and I really enjoy. Get your whole family involved in ‘catching them all’ with Pokemon Go to get you out and about looking for Pokemon!
Geocaching
Let your kids join in on the fun that is Geocaching. Create a Geocaching account to see all of the Geocaching locations near you. You can also determine how kid-friendly the locations are using the difficulty rating.
Go to a Splash Pad
Visit a splash pad near you and enjoy cooling off as a family.
Watch the Sunset
Take the last 10-minutes of your day to enjoy the sunset. Sit outside or go to a hill to get a better view. It’s a great way to end your no spend weekend!
Unique Activities On A No Spend Weekend
Homemade Slime
All you need for your homemade slime is water and cornstarch. I still remember this slime recipe from my elementary school days. It is solid when molded in your hands but becomes a liquid when held still. Your kids will love the new experiment and you will enjoy the minimal mess!
DVD Swap
Tired of the same old movies in your home? Consider a DVD swap with friends! Come with 5 DVDs you are willing to swap and swap for the ones you want. Be sure to put your names on the DVDs so you don’t lose any of your favorites. This is a great way to see new movies without paying anything.
Share Hobbies/Interests with Your Children
Kids love to learn from you. Even if they don’t share your same interests, your kids will enjoy you taking the time to teach them a new hobby!
Have Your Children Share Their Hobbies/Interests with You
It’s great for kids to learn how to teach someone a new skill. Let them practice on you and see how they do! They will love teaching and you will love doing whatever they have taught you to do.
Coin Flip
Find that loose change lying around, grab a quarter, and hop into the car. Heads mean right and tails mean left. Each person takes a turn flipping the coin to see where it takes you! If you truly do get lost, be sure to have a map or Google maps to get you back home.
Replicate Famous Paintings
Look up famous paintings and try to replicate them using whatever you have on hand! If you have absolutely zero art supplies at home, see what you can recreate with food!
Play “Sock ‘Em”
I believe this is a game my mom made up but it was such a fun part of my childhood that I definitely want to incorporate it with my own family. Start by establishing two bases, one per team. The bases can be pieces of furniture or even chairs, just something tall enough for your team to hide behind. Each team gets sock balls which are made by pairing two socks together and folding them in on eachother. The rest of the sock balls are placed in the middle. When you yell go, teams will try to ‘sock’ the other team using the sock balls. When you run out of sock balls, a brave soul from your team has to make the daring dash into the middle to refuel! This was such a fun game to play and created so many lasting memories.
Make a Time Capsule
Have your kids collect their favorite little trinkets, pictures, or written notes to put in a family time capsule. Bury it in the yard in a memorable place. Just remember to dig it up in 5-10 years to see what your favorite things were in the past.
Hold a Bake Off
If you don’t want to sell your desserts, see if other families would be interested in a Family Bake Off. Every family prepares one dish to present to the judges. The best tasting dish wins!
Learn to do Something New on YouTube
You can find just about anything online, and that includes tutorials. Learn a new task together as a family and practice your newfound skill.
Plan a Summer Vacation
Let your thoughts go wild as you think of a vacation you can take together as a family. Kids will love being a part of planning a trip, which will make the actual trip a whole lot more memorable!
Watch Your Home Movie Collection
We record so many videos of family members and events but when do we actually watch them? Take a trip down memory lane and watch some of the family videos you have made on past trips or experiences. You and your kids will enjoy reminiscing on fun things you have done as a family.
Picture Scavenger Hunt
This takes a little bit of planning beforehand but it will all be worth it. Go to an outdoor location where there are notable artwork or water features. Make a list of all of the unique things to find at your chosen location. After you have compiled a list, divide everyone up so that each child is with an adult. You will then try to find all of the features on the scavenger hunt, and prove that you found it by taking a picture with it! Make it extra fun by throwing in random pictures next to someone or a pet. After you finish, return home to look at the pictures you took. You will enjoy recounting your experiences to the others!
Create a Family Goals List
This is your time to dream big as a family. Write down the things you want to accomplish or do as a family. Write down places to go. It will be fun to write down all your family wants to accomplish in the next few years!
Earn Money On A No Spend Weekend
Sell Used Clothes
Instead of a no spend weekend, make it a money-making weekend! Encourage your kids to sell clothes they will no longer use to make some money! If you want to keep clothes for younger children, here are the best ways to organize and store used clothes.
Bake Sale
You will be surprised how motivated you and your family can be when you think of making money at a bake sale. Arrange it so that you donate your proceeds to a good cause like a local charity or shelter.
Find Ways to Earn Free Gift Cards
If your kids want to earn money, have them scan products on Shopkick! Points earned add up to free gift cards! Check out even more ways to earn free gift cards.
So there you have it – 50 free things to do on a no spend weekend. If you’re worried you will run out of supplies on your next no spend weekend, check out how to keep household essentials stocked! Comment below with the things you do on a no spend weekend!
