The may long weekend is soon upon us!  Here are some pretty easy, and not very expensive, ideas to keep the family occupied.  Hopefully, you’ll find the ideas useful over summer too.

1. Bruce County Library; Go!  Get books on gardening, BBQ-ing, bird-watching, crafts…  Get a couple DVDs in case of rain.  Borrow a hand-held GPS.  There’s a video & book with it.

2.  Go Geocaching with that GPS.  Visit www.geocaching.com for details.  Create a family name and account on line and away you go!

3.  Explore the Bruce.  Pack a picnic, binoculars, fishing gear perhaps, and get a couple punches on your passes.

4.  Hanover Raceway.  Saturday kids are asked to wear a hockey jersey to get a chance to win a new bicycle.  Admission free.  You can download your own race program or buy one for a couple bucks.  Bring your own lawn chairs!

5.  The Hanover Drive-In will be open- Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights,… 2 movies, and an extra 2 for Sunday!  Put the kids in their jammies before you leave home.

6.  Let your kids plan at least one meal.  Let them help them with the grocery list & shopping and anything ‘dangerous’ but what the heck, BBQ breakfast!

7. www.momsminivan.com and also www.activityvillage.co.uk Let each child pick a new activity and a new card game!  Then, sit down as a family and play it with them!  There are computers at the library, for use for cheap.

8.  Set up the tent in the back yard!  Nice way to avoid the crowds heading to open the cottage.

9.  Mini golf!  This is the weekend, starting Friday night, that most are now opened again for the season.  Feed them lunch first, then promise ice cream after!!

10. Take the kids fishing.  Doesn’t have to get fancy, go to the park and walk down to the river or creek.  Bring bug spray and protection from the sun.

11.  Hit the beach!  Pack a picnic and a whack of  pails, plastic containers of all shapes and sorts…Let the kids build crazy castles.  If you have a digital camera, let them take the pictures so they can later make their own power point show!  It’d be cold for swimming, but they might go wading…

12. Picnic in the nearest park that you can all ride bikes or walk to.  Bring clip boards, sketch pads & pencil crayons, ‘art’ pencils and have them sketch what they see….  The dollar stores have ‘art supplies’ for the novice, cheap.

13.  Make lemonade from real lemons and a recipe.  Ditto for cookies!! There are lots of  ’no-bake’ recipes for little chefs!

I’ll stop now. Thirteen is a fine number!  Use lots of imagination and really enjoy a safe, happy weekend with your family!  Or, go visiting an old neighbor!

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