Summer vacation.
Those two little words are enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the most organized parents!
According to a recent TD survey, 55% of Canadian parents with children under the age of 18 take on additional costs during the summer; in fact, 71% of them spend up to $999 per child. Whoa!!
The thought of filling eight weeks with play dates, camps, crafts and outdoor activities can be daunting, and the thought of paying for it all, even more so – IF you don’t have a plan.
That’s why Linda MacKay, Senior Vice President, Retail Savings & Investing and Shirley Malloy, Associate Vice President, Acquisition & Sales Management at TD Canada Trust have come up with some ideas for how to save for this costly time of year:
- Use rewards card balances to fund activities and travel, i.e. redeem your loyalty rewards for theme park passes or excursions
- Take advantage of sibling discounts, where applicable (the savings really add up if you plan on enrolling more than one child)
- For big-ticket activities like specialty camps, inquire about payment plans that stretch over the year, so there’s not a crunch in the summer.
- Watch for early bird discounts – some organizations offer a discount if you sign up well in advance of the program start date
- Sign up for city-run programs (such as those offered through community recreation centres), which usually offer lower cost programming
- Don’t forget to claim your tax deductions for child care and / or child fitness tax credits
Now that you know how to make the most of your summer activities budget, check out this fab, frugal bucket list of things to do with your kids:
- Go camping (in your backyard counts, too!)
- Visit the beach
- Enjoy water activities
- Buy water squirters or a small blow-up pool for hours of enjoyment
- Visit neighbourhood splash pads and playgrounds
- Have a lemonade stand (encourage kids to donate half of proceeds to charity)
- Visit local farmer’s markets
- Attend library story time
- Go on a picnic
- Have fun with sidewalk chalk – make a masterpiece!
- Here’s a fun recipe for chalk paint
- Paint your own pottery
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt
If you live in or around Toronto, here are some awesome places to visit / things to do in the city:
- Toronto Islands
- Far Enough Farm
- Centreville Amusement Park and more!
- High Park playground
- Riverdale Farm
- Regent Park Aquatic Centre
- TD Summer Reading Club (Canada-wide)
- Edwards Gardens
- Museums
- Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
- Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
- Tip: if you think you’ll visit more than once, buy a family pass. They average around $120, so if a family of five visits only once, the pass has been paid for!
- Evergreen Brick Works
- Free museum passes (MAP) through the Toronto Public Library
- Beaches International Jazz Festival
- Toronto Zoo
And, if you’re looking for more ideas, SavvyMom.ca gave us a peek of their Top 10 Things To Do in Toronto, so check them out:
- Snakes & Lattes Cafe
- Gardiner Ceramic Museum
- Franklin Children’s Garden (on the Toronto Islands)
- Sugar Beach
- Sunnybrook Stables
- Humber Bay Park East and West
- Mackenzie House
- Allen Gardens Conservatory
- Harbourfront Centre
- TD Reads
If you don’t live in or near Toronto, no problem! SavvyMom.ca has got Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria covered, too.
What are YOUR favourite things to do and places to visit in the summer? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
This post has been sponsored by TD Canada Trust but the opinions, as always, are my own. For more information, please visit http://www.tdcanadatrust.com.
Wow! I hadn't added up the cost of kids being home during the Summer! Little One has camp for 3 weeks and riding and swimming lessons. We are also going camping with all her cousins, aunts and uncles, plus a few day trips and play dates here and there. We also live minutes from several beaches. Tha k for all your great Summer tips! We will be in Toronto for a visit, so we will check some of those suggestions out too.
That's such a great list of things to do in the city. You know I'll be using it with my 3 boys this summer. I have them in some day and half-day camps throughout July but nothing planned for August. Although, we do have passes to the Zoo & Wonderland. I also think I'm going to get a pass to Centerville at Centre Island. So much to do, so little time. lol Great tips for making summer fun and affordable. Thanks!
I love finding FREE and fun things for the kids to do in the summertime when they are off and not in camp! GREAT post 🙂
Great post! Summer can get very expensive!! I love the tips and options you offered for those who can't afford much!! Everyone can still have fun!
SO many great tips! Thank you for sharing! Always looking for ideas on things to do with the kids!
So many great ideas! I've been trying to make a list of things I want to do with the kids this summer, and this is awesome. Thanks!
DS really wants to visit Canada's Wonderland again this summer. I have starting talking to him about how all of these things cost money and we have to plan and save for them. Thanks for the tips!
We love swimming in Ontario lakes in the summer, and visiting the beach. Oh joy!
Lots of great ideas for fun things to do with the kids. We love camping and when the kids were younger we always went a few times each summer.
What a great list of things to do! It's amazing how much there is to do as a family that doesn't cost too much money – all it takes is getting creative and using tips like yours 🙂 Thanks!
I love the idea of snooping through the farmer's markets. They sell more than produce and it's a great way to meet your local farmers.