Cheap things to do with the kids this summer.

I know I am not the only one on a tight budget this summer. What do you do with the kids if you can't afford to take a vacation and they are glued to the Xbox 360 or the Wii? Here is an affordable option. Check out the ASTC-Passport program. Basically you get an annual family membership at your local participating museum. They give you a card that lets you into the other participating museums. You can then go to any of the participating museums for FREE! This can be a really big cost savings. Here is a great example. I paid $35 for a family membership at our local tiny museum. I then took the kids to the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. Cost to get in there was $20.95 a person X 5 = $104.75. If we never go to another museum the entire year, we still will have saved approx. $70. Not bad! Happy Museuming.. Just think of all the adventures you can take with your kids. Click here for the ASTC-Passport program!

Here is another idea. Check out your local theater and see if they are offering a free movie each week. At Regal Cinemas for example, they are having The FREE Family Film Festival on Tuesdays and Thursdays all summer at 10 am. Click here for the Regal Family Film Festival details.

Close to the AMC Theatres? AMC has the summer movie camp movies every Wednesday at 10 am for only $1. You can also get the AMC Kidspack for only $3. The kidspack includes a kidsize drink, popcorn and snack. Click here for the AMC summer movie camp details.

Lastly don't forget the library. Most libraries are offering programs for the kids in the summer. And, even if your library has cut back and can't offer a program, it is still a great place to take the kids. And, anyway instilling the desire to read is never a bad thing.