Tips for Planning a Fun and Affordable Summer with Kids

Mother Nature may have a few tricks up her sleeve still, but believe it or not, summer is just around the corner.  In less than a week, kids will be out of school! OUT. OF. SCHOOL.  I had to write that twice because even I can’t believe it.  As a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), the end of school scares me.  I’ll be home with three boys under five years old for two months. That’s a long time and if I don’t have anything planned, I’ll either be hearing a lot of “I’m bored” or watching the kids watch Bubble Guppies and Paw Patrol on repeat. While I’ve scheduled some camps and programs throughout the summer, I tried not to jam it all in.  I left some wiggle room that will allow us to explore our great city and to have some unscheduled fun time together as a family.  Of course, as a SAHM, I can’t afford to spend a lot on private camps and programs.  Most Canadian families find that kids’ summer activities add up and the summer months are typically harder on their wallets. 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. Without properly budgeting for it, we may find ourselves scrambling to pay off these additional expenses.

Here are some suggestions from Linda MacKay, Senior Vice President, Retail Savings and Investing and Shirley Malloy Associate Vice President, Acquisition & Sales Management at TD Canada Trust as to how you and your children can enjoy some great summer activities without breaking the bank.

Plan In Advance

There are several benefits to planning in advance.  One of them is necessity.  Specifically, if you want your kids to attend one of the most affordable camps and programs in the city, you will want to register them through the City of Toronto Fun Guide.  Summer camp registration takes place in late winter so planning in advance is key.  All the programs and camps tend to fill up within the first hour of registration.  I’m happy that I was able to sign up my boys for several half-day camps run through the city. One of which is a half-day camp at Riverdale Farm (more on that later), where my son will be learning about farm life including cooking and planting. The second benefit to planning in advance is there are DISCOUNTS! Some organizations may provide a discount for early registration; check the sign-up dates and sign-up in advance to save a few dollars.

Use your Reward Balance

Many cards provide reward points. If you’re good with budgeting, this is a great way to accumulate reward points and trade them in for activities and travel. Just last month we used our credit card points to fly my parents on our family trip.  You can also use loyalty rewards for car rental or to book accommodations or to redeem certain theme park passes or tours and excursions. Exotic Car Rental in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia #exocticcarrental #rollsroycerental #Luxurycarrental

Budget and Save Early

My husband and I are really good about paying ourselves first.  With every paycheque, a certain amount goes towards RRSP’s before the remainder is left to pay off bills, food and activities. Annually, we’re also vigilant about ensuring that we max out each of our sons RESP contribution amount. While we’re fortunate to be able to afford to send our kids to various camps and programs, the initial shock of the costs of those activities wouldn’t be too much to handle if we had budgeted for that in advance. You can do so by saving a little money each month and putting it into a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA).  Visit TD Canada Trust to determine how much to save each month.

Luckily, living in the city of Toronto, we’re fortunate to enjoy lots of attractions and activities that are free and / or very affordable.  Here are some of our favourites:

1. Riverdale Farm is free and has a cute wading pool just outside its gates and a great little store selling food and ice-cream across the park.

2. High Park also has a free zoo and a great big park nearby that kids lovingly refer to as the “castle”. The park itself is vast and is fun to explore either on foot or via the trackless train (for a small fee).

3. Far Enough Farm is located at Centre Island.  Just getting there is half the fun. Hop on a ferry and explore that everything Centre Island has to offer including great beaches and Centreville amusement park.  We plan on getting a season pass for Centreville this summer.

4. On a rainy day or to get some relief from the sun, we head over to one of Toronto’s Public Libraries.  Each library has a specific area for kids to learn, read and explore.  As well, the Museum + Arts Pass (MAP) lets you and your family (2 adults & up to 5 children) explore the best of Toronto’s arts and cultural treasures for free. You can find out more here!

What’s your favourite kid-friendly activity in the city that’s on a budget?

This post has been sponsored by TD Canada Trust, but the opinions are my own. For more information, please visit http://www.tdcanadatrust.com.