{"id":6798,"date":"2015-06-22T19:45:23","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T23:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=6798"},"modified":"2023-08-15T23:12:43","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T03:12:43","slug":"tips-for-planning-a-fun-and-affordable-summer-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/tips-for-planning-a-fun-and-affordable-summer-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Planning a Fun and Affordable Summer with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"
Mother Nature may have a few tricks up her sleeve still, but believe it or not, summer is just around the corner. \u00a0In less than a week, kids will be out of school! OUT. OF. SCHOOL. \u00a0I had to write that twice because even I can’t believe it. \u00a0As a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), the end of school scares me. \u00a0I’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. \u00a0I left some wiggle room that will allow us to explore our great city and to have some unscheduled fun time together as a family. \u00a0Of course, as a SAHM, I can’t afford to spend a lot on private camps and programs. \u00a0Most Canadian families find that kids’ summer activities add up and the summer months are typically harder on their wallets.\u00a0According to a recent TD survey,\u00a055% 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.\u00a0Without properly budgeting for it, we may find ourselves scrambling to pay off these additional expenses.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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Plan In Advance<\/strong><\/p>\n There are several benefits to planning in advance. \u00a0One of them is necessity. \u00a0Specifically, 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. \u00a0Summer camp registration takes place in late winter so planning in advance is key. \u00a0All the programs and camps tend to fill up within the first hour of registration. \u00a0I’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.<\/p>\n