Keeping kids entertained on a budget during summer in Japan

My kids are a little older now, and one thing I often hear when they are off on school breaks is the almost inevitable "I'm bored!" or "What are we doing today?"...I'm sure many of you can relate. With summer holidays coming up, it got me thinking about how I want to structure our days, with a balance of activities and downtime. One of my biggest considerations is having fun but not spending a small fortune, as things like admission fees or the cost of long travel journeys adds up quickly.

I always remind myself that nature is free. I know that summer isn't the most appealing time for outdoor activities here, but one thing that is nice is the ability to cool off at the beach or at smaller river areas. Some parks with good amounts of shade cover can also be manageable, especially if it's just to get out of the house and picnic under a tree, for example.

You might even be able to spot some cool critters in local rivers!

Early morning and evening walks are also a favorite. Especially in the evenings, my kids enjoy walking and looking for beetles, which I feel is a quintessential Japanese kids pastime. 

We LOVE our local library as a way of getting out of the house and getting some new reading material, DVDs, and the like. The free A/C there is a bonus in and of itself, and sometimes our library hosts fun events geared towards kids during the summer season. I would recommend checking your local one to see if they have a "what's on" schedule during the break.

On that note of borrowing things like DVDs, home movie days are a ton of fun. If you already have a Netflix subscription it feels like a free activity, and prepping some easy snacks that you already have in your fridge or pantry can make it feel even more special.

One thing I also like doing is giving my kids a 100 yen store budget for craft items that we can do indoors. There are definitely days where sitting inside in an air conditioned room is much more preferable than doing anything, and having some things they can tinker around with is perfect. I don't think crafting has to cost a fortune, either. My kids often make things or play with delivery boxes we get from Amazon, for instance, so I think encouraging them to be creative with things you already have is a great way to foster their imagination and save some yen.

Some local museums have inexpensive admission fees (always check to see if they have local prices/discounts!) so those are helpful in escaping the heat indoors for a bit.

I also think the summer break is a good reminder that it’s alright for kids to be bored. A lot of psychologists encourage it, since it helps them to think outside the box and come up with ideas themselves.

What are your top no-cost or low-cost activities for kids to do during the summer?