We often get so tied into our routines that we miss opportunities that are right in front of us. In this case it is our extended families.

If your child has near perfect school attendance, he or she may benefit from a break in the routine to spend a day with a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or other relative that he or she does not get to see that often. These visits can often be to a new place and revolve around new conversations. They can also strengthen bonds within the family that can lead to other learning and support later on.

Children love hide and seek. We have found that this is an easy game to forget. If you have not had a chance to play recently, there is no time like the present.

The game works inside, outside, with family, with friends, with new friends. It has variations that can keep it fresh. There are few games that elicit pure joy from the kids and help you travel back in time - hide and seek is one of them. Enjoy!

Admittedly, this is not always true, but as we clear through our stuff, we are uncovering toys that the boys are very excited about - and it makes us wonder, “If there was less stuff out at one time, would they be more likely to play with more toys?” 

Perhaps a toy rotation will lead to more variety, more appreciation, and more of a sense of wonder. Try removing a significant number of toys and games so that the ones still out are more visible and enticing and see what happens.

Price matters. After all, you are giving up your life energy when you spend your money. Unfortunately, this can often create mental barriers rather than opening new opportunities.

Books can be an expensive habit, but you can also shift your focus to less expensive ways to get them: for example; libraries, e-books (through libraries), library book sales, used bookstores, or online venues like Amazon or paperbackswap.

Movies and television shows are another example of alternative acquisition options: libraries, large amounts available online through a plethora of sites such as Hulu or Crackle, or subscription services like Netflix or Amazon Prime instead of one by one rentals.

By thinking through how you enjoy spending your time, what activities you would like to do with your children, and researching what is available, you may be able to increase your access to what you enjoy for less money by making more frugal choices.

Try not to pass up new opportunities to promote exercise in your family.

If your child wants to play a new sport that you have no idea how to play, don’t let that stop you. Prepare a little with a YouTube clip or a call to a friend or trip to the sporting goods store, and head to the park or field or place to play.

Is your child really into new tech gadgets? Get a hold of a new pedometer app on your smart phone, pick up a pedometer for just a few dollars, or try something even fancier like something from fitbit.

Walking not your thing? Get one of the Just Dance discs for your Wii or Xbox and put it on “sweat mode.” Make up new relay race games (always a child favorite, the sillier the better).

Whatever it takes. The endorphins will make your family happier :)

Stuffies really are the all purpose toy. Both boys and girls love them (most often on the younger side, but not necessarily tied to age). They are great for talking to, sleeping with, imaginary play, and whole bunch of other activities.

It is easy to find stuffies in the shape of a wide variety of famous animals, cartoon characters, fantasy creatures, and so much more. They are easy to come by at a variety of prices in a variety of places. It may seem like a stretch - both cost and space - to get a new favorite stuffy … but it may be one of the best purchases in terms of joy per dollar that you make.

Don’t forget to be on the look out for one that catches your eye or has a special meaning to you. We all need a soft furry friend that will listen really well and not say too much.

One of the reasons we like to put limits on screen time is to force our children to explore the inside. What books are on the shelf? What games do we have? What do I want to do?

Television shows can be wonderful, but they can also suck you in for hours at a time. Other electronic games can make you feel engaged, but don’t do much to help you learn how to discover then keep yourself engaged with an activity.  

In recent weeks, limiting screen time has led to new books being read, new games being learned, much artwork, and lots of cardboard creativity. Try limiting or turning off the screens and see what “new” activities your child/ren can (re)discover!

When it comes to learning, there is no substitute for doing it yourself. This applies to everyday learning too.

For example, we have our children make their own phone calls for play dates as much as possible from a very early age. In addition to learning skills like how to track down phone numbers and talk clearly into the phone, it provides a great comic interlude as we listen to our six year old talk with parents of his friends and basically invite himself over. Our oldest recently walked and took the subway in the early evening for the first time to get to a babysitting gig.

Cooking, cleaning, communicating, transporting, the list goes on and on in which children can be challenged to do it themselves. See how it works in your family.

Spring is a great time of year to get out doors. Children find bugs fascinating and it is a buggy time of year. Our boys love finding “rolly-pollies,” centipedes, and salamanders under logs.

The joy can be in the searching during a nature walk, the studying (many great children’s books starring insects and bugs, as well as web sites, documentaries, etc.), or the capturing.

A recent capture turned into quite a project, including the design and building of a terrarium!

Children have an entirely different view of low cost swag than you might. Perhaps you think of it as “crap,” but one adult’s junk may be a child’s treasure.

Two great sources of low cost swag are conferences/special events and vistaprint. Yes, if you get on the vistaprint list you will get a lot of junk email, but they often have some incredible deals. We have found it to be worth it. Free business cards for the kids? What a kick. A pad with their name on each page? An inexpensive thing-a-ma-jig with their own graphic art design? Bonus!

Take advantage of this time in their lives when low cost swag actually means something ...