Top Local Activities for the Whole Family for Budget-Friendly Adventures

Your kid-free era may have been full of jet-set weekends, after-hours entertainment, and weeklong adventures. But family life has a way of eating up your entertainment budget, and for good reason. Supporting a family of any size gets expensive quickly.

With the increasing cost of food, housing, and transportation, even the frugal family is feeling the pinch. However, you don’t have to give up fun and entertainment just because you have a family. Get creative with your entertainment expenditures and reintroduce your love of adventure with your family in tow.

1. Upgrade to the Big Screen

Kids today don’t understand the magic of going to the movies. With easy access to blockbusters and on-demand episodes, going out isn’t necessary. Plus, the cost of going to the theater has skyrocketed.

Thankfully, employee perks make sharing this sweet pastime with the family possible. Your employee perks program offers discounted tickets that make it easy to say “yes” to the cinema. Save on tickets and even concessions when you show your family the best way to watch a film.

2. See Their Favorite Animals Up Close

Most people’s favorite childhood animal is something exotic like a zebra, a lion, or a giraffe. That’s why children’s books steal the show with their tales of the Sahara or maybe the rain forest. Take a trip to the zoo or aquarium so they can see their favorite animal in real life.

They’ll gain a new appreciation for the animals they see when they learn about their habitats, behaviors, and get a better idea of how big or small they really are. Many zoos offer discounted memberships and employee perks that are accessible through employer discount programs. Additionally, other great perks like seasonal events and interactive shows that promote audience engagement make your day at the zoo even more fun.

3. Cheer, Cheer for Your Favorite Team

People everywhere connect over a shared fandom of their go-to sports team. Introduce your children to live sports and the excitement of the game with a day at the ballpark, for example. Many local teams participate in employee discount programs to extend valuable discounted tickets and packages.

While younger kids may not be ready for a major outing, smaller, local parks and minor league teams are a great starter for families. Secure lawn tickets, and bring your own snacks for picky eaters to save money on concessions.

Look for dates featuring special branded or character events, which typically feature additional kid-friendly activities and activations. These opportunities will spark happiness by giving your kids a fun experience and supporting their development in social settings. Ask about kids’ clubs, which often include running the bases, meeting the players, and swag for a minor league price.

4. Lock Down a Fast Pass to Fun

Theme parks offer a thrill for your mind, but can be terrifying for your budget. However, with your Working Advantage perks, amusement parks don’t have to be a once-a-year splurge. Utilize your resources to find and lock down tickets — and even packages that keep the thrills going all season.

Your local area likely has a handful of go-to theme parks and water parks. Check out your discount platform for single-day tickets and packages to determine which is the best value for your family. Compare the typical ride restrictions for your family's age and preferences to ensure there’s fun in store for everyone.

5. Combine Learning and Fun

Museum admission is a great investment in learning, but your family size can make it a non-starter. Make hands-on learning an option with tickets to a science or Children’s Museum. A key perk of discount programs is that they typically offer exclusive rates for admission and memberships.

Similar to zoo and aquarium memberships, seasonal exhibits, and events, maximize the value of joining. Plus, museums designed for children incorporate sensory play by design. This means you’ll spend less time saying “don’t touch!” and more time learning alongside your children.

6. Find Local Flavor

Life can get so busy that you forget to look around and appreciate your community. Localized discounts for individually owned restaurants, entertainment, and educational centers abound with your work perks. Look local for your next outing and get to know your neighborhood in a fresh new way.

You might discover a sweet shop that doubles as a time capsule, preserving the best soda shops of the 1950s. Join the fun, wonderment, and convenience of special surprises like mom and pop shops, family fun parks, and locally relevant spots. A tiny diner, miniature museum, or history center may soon become part of your kids’ regular requests.

See More, Spend Less

Families that travel together enjoy benefits like novel experiences, learning new skills, and opportunities to connect that daily life just can’t deliver. Tap into your employee discount platform and take advantage of the available financial perks to save money on travel and entertainment categories, which helps your entertainment go further immediately.

Plus, employee discounts help you save on basic expenditures like car insurance, groceries, gym memberships, and vehicle maintenance. This monthly savings gives your budget the breathing room it needs for travel or other priorities. No matter how you do it, thousands of dollars of savings benefits are yours for the taking with employee discounts. Overall, companies offering thoughtful employee benefits like these can create a better company culture by simply improving key elements like employee experience, job satisfaction, morale, productivity, employee engagement, and work life balance.