let summer begin…
May 26, 2012
Jack was beside himself as he saw his first lightning bug of the season the other night. And speaking of lightning bugs- do you call them fireflies or lightning bugs? …I can’t decide which is more magical these days- lightning or fire! (feel free to weigh in)
There may not be enough money for a pool membership around here, but by golly, there will be outdoor movies, and smores, and shadow games and Adventure Time, and popcorn! Jorge had a lovely techie hook up and scored a very old projector but as long as it plays the The Muppet Movie, I think we are golden.
(AND we figured out it also serves as dance party maker via you tube videos!)
Spill it friends…tell me your Summer on the Cheap ideas in the comments! …and your suggestions for an outdoor movie (both grown up and kids movies- not necessarily together)…AND lightning bug or firefly?!!
Kindnessgirl 
May 26, 2012 at 7:45 am
Shaving cream paint! (I like to use washable paint instead of acrylic.) Sponge painting, bubble wrap painting, marble painting, straw painting… straw painting can look like fireworks, might be fun before the Fourth of July?
May 26, 2012 at 10:50 am
when i was a child, my parents held an annual summer contest to see if me or my brother could read the most books from the public library. we got a quarter per book and a lifelong love of reading. and i am proud to say my winning record of number of books read is undefeated.
May 26, 2012 at 10:59 am
It’s funny, when I was little I remember calling them lightning bugs, but now I call them fireflies. I cannot pinpoint exactly when it was that I switched!
May 26, 2012 at 11:41 pm
We don’t have lightning bugs / fireflies here, so I can’t really say. I’m just a little jealous, because I’ve never actually seen one, and the very idea of glowing bugs is just so cool.
As for summer on the cheap, we love the spray park and home-made ice cream cones. The ice cream maker I was gifted is the best thing EVER. And who can beat running through the sprinkler? (Although I admit it, I worry about using too much water.)
May 27, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Amber you and I must be neighbours because I too have not seen a firefly – that would be so cool – glowing bugs – – come on!!! So please let your kids know that some people are 38 yrs old and have still not seen one yet – I will have to put that on my bucket list 🙂 – – and I also worry about using too much water with slip n’ slides and crazy water fights – but if we restrict our uses somewhere else maybe that can reduce the guilt.
Yeah to Summer
May 28, 2012 at 3:54 am
In Australia we call them fireflies but I haven’t seen them for many years. My grandmother had an amazing little house on a mountain overlooking the Great Barrier Reef and on my childhood holidays, fireflies would be on the bedroom ceiling winking at me at night, and lighting our way down her garden track in the evenings to the village by the sea. So magical!
May 29, 2012 at 6:45 am
Definitely lightening bugs… My husband is building a shed and right now there is only the floor. We keep a canopy over the top of it. Over the weekend we sat out on the new floor and just watched and listened to nature. One night we lit some tiki torches and had our own tribul council. Doing fun and sometimes kooky things together is what makes us happy. You can check out our small tribal council video on flickr.com. Look up jcdriftwood. It’s the first thing you see. Hope it gives you all a little laugh.
May 29, 2012 at 8:10 am
Growing up in the South…we called them “lightning bugs” …the soft “sheets” of light that come with no thunder. Dear one, you are a photo-poet..not just a journalist. These images are wonderful and your idea for true “family” fun…will make more memories than any splash in the pool. Enjoy!
May 29, 2012 at 1:45 pm
We have a membership to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and are there almost every weekend! At $75 for a family it probably one of the lowest cost per use memberships in the metro-area (definitely cheaper than the pool!). The splash park is a huge hit plus the butterfly exhibit on super hot days!
Other favorite low cost outings: Maymont, any & all free festivals, the South of the James farmer’s market on Saturday mornings. I have been trying to find a time to go out to Meadow Park in Henrico, they are supposed to have a really great farm with fun demos and animals to pet.
Another cheap alternative is the slip-n-slide (or the homemade slip-n-slide – long roll of plastic and a hose, which works best on a slope). If you come up with more low cost summer fun ideas, let me know!
May 30, 2012 at 12:32 pm
we saw our first lightning bugs around the same time jack did – i think firefly sounds more magical but it’s hard to break a lifelong habit 😉 summer on the cheap is the name of our game this year – we’re blowing bubbles, taking turns swinging in the hammock, playing bean bag toss, kicking around the kickball, hitting the playground at crump park, and hoping the ice cream man comes early enough one evening so our 2 year old can finally have his first experience with the “bells singing” ice cream truck. we’ve also gone through our henrico county parks and rec guide for the summer and have marked some family-friendly, free events to attend.