If you are planning on going to the beach this summer and bringing your fully energized tiny humans with you, I’ve found a few hacks to making fun memories without spending a fortune.

First of all, I love the beach and have no problems sitting on the beach all day. Honestly, the sand doesn’t bother me that much: I will build the castles, push the boogie board in to the waves and search for all of the sea shells. But we do like to go out and do other things while we’re at the beach and I’ve been hesitant to take Luke because let’s be honest, entertainment is expensive.

However, it turns out kids under 4 years old and less than 4 feet tall can do a lot of things for free! We got to do all sorts of fun activities and only had to pay for our adult tickets. Needless to say Luke will probably stay 3 years old next summer too (shhh).

• Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf: kids 3 and under play free. Adult tickets are $16.
• Zooland Mini Golf: kids play for $5 and adults for $10. We went to this one during the day because it is under big trees so mostly shaded.
• The Track: Adults ride most rides (go karts and small kid rides) for $10 and kids under 4 feet tall are free. Mini golf is $13 for adults and free for kids under 4 years old.
• Island ice cream: kids scoop is only $4!
• Other fun and free activities we have enjoyed include searching for sand fleas on the beach, fishing in the lagoon from the public piers and going for walks.

Vacations will always be expensive, but finding ways to add more fun for a not a lot more money is always a win. The memories we’ve made will last forever.

Prayer: Dear God, I pray that for the summers I have to raise these boys we make the most of our days and create traditions that will last forever. Help me to teach them to love your creation and to love others. Amen.

With love and legos,

Cara