Dear Frannie Friday--Best Free or Low Cost Holiday Activities with Children

 Apologies for the obviously not as pregnant looking photos.  I had forgotten about these ones.  At any rate, one of my favorite parts of this holiday season is spending time with my kiddos.  But with gifts and parties aplenty, saving money is always a goal.  Here are some of my favorite cost nothing or low cost activities with the kids:

 1.  Christmas light gazing.  Yes, gas is expensive.  But it is a classic tradition to drive around and gawk at the bright twinkling lights.  There are several cities (or nearby ones) that feature a specific house, neighborhood or business that really does it up right.  For northern Coloradoans, try checking out the Woodward in Fort Collins.

 2.  Hot cocoa.  Any time.  Not terribly expensive and soooo yummy if you make your own (try the Nutella recipe).  Make special exceptions to have hot cocoa in place of the usual beverage.  Tonight we had hot cocoa in lieu of milk with dinner.

 3.  Crafts . . . and more crafts.  Most of them don't require many supplies.  A few years ago, all we had was construction paper, glitter and cotton balls.  We made countless Santas, stockings and reindeer.  We still have them and hang them every year.

 4.  Baking treats.  And delivering them.  We bake our booties off every holiday season.  And my kids love that.  And we make so much more than we could ever possibly consume on our own.  So we end up sharing platefuls with teachers, neighbors and friends.

 5.  Music.  iHeart Radio, Pandora and several local stations (KOSI 101.1 here in Colorado) have a way to listen to Christmas music any time in the holiday season.  Sometimes just listening is entertainment enough, but sometimes it is fun to sing along or even dance!

Do you have a suggestion or question for Dear Frannie Friday?  Shoot me an email at franniepantz@hotmail.com

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