When my son was in school, I had a half day off every week. I’d pick him up from school. We lived near a big county park, so that was our first destination. The designers of this park had built a circle in the center, where the 2 main roads crossed and planted 4 sugar maple trees. Nothing beats the beautiful colors of the sugar maple in autumn. And nothing is more fun than making huge piles of the fallen leaves, falling into them and covering each other with more.

We always visited the herd of bison that lived in the park, marveling that bison lived in a park in the burbs.

Then off to a nearby farm to buy fresh made cider, graham crackers and bread.

Back at the park, we used the bread to feed the flock of ducks in the lake. We sat at a nearby picnic table, ate the graham crackers and cider and chatted about “stuff”. The weather was often perfect, the air was filled with the aroma of leaves. We were happy to be enjoying life. They were days from heaven.

So don’t assume that all the good times are over at the end of summer. There are plenty of free and inexpensive things to do with your kids. Just look around and discover them!