In 2009, I made a concerted effort to buy fewer books. I love books and have passed my love of books on to my daughters. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t quite allow for my 1 – 3 book a week reading habit (yes, you read that right!), so, we decided to visit our library.

Once we got there, we found that it was actually pretty fun. Our library has a special area for kids that includes not just books but things to play with as well. Weekly storytime is a habit for us now as well. Every week, we go to our library and for about thirty minutes, my youngest is enchanted with stories, singing songs and sometimes even making a craft related to the week’s theme.

And it doesn’t cost us a dime.

After story time, we each select some books (I let my girls get approximately four books a week – it’s a good number that I’m able to keep track of), and we venture home to immerse ourselves in these new worlds that wait for us between the front and back covers of a book.

Check with your local public library to see what programs are available for you and your family.

What are your family’s favorite free activities?

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