Good news! The kids are home for two months. Bad news! The kids are home for 2 months. Summer is a wonderful time when you’re a kid, but can stress parents out if they don’t have any activities planned. Coming up with an entire summer’s worth of fun, easy activities that don’t cost a fortune can be draining. What if we told you that we came up with a list of activities that encompassed all of the above AND put money in your kid’s pockets? Our team sat down and discussed some of the things we did, back when we were kids (with the help of our parents), to earn spending money over the summer.
1.) A Neighborhood Dog Wash
You’ll need: dog or baby shampoo, a hose, dry towels and some bathing suits. Help your child get the word out! Make fliers and go door-to-door on your street telling your neighbors about your new services. Help hold the dog while your son or daughter hoses them down, lathers them up (being careful around the eyes and ears), rinses all the soap away and dries them off. Help your child determine a fee and count their earnings with them afterward.
2.) Lemonade or Fruit Punch Stand
You’ll need: fresh lemonade, fruit punch, cups, a table, chairs and a “bank” with change. Show your child how to make fresh lemonade or fruit punch. Sell cups for $.50 in your front yard or at your garage sale. If your own yard doesn’t have a lot of traffic, you can ask one of your neighbors if they’ll let your child set up a stand in their yard for the day. Show your child how to keep a bank and make change.
3.) Pet Sitting
Lots of families take vacations over the summer and boarding pets can be really expensive. Pet sitting was one of our team’s favorite summer activities. What is more fun than getting paid to hang out with furry friends! This is a really great opportunity to teach your kids responsibility. Make a schedule for feeding, checking on their water supply, walking and exercise. Make sure they clean up after them (DON’T leave cleaning the litter box until the day before they come back) and feeding them the right amount.
4.) Bake dog treats and sell them for $5 a bag
You’ll need: a recipe, ingredients, paper lunch sacks and crayons, colored pencils or markers. Research the best recipes with your child and take a trip to the grocery store to get ingredients. Show them how to measure ingredients and follow instructions. And, don’t worry if they aren’t perfect! Your audience isn’t picky! Decorate paper lunch sacks with cute dog-related drawings and you’re sure to have a bunch of customers. (You can also sell these at the Lemonade Stand!)
5.) House Sitting
This one is super easy and can be combined with pet sitting. Negotiate a price (per day) to water the neighbor’s plants and pick up their mail. Show your child how to write up a bill based on pre-negotiated amount and the number of days the neighbors were away. (Be sure to only let them house-sit for neighbors you know and trust.)
All these activities can be a great way to combat summer boredom and let your kids earn some extra money for their AgentPiggy bank at the same time.
What were some of your favorite summer cash-making activities when you were a kid?
