Currently in college and money is tight. I would love some fun ideas for stuff to do with my little guy. Bonus points for Calgary specific locations!

Ummm.. have you tried giving him a stick to play with... perhaps a cardboard box.... that's what my parents would give me to play with....
And heck I turned out fine..lol..

Check out pintrest and google

Great ideas for all interest and ages

All I can say as far as low budget no matter where you live.. From a grandmothers point of view.. When I have my grand kids or go to their house to watch them.. The main thing I have found that not only entertains them but makes them want me to come back. Is to give them your undivided attention..

Either by watching the shows with them they like while cuddling with them on the couch to sitting in the middle of their room with them playing with their toys.. Just be a kid.. Take them outside to play and play with them.. They think that is just the coolest thing.. Make your lunch throw a blanket outside in the yard and have a picnic.. Color with them paints, colored pencils or crayon's.. Take them to the park totally free take a ice chest with snacks and drinks.. Start them on playing games words numbers ect and make a big deal out of it when they beat you or do a good job.

Kids don't care how much money you spend they want your attention.. Just be a kid with them for the day.. only rules is if someone is getting hurt..

Heck had pillow fights with my grand kids a couple weeks ago 1 & 4 year old they thought that was the bomb and know they only do it with granny.. :)

Lol. Yea give me a pile of dirt and a stick and I was amused for hours at a child. This little man is used to electronics, video games and tablets when he's with his father. Need some fun interactive activities away from home to get him involved.

Love your style!! Yea I'm a big kid at heart. Trying to get him to learn to ride a bike, play with nature. He gets bored very easily. Trying to arrange play dates with him, but they usually end up falling through.

That kills most of my cheap ideas.

Is he really smart? Maybe play classic strategy games with him.

Make flashcards for your courses and have him help you study, turn it into a game.



Teach him how to do the laundry and wash the dishes. Lots of kids love that stuff if you treat it like something fun.

Wait, do you live someplace where its safe for him to go riding a bike on his own, out and about?

Wow, when I was a kid, I couldn't _wait_ to learn to rid a bike and go off an have my own adventures away from home. He isn't interested?

One tractor tire
Sand
Liner
Sand toys.

Line the tire while flat on the ground.
Fill up with sand
Make sure you have enough liner to cover the top so animals don't get in and use it as a toilet.


I made a sand piy for my kids under the big tree on the back yard.
They spent hours in it.

Second hand shop for clean sand toys and old cars.

One of my grands favorite play with children is Bubbles or whipped soap cream. You can frost a fake cake or snow cottage. If you are lucky enough to have a shower to play in let them create in the washable environment.

Cooking anything. Even if I do some of the pre-work before they visit they enjoy the tasting and decorating with food be it a package cookie, boiled eggs, pizza crust, or even sandwich with cookie cutters. Even young children can manage scissors to cut up things (besides hair or paper) lol. It is a great way to get kids past food prejudices and learning fractions and chemical interactions.

Crayons, a few scraps of fabric. yarn or old Christmas ribbons are a great way to turn and old box(s) into a castle, space rocket, pirate ship, covered wagon, lion cage, or bulletin board. Especially if you have gone to your local library for a story book to jump start the imagination. When I had several at a time when we "passed the reading cap" the designated reader had to take a turn reading.

Thrift stores are great places to find "goodies" for imagination or craft play. A old Sheet or bed spread even dress up clothes are pennies on the dollar for lots of yardage to make things.

Kids who are tweens often love personalizing a old piece of furniture (frame, chair, night stand, stool, bookcase with sand paper, sample size, chalk board, or "oops" paint or even permanent markers. Starching/gluing fabric or trim on surfaces can turn a throw away into a treasure.

I second that emotion lol

While I have done things that cost money and have become an attraction for other kids, such as a 15' trampoline, the majority of free forms of entertainment for my daughter I located through our local convention and visitors bureau's website and by asking for ideas in local facebook groups.