Simpler Living
By Fiona Wagner • Bankrate.com

Of course, you don't need toys to stimulate imagination. We're a pretty hard-core do-it-yourself kind of family, and having an art table that's always stocked with paper, paints and crayons, plus old magazines, stickers and tape, helps nurture that in our kids.

And then there are books. We don't have cable TV, and while our kids have a pretty extensive movie collection, they have an even greater book collection. I'd say half of that has come into the house new (as a writer, I like to support authors by buying their work), but the kids love rifling through piles of used books and picking out their favourites.

There's no place like home
Like many families faced with rising gas prices and shrinking disposable incomes, we've decided to stay pretty close to home this year. (Granted, having a barn full of critters helped contribute to that decision. And you think getting a baby sitter is hard?)

But it's not just about the fiscal savings. While a family vacation can be a memory-making trip of a lifetime, there's also the frantic packing and taxing traveling (and the all-too-often "Are we there yet?"), not to mention the tapped bank accounts at the end of it. And how much of that trip to Disney do you think your 3-year-old will really remember?

So even though we're far from Kansas, this year we've decided there's no place like home. Turns out we're not alone. "Staycations" are all the rage as more families are choosing to vacation close to home. That doesn't mean a ho-hum vacation filled with cries of "I'm bored."

Here are just a few ideas for some frugal family fun:

• Act like a tourist. Visit your chamber of commerce or local tourist office and rediscover what your town or region has to offer. You'll find loads of cheap (or free) untapped discoveries right in your own backyard.
• Go fruit or berry picking. Most kids are so used to getting their food from a grocery store that they're sure to get a kick out of picking fruit fresh from the source. Freeze or preserve the excess, and you, too, can enjoy summer freshness year round. You save on groceries and keep a farmer growing.
• Get away. If you find it hard to be at home and switch off the "busyness" of everyday life, consider splurging on a night out -- but keep it local. Maybe there's a bed and breakfast you've always wanted to visit or a locally owned hotel that's all the rage. Or do like us and camp out in your own backyard.
• Spend time in nature. Maybe it's a fishing trip, or perhaps it's bug collecting or catching tadpoles (one of our favourites). Find out what excites your kids and tap into that. When you consider the amount of time kids spend indoors during the school year and how many adults spend their lives almost entirely inside, now is the time to nurture their relationship with the outside world.

Above all, let your kids get bored. In a world that's fast paced and programmed, sometimes it's OK to have nothing to do. When faced with chores or finding their own source of entertainment, I'm always amazed at how innovative my two kids can be.

Fiona Wagner (www.fionawagner.com) is a freelance writer in Hastings County, Ont.