Cheap Fun in Lakeland
Some days I wake up and think, “We are doing something today that doesn’t involve me handing over my entire wallet.” Lakeland is full of things to do that cost basically nothing, which is great, because the girls seem to believe money grows on the oak tree out front.
One of our favorite stops is any park with enough space for the kids to run until they nearly collapse. There’s something magical about watching them sprint across the grass while I sit on a bench with an iced coffee I made at home, pretending I’m saving hundreds of dollars every month. The squeals, the sweaty faces, the dramatic flopping in the shade—it’s entertainment, trust me.
Trails are another win. Sometimes we pick one and go walking just to see how many lizards we can count. Krysta once tried to race a squirrel. I’m still laughing about that. There’s this moment at the start of every walk where the air is thick and warm, like Florida hugging you a little too hard, but then the breeze hits and suddenly it feels peaceful. Wyatt pretends we’re on some grand wilderness adventure, though the biggest wild encounter we’ve had was a raccoon who looked like he wanted to borrow my snacks.
Libraries are my secret weapon. Air conditioning, story time, crafts, books the kids can drag home like pirates grabbing treasure—yes, please. Half the time I’m just grateful to sit for a few minutes while the kids scatter between shelves. The smell of old pages and glue gives me this small spark of childhood nostalgia, like being tucked into a memory.
Then there are seasonal events, the kind where you show up and there’s music playing, kids running in circles, and someone selling kettle corn that smells like joy. Sometimes it’s hot enough to melt your eyebrows, but the girls don’t care. They jump into whatever activity is happening like it’s the greatest thing ever invented.
The best part of all this free or cheap fun is that it slows us down. No pressure, no schedule, just us doing something simple. Those little moments—sticky fingers, messy hair, grass stuck to their knees—somehow end up feeling like the good part of the week.