FORT SILL, Okla. -- No cash doesn't mean no fun.
There is no shame in being tightfisted with your money. Whatever your situation is, no one wants to spend more than they have to. That said, sometimes children just don't care. Especially during the summer. Especially when they see their friends doing fun stuff (like the ones who go, every year, to Disneyland, or the family that takes a trip to Hilton Head beach every summer you know who you are. I don't hate you, I'm jealous. In a good way. Promise).
For those who are staying home this summer, I thought I'd help all of you out while also helping myself (because it's a whole lot easier to justify spending my time at work looking up fun stuff to do if I'm doing it for work).
So many of you gave me a list of "bucket" ideas that I thought I'd share it with you, plus add a few more that maybe you didn't think of. I tried to keep the distance to about an hour and a half away and all of these at $10 or less per person and many are, wait for it free!
First up are the museums. Now don't be scared by museums they can be fun for children if you make them fun. Try asking your children, "how many horses can you find?" Or bring a magnifying glass or kaleidoscope and look at art through it. Have your child find their favorite section and draw a picture of it.
On post museums: Fort Sill National Historic Landmark Museum, the Army Field Artillery Museum; and Training Support and Army Technology Preservation Facility (for Air Defense Artillery) all free.
The Fort Sill Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. To arrange a free visit call 580-355-5275 or email adminartillerytocsalumni.com.
Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan ($17 for a family pass of two adults and two children),
Museum of the Great Plains (under renovations but external exhibit is still open, free)
Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center (free)
Sam Nobel museum in Norman (about an hour away and free to military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day, otherwise $8/adults, $5/children 4-17. While there check out their "Discovery Room").
Fred Jones Museum of Art (also in Norman, and free)
Being indoors will only go so far with some children. They need to be released into the wild! For some outdoor fun check out these locations:
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (free to enter and they have free tours, check out The Narrows or the Apple and the Pear both climbing areas at the refuge, just practice wildlife safety).
Medicine Park (free to visit, walk around, the only cost is gas and whatever you want to buy).
CSM E.J. Ardoin Natural Resources Enforcement Compound (on post, has animals you can see and a park, free).
Oklahoma City Zoo (Wednesdays in July and August admission is $1, July 17 admission for everyone is free and on regular day the zoo offers a 50% military discount making it $4/adults, $2.50/children ages 3-11 and free for children younger than 2).
Turner Falls in Davis (about an hour and a half away, with a 77-foot water fall and natural swimming areas, $6/adults with military ID, children younger than 5 are free).
Little Niagra at Chickasaw National Recreation Area (free).
Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area (free movie nights throughout the summer, $3/hour for miniature golf, $5/hour for Frisbee golf, $8/hour for canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats, and you can go camping for $30)
Take a walk through Martha Songbird Trail on post off Randolph Road. Take a camera with you and have a photo competition.
Here are some miscellaneous activities you can check out or do at home:
Nye Library has a reading program for free. Children can read books and collect prizes and each week they have an activity at the library.
Muskets to Machine Guns, 10 a.m. 4 p.m. at Constitution Park, June 13 on Fort Sill.
LETRA fishing tournament, June 20
Go to a roller derby game. A shameless plug for my co-worker's team, the 580 Roller Girls. Tickets are $12 ($10 with military ID, children 10 and younger are free).
Summer Kids series at Carmike Cinemas. Every Thursday at 10 a.m. they are showing a family-friendly movie. Tickets are $4 and includes admission, popcorn and soft-drink.
The on-post theater ticket prices are $6/adults and $4/children years 6-11 and free for children 6 and younger. For 3-D movies the prices are $8/adult and $6/children.
Try a Meersburger. Apparently you HAVE to try the longhorn burger at least once. The regular burger starts at $6.85 with the Seismic Meersburger putting you back $10.65.
Take a self defense class (June 27 at Honeycutt Fitness Center, free)
Go to the Farmers Market and buy one weird fruit or vegetable. Then cook it up and eat it.
Learn to change the oil in your car at the post Automotive Skills Center. It offers classes and staff will give you pointers if you drive your car in for an oil change.
Take your kids to the on-post animal shelter during the week and let them play with the animals.
Lastly, for all you do-it-yourselfers out there, or people who want something more simple, you can have fun at home, too: Make a bird feeder (you can get scrap wood at any hardware store, or pick up a kit).
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