What I’d Do If I Had the Grandkids for a Week With $30 and No Plan
School is out and suddenly there are small people at your house who need things to do
Looking for free things to do with grandkids this summer without spending a fortune or exhausting yourself? You are not alone and you do not need a big budget or an activity schedule packed with expensive outings to make it great.
I thought through exactly what I would do if I had a week, a mix of ages, and around $30 total to make it count. What follows is the real plan: age-by-age ideas, a specific shopping list, and honest suggestions for everyone from tiny toddlers to teenagers who think everything is boring.
Here is the thing nobody says out loud: the best grandparent summers are almost never the expensive ones. What kids actually remember, what they tell their own children about someday, is the afternoon in your backyard, the card game that got too competitive, the weird little thing only grandma made. Time and presence are the real ingredients. The $30 is just supplies.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my links — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and products I personally use and trust.
Before They Arrive: Your $30 Supply Run
SPENDING $30 AT DOLLAR TREE BEFORE THE GRANDKIDS ARRIVE IS THE SINGLE BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE FOR THE WHOLE WEEK.
Here is exactly what I would buy:
| Item | Cost | What It Buys You |
|---|---|---|
| Sidewalk chalk (2 packs) | $2.50 | Outdoor entertainment for any age up to about 10 |
| Bubbles (3 bottles) | $3.75 | 90 minutes minimum for any child under 8 |
| Coloring books (2) | $2.50 | Quiet time, rainy afternoon backup |
| Card game (Uno or Go Fish) | $1.25 | Every age, every evening, surprisingly competitive |
| Craft supplies (foam stickers, googly eyes, popsicle sticks) | $5.00 | One afternoon project per set |
| Small prizes bag (stickers, tiny toys) | $5.00 | Scavenger hunt prizes, good behavior rewards |
| Dry pasta or dried beans (2 bags) | $3.00 | Sensory bin for the littles |
| Balloons | $1.25 | Balloon volleyball, balloon stomp, free entertainment |
| Total | ~$24.25 | Several days of built-in activities |
Keep the leftover dollars for a small ice cream run one afternoon. That will be their favorite memory of the whole trip. I almost guarantee it.
For the Littles (Ages 3 to 7): Simple, Sensory, and Surprisingly Long-Lasting
LITTLE KIDS DO NOT NEED MUCH. THEY NEED YOU AND SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEIR HANDS.
The sensory bin. Pour your dry pasta or dried beans into a plastic storage bin. Add a few cups, spoons, and funnels. Set it on the kitchen floor or outside and step back. I am not exaggerating when I tell you this will keep a 4-year-old occupied for a solid hour. When they are done, scoop it back in the bin. It lasts the whole summer.
Backyard water day. A hose, a sprinkler, or a plastic bin with water and a few cups. Under 5 years old? This is two full hours. Add dish soap for bubbles and you have bought yourself the afternoon.
Library storytime. Call your local library before the grandkids arrive and ask about their summer programs. Most run free weekly story times for young children and a summer reading program with small prizes for books or minutes logged. It is a built-in outing, air conditioned, and completely free. Click here to search for yours here.
Baking together. Even a 4-year-old can pour and stir. Make banana bread or no-bake cookies together. They eat what they made and feel proud of themselves.
For the Tweens (Ages 8 to 12): Give Them Something Real to Do
THIS AGE WANTS TO FEEL CAPABLE AND TRUSTED. GIVE THEM A REAL CHALLENGE AND THEY WILL RISE TO IT EVERY TIME.
Teach them one real skill. Not a craft kit. Something actual: sew on a button, make a pie crust from scratch, plant seeds in a container garden, write and mail a letter with a real stamp. These feel boring at 12 and priceless at 30. Pick one thing you genuinely know how to do and pass it along. That is the whole activity.
A scavenger hunt. Write out clues yourself around the house, the yard, or the neighborhood. The prize at the end can be from your dollar store bag: a pack of stickers, a small toy, a dollar bill. The hunt is what they are there for.
A container garden project. Pick up a few seed packets for $1 to $2 each and let them each plant something in a pot. They water it every day they are there. If they visit again in a few weeks, it is something to come back and check on. Kids who grow something feel genuinely invested in it.
Tip:
Call your local library before the grandkids arrive and ask about their free summer reading program. Most programs run all summer, include events for kids, and give small prizes for time spent reading. It is a built-in activity for any slow afternoon and most grandparents have no idea it exists. It costs you nothing and they will love it.
For the Teenagers (Ages 13 and Up): Meet Them Where They Are
TEENAGERS ARE NOT DIFFICULT. THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHETHER YOU ARE GENUINELY CURIOUS OR JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
Ask them to teach you something. Ask them to show you how TikTok works, explain their favorite game, or play you a song they love right now. You do not have to love any of it. You just have to be genuinely curious. Teens can feel the difference between being humored and being heard.
Thrift shopping. This sounds unlikely but teenagers who are into style genuinely love a good thrift store trip. Give them a small budget of $10 to $15 and turn them loose. You are together, you are doing something, and you are teaching them a money lesson without it sounding like one.
Cards and board games for real. Rummy. Spades. Uno. No phones. A little trash talking is not only allowed, it is encouraged. Competitive games are one of the few things where teenagers fully show up.
My Take: The best conversation I ever had with a teenage grandchild happened in the car. I asked them what they thought about something going on in their school. I did not offer opinions. I just asked and listened. They talked for 20 minutes straight. Sometimes the activity is just the drive.
Free Things to Do With Grandkids This Summer at Every Age
A few activities that work no matter what mix of ages you have visiting:
Balloon volleyball in the living room. Move the coffee table. String a piece of yarn between two chairs as the net. Every age plays this and everyone gets ridiculous.
Star gazing after dark. Blanket in the yard. Point out whatever you know. Admit what you do not. They will remember it.
Ice cream afternoon. One small outing, under $10, highest memory-per-dollar ratio of anything on this list.
Family recipe day. Pull out something your mama made. Make it together. Write it down and give everyone a copy to keep.
Visit a state park. Click here to find the nearest national, state, and historic parks.
My Mantra
The best gift I can give is my time and full attention
One Thing Worth Doing Before Summer Is Over
If grandkid visits are on your calendar and you want a simple system to set aside a little “grandkid fund” each month so you are not scrambling when they arrive, the Money Map workbook helps you build that kind of intentional spending plan step by step:
Link: Money Map It’s $27 and it is built for real life on a fixed or careful income.
You might also want to save this post about free apps that can make your phone even more useful this summer: 5 Free Apps Every Boomer Should Have Post : Read Here
You do not have to fill every hour. The best summer weeks have room for boredom. Boredom is where kids get creative. Keep your Dollar Tree bin stocked, know your library schedule, and leave some of the afternoon unplanned. That is the good stuff.
Enjoy whatever time you get to spend with those grandkids.
Talk Soon,
Come Join The Thrifty Boomers Facebook Group
