Affordable Activities for Kids

1. Scholarships. If you start looking into afterschool programs, you'll find that most of them aren't free but a lot of them offer financial assistance. Many non-profits that provide youth services do a lot of fundraising with the sole intention of helping parents cover enrollment costs. There's never any shame in applying for a scholarship, especially if that's the difference in whether or not your son gets involved. Sports, performing arts, martial arts—there's a good chance you can apply for a little aid and make any of these activities much more budget-friendly.

2. Volunteer/Internship. We associate this kind of work with older kids, but there are volunteering opportunities for kids as young as five. It might sound like pure work, but I've seen kids have a great time cleaning up and planting urban gardens and doing nature programs that focus on restoring habitats. Our kids get a lot out of the time they spend helping at our church, which is another great option. There might be a mental block where you're only thinking about paid activities like rec league sports or piano lessons. Remind yourself that volunteer work can be just as fun and much more rewarding.

3. Invent a club. Your son is right at the age where he and his friends might start their own club with a little parental supervision. Soccer club, inventors club, box car club—whatever he's interested in, that can become a weekly or biweekly activity without any kind of enrollment fee. You'll have to lay some of the groundwork, either offering the garage with a "No Parents Allowed" sign for a few hours a week or purchasing some supplies, but that could be all it takes to launch a little program that keeps kids busy for years to come. Being in charge means a lot to a 10-year-old, so give as much ownership of the idea as possible and see where things go!