Summer fun that doesn't break the budget

You're listening to Life Kit [upbeat music] from NPR.

Hey, everybody.

It's Marielle.

We're gonna start today's episode at the top of a hill with Emma Tempest.

Back when she was a teacher, she would take her class of four and five-year-olds to the park for an end of year celebration.

And it was at the top of this enormous hill, and every year we'd have a rolling down the hill competition.

[laughs] And all the adults would join in, um, because you just have, you had that permission to have fun.

The other part of that celebration was a trip to a mini zoo.

You'd hear the children saying things like, "Oh, I wonder what that fish is thinking," [laughs] and you'd be like, "What? I've never thought about that before." [upbeat music]

That spirit of imagination and wonder, you can take that with you anywhere, and it costs nothing.

Emma is now a positive psychology coach who helps people get unstuck through play.

We did an episode on play, what it is, why it's good for you, and how to do more of it.

And in the process of reporting that episode, we came up with a whole bunch of ideas for how to play for cheap, 'cause you don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun.

Don't let money or time be the thing that decides whether or not you will have fun.

You can have fun almost in spite of [laughs] those things if you really put your mind to it.

On this episode of Life Kit, we're gonna share those ideas for how to have fun on a budget.

Think of these as offerings.

Try them out, see what you like, and see if they spark any ideas of your own.

[upbeat music]

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