5 Budget Friendly Mommy and Daughter "Date" Ideas

My two older girls are of an age where mommy/ daughter time is so important and can be very special if done correctly. There are lots of options to planning a special time with your daughter that cost little or nothing. Here are some ideas that are both inexpensive and fun. The idea is not how much money you spend, but the quality time spent with them and the memories you will make together. The following are ideas for preschool and early school age girls, but could be adjusted to older and younger children as well.

DIY Mother/ Daughter Spa & Glam Night.  This is an evening of relaxation for both mom and daughter(s). Paint each other’s nails, get out the avocado mask, give each other makeovers, and even get dressed up and have a fashion show.   

**If you have little extra money to spend, go to a nail salon together. Most salons will charge a discount fee for children. I have tried this before with my girls. It was so much fun.

Tea Time.  Find your best table cloth and china or plastic tea set for younger girls.  Decorate your table with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Next, get dressed up. Then serve little cucumber sandwiches (or just fancy cookies) while practicing proper tea conversation and manners.  More tea please.

Take a walk. There is something to be said for spending time with one another, while soaking up one another’s presence. Some of the best memories I have of spending time with loved ones involved doing this. This might involve walking around your neighborhood, or the grounds of a local historic site.

Slumber Party. Most girls I know love a good slumber party. So put on your PJ’s, grab some snacks, and every available pillow in the house.  Play an exciting game of charades, and finish off the evening with a movie. It’s likely by the time the movie is done everyone will have fallen asleep, hopefully.

Picnic. One of my best memories I have growing up is having picnics with my   grandparents. I still remember lying in the tall grass staring at the clear blue sky.  All you need are some sandwiches, snacks, dessert, and drinks in a cooler. Then go to a special location to have your picnic such as the park, or the beach.

  I want to give a shout out, and big thank you to a new friend I made last week, Aegean Chantal Thompson, over at the thepreggoplanner.com/. She has been doing an amazing job encouraging mom’s to spend some time taking care of themselves. Last week, I have been participated in her Mom. Me. Love. Challenge.  She inspired me to spend little more time on myself.  I plan to keep putting into practice the things that I learned, so I have more of myself to give to my family. One of the challenges this week was to pamper myself. I ended up sharing the pampering with my two girls, and they loved it.  We definitely need to do this more often.