Day out with a BABY!!!

It depends on the age of the child. If the child is a very young baby, a walk in the sunshine and fresh air will be great for both of you as they get healthy air and sunshine and you get exercise. A toddler will love a nature walk. Take time to look at trees, examine leaves, ooh and ahh over interestingly-colored stones and pick some dandelions or other wild flowers. A slightly older child will enjoy a day at the park. You can incorporate exercise, fun, play and exploring nature all in one. One snack from the ice cream truck is more exciting to a kid than all the Happy Meals or expensive fast foods in the world. Look around your town for places you can go that are free and educational for a child who is preschool age or older. Many libraries have a children's reading room with books, puzzles and games that are age appropriate. Stay for story time and enjoy a peaceful afternoon together. A child of any age will enjoy a visit to the pet store where they can see different animals and fish that they might not have encountered before. Beware though - kids will want to take home every cute and furry thing in the place. Having fun doesn't have to mean spending money. Be creative and have a great day!

I'd : * walk across a park * take a ball or disc, along and have fun in the playground * go to the local exhibitions that might possibly have anything to do with babies... like toys, pets, games, etc. * buy the child an ice-cream cup or a few candies. That won't cost me a lot, right? * entertain the baby with jokes or stories walking along the street... This would be good enough to take care of a baby for a couple of hours without having to shed much out of my pocket.