Frugal Luxuries: Tractor Thrills

Max is obsessed with tractors (and trucks, and construction vehicles...). I try to time my hardware store purchases for rainy days when he needs a distraction so I can let him sit on the lawn mower displays. The employees at my local hardware store are very amused by him, and are very tolerant of his sitting on the display for 15+ minutes. It helps that he's very well behaved and just sits there pretending he's driving, and that I am a regular customer (as well as my extended family). Thank goodness for small towns.

My dad (aka Papa) recently got a new job at Max's dream land: a tractor & equipment store. We went and visited Papa at work and Max got to test out the display tractors, look (from a distance) at all of the tools they use to do repairs, and check out a particularly large monster tractor that barely fits in the 2 1/2 story garage. He was in heaven (and Papa was pretty excited to have Max there too!).

Later that day for even more tractor/truck thrills, we went to Big Truck Day at the next town over. It was a pretty awesome day - and it was all free. Big Truck Day was making their money from selling food (we did buy lunch and a snack), but for just the price of gas and $5 for lunch we had great entertainment and lots to discuss for days.

For another cheap thrill, there's road construction going on near Max's daycare and it has been a fantastic source of free entertainment all summer for the kids to watch the trucks drive by.

If you also have a little (or not so little) person interested in trucks/tractors/etc, see if there's a local Big Truck Day, ask if you child can sit on the display pieces (which are usually disabled so they can't be stolen), or even find a construction site and watch the trucks work (staying a safe distance away, of course). If you have a video camera, you can even take those trucks with you. My MIL made a video for Max of all of the construction vehicles (and even a street sweeper!) around her neighborhood. Alternately, you could take photos and make your own tractor/truck/etc flip book to look at when the real deal isn't available. I have a flip book on my list of things to make Max... I know what I'll be taking pictures of this summer!