Making quantity into quality time with my kids

Recently I have seperated from my childrens father and have started a new life on my own with a different home. We now share the children and they are no longer with me everyday, but only three-four days a week. The time flies and by the time it's over and time for them to go home I felt I have done nothing with them, meaning spending much time with them. I feel even guiltier because when I was with their father I had money and was able to take them out to do things. Now, well I am broke. I don't have the money to go out to eat or even the money for gas to go do even cheap or free things. If anybody has any suggestions on some at home and cheap things to do with my kids I would appreciate it. I want my kids to be excited to come to mommys and know they are special to me.

Depending on the age of your children I would suggest that you cook some thing together..... a simply meal for dinner or some chocolate chip cookies would do just fine.

Taking a walk together in the local park is another great thing that my boys used to like to do with me..... I always made sure they both had a bucket to bring the goodies they had found on the nature walk home in - hence why I still have so many flatten leaves, weeds & flowers in my photo albums.

And lets not forget reading a good book or pulling out the board games.... my boys (men now) still talk about the fun they had with their silly mom and dad while playing life, scrabble, monopoly, battle ship, go fish, dice, and domino's etc.

In my opinion your kids will want to visit you even if you can't afford to take them out because they love you...are you close by transit?...maybe how old are your kids?

maybe arts and crafts if they are younger
rent a movie
go to a park if you're near one and have a picnic...bring a frisbee and a ball

bake things together

play a board game together

is there a recreation center near by?...maybe volunteer together to help the needy...I'm not sure
hope this helps

My 11 year old and I play Yahtzee every night and we love it And my 6 year old and I play Sorry for money (a dime a game lol).

They love to cook with me. Dinner, or muffins, or cookies, or whatever.

We rent movies and pop popcorn and watch them together.

Do they play video games? I've found that we all love guitar hero so we play that together.

We go for a lot of hikes and I take my littler ones to the playground to just play (I really like to swing!)

Going to the library and getting books to read together is fun - or sometimes we will get books on "how to draw" and try to draw the pictures in it.

We homeschool, so I am home with the kids, and we don't have extra money to spend on outings and activities....but all of the things above are free or cheap (except for guitar hero! )

Good luck to you

Thanks guys. I do try to do the at home things as often as I can, I guess I am just feeling it's never enough because the time I do have them flies by and their back at their dads house again. Feels crappy.

The suggestions are great though, I appreciate them. I will see about getting some activities round here, maybe some for Christmas.

Board games and card games are still a thrill with my kids. My adult kids will still play candyland etc with younger cousins during holiday gatherings and have a ball doing it. VERY funny seening the boy fighting for the tiara in My Pretty Princess, rings only go to their first knuckle.