I just get so excited about summer because companies come out of the woodwork to do fun stuff for kids! Last week I told you about all the fun {free} Summer Reading Programs. Well, today, here are some free and almost free activities that stores, business and companies do for YOUR kids!
1. Lowes & Home Depot Workshops
Fun, free construction projects! We’ve made butterfly houses, basketball hoops and planters! You get a free apron, goggles, project, certificate of completion and a patch or pin to put on your apron. It is one of the most fun things ever! (Saturdays mornings, all year long.)
2. Vacation Bible School
You should be seeing the signs jumping up all over town soon. There will be a VBS on every corner! As a former Children’s Pastor, I can vouch for the high-quality VBS programs that Group produces—theirs this year is High Seas Expedition! (Here’s a post about last year’s VBS, Crococile Dock.) Most churches do VBS for free, but if there is any cost, it’s minimal. And hey–don’t be afraid to send your kid to more than one!
3. Free Museums
Target has a great free museum days program. One special day a month you can get into a select local museum for FREE! Bank of America also has a similar program where if you show your ATM or credit card, you can go to a museum for free on the first weekend of every month. (Year round. Days vary.)
This actually is a good deal. You sign up your kids for two FREE games per day at a local bowling alley. That’s it!
You do have the option, of course, for adding a family pass for $26.95 and up to 4 adult family members (or baby-sitters…) can bowl for free, too! We did this last year and it really was worth it! But even if you don’t buy the Family Pass, your kids can bowl free! (All summer long!)
Each week Michael’s has craft time—some are free while others are the cost of materials. June is full of Father’s Day crafts and July has some Independence Day crafts! (Times vary, year round.)
6. Free Movies!
Most movie theaters do free or super-cheap kids’ movies during the summer months. Regal Cinemas Free Family Film Festival is every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am. Cinemark, AMC and Rave and Carmike are all offering movie deals, too. My favorite part is the kids’ popcorn is cheap, too!
(Honestly, after reading through the movies, we’ll probably only see 1 or 2. Kids movies are not as…kid-friendly as they used to be…)
7. Storytime
If you are a parent and have not experienced “storytime” well, you are missing out! Most libraries, local bookstores, big chain bookstores and even non-bookstores like Pottery Barn Kids host a weekly storytime. You come with your kids, sit down and have someone read you a story! Sometimes there is singing, a short cartoon or a craft.
8. Geek Camp
Do you have an Apple store near you? Well, this summer the Apple store is hosting Apple Camp. Kids get to come to the store and learn all sorts of geeky computer stuff. I am so jealous and totally want to go to the camp myself! It’s for kids 8-12 and I think it would be SO cool. It also got me thinking that there must be other stores or factories or companies that do this same type of thing! I’m going to keep my ears open and see what might be going on in my area.
9. Release Parties
Lots of bookstores and movie stores and even regular old Wal-Marts do release parties for new books or movies. I noticed my local Borders is doing a Toy Story 3 release party with crafts and storytime and a giveaway. I have even been to a ::whisper:: Harry Potter release party at a bookstore.
10. Festivals
Spring and summer are the time for festivals. Here in Atlanta we have the Dogwood Festival and the Yellow Daisy Festival! But all over the country are fun festivals with crafts, food, kids’ programming and more. You need to find the good website or magazine in your area that highlights these events—and then go to all of them! In Georgia, I like Atlanta Parent and Georgia.com. Festivals.com also has listsings for events across the country!
for more fun top ten lists visit ohAmanda & Top Ten {Tuesday}!
Wonderful ideas! I’ll have to check out my local Michael’s!
.-= Amy @ Raising Arrows´s last blog ..All Because Two People Fell In Love =-.
I love free story times. We go to at least 1 every week. Community play groups are another good one.
.-= Allison @ Alli ‘n Son´s last undefined ..Response cached until Tue 8 @ 21:09 GMT (Refreshes in 27 Minutes) =-.
Great list! I just checked and our Borders is having the Toy Story party–we will totally be there, thanks for the info!!!
.-= Eos Mom´s last blog ..Five Question Friday–June 4 =-.
Another thing to add to the Home Depot & Lowes type workshops is Lakeshore Learning workshops. Also every Saturday at every store (over 50 of them) they have a kids craft time make & take (http://www.lakeshorelearning.com). In addition, they have free teacher workshops and parenting resources online (projects, lesson plans, and printables).
These are great ideas! We do the reading programs and story times during the summer. We haven’t done a workshop at Home Depot Yet. I’ll have to check out the free museum pass thing! Our library gives out discount museum passes. I don’t know if this counts but if you have a Simon Mall near you they have the Kidgits Club that is $5 A YEAR. They have all sorts of cute, free activities during the year that include many goody bags and giveaways.