Here are some FREE & Discount events going on this weekend. Many may seem to have consistent national participation- but it is always wise to call your local location to be sure they are participating.
MICHAEL’S KIDS CLUB: Check out Michael’s store events for fun craft activities. Kids can make and take home a completed project– cost varies by project and includes supplies (usually in $2 – $5 range). Recommended for ages 3 and up. This Saturday, August 8th, from 10 am – 12 pm, kids can make their own Perler Backpack Dangler. Just go HERE and scroll down to see the schedule.
GROUPON: Sign up and receive a daily email from Groupon with coupon offers for savings up to 90% in a city near you. Visit the Groupon Site, choose your city and enter your e-mail. Each day they feature something cool to do in your city at an unbeatable price. To learn more about how Groupon works, go HERE, and see if there is a city close enough to you to take advantage of some of these great deals.
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LAKESHORE LEARNING CRAFT: Saturday, August 8th from 11 am to 3 pm — Kids can make a fun door hanger for their room! Join the fun every Saturday with FREE crafts for kids at all locations. For a complete calendar of events, check out their Facebook page HERE and click on the Events Tab if you don’t see them.
LOWES: Registration opens Monday, August 10th for the next Build & Grow Clinic, to be held on Saturday, August 22nd. Kids will get to build Thor’s Chariot. Clinics can fill up quickly so you may want to register now. All Build & Grow Clinics give kids a chance to build a wooden project and receive a free apron, goggles, patch, and more! You can go HERE for more details.
BARNES & NOBLE: This Saturday, August 8th at 11 am, Barnes & Noble will be hosting a special story time with activities, featuring “The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School”. Plus, mark your calendars for next Saturday’s story time featuring one of my favorite books, “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie: 30th Anniversary”, August 15th at 11 am. Check your local Barnes & Noble store for participation. Just go HERE and enter your zip code.
KIDS SKATE FREE: Kids Skate Free is a cool program designed to help keep young children active and away from TV and computers. Kids can get 2 FREE Roller Skating Passes per week at participating Skating centers. You can go HERE for more details and to find a location near you. If you don’t see your local skating center on the list, you can print out a letter and propose they participate.
LEGO BUILD SIGNUP: Registration is now open for next month’s LEGO Mini Model Build, to be held September 1st & 2nd. Kids, ages 6 thru 14 can build their own LEGO Diver. Note: Stores will no longer accept walk ups on the night of the event and sessions can fill up quickly. You can go HERE To register.
SUMMER READING PROGRAMS: Check out this summer’s reading programs for kids! There are several organizations and companies offering special incentives to encourage children to keep reading over the summer. You can check out my post HERE for a roundup of several FREE programs & if you know of any others please feel free to let me know & I will add them to the list.
NATIONAL PARKS – JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM: The National Park Service Junior Ranger program takes place in almost all parks and is appropriate for kids, ages 5 to 13, but people of all ages can participate. Junior Rangers are given a series of activities to complete during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and certificate. For more details, check it out HERE. Plus, did you know that Active Duty Military members and their families can get FREE admission to National Parks year-round? Military ID is required. For more details, you can go HERE.
POTTERY BARN: Check out their First Day Back to School Photo Booth, available now thru August 20th. You can take a photo with fun props and make a special memory for FREE! Then, if you share your photos on Instagram with hashtag #adventurebegins, Pottery Barn will donate $1 to Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.
*Kids can also enjoy Story Time, every Tuesday from 11am – 11:30am– check out program details HERE. Members receive an official Book Club Passport at their first story time, plus a special gift after attending five sessions. Watch for special story time events as well!
SUMMER MOVIE FESTIVALS & OFFERS: Have you checked out this deal? Many large theaters participate in FREE or very inexpensive Summer Film Festivals including Regal Cinemas, United Artists, Cinemark and more. Movies are rated G or PG. You can checkout my post HERE for more details.
BLUE STAR MUSEUMS: Active Duty Military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, can get FREE admission to more than 2,000 museums, now thru Labor Day, September 7th. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. You can get more details about the program HERE and check out their map of participating museums.
LIVING SOCIAL: Another good resource for great deals and discounts in your local area is Living Social. You can head over HERE to check for deals on all kinds of things including kids’ activities, entertainment, dining out, travel, etc. Just enter your zip code or city and state.
KIDS BOWL FREE: Check out your local bowling center to see if they are participating in the Kids Bowl Free program. Registered kids will get TWO free games of bowling EVERY DAY throughout the summer! Policies and age restrictions can vary by location so be sure to check out all the details. You can go HERE to register.
FREE & DISCOUNT ADMISSIONS COURTESY OF TARGET: Target sponsors several community events including FREE and discount admissions to arts and cultural events & institutions nationwide. Many of these events are free and on a monthly schedule. Just go HERE and scroll down to where you can choose your closest city to find FREE and reduced-price Target events near you.
-Thanks so much to Kelley for help with the roundup!
