Places That Offer Free Activities for Kids

Activities for kids can get expensive, especially when you’re on a budget. I love to plan these activities to keep my kids involved and well-rounded. However, they come with a price tag that let’s confess, adds up really quickly. All the sporting activities, after-school programs, outdoor activities, and theme parks, all come with a price.

That however does not mean that you have to do those costly activities. There are actually ways around getting more activities done without spending as much money on them.

So here are a few places that actually offer free activities for kids that you may not even have heard of before. If you also have others to suggest please add them to my list, and let me know what you think.

What are some of the free activities, that you would like to do with your kids? I would love to hear about them. Please feel free to share your own experiences or ask your questions or concerns below. I will be happy to help you!

1. Ikea

Did you know that Ikea offered programs for kids? Yes, they do! They not only keep your kids while you shop around, but they also do art projects with them.

I have attended these art workshops before and found them to be quite fun and entertaining for my kids.

So even if you’re not planning a shopping trip to Ikea, you can also get involved with the activities that they offer on a regular basis.

Check them out by visiting their website.

2. JCPenny

JCPenny, one of my favorite department stores also offers programs for kids. I can bet you had no idea either. They do and that’s also amazing that they have programs to keep your kids entertained while on your shopping excursions with them.

It’s quite frankly a win-win situation. Also, you can get coupons for joining their craft activities and programs (A yes for me!).

Check them out by visiting their website.

3. Museums

Museums sometimes offer free activities for kids, every now and again. They may have additional programs outside that are done through the museum that can provide families with activities to do.

One such museum in our hometown is the Glazer Children’s Museum. They offer free admission every 1st tuesday of every month. That is a plus! That’s also the time when I mostly plan to bring them whenever they were off during the summers or were being homeschooled.

If you’re in the Tampa Bay area check them out by going to their website.

However, every city has something different. Therefore I recommend doing a Google search in your area to find out what activities are available for your kids to do.

Smithsonian Museum also offers FREE museum day once a year to participating museums. You can check it out on their website.

Some banks, for example, Bank of America, also offer free access to museums across the United States for their cardholders. Check them out by going to their website.

4. Home Depot

I am a casual DIYer and I love Home Depot. I also love that they offer programs for kids as well, centered around building and crafting.

My kids have gotten to make projects such as their own bird feeders, and coin collection banks. So it’s really a fun thing to do with kids to get them excited about crafts and DIY as well.

Check them out by visiting their website.

5. Children’s board

If there’s a local children’s board in your area, stop by there and find out if there are activities for kids. More than likely there are plenty of activities to do.

Our local Children’s Board has offered craft programs, sight words and math classes, free tutoring, sponsored summer camps, free swimming lessons, and so much more.

So take the time to look into these programs that are available locally to you and tap into them.

If you’re in the Tampa Bay area then visit their website.

6. Michaels

Did you know that Michaels offers a camp for kids? I bet you didn’t. Yes, your local Micheals have plenty of activities to do both in-store and online to help keep your kids entertained and for free.

They offer a lot of DIY projects that kids can do and make super cool craft projects.

Check them out by visiting their website.

7. Skating rinks

Kids can actually skate for free at some locations across the united states. There is a website called Kids Skate Free that you can join and download their myhownd APP to find and apply to all the participating locations.

You will receive 2 Kids Skate Free passes per child, per week ( please note that rinks have age limits and passes will only be generated for eligible children). You will only pay for skate rental per venue unless you already have your own pair of skates as we did.

8. Library

The library is not just a place to get books or surf the internet anymore. Libraries also offer so many activities, for both kids and adults.

When my son was younger we use to attend mommy and me workshops at the library that offered reading programs. That definitely sparked his first interest in reading which continues to this day.

Our library also gives out passes to see popular museums and events in our neighborhood. During the summer as well, they had numerous kids’ activities, from art and craft to balloon artistry, to cycling shows. You name it they had it.

So check out your local libraries and see what programs they may have available for your kids.

If you’re in the Tampa Bay area then visit their website.

9. Bowling Alley

Did you know that some bowling alleys actually offer free passes for kids at no cost to you? Wow, sign me up!

Yes, they do and most places offer 2 free games of bowling every day at over 1500 locations nationwide, ALL summer long.

You can visit Kids Bowl for Free to find out more about sites in your area.

10. sports Team

Did you know that you can find free tickets to games? Well, we were able to get two summers in a row baseball tickets to see the game.

They were able to score 2 tickets each to the Rays Baseball game for reading a certain number of books over the summer. It was a no-brainer for me because I really wanted them to read books anyway. However, the tickets that we scored were also quite exciting for them.

So always look out for teams in your area that may have free access passes or tickets for young fans.

You can visit Reading with the Rays summer reading program if you’re in the Tampa Bay area.

11. Apple Store

The Apple store not only keeps us on target with getting the latest Apple technology but also hosts FREE classes as well for kids to learn technology. They offer coding classes, art classes and so much more. My kids have participated in the coding class and learned about the basics of coding while coding their first “about me” app. Check it out on the Apple website for more information.

Overall I do hope that you have found one or more free activities for kids that you can try as a family to bring more fun and excitement into your everyday lives.

Follow my Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest @mommytobeandbeyond and Twitter @mom2bandbeyond to see exciting photos of our family activities together.

If you are interested in finding more activities to do for kids, whether to stay fit or for fun, then read my blog posts on:

• 10 Fun Screen-free Activities For A 3 To 5-year-old
• Budget-friendly Ways To Save On Kids Activities
• 12 Movement Activities For Kids To Stay Fit

Did you find the strategies listed in this article helpful? What were some of your favorite tips? How have they worked for you? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know what you think.

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