Did you survive your first week of school? There were times I wasn’t sure we would get through it? Then again this morning when I was walking Charlie to school he was driving me crazy. So I took the time to speak to the principal about the way Charlie has been behaving. Because I told Charlie I wasn’t playing games school will come first no matter what.
Which brings us to Friday, and I thought we might find something fun to do with Charlie this weekend, so I looked online and I compiled this list of Free and Fun for the Weekend: Aug 25-27. After David gets home from work, we can either go to the Gym where we have a membership or visit some of the things happening below.
My question for you this morning is what do you have planned for this weekend?
Share this fun, money-saving list with your friends and family. It’s always best to call ahead to be sure that your local store is participating to avoid disappointment.
August 25th National Park Service Birthday
FREE National Park Admission. Here is a list of participating national parks.
Saturday, August 26th at 11 AM
Join in the fun for a special storytime featuring How to Get Your Teacher Ready. Contact your local Barnes & Noble store to verify participation.
Guitar Center
Workshops Series – Guitar Center offers free workshops, online classes or in-store lessons taught by experts that will help you learn and have more fun while you do it yourself. Contact your local Guitar Center store for more information.
Saturday, August 26th from 11 AM – 3 PM and a few locations offer free crafts on Sunday.
Kids ages 3 and up design and take a Bright New School Year Card. No reservations were necessary. Get more information from Lakeshore Learning Free Crafts for Kids.
Michael’s Kids Club®
Saturday, August 26th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Kids Club® – Kids 3 and up make Neon Letter Art. The cost is $2, and the rest of the supplies included. Sign up in store, online or drop in. Parent or guardian must remain on premises.
Michael’s
Saturday, August 26th from 1 – 3 PM
Make Break – Customize slime and decorate an adorable emoji slime container. Pre-made slime provided. Sign up in store, online or drop in.
More to Explore Throughout the Year:
FREE National Park Admission Dates for 2017
Here is a list of participating national parks.
- September 30: National Public Lands Day
- November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend
Bank of America Museums on Us
Saturday, September 2nd and Sunday, September 3rd
Bank of America’s Museums on Us is offering free admission to more than 150 museums nationwide. Present your Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general entry to any participating institution. Cardholders only; guests are not eligible for free access.
Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day
Saturday, September 23rd
Find Free Museum Dates
This site, www.freemuseumday.org, tracks free museum days in the following cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco Bay Area, and the Seattle Area.
Free National Parks Pass for 4th Graders
If you have a child in 4th grade this year, your family can get a free National Parks Annual Pass to give you free entry into national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more! Teachers of 4th graders can also get passes to plan free National Park field trips. Free National Parks Pass for 4th Graders expires on 8/31 so don’t delay!
Apple Store
Free workshops – learn the basic of Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod. Learn how to create slideshows with iPhoto. Edit home movies with iMovie and more! Find your local store and make a reservation for a free workshop here.
Bass Pro Shops – find seminars on fishing, camping, boating and more. Check your local store listings for times and information.
Factory Tours
Find factory tours all across the USA, go here, The site has 570 visits and counting! Many are free, but some may have an admission fee. (Thanks to the Happy Housewife for sharing this!)
Flying Lessons
Young Eagles – Kids ages 8 to 17 experience aviation and get free rides in private aircraft flown by experienced pilots.
Home Depot Do It Yourself Workshops
Get the skills you need to improve your home at these free workshops. Get more information at Home Depot Workshops.
If you like Home and Garden shows, this site will give you a free pass. Check the ACS Home Show site.
Lego Stores Free Model Build
LEGO Monthly Mini Model Build events are typically held monthly where kids ages 6-14 can build a Free LEGO Platypus Mini Model! Be sure to click on the “Open Form” button to register. You must be a LEGO VIP Loyalty Member and use an email address saved in your LEGO VIP Membership account to record. Membership and registration are free. Get more information here: shop.LEGO.com/VIP. Quantities are limited to approximately 120 per store per night and time.
Major League Baseball Clinics
Through the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, kids can attend a free baseball clinic in many locations across the country. The free program is called Free Legends for Youth Kids Clinics.
Microsoft High Tech DigiCamp for Girls (free)
Microsoft is proud to offer technology programs specifically for youth. Find out more information here.
Pottery Barn Kids
Enjoy story time on Tuesdays from 11 – 11:30 AM. For more information, visit Pottery Barn Kids events here.
REI Running Classes
Learn or get back into running with training and techniques classes. Find out more at REI.com.
Kids (Roller) Skate Free – sign up for each of your children to receive two free Skating Passes a week for kids ages 12.
Target – Free Community Events ranging from free museum admission, free theater tickets, family activities and tours at some of our countries most famous venues. Times and locations vary by city. Find free family activities sponsored by Target in your area right here.
Find orchards and farms near you where you can pick your fruits and vegetables at PickYourOwn.org and LocalHarvest.org.
Find a nearby playground with the free KaBoom Map of Play, playground finder. Type your location into the search bar.
Find Pumpkin Patches, Hay Rides, Pick Your Orchards and Haunted Houses. Many of these will have a fee or admission. Enter your location for details.
Find summer fairs and festivals by location. This site lists state and county fairs, street festivals, food festivals, parades, arts and crafts fairs, music festivals, and more. It’s a great resource to use if you are going on vacation.
Celebrate Crazy and Fun Holidays
Make memories and celebrate the fun holidays with your family. This week you can dedicate Banana Day, Dog Day, Tug -of – War Day and more. See more at Days of the Year.
* For more ideas for family fun, be sure and check Groupon, and LivingSocial in your area. Join each site for free and start having more fun on a budget! These vouchers make great gifts too!
For inexpensive and sometimes free tickets to local events, I am a fan of Goldstar tickets. Watch your emails for the heading “Comp Train” from Goldstar. If you are new, you can set up a free account here.
Be sure and check out your local library and parks and recreation departments for free programs and events right in your hometown!
If you know of other activities we missed that you think should be on this list. Please leave us a comment, and I will get them added as soon as possible. Have a wonderful weekend and make sure and get some rest because we are heading into week 2 of school and I am sure we will all be crazy busy soon.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
