Happy Friday folks! The holidays are officially upon us. And if you’re like we are, you’re looking for ways to keep the kiddos entertained without breaking the bank so you can concentrate your money on Christmas gifts and holiday trimmings. The good news it that we have a whole list of free (or almost free) events and activities for you and your family to enjoy. Thanks More With Less Today!
You may want to bookmark this post. I update it every Friday and new weekend events pop up all the time. Be sure to share it with your friends and family. If you know of any others to share, please let us know!
:: FREE Museum Weekend for Bank of America Customers
Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th
Bank of America’s Museums on Us is offering free admission to more than 150 museums nationwide. Simply present your Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution. Cardholders only; guests are not eligible for free admission. For more information about Museums on Us, visit: http://museums.bankofamerica.
com.
:: FREE Reindeer Cam
Watch Santa’s Reindeer eating and getting fed by Santa for free! Just know that loud music will play when you click on the link to the Reindeer cam. Go here to see the live video feed: http://reindeercam.com/.
Santa feeds his reindeer everyday at 11 am, 6 pm and 9 pm EST. Share the magic, this is very cool!
:: FREE Personalized Story Recording from Santa
A Story Before Bed will give you a FREE recording of Santa reading your child a story! All you need is your email address and your child’s name. You will need to confirm the email that you receive from A Story Before Bed and then you will receive a link to your child’s personalized story. Quantities are limited.
:: FREE Santa Tracker
Track Santa at NoradSanta.com. This free site takes a minute to load. You can see where Santa is at on his journey and how soon they need to get in bed so he can make his stop!
:: FREE Letters From Santa
Letters from Santa offers Free Letters from Santa as well as a Magical Letter from Santa for $2.99. You quickly grab a printable letter addressed by the big guy himself or choose the Magical Option for a more personalized and unique letter.
Letters from Santa Claus from Santa Claus, Indiana: Since 1914, children have enjoyed receiving letters from Santa Claus for free. You can receive a written letter from Santa Claus as well! Mail a letter with a legible return address to:
Santa Claus
PO Box 1
Santa Claus, IN 47579
Every letter mailed to Santa Claus before December 21st, will receive a letter back from Santa Claus himself! The earlier you can send in your letter the better. These are volunteers hard at work so if you would like to help pay for postage, donations would greatly be appreciated. They can be sent to the address listed above as well.
:: American Girl Special Store Events
Special events differ by location. During December, they include Make a Gingerbread House, Special Occasion Styles, The Wonder of Holiday Memories, Brunch with Santa, American Girl at the Nutcracker and more.
Many of the American Girl in store events are free, however some have a fee and some have age restrictions. Get the details here and find participating stores.
:: Barnes & Noble
Elf on the Shelf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express – Holiday Story time & Activities – Enter your City and State or Zip Code to Find a Participating Store Near You.
Most stores also have free toddler story time, NOOK events, hands-on learning events and author events – find the times and participating Barnes and Noble stores here.
:: Bass Pro Shops
In- store Christmas activities include free photos with Santa, crafts and activities, now through 12/24.
:: Home Depot Workshop for Kids
Saturday, December 6th from 9 AM to 12 PM
Kids build a Give and a Holiday Yard Stake ~You can pre-register online here.
:: Lakeshore Learning Store
Saturday, December 6th from 11 AM-3 PM and a few locations offer crafts every Sunday.
Kids make and take a Chilly Snowman. Get more information here.
:: Macy’s
Macy’s will donate $1 for every mailed letter to the Make a Wish Foundation, up to $1,000,000. Find a red mailbox to place your letter here.
:: Michael’s Classes for Adults
Sunday, December 7th from 1PM – 4PM
Wilton Gingerbread Boy Cookie Event
Find out more information right here.
:: Michael’s Kids Club
Saturday, December 6th – 10AM – 12 Noon
Drop in and take home a completed a DIY Felt Stocking. Just $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative craft fun, supplies included. Ages 3 and up. Sessions start every half hour from 10AM – 11:30. See a store associate to sign up.Get more information here.
:: Pottery Barn
Sunday, December 7th at 10 AM
Throw the Perfect Holiday Party with design tips from Design Specialists. Locate a store near you here.
:: Pottery Barn Kids
Saturday, December 6th at 11 AM
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Story Time – locate a store near you here. After story time, there will be a coloring station, Rudolph post card writing and more.
:: Toys R US
Saturday December 6th 12 PM – 4 PM
Princess Party – come dressed as your favorite princess, create and decorate a Disney Princess themed ornament and play with Disney Princess toys.
:: Walmart
Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th from 10 AM – 2 PM (also available on December 13th and 14th)
Free 5×7 Photo with Santa at participating stores. Call ahead to insure your local store is participating.
:: Williams-Sonoma Free Technique Classes
Saturday, December 6th – Gingerbread House Decorating – class fee is $30 which includes the house and the decorations. Suitable for all ages.
Sunday, December 7th – Ina’s Holiday Feast – prepare some of Ina Garten’s favorite recipes and learn some of her smart strategies..
To reserve a spot, and find out specific class times, contact your closest store right here.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! COMING SOON
:: Guitar Center
Saturday, December 27th {no age restrictions for free music lessons}
10:15 AM – Recording Made Easy for iPad
10:15 AM – Group Guitar Lesson
More free classes are offered during the week with their Music Mentor Series. Register at the Guitar Center website here.
:: Home Depot Workshop for Adults
Saturday, December 13th from 10AM to 11:30 AM and Sunday, December 14th from 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Test the latest power tools such as drills, nailers and multi-tools ~You can pre-register online here.
:: Lego Stores Free Model Build
Usually held monthly in stores, kids ages 6 to 14 can build and binoculars. Contact your closest LEGO® Store here for details.
:: Lowe’s Build and Grow
Saturday, December 13th at 10AM
Kids build a Holiday Train Engine. You can register starting 12/1 right here.
More to Explore Throughout the Year:
:: Apple Camp
Enrollment is open for kids ages 8-12 to attend Apple Camp. This is popular free camp where kids can learn to make movies or create interactive books complete with their own illustrations and sound effects. Hurry, spots fill up quickly. Go here to sign up.
:: 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.
:: FREE Beauty Events
Find free beauty events at local stores with free samples and demonstrations. Visit the website that keeps track of these right here.
:: Factory Tours
Find factory tours all across the USA, go here, The site has 570 tours and counting! Many are free but some may have an admission fee. (Thanks to the Happy Housewife for sharing this!)
:: Sephora: Free In Store Beauty Classes
Join the Sephora Beauty club {it is free} and attend free beauty classes inside Sephora stores to learn everything from building a skin care routine to creating the perfect smoky eye. Classes are held on Sunday at more than 60 stores across the USA. Check with your local stores for schedules and times.
:: Home and Garden Shows
If you like Home and Garden shows, this site will give you a free pass. Check the ACS Home Show site.
:: Michael’s Show In Tell {for adults}
Learn something new with in-store demonstrations for new craft ideas, techniques, and creative new trends. From cake decorating, jewelry making, art painting, paper crafting and more, get your local calendar of events right here.
:: FREE 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.
:: FREE Bowling
Kids Bowl for Free at select bowling centers. Just join their mailing list to get notified of the next Kids Bowl Free Day.
:: Free Fitness Classes
Lululemon locations offer free yoga classes, go here for schedules and locations. Athleta stores offer free in store fitness classes, go here for schedules and locations.
:: Free Flying Lessons
Young Eagles – kids ages 8 to 17 experience aviation and get free rides in private aircraft flown by experienced pilots. Get more information here.
:: FREE Roller Skating
Kids Roller Skate for Free: Find the closest participating facility right here.
:: FREE SKI Passport for 5th Graders
Go to www.5thgradeskipassport.com to get a free pass in Idaho or the Pacific Northwest. For other areas, search for your state with the words “5th grade ski pass + your state”, or the name of your local ski resort.
:: FREE Wine Tasting
Total Wine stores offer free wine tasting classes each weekend. Learn about specific producers, regions and varietals. Where allowed by law, participants receive special discounts on the wine being tasted. View the FREE Wine Tasting Schedule here.
:: Target – Free Community Events
Target is also sponsoring 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.
:: More 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.
:: Celebrate Crazy Holidays
Have some silly fun on a budget! Celebrate Cotton Candy Day, Letter Writing Day, Brownie Day and more! Get the full schedule here.
* For more ideas for family fun, be sure and check Groupon, Amazon Local 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!
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