Things to do with your kids this summer on a budget

As the summer approaches finding things to do with your kids can be a challenge, especially if you are looking for things to do on a budget. If you are like me, you want to keep your kids busy during the summer doing fun activities, so they aren’t always on their electronics.  My girls are now teenagers at 13 and 14 years old. They love hanging out with their friends and this summer they will be busy playing softball, but on days they aren’t at the fields I wanted some go to activities I could entertain them with.  I have been doing several of these activities with my kids since they were toddlers and each year there are a few more things to choose from. It’s great to have more options. Here are a few of my favorites.

Since my girls are getting older they can now go to the gym and workout. We are fortunate to live in the city of Seminole and have a free gym at the Seminole Recreation Center. You have to be 12 years old to go with an adult, so they can both go with me. Be sure to check and see if your city’s recreation center offers free memberships to their residents. If you don’t have a free gym, you are in luck. This year Planet Fitness is offering free workouts for teens agers 15-18 all summer long from May 15 to September 1. You can find out more by clicking here. 

If your kids like going to the movies several of the theaters offer discounts on movies for kids during the summer. Cobb theaters offer Free Kids Summer Movie escape with free movies for kids starting June 11 and will continue every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10am through the August 1. Some of the movies include Smallfoot, Smurfs, Curious George and more. We have several Cobb theaters in the area you can find out more information by going to their website by clicking here.  AMC theaters is offering a $4 special for kids and it includes a movie ticket and kids pack including a drink and popcorn. It is every Wednesday and the movies include Trolls, Lego Movie 2, Teen Titans Go and more. Here’s a link for more information click here. Studio Movie Grill offers movies for $5 on Tuesdays all year long and you can see any movie for $5.

If your kids like to fish the Kiwanis Club of Seminole Breakfast has several free fishing days for kids ages 14 years and younger. This summer mark your calendar for Saturday, June 1 and August 3 from 8am-11am. Fishing is done at Taylor Park located at 1100 8th Avenue SW in Largo. They provide the bait and the fishing poles. On August 10 from 9am-3pm Angler Armory is hosting a back to school free fishing day at Madeira Beach Recreation Center, 200 Rex Place, Madeira Beach. They will have bounce houses, raffles, food, prizes and more. Every kid 15 years and younger will get a free membership to Angler Armory. For more information go to their website by clicking here.  Gates open at 8am that day to register.

If it’s too hot to be outdoors or maybe it’s raining and you want to get the kids out of the house, there are quite a few deals to go to museums for free this summer. If your child is a fourth grader they can get a voucher to go to museums for free this summer. The program is called Every Kid in a Park. Kids can get free admission by visiting the website by clicking here. There is also a program called Museums on Us if you are a Bank of America, Merrill Lynch or U.S Trust cardholder. You can get a free ticket on the first full weekend of every month at over 225 participating museums including The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Museum of Art, Florida Holocaust Museum and Museum of Fine Arts. You can find out more here. Don’t forget Glazer Children’s Museum always offers the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County free Tuesdays the first Tuesday of the month from noon to 6pm. They are located at 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza in Tampa. The museum is great for kids ages birth to 10 years old.

I know bowling and roller skating is fun to do with the kids. Did you know you can do it for free all summer long? The Kids Bowl Free program offers two games a day of bowling all summer long. All you have to do is pay for the shoes. If you have shoes you don’t pay a thing. You must register here. Locally we have some great bowling alleys all over Pinellas County participating in this program including Seminole Lanes in Seminole, Liberty Lanes in Largo, Sunrise and Ten Pin Lanes in St. Petersburg, Maple Lanes Countryside in Clearwater and Dunedin Lanes in Dunedin. Go to the website for other participating bowling alleys. Kids must be between 2-14 to register. 

I found locally Astro Skate in Pinellas Park, 10001 66th Street N. offers free skating for kids 12 years and younger. Skating passes are good for Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6:30 pm- 8:30 pm. You can find out other participating locations on the website and register here. 

It’s important for kids to read this summer and if they read they can get a free book at Barnes and Noble. Kids grades 1-6 can earn a free book. Go here to register your child and start reading. My girls have done this the past several years and it does seem to motivate them to read. You print out the reading log and when finished turn it in for a free book. 

I found a few other ideas for the summer with Microsoft and Apple. They have offer free workshops and camps for kids. Apple has their Apple camp for ages 8 to 12. It is free and is at area Apple stores. They are 90 minute sessions and include coding and robotics, moviemaking or musical storytelling. To find out more click here. All campers must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the camp. Microsoft has a free camp at International Plaza. Most of their camps are for ages 8 and up and 13 and up. To find out more go to their website by clicking here and look for events for students. There you will find the different camps offered.

Younger kids can take part in the free Home Depot workshops for kids. The workshops are offered all year long, the first Saturday of the month from 9am to noon.  On June 1 the craft for the month is building a tabletop putting green. I know my kids loved going to Home Depot on Saturdays with their grandpa to make all sorts of wood items. Now they have outgrown it, but my sister and brother’s kids still go. It ’s a great place to learn basic skills of carpentry like how to use a hammer and how to paint. Kids get to build their item and either paint or put stickers on their craft. Kids receive a certificate and a workshop apron and commemorative pin all for free. 

I hope you are able to use at least one of these ideas. 

One local business investing in our youth

Seminole Elementary School students bowling with their
principal Nanette Grasso for receiving all A's on their
report card.

For the past 35 years the owners of Seminole Lanes have been giving back to Pinellas County elementary schools by opening up their bowling alley to free bowling for students in grades third through fifth making principals list or all A's on their report card.

Graci and me at
the bowling alley

Recently 65 kids from Seminole Elementary were treated to bowling at Seminole Lanes for making straight A's this past grading period. The students got to bowl with their new principal Nanette Grasso. My youngest daughter was one of the students invited to go bowling for her grades, so I helped chaperone the event. The kids had a blast bowling with their friends and were treated to pizza for lunch by the school's PTA. Not only did Seminole Lanes provide the bowling, but bus transportation to and from their school.

As a mom, it is encouraging to see companies like Seminole Lanes making a difference in the community and rewarding students who are doing well in school. What a great incentive to get students to strive for A's.

  

Kevin Krauss and Jerry Krauss,
owners of Seminole Lanes

 I have had the pleasure of knowing Jerry and Joan Krauss, the owners of Seminole Lanes. They are wonderful people and do so much for our community. They have owned Seminole Lanes for almost 60 years. It's a family business now being run by their son Kevin and grandson Cory. I am in awe of their generosity to schools and students. Jerry and Kevin have told me they enjoy introducing kids to this family sport by providing this opportunity to bowl with their principal during the school year. On a side note, Seminole Elementary has a special place in the Krauss' heart because all four of Jerry and Joan's kids attended Seminole Elementary.

Rewarding kids for straight A's isn't the only way Seminole Lanes honors students for their hard work. Each year they also host a Turnaround Achievement Award Breakfast for Pinellas County students who have achieved the most significant turnaround in his or her life nominated by their school principal or teacher. This event is organized by the Pinellas County Drop Out Prevention Department and is sponsored by the Krauss family. The turnaround can be anything from turning their grades around, their attitude around or overcoming substance dependence.

I had the opportunity to attend one of these breakfasts about two years ago and I was amazed at the students and their teachers and counselors who helped them turn their lives around to make better choices. What a gift the Krauss family provides to these students and their families by recognizing positive behavior.

This a family using their business to make a positive impact on our youth. As a parent and community member, I want to thank them for taking an interest in our children.   

  

Summer Fun on a Budget for Kids

What’s on your list of things to do this summer with the kids? I know a lot of kids go to camps during the summer, but what about the days the kids aren’t at camp?

I found some fun things for you to do with your kids that are either free or priced pretty reasonable.

If your kids like to bowl, you can register them for two free games of bowling a day all summer long. Yes, a day. This is part of the Kids Bowl Free Program. Bowling centers around the country participate in this.   Several new local bowling alleys are participating this year. Locally Liberty Lanes, Ten Pin Lanes, Countryside Lanes, Dunedin Lanes, Seminole Lanes and Sunrise Lanes participate.  You register online and print out tickets each week. I have registered my girls the past several years for this and they love it. The only thing you have to pay for are the bowling shoes, but if you have them than it is totally free. The website to register  click here  

I know my kids love the movies and recently the movie theatre we go to put in all new recliner seats. They are pretty awesome! Regal Cinema’s Largo Mall 8 and Park Place Stadium 16 offer movies for kids during the summer for $1. You can’t beat the price. There are some really good movies this summer. This summer starting June 9 you can see on the big screen, Annie, Dolphin Tale 2, Madagascar 3, Paddington, The Lego Movie, Alexander and the Very Bad Day just to name a few. The movies are G and PG rated and are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10am. To find out the movie dates and times at the theater nearest you click here. 

If you want to go to the movies on Friday and Saturday nights for free, Pier 60 in Clearwater offers fun family movies all year long. The movies begin at dusk. For a list of the movies click here  and click on Sunset Cinema.

Your kids can also go to a Tampa Bay Rays game for free over the summer if you have them read. The Rays Sponsor a reading program called Reading with the Rays. It starts on June 8. You need to go to your local library to get a score card to write down all the books your child reads during the summer. If they complete 24 hours of reading, they can get a free ticket to a Rays game. Both of my girls enjoy reading and love going to the Rays games, so this is extra incentive to read over the summer.  You can find out more by logging on here.  

If your kids like the water, the beach is a great place to take them. We are so fortunate that we live so close to the beautiful water. Take advantage of the beach over the summer. Check out your city’s recreation department too this summer. Most of the cities in Pinellas have aquatic centers with water parks and pools. The price to go for a few hours is usually a few dollars per child. One of my kids favorite places is Largo's Highland Family Aquatic Center, 400 Highland Avenue, Largo. They kick off their season on May 9 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. They have a 214 foot corkscrew water slide, 3-story speed slide and water area for little kids. It's a lot of fun and reasonably priced. If you have a Largo recreation card it is $12 for a family of five and without a recreation card it's $23 for a family of five.

I enjoy having my kids home during the summer, but I have to have some activities for them to do outside of  the house or they get bored. I also don't want to spend a fortune keeping them entertained. I hope some of these ideas help you kick off your summer.

Summer fun that won’t break the bank

As we get ready for the summer, I love to find fun stuff to do with the kids that’s inexpensive and sometimes even educational.  
My kids love to go to the movies and during the summer kid’s movies are $1 at the Regal movie theatres and the Regal Summer Express. The movies are for nine weeks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. starting June 11^th. Some of the movies include Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Rio, Parental Guidance and Happy Feet Too. The movies are both G and PG.

This summer bowling is free for kids. It’s part of the Kids Bowl Free Program. You register your kids online at and each week you will receive tickets for your kids to bowl 2 free games a day of bowling. If you don’t have bowling shoes you will need to pay to rent the shoes. Otherwise it is free. You can’t beat that. We have done that the past few years and my girls have become quite the bowlers. Bowling Alleys across the United States participate. In Pinellas County the lanes you can bowl for free are:
Twedt's Bowling Center in Largo 727-581-4102 and Ten Pin Lanes in St. Pete 727-381-1010. Don’t forget to register. You must have your ticket.

We also enjoy going to the library. The library is free to go to and I found since I started taking my kids at a young age, they really enjoy looking at books and going to the library. During the summer most libraries offer special events during the week for the kids. In the Seminole Library it’s called Wonderful Wednesdays. On Wednesday they have special guests who come to the library and do shows for the kids.

When you are at the library pick up the Readingwith the Rays game card. If you child reads 24 hours this summer they can get a free regular season home game ticket. My girls have done this the past two years and we have a blast at the games.

The Barnes and Noble bookstore also encourages reading. They have a summer reading program that your child can get a free book by reading any eight books during the summer and recording them in a reading journal. This program goes until September 3^rd.

 We live in Florida so the beach is a perfect place to relax and take the kids for a swim. We forget sometimes how nice the beach is and how beautiful it is.

Something else we have a lot of in Pinellas County are parks. Some have playgrounds and some have trails. My favorite for taking my kids on the bike trail is Lake Seminole Park located at 10015 Park Boulevard in Seminole. The park is 250 acres and is designated as a wildlife habitat and sanctuary. The park’s trail is 2 miles. It winds through the flatwoods. We’ve been out there and have seen eagles and tortoises.

Another great place is the Boca Ciega Millenium Park at 12410 74^th Avenue N. in Seminole. This park has a 35-foot observation town that looks over Boca Ciega Bay. To get to the tower you walk on a beautiful boardwalk. The surroundings with the nature is so peaceful and relaxing.  And if you or your kids enjoy taking wildlife photos this is a picture perfect place to take them. The park also has a covered playground to provide shade, which is nice when it is so hot outside.

Did you know there are water parks around Pinellas and they are free. In Dunedin you can find a beautiful park called the Kiwanis Sprayground.

 

It is located at 1937 Ed Eckert Drive, Dunedin. This is an interactive 3,000 square foot water playground open daily from 9 a.m. to sunset. There is also free sprayground at Dell Holmes Park in St. Petersburg at 2741 22^nd Street South.

 

If you want to spend a few dollars you can enjoy the aquatic centers at some of the city recreation facilities. Largo’s Highland Family Aquatic Center just went under major renovations and will have a re-grand opening on June 8^th. This facility has waterslides and much more.

I have to add fishing to the list of things to do with your kids. My girls just started fishing this past year with my husband and love it. You can find quite a few places to go fishing all over Pinellas County, but have you taken your kids to the longest fishing pier in the world? That’s right the south Skyway State Fishing Pier is the longest.  The price to fish for kids is $2. Kids 5 and under are free. You do have to pay $4 per vehicle and adults are $4. It is a lot of fun and when kids catch fish there’s just something magical about it.

I know the summer can be long at times especially if you have kids that are on the go and most of us do. Here’s a least a few ideas that you can use that are enjoyable and affordable.

 

Things to do this summer that won't cost you too much $

What’s on your list of things to do this summer with the kids? I know a lot of kids go to camps during the summer, but what about the days the kids aren’t at camp?

I found some fun things for you to do with your kids that are either free or priced pretty reasonable.

If your kids like to bowl, you can register them for two free games of bowling a day. Yes, a day. This is part of the Kids Bowl Free Program. Bowling centers around the country participate in this.   Locally Dunedin Lanes, Twedt’s Bowling Center, Liberty Lanes and Ten Pin Lanes participate.  You register online and print out tickets each week. I have registered my girls the past two years for this and they love it. The only thing you have to pay for are the bowling shoes, but if you have them than it is totally free. The website to register is Kids Bowl Free.

How about taking the little ones to the movies? We love to go during the summer and watch the movies on the big screen. Regal Cinema’s Largo Mall 8 and Park Place Stadium 16 offer movies for kids during the summer for $1. You can’t beat the price. There are some really good movies this summer. Dolphin Tale, Kung Fu Panda 2, Chimpanzee, Rango, Arthur Christmas and Smurfs to name a few. The movies are G and PG rated and are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10am starting June 12^th. To find out the movie dates and times at the theatre nearest you log
                                                      onto Regal Movies.

If you have teenage children, make sure you register them for the two free months of a gym membership at LifeStyle Family Fitness. Teens ages 12-17 can workout for free this summer starting now to August 15. I have friends that had their kids do this last year and they had a blast! You can register at Lifestyle Family Fitness.

Your kids can also go to a Tampa Bay Rays game for free over the summer if you have them read. The Rays Sponsor a reading program called Reading with the Rays. It starts on June 10^th. You need to go to your local library to get a score card to write down all the books your child reads during the summer. If they complete 24 hours of reading, they can get a free ticket to a Rays game. Both of my girls enjoy reading and love going to the Rays games, so this is extra incentive to read over    the summer.

If your kids like the water, the beach is a great place to take them. We are so fortunate that we live so close to the beautiful water. Take advantage of the beach over the summer. Check out your city’s recreation department too this summer. Most of the cities in Pinellas have aquatic centers with water parks and pools. The price to go for a few hours is usually a few dollars per child. 

I love having my kids out of school during the summer, but I have to find activities to keep them busy or they get bored. I hope some of these ideas help you this summer.

Bowling this summer for FREE

If your kids like to bowl you need to register them at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/. Once registered they will receive 2 free games of bowling a day all summer long. If you don't have shoes you need to rent the shoes. I went with my kids and shoes are $3. We had a great time!