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. 

Florida Aquarium Military Appreciation Day

Free admission and lunch for Veterans, active military

and their families on Veteran’s Day

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and USAA® will pay tribute to Tampa Bay’s active military personnel, reservists, dependents and veterans with free admission to the Florida Aquarium on Veteran’s Day. Veterans and active service members will also receive $10 meal vouchers, up to four per household*.

The daylong event will feature special appearances by Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the Tampa Bay Lightening, in addition to raffle drawings and music. This event is presented by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, the Florida Aquarium and USAA.

“We are honored to have this opportunity to give back to our men and women in the military and their families. They give so much to our country and it is nice to be able to pay tribute to them and to host a fun event to allows for them to enjoy quality family time at one of our area’s great attractions,” said Charles Richardson, regional senior vice president, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate.

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is a leading full-service residential real estate brokerage company with more than 85 offices and 5,000 sales associates serving the communities of Central Florida, Flagler, Brevard, Palm Beach, Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida, Tampa Bay and the Panhandle. Worldwide, the Coldwell Banker network includes 3,000 offices with nearly 85,000 sales associates. Every day, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate properties are exposed to 16 million buyers on more than 725 high-traffic websites. For more information or to view local listings, visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com. To learn more about a career in real estate or affiliating with Coldwell Banker, visit CareersCB.com. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is a subsidiary of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company.

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*A Military ID must be presented at the onsite ticket booth to receive two free admission tickets. Additional admission tickets can be purchased for half price. Limited to four additional admission tickets. One meal voucher per person. Up to four meal vouchers per party. Cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts or coupons.

Cooking fresh and healthy meals just got easier

HelloFresh came right to the door with ingredients and recipes

I don't know about you, but every night it is a hassle to think about what to cook the family for dinner. I work from home, have two young kids and I am busy running my girls to extracurricular activities after school, so making a healthy meal sometimes gets put on the back burner.

I have been trying to get my meals for the week planned out on Sunday and make them ahead of time, but that doesn't happen too often. What frustrates me is sometimes is trying to find the ingredients for some of the recipes. I also overbuy the amount of food I need and end up sometimes wasting food.

I have seen advertisements for meals that get delivered to your home are already prepared and some you make. I decided to try out a company called HelloFresh. They deliver all the ingredients for healthy meals to your door and you prepare them. I also a coupon for the company, so why not try it out. 

Randi at All Children's Fit4Allkids
cooking classes

Last year my 11-year-old daughter Randi, took the AllChildren's Fit4Allkids cooking classes and learned the basics for cooking. I decided this might be fun for her to do since she loves to cook.

You get to pick how many meals you want for the week and the day you want the food delivered, so I chose three meals and a Monday delivery, so we could have the meals during the week. I couldn't wait for the package, because I was excited to have healthy meals at my fingertips. When the box arrived, I was very impressed. Each meal had it's own separate box labeled with the ingredients inside. The meats were separate. The package also included a card with each recipe including photos. This made it easy for Randi since everything was laid out and she could follow along with the photos and now what the meal should look like when she finished.

Randi made the first recipe, which was sausage and broccolini orecchiette with pesto. She washed all the vegetables, cut them up, boiled water and cooked the vegetable and sausage. I helped her a little with the pasta, but other than that she did everything. The whole meal took about an hour. The card said 25 minutes, but since we were doing this the first time it took us a little longer.

Randi's apricot-glazed chicken

What was impressive to me and my husband was her presentation of the meal on the plate. It looked just liked the photos. And it tasted fabulous.  Even my other daughter, Graci age 10 who is a little picky when it comes to food, liked it.

She was so happy how everything turned out and so proud of what she accomplished, she couldn't wait to cook the next day.  The next meal was apricot-glazed chicken. This meal was even better and her presentation on this one was outstanding.

I enjoyed helping oversee the process, but overall she was able to make the meals on her own. I look back at the wonderful impact the All Children's Fit4Allkids family cooking classes had on Randi and am thankful for it. What's amazing is it is the classes are free and offered to kids throughout Pinellas County. Click here to enroll for a free class or call 727.898.7451. 

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise to my cooking dilemma. I have everything delivered right to my door and it's fresh. I don't have to look for ingredients at the store and I don't waste food. It's awesome! I found something my 11-year-old can cook, and it is a great way to learn and share the cooking experience. The whole family benefited from these wonderful healthy meals.

If you would like to receive $40 off your first order of HelloFresh put in the code X7TYB3.

***I did the math and the regular cost for a family of four with three ready to make meals including the meats and shipping  is $105. Since I had the $40 coupon, it was $65. This is a service you sign up for and the food can get delivered weekly, monthly or whatever you want and on the day you want it delivered.  It works out to be about $8.75 per person per meal if you buy for a family of four three meals a week without any discounts. With the $40 off the fist box it ended up being $5.41 per person per person per meal. You can also do for a family of two.

Click here for my previous story about All Children's Fit4Allkids.  

Free pass to Busch Gardens for Preschool Kids

If you live in Florida, this is a fantastic deal you don't want to miss!  Children five and younger can get passes for free for Busch Gardens and Sea World as part of the Preschool Pass. This pass offers unlimited admission to both of the amusement parks in Tampa and Orlando for all of 2017.

I did this a few years ago with my girls and it is simple to do to get your pass. You can only get it online, so you have to register online. You will print out a pass and need your child's birth certificate when you go to the park.

Click here to sign up. 

New Baby in the house....get a FREE circus ticket

If you have a new baby in the house, you can get a FREE ticket to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. There is no expiration date for it. Just click here for more information to get your child's ticket. You must do it before the child is 12 months old. Children 2 and under are free. So you can use it once the child turns 2. It is a great deal! 

Have fun at the Circus!

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.

Free Kids Workshop Today (Saturday) at Home Depot

Hey Kids and Parents....today you get to build a pint-size riding lawn mower

• FREE hands-on workshops from 9:00 a.m. to noon; designed for children ages 5 - 12
• All kid get to keep their craft, receive a FREE certificate of achievement, a Workshop Apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.
• Children must be present at the store to participate in the workshop and receive the kit, apron and pin.
• Kids Workshop activities are scheduled on a first come/first served basis. Please do not arrive before 9:00 a.m.
• Home Depot asks that you register on line to help them plan.

Here's the link to register and to see what's next month. Click here.

Free Water Ski Show at Tower Lake in Oldsmar, FL

Photo from Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team Website

The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team performs on Saturday nights for FREE.

The family will be entertained by the wonderful group of skiers.

The water ski shows are at Tower Lake. Tower Lake is located at 130 Burbank Road, Oldsmar, FL 356477

The pre-show is at 5:30 p.m.

Here are the dates for August:
Saturday, August 10 6:00 p.m. (Margaritaville Show)
Saturday, August 17 6:00 p.m. (70's Show)
Saturday, August 24 6:00 p.m. (80's Show)
Saturday, August 31 6:00 p.m. (Florida Vacation Show)

The shows run around 45 minutes. There are concessions at the show.

Click here for their website and more information

Free Friday Planetarium Show

Looking for something to do on Fridays with the kids? The planetarium in St. Petersburg offers Free Friday Planetarium Shows.

You can explore the stars for free! The planetarium offers two free public shows on Friday nights at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. when the college is in session. Shows are hosted by resident astronomer Dr. Craig Joseph and feature live narration with images displayed by computer-controlled projectors.

The planetarium seats 46 and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Shows are approximately 45 minutes. Children need to be 5 or older.

Upcoming shows:
April 5, 12, 19 and 26

Location is natural Science Building (SC 205) on the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus located on 69th Street North at 5th Avenue. Free parking

For more information click here.

Free Cooking Classes for Kids

Interested in FREE cooking classes for your kids? Kohl's Cooks For Kids is offering a special 5-week series for children ages 8 and up that focuses on good nutrition, making healthy choices and gaining valuable culinary skills.

The session starts on January 16th - February 13th. Time is from 6:30pm- 8pm.
You can email Fit4AllkidsA@allkids.org
or call 727-767-2308

Space is limited so email to RSVP

Classes are at Anona Aftercare  Center
at Anona Methodist Church- 13233 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL

Santa Makes a Personalized Video for your Child for FREE

This is one of the best video messages for your kids from Santa. It is really cool! It is called Portable North Pole. 

My kids have received messages the past two years and are thrilled! In the personalized video your child meets Santa and his reindeer. Santa also shows the kids their name in his book of who has been Naughty or Nice. He also has pictures of them and tells them what they've said they want for Christmas.

Parents, Santa needs a little help with the video so take a few minutes to check it out first. After you look at it and "approve it", your child will receive an email from Santa. Your kids will love it!

It is called Portable North Pole. Click on here and you can start it. It only takes a few minutes and is well worth it!

It is for kids of all ages, even grown ups. The best thing is....it is FREE!

Home Depot Workshop -Turkey Napkin Holder

Hi Parents and kids....it's the first of the month and that means it's Home Depot Kid's Workshop. This month you will build your own Turkey Napkin Holder for Thanksgiving. This is such a wonderful time to spend with your child or grandchild.  It is a FREE workshop.

When: Saturday, November 3rd

Time: any time between 9 am to noon

Where: All Home Depots (call or check online to make sure your Home Depot has the workshop)

BUILD. LEARN. CREATE. HAVE FUN WITH KIDS WORKSHOPS!

• FREE hands-on workshops designed for children ages 5 - 12 offered the 1st Saturday of
every month at all The Home Depot stores between 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride
and accomplishment.
• All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative
pin and certificate of achievement.

For more information click on Home Depot

Free School Physicals

Students can get a free physical for school or free sports physical at Pinellas County Health Department's Northeast High School Clinic.
The physicals are for students in kindergarten to 12th grade.
You need to make an apointment. No walk-ins accepted.
Northeast High is located at 5500 16th Street N., St. Pete.
Call 727-570-3025 to make appointment. The physicals are scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Thursday.

For more information go to the Pinellas County Health Department Website.

Home Depot Workshop for Kids This Saturday

It's the first Saturday of the month. If you are a Home Depot Kids' workshop fan, you know what that means.....The Free Kids Workshop! This Saturday, July 7,  is build a moving truck at Home Depot.

Kids ages 5-12 learn are able to expereince every month how to build. Every first Saturday of the month from 9-noon, kids put on an apron and make a special project. This month is it sponsored by Penske.

Great Deal on Backpacks

Most kids need a backpack for school. This week Toys R Us is having a pretty good deal on backpacks. You can bring in an old backpack and get a coupon for 20% off a new backpack. The backpacks are $12.99 to $16.99 and you get a free lunch kit worth up to $9.99.

There all sorts of backpacks and lunck kits for girls and boys with different characters from kids' favorite shows and from the Disney movies.

Hurry in because the 20% off is good until July 7, 2012. You also want to get there because the backpacks go quick!

Click here to go to the Toys R Us  link about the backpack trade in.

Free Women & Teens Care Clinic

Most women don't know too much about the vehicle they drive. I know, I am one of them.  When something goes wrong on my van, I don't know if it is something simple to fix or if I need to take it into the shop. I found this wonderful free workshop to help you understand your vehicle a little bit better. 

It is a FREE Women and Teen Car Care Clinic in Pinellas Park, Florida. The clinic is Saturday, August 18th from 9am-11am. It will be held at the Sonic located at 7725 49th Street North in Pinellas Park.
You can register or get more information by logging onto New Hope Auto & Truck website or by calling 727-572-8877.

What is the Car Care Clinic about?

The car care clinic will be informational and hands on. The class will cover general maintenance items such as:

• Checking Fluids
• Belts
• Hoses and Tires
• Vehicles' scheduled maintenance
• keeping a maintenance log

The class is by certified mechanic Hope Peterson, owner of New Hope Auto & Truck. All the class materials are provided by the National Car Care Council.

Free Pass To Busch Gardens Ends Soon

Hurry up and register your child for the free preschool pass for Busch Gardens. The offer ends May 31, 2012. Any child under the age of 5 can get in free if you register online.  It is worth the savings. The pass is good all year, even if your child turns 6 before the end of the year.

Click here for more information and to register.

Home Depot Free Kids Workshop this Saturday

At Home Depot, this Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., kids can build a planter box and add plants for a touch of color!

This is a free workshop at all Home Depots across America. The project is free. It includes a planter and a free plant to put in it. This is sponsored by Bonnie Plants and Growums.

• Kids will learn to build their very own planter box while
learning tool safety
• Have fun, make friends and gain a sense of achievement
and work ethic
• You can paint and add embellishments to your project
while at the workshop

The workshops are offered every first Saturday of the month. It's free and a great time for kids!

Click on the word workshops to find out more.

Busch Gardens/Sea World Passes for Free for Kids 5 and Younger

If you live in Florida, this is a fantastic deal you don't want to miss, especially since Spring Break is coming up.  Children five and younger can get passes for free for Busch Gardens and Sea World as part of the Preschool Pass. This pass offers unlimited admission to both of the amusement parks in Tampa and Orlando for all of 2012.

I did this a few years ago with my girls and it is simple to do to get your pass. You can only get it online, so you have to register online. You will print out a pass and need your child's birth certificate when you go to the park.

Click on the link below to sign up.
http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa/Pages/Preschool-Pass

Kids Workshops Wonderful for Bonding and Learning

My kids can’t wait to go with their Grandpa “Pa” the first Saturday of the month and build something at Home Depot. For the past several years my dad picks my two little girls up and takes them to Home Depot for the kids’ free workshops. It is such a special time for the kids and my dad. This is a great time for them to bond.

The crafts are pretty simple, but they do require hammering. Pa helps the girls make sure they hammer the nails in just right. So far my kids have made wood banks, airplanes, pencil holders, flower holders, race cars just to mention a few. I am running out of room as to where to put all their wonderful hand made items. The girls have so much fun building their projects and than they paint them.

All Home Depots do these workshops. It is the first Saturday of every month. All you do is show up with your kids on Saturday between 9am and noon. There are usually tables set up outside with the supplies. The first time your kids go, they get a cute little orange apron to wear. After the children finish their projects, they get a certificate and a special pin with a little picture of what they just made. This pin goes on their apron. Each time they come they get a different pin to add to their apron.

Coming up Saturday, February 4^th, the kids are making keepsake
boxes for Valentine’s Day. Most of the kids are ages 5 to 12, but I have seen some a little younger.

If you can’t get to Home Depot, Lowes usually offers their kids workshop called Build and Grow the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of the month. 

Coming up on February 11^th, kids will be making Valentine day card creator. This is also free.  You do need to sign up for these clinics on line at Lowesbuildandgrow.com. They begin at 10am. It is limited to the first 50 kids that sign up. The kids receive a kit, apron and goggles. Recommended ages for these crafts is first through fifth grade.

These wonderful workshops have given my children memories of building crafts with their Pa that will last a lifetime. If you are looking for something to do with your child, this is a fantastic opportunity to have fun, make something and do it all for free!