101 Free Things To Do With Kids This Year (SO MUCH FUN!)

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Here are 101 free things to do with kids this Summer – free activities, free food, free apps and LOTS more. Help make a memorable Summer!

101+ Free Things To Do With Kids

Looking for a few FREE things to do with kids this year? A lot of these are for the Summer, but some you can do ANY time of the year.  It's easy for kids to get bored doing the same things every day, so finding free things to keep everyone busy is always a welcome diversion.

Here's a peek at a few free things to do with kids to keep your kids busy this year . . .

• Make a summer bucket list
• Visit the library (Many libraries have free items and extra perks – be sure to check your local library!)

• Make homemade sidewalk chalk
• Freeze Koolaid in ice trays to make popsicles
• Attend Vacation Bible School in your hometown

• Find a bowling alley that offers kids to bowl for free
• Create a yarn obstacle course (my kids love this one!)
• Make Homemade Snow Cones

• Bake cookies
• Play flashlight tag
• Find a local bike trail
• Try this Ivory Bar Soap experiment

• Make a homemade sprinkler
• Volunteer
• Sign up for a Lego Store free Mini Build 
• Set up a backyard obstacle course

• Build a homemade fire pit
• Visit a local splash pad
• Go on a picnic
• Make summer snow

• “Paint” the driveway
• Visit a thrift store
• Have a tea party
• Make homemade sidewalk chalk paint
• Host a lemonade stand

• Sign up for free Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics
• Check out free Home Depot Clinics
• Go to a free Michael’s Store Clinic (these range from free to $2 per class – go HERE to learn more)
• Take advantage of free summer reading programs

• Visit a park
• Visit a state capital
• Lay out a blanket and watch for cloud shapes on a pretty day
• Go on a nature hunt

• Make a sidewalk “city” out of sidewalk chalk
• Collect sea shells at the beach
• Play jump rope (my kids love this chinese jump rope)
• Have a water balloon fight

• Paint rocks
• Set up a car wash
• Have a pillow fight
• Have a movie day – close all the curtains and make popcorn
• Go to a concert in the park

• Build a homemade volcano
• Play hide and seek
• Set up indoor tents with old sheets
• Even better, set up outdoor tents with old sheets and enjoy summer reading time outside
• Plant a garden
• Decorate a cake

• Make homemade milkshakes
• Visit a local Farmer's Market
• Go window shopping in a nearby town
• Download the skyview app to find stars in the sky at night
• Catch fireflies

• Go fishing
• Learn a new card game
• Clean out a closet with kids and donate to local thrift store
• Find a 4 leaf clover

• Get a free map at a rest area and check off places you'd like to visit nearby
• Use the Video Star app to make a silly movie
• Have a bike race with friends
• Go geocaching
• Play hopscotch

• Bake cookies to take to your local fire station
• Bake cookies to take to your local nursing home
• Build ice castles
• Visit a stream and hunt for minnows
• Set up a bike wash station
• Dig for worms

• Play dress up
• Have your kids set up a yard sale to earn money
• Find a new hiking trail
• Host a “craft” day – give kids tons of supplies to craft with and let them have at it
• Visit all of the local parks in your town
• Make a pinecone bird feeder

• Play board games outside
• Go birdwatching in a local park
• Make homemade play doh
• Make a bubble bath outside by filling an outdoor pool with bubble bath and water
• Fly a kite

• Attend a free story hour at Pottery Barn Kids
• Earn a free book from Barnes & Noble
• Sign up for Apple Camp at your local Apple store
• Print free coloring sheets at Crayola
• Make paper airplanes
• Create a scrapbook

• Send a letter to troops overseas
• Pack a care package for troops overseas
• Use a free Redbox code to get a free DVD or video rental
• Go on a factory tour – go HERE to find ones in your area
• Visit the mall and play at the indoor playground
• Have a spa night and paint your nails

• Stop by the McDonald's Playplace and get ice cream cones
• Make shadow puppets
• Have a family soccer game in your back yard
• Let your kids play in the mud (eek!)

• Let your kids enjoy a free Auntie Anne's Pretzel 
• Have your kids practice their reading skills at Starfall
  
• Let kids practice math skills at CoolMath4Kids
• Take advantage of free apps at Smart Apps for Kids

• Get free Dippin' Dots when you sign up for their email club
• Stop by Coldstone and enjoy a free ice cream creation when you purchase one

• DO activities from the Summer bucket list you made
• Make Homemade Ice Cream (This Peach Ice Cream is AMAZING!)
• Have an outdoor movie night using a screen (or even just a white garage door! )

• Give the kiddos a HUGE box and let them get creative
• Make sock puppets and put on a show
• Go on a mini road trip (here are a few fun road trip games for kids to play)
• Make a marshmallow toothpick house

What other free things do you like to do with your kids? I'd love to hear them ~ leave a comment to share!