Day 58 - Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program

I love to read. My kids are learning to love to read, but usually enjoy being read to more. That's fine with me, though. A love for books has to start somewhere.

There are some great summer reading programs out there. Barnes & Noble's program is super simple. You pick up a reading log from the store (or print one here), read 8 books, fill it out, and return it for a free book (from a limited selection). The reading log sort of implies that the program is for elementary school aged children but it doesn't specify any age restrictions in the terms. It also doesn't specify the type of length of books the kids have to read. We've been listening to Percy Jackson on our road trips, so they all have some pretty long ones on there, but I did let them add quick books they've read that are way below their reading levels. 

Here are some tips from an earlier post about getting kids to read this summer.

Day 55 - Summer Reading Program Rewards

Summer is the library's time to shine. Reading programs with activities and prizes for all ages. Today we cashed in on all those minutes we listened to Percy Jackson 3 & 4 on our road trips.

Our library doesn't have tons of prizes, but the kids all got coupons for free kids meals at Chipotle. I got a BOGO coupon from the adult reading program. Super cheap dinner for the family tonight. Other prizes for the kids included bubbles, a rubber ducky, and a random flinging toy. We all earned a free book that we get to choose and order online.

What is your library's summer reading program like?

Day 54 - Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

Another restaurant holiday today, and we get to dress up for this one! Love an excuse to put on a costume.

4 kids meals, 2 regular meals, and a salad...all FREE! Fun, free, delicious lunch and happy calves, er, I mean kids.

Many people are scared to go to free days at restaurants because they don't want to deal with the the crowds. My trick to avoiding crowds is going a little early. We went to Chick-Fil-A at 11AM. We didn't wait any longer than usual to place our order and I think our food was ready quicker than normal. There were plenty of tables available, too. When we left at noon, the line for food was getting longer but it wasn't extremely long. The lobby area was full but the line wasn't out the door. I heard from people who went at different times of day that, although there were lots of people, service was quick and it wasn't too crazy. If you didn't get out to Chick-Fil-A this year for cow appreciation day, try it next year and you won't want to miss it again.

Check out my list of favorite free food days here: http://vaughnfamilysummerfun.blogspot.com/2015/07/day-51-celebrating-7-eleven-day-with.html

Day 51 - Celebrating 7-Eleven Day with Free Slurpees

We love freebies and slurpees. July 11th is a fun day to enjoy both of these things.

Stores love making their own holidays and we love for them to do it because they always give us free stuff. 

Some of my favorite Food Holidays

National Pancake Day: In February IHOP celebrates this day by giving customers free short stacks.

Joes BBQ Customer Appericiation Day: Early in May, Joe's appreciates its customers with free food.

National Donut Day: The first Friday in June stop into Krispy Kreme for a free donut.

July 11th: 7-Eleven Day. Free small slurpees. 

Cow Appreciation Day: One day in July, Chick-Fil-A celebrates Cow Appreciation Day by giving its customers a free meal if they dress like a cow.

Talk like a Pirate Day: Another free Krispy Kreme donut if you talk like a pirate.

Joes Farm Grill Customer Appreciation Day: Early in November, Joes other restaurant appreciates its customers with free food.

Snow Day: In December, Bahama Bucks hosts a Snow Day with free snow cones.

Day 49 - Bass Pro Shop's Family Summer Camp

My kids are getting used to half-hour drives. Why is everything half and hour away?

Bass Pro Shops does a fun free event for the month of July. Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday they have Family Summer Camp. During this free event families can do a craft, participate in workshops, and practice shooting and casting. 

Workshops

During the "camp" there 20 minute classes offered every hour about different outdoor sports. The one we attended today was about archery. It was pretty boring. We couldn't hear anything because the class was right by the stream/waterfall. 20 minutes was also a very long time for my kids to sit and watch a PowerPoint with no interaction. They do get a lanyard and a pin showing they completed the course for each workshop they attend, but one was all we could do.

Craft

Every week there is a different craft offered. These are the types of crafts you'd buy through Oriental Trading Company. Today was a turkey footprint magnet that the kids colored with permanent markers. They were pretty cool and the kids enjoyed coloring them.

Camp Activities 

The big attraction was the BB gun range. Any age could par tipster and there was an employee to help them. My 3-year-old was really excited to try it. While the parents waited in line for BB shooting, the kids went around to the other activities; electronic shooting range, casting practice, and an "archery range" which was actually just a suction dart and target. 

Other Attractions

Bass Pro is just a fun place in general. There are taxidermied animals everywhere. It's like a taxidermy zoo with lots of bears, lions, mountain goats, you name it. There is also a huge fish tank with huge fish that the kids love to sit and watch for a long time. I don't know if this is true for all Bass Pro Shops, but ours has a little carousel kids can ride for free. My kids ride it over and over. And another fun freebies here: fudge samples. There is a little shop with a huge variety of fudge. My daughter and her cousin had at least 6 samples each. Delicious.

Day 46-Disney Store Summer Play Days

We love to play at the San Tan Village in Gilbert, Arizona. They have a puppy store, Build-a-Bear, playground and splash pad, tropical smoothie, and one of our favorite stores, The Disney Store.

Every summer, the Disney Store hosts these fun little free events called "Summer Play Days." All Disney stores are required to offer free activities at least 3 days a week but most have something everyday. Earlier this summer we went to the Disney Store in Temecula, CA for storytime. They read a story about Jake and the Neverland Pirates, had the kids act parts of it out and gave them all gold doubloons with a picture of Cubby on them. Today we participated in the Art of Drawing at San Tan Village. The kids learned to draw Mickey Mouse and Captian America's shield. Each week kids participate, they can earn a new pin for their lanyard. Most of the activities only take about 15-20 minutes, so we usually make the Disney Summer Play Day part of a mall outing instead of our only activity for the day. Activities start in June and go through August. Times and activities vary every week so call ahead to find the schedule.

Free and Cheap Fun for Families Around Town

It is easy to blow the budget in the summertime. There are so many great theme parks, museums, and camps to try. But spending a bundle isn't necessary for having a great time. 

Lowe's Build-and-Grow 

In the summertime, there are so many free and cheap programs for kids. The best was to find out about these activities are tips I mentioned in the article for finding local events. Some programs have to be signed-up for, and in a family-friendly area like Gilbert, AZ, those fill up fast. My advice is to register as soon as possible, even if you aren't sure you can make it or that it's something your kids will want to do. You can always cancel later.

Some of our favorite free summer programs include:

• Disney Play Days-Stop by the Disney Store for activities including Art of Animation, Storytime, Trivia, and Showtime. Last year, kids got a different button to put on a lanyard each

  

  Disney Play Days - Art of Animation

  week that they attended an event. These events are happening June, July, and August. Times and activities vary weekly so call ahead to find out what time to attend.
• Storytime at bookstores-Barnes & Noble stores frequently have story times and family-friendly events. You can find them on your local stores website. Some BN stores offer more programs than others so if you have more than one in your area, check both. They also have a summer reading program that let's kids earn a free book. Local bookstores love to get families in there and often have reading stories or programs, too.
• library programs-The summer reading program at the Maricopa County Libraries was pretty lame last year, with no weekly incentives or goals beyond digital badges. BUT there are still some fun programs going on. We have both county and city libraries. The county library's activities have a limit of attendees and fill up quickly. I love Chandler City libraries. They also have some events that have to be registered for, but they offer lots of free programs for all ages and don't seem to be as crowded. They also offer the Culture Pass which allows you to "check out" 2 free passes to local museums, gardens, and zoos. Many libraries have similar programs so check yours.
• free summer lunch programs-Certain schools offer free lunches (and breakfasts) to kids ages 1-18 years throughout the summer. These aren't just for poor families. The schools want you to attend because they get funded based on the number of people that attend. To find free lunch in your area just do a quick internet search.   
• Bass Pro Family Summer Camp-for about a month in the summer (usually around July), families can participate in free activities and crafts. Check your local Bass Pro for specific times and dates.
• Home Depot & Lowe's Kids Workshops-These are offered year-round but get pretty busy in the summer. Be sure to register early for Lowe's and show up early for Home Depot (registration is not required but they do like to have an idea how many people are going to show up). My kids love collecting new project patches for their Lowe's aprons. Their favorite things about Home Depot that you get to paint your project. They do have recommended ages for these programs, but they let any age kids participate with their parents. 

  

  San Tan Village Splash Pad

Parks and splash pads are also a great, free summer option. Since it gets so hot here, we sometimes head to the park right when we wake up, which is between 6 and 7 A.M. If we're wanting to play at a park later in the day, you better bet it will have a splash pad and Mama will be right in there with the kids. Here is my list of splash pads in the Greater Phoenix area.

Cow Appreciation Day

To find cheap activities, check Groupon, Living Social, and local mailers. They often have discount tickets, or even better, museum/zoo memberships. The Arizona Science Center recently had a Groupon for a family pass. Not only will that let us enjoy the Science Center all summer, they are also part of the ASTC Passport program that allows members to get in free to museums all over the country. 

Most movie theaters offer a kids summer movie program. Here they show previously released movies for $1 and also offer concession deals. Check your local theater for details.

Make sure to take advantage of free days at local museums, zoos, and gardens. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is free the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Some restaurants also offer free days. One of our favorites is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. Dress like a cow for a free meal.

What are your free and cheap activities around town? Share your favorites in a comment.