Hey, It's Free!Daily freebies, free stuff, and free samples!
On Sunday, July 21 at 11am, Barnes & Noble is hosting a free Baby & Me storytime featuring Busy Bee: Never Touch a Crocodile. This free kids event is geared towards caregivers and children 0-24 months old. Geez, this must be a great book to hold a 0 month old's attention.
Don't think Barnes & Noble forgot about the parents though! You'll get a free Starbucks tall, hot or iced coffee at B&N café stores! I eagerly await the sequel free event: Never Touch a Grumpy Parent Without Coffee.
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I recently wrote about Amazon's FreeTime unlimited free trial for the summer. If you took part of the trial and were thinking about buying the service (or if you were on the fence earlier), then you might like their Amazon Prime Day upgrade!
Now you get a free pair of Disney kids headphones if you purchase a 3-month or 1-year plan!
After purchasing a plan, you'll receive an email with instructions on how to redeem the free headphones. You get to then choose from these free headphones:
As you can see, this is a freebie valued up to $29.99!
Promotion ends 7/31/19
1With summer in full swing (woooo!), I thought it'd be a good idea to compiled a list of all the free kids summertime events & activities.
Check out some of these free events before summer 2019 ultimately ends (boooo!)
The free reading programs are always a big hit each year. Over 13 companies such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chuck E. Cheese, Pottery Barn, and many more reward good behavior by offering freebies and prizes for reading. Most stores have a free reading companies guide or tracker that you can print at home, fill out as your child reads over the summer, then turn it in for freebies!
TD Bank even gives out cold, hard cash! 🤑 📚
In fact, they get two free games of bowling! All you have to do is register ahead of time.
“It's about that time for the return of the favorite kids bowl free all summer deal! Sign up and your children will get two free games of bowling every day this summer. That's valued at over $500.”
Multiple locations in 36 states offer free kids roller skating passes. If there are no locations near you, you can send a letter encouraging them to join!
At least seven stores offer recurring, monthly in-store free kids events. Some of the most popular summer activities are from such stores as:
As more free events are found, I update them to the list so you never miss out.
At least 17 different cinema and theater chains across the nation, both big and small, offer some sort of summer movie ticket admission deals. In many cases, you can either get free admission or super cheap tickets for G and PG movies. Some chains are also offering discounted concessions and snacks as well.
They're cheap, they're air conditioned, and they're all summer long!
Get discounts and outright freebies at nine confirmed restaurants and retailers! We've found another half dozen potential freebies as well
The next National Parks free admission day August 25, 2019! Pay no entrance fee at any of our nation's 58 wonderful national parks scattered across the country.
Don't get lost, especially since most states give out free state road maps.
While some states only hold license-free fishing dates early in the year, others hold multiple dates throughout the summer and even into fall! Check out your state's dates and then go reel in a fish or two with the little ones! These free fishing days are awesome. Take it from somebody who learned the hard way that you needed a license to fish 😀
Geocaching was one of my family's favorite activities back when multiple young ones were running around the house. All you need is a phone or GPS to access over 2.5 million free geocaches hidden all over the world! No matter how big or small your community, you'll be surprised how many geocaches are nearby!
LEGO offers monthly free mini builds instructions throughout the year.
They also have a huge, searchable database of free LEGO instructions to download! Put those old toys back to good use by building a long-forgotten LEGO or maybe even something new!
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Take the Butterfly Hero pledge and you'll get a free butterfly garden starter kit. Now I'm no lepidopterist, but I know a butterfly starter kit involves two butterflies who realllly like each other and a few milkweed flowers. Thankfully this freebie includes the seeds to start growing those flowers!
It turns out the monarch butterflies are in trouble and need more milkweed. So, pledge to grow the plants and help save the butterflies. In exchange, you'll get a free starter kit from the National Wildlife Federation. They're like the Federation in Star Trek, just without all the space ships!
This was previously offered in March 2018 and died extremely fast. I wouldn't put off signing up this time.
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In addition to the free LEGO magazine, which deserves a spot in the Freebie Hall of Fame at this point, LEGO also offers monthly free mini builds instructions. These guides are simple, easy guides for children ages 6+. With only a handful of generic pieces, you'll learn how to build a frog, truck, airplane, or something similar.
Make sure to save the free LEGO guides each month! You can download a .pdf of the guide only during the month it's free. Then you're unable to access it after the month ends!
However, the real gem is this free LEGO instructions database, where you can search and download thousands of free LEGO guides! Their database has instructions going back to 1989, back when I was first building LEGOs! There's all sorts of cool stuff in here and while many of the large sets have unique pieces, you can build a lot of stuff with just a random box of LEGO pieces. You can search by topic or, more easily IMHO, object. I found over 60 cool guides for “helicopter” and “boat.” There were over 250 instructions for “car!”
Jobs or tasks are other good searches. “Police” returned 160 free guides for all sorts of cops & robbers toys. Meanwhile, “Fire” gave me 156 free fire-fighting builds to download. Trademarks are the last great search. “Star wars” has 503 free LEGO guides. “Potter” returned 67 wizarding toys. You get the idea!
I'll admit, I still have a box or two of LEGOs still lying around! I can't wait to build some of these old school LEGO designs, even if the colors might be slightly off 😀 If this sounds fun to you or your kids, be sure to check out all the free LEGO guides!
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The next free Bass Pro Shops kids events are the Family Summer Camp! Over the next four weekends, stop by your local store with your child on Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday during the scheduled hours. They'll be able to take part in all sort of free events, crafts, and games. Plus they'll be able to take home prizes and freebies!
The schedule of events is huge and literally changes each day. But it's all listed on their site!
So check out the full schedule of activities for all upcoming dates, then plan accordingly!
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Similar to Pampers and Kellogg's, Huggies Rewards is a free program that lets you earn points after purchasing Huggies products or completing online tasks. You can then use these points to redeem coupons, rewards, and freebies.
Huggies typically gives away 10 free points for every dollar spent on Huggies products.
As of date of publication, you earn 500 free Huggies Rewards Points just for signing up! That's equivalent to spending $50 on Huggies products, but you get the points simply for joining.
Huggies used to give out tons of free codes back when this was called the Huggies Enjoy the Ride program. However, in recent years, those free codes have dwindled. If they ever return, I'll be sure to list them here!
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If you're scrambling for ideas and events to occupy the munchkins this summer, you should check out the annual free Apple Camp returning for 2019! These free events run each summer for kids 8-12. During the three 90-minute sessions, kids will explore their creativity through fun, hands-on projects across four tracks: coding, robotics, moviemaking, and musical storytelling.
Apple Stores across the country are accepting reservations for limited slots. In past years, these slots filled up fast, so I'd sign up today if I were interested.
I first wrote about this freebie back in 2009, so Apple's been doing it a while! It always sounded like a pretty cool activity to me. Then again, I'm 36 years old, so I may not be on the cutting edge of what's cool these days.
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For a limited time, Amazon is offering a free month trial to their FreeTime Unlimited Family Plan. FreeTime Unlimited is their all-in-one subscription plan which gives kids access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, Audible books, and games. They also receive hundreds of hours of fun with ad-free radio stations and playlists, Audible books, and a growing list of premium kid’s skills available on compatible Echo devices.
On top of that, parents get access to easy-to-use parental controls letting them find the right balance between education and entertainment. Personalize screen time limits, set educational goals, filter age-appropriate content, and also manage web browsing and content usage based on their preferences.
Starting at $2.99/month after the free one-month trial, FreeTime Unlimited gives kids content from tons of companies, like Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, PBS Kids, and Cartoon Network. They also have different sections targeted to three main age groups:
I don't have kids of my own, but something tells me summer months are the perfect time to test this service out. 🙂 Make sure to have a compatible Fire, Android, iOS and Kindle device to use this, listed on the site.
Any Hiffers tried this out yet? What do you and your kids think of it?
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It can get a little confusing keeping track of all the great, free in-store kids events. So I've put together this comprehensive list of all the stores we track!
Apple – Their summer Apple Camp is supposed to return sometime in 2019.
Bass Pro Shops – Their summer events run throughout June.
Home Depot – These monthly events are held from 9am-noon on the first Saturday of each month. They're designed for children aged 5-12 and pre-registration is required.
JCPenney – The Kids Zone events are each month on the second Saturday. They include a freebie to take home, ID badge, lanyard, collector's pin, and more. Parents also receive a free 10% coupon good for that day online.
Lego – These monthly-themed events have recently shifted to varying days, depending on your local store. But kids still get to build a take-home LEGO toy. Some Hiffers have reported their local Lego stores have already phased these events out, so please make sure to call ahead!
Michaels – Their Kids Workshops recently started charging $1, but many of their summer dates are back to being free!
Target – They're monthly events are held on random Saturdays, usually near the end of the month, during late morning hours. They're often related to upcoming kids movies or events, with free games, prizes, and giveaway.
Know of any repeating, free in-store kids events I should start covering? Please let me know in the comments!
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Registration is now open for the next free LEGO Make and Take event! During June, kids get to build a free spaceship to launch in to space and then take home.
This continues the new format where LEGO Stores offered their free events on multiple days! These monthly mini build events are open to children ages 6-14 only and slots are limited, so you have to reserve a space before they run out.
Now for the bad news. For some weird reason, LEGO recently changed how registration for these events work. You no longer can register online, but must register in-store first. Kinda crazy if you ask me! Hopefully they revert this policy ASAP because how many of us have time for in-store registration? Each store has approximately 120 free LEGO kits per night and time reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.
I see no mention of registration for June, so perhaps they killed this draconian in-store registration plan from May? Either way, I'd call ahead and ask!
Also, I've noticed a few super cheap items lately in LEGO's sale and discount section. If you have a little one with an upcoming birthday who loves LEGOs, it might be worth scoping out.
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Eagle-eyed Hiffers (holy crap, how did you get an EAGLE'S EYE?!) know that my current offspring count sits equal to the number of home runs I've hit for the Seattle Mariners this season. That said, growing up with tons of siblings, I have an inkling for what it's like with bored, moping children around the house. For you see, I myself get bored. A lot. And if your kids are anything like me, it must be insufferable to be around them when they have nothing to do. Plus it's hot outside! I need some cheap, air-conditioned entertainment.
As such, here's a huge list of all the free & cheap summer movie events! Almost every theater chain has a dedicated page advertising their summer deals, plus a helpful list of participating locations. So be sure to make sure your local spot is holding a deal before heading out.
I've included both nationwide and smaller, regional chains so as many Hiffers can take advantage of these deals as possible. I'm sure there are more, so please leave a comment if you find any I missed!
Alamo Drafthouse – Their summer Kids Camp shows children's classics with tickets at $1, $3, or $5, depending on location. Kids earn stickers for your Alamo Kids Club Prize Book and 100% of proceeds go to local nonprofits! You can even buy your tickets online, making this super easy and relaxing!
AMC Theaters – Their Summer Movie Camp program holds kid-friendly movies plus a KidsPack every Wednesday for just $4! This year, the program runs through July 31 and will feature movies such as Trolls, Lego Movie 2, Peter Rabbit and many more.
The KidsPack mentioned includes a kid's size popcorn, small drink, and FrootiTooti fruit snack!
Bow Tie Cinemas – Select locations are showing free kids movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10am from June 25 to Aug. 21.
Cinemark Century Theaters – They have two different money saving movie programs. During their 10-week program from May 27 to Sep. 8, pay $1 per person, per movie, at the box office on the day of your movie! That's already a great deal. But you can also pay $5 in advanced and get tickets for all 10 movies!
Cineplex – Saturday mornings at 11am through July will feature Cineplex Family Favourites. Watch a family favorite film each week for only $2.50 at participation locations, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the WE Charity.
Classic Cinemas – Running June 5 – August 7, take part in the Wednesday Morning Movie Series. Each Wednesday morning, ticket prices are just $1, with all movies rated G or PG. Movies start at 10am, but doors open at 9am. You're encouraged to arrive early to meet some of your favorite characters and join in on the fun games & activities.
Georgia Theatre Company – Join them for the Summer Kid Show Series at 10:00am every Tuesday and Thursday in June and July. They've got $1.50 admission, $1.50 drinks, and $1.50 popcorn.
Harkins Theater – Prices look to vary by participating location, but kids can enjoy a movie a week for 10 weeks, for less than $1 per film!
Marcus Theaters – Every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday mornings at 10am from June 16 – Aug. 14 will feature a favorite family flick for just $3! Popcorn and fountain drinks are $2.75 as well. Finally, you can score 2 free tickets and print them from home thanks to your local American Family Insurance agent.
Megaplex Theatres – Individual tickets are $1.50 for 10am movies running almost every day, with sensory friendly shows at 10:30am! You can also buy a 10 movie pass for just $10.
Metropolitan Theaters – Get $2 admission to movies at 10am, starting June 11 – Aug. 13. Dates depending on your regional theater.
Paragon Theaters – Scroll down to find their Free Kids Movies promotion. Starting June 11 through Aug. 8, get free admission for 10am movies on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Seats are limited to first come, first serve.
Phoenix Theatres – Absolutely free select 10am showings of kid movies every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Doors open at 9am and all ages are welcome. There's also a “special kiddie meal” available, but I'm not sure what's included in that.
Regal Cinemas – All summer long, you can see select G or PG movies for just $1 a ticket! Show times are Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10am via their Summer Movie Express program.
Studio Movie Grill – Their Summer Children's Series varies by location, but largely runs every weekday at 11am through the end of summer. Like the rest, you get a family friendly film for only $1 a ticket.
Showcase Cinemas – Their Bookworm Wednesdays allow kids to bring in a book report (6 and under don't need this) in exchange for free admission! The best I ever got for a book report was the promise of no more book reports.
Ultra Star Cinemas – Finally, see a different movie every week at 9:30am for just $1. New movies are rotated each week.
So there you have it. Like I said earlier, please leave a comment if you know of any programs I missed!
I hope you were able to find some cool or useful freebies on Hey, It’s Free! If you still have any questions or ideas, feel free to contact me!
You might find some of the key links on the right helpful as well. They're some of our most popular freebie series along with some helpful guides on how to easily and quickly have tons of freebies and samples sent your way without paying a dime! And you might even laugh (...okay, chuckle) a few times along the way!