Low Cost Kids Events

I'm not sure if there is a single source, but when I was home, we found all sorts of things. The Library is a great resource. They have story time for all ages, and special events ike science and magic shows, special guests, movie time, etc. Calendars should be available online. Also, the city parks and rec department offers inexpensive classes as well as activities that you can just do one time. The Hangar 10 museum in Denton is worth a trip to get a close-up look at airplanes (www.hangar10.org). Also in Denton, we recently ventured downtown and took a city bus just for fun. Kids under 5 ride free, ages 6-12 are 60 cents, and older is $1.25. Kids really dig a bus ride!
Denton Natatorium is inexpensive and available year-round, and Dallas has a lot of splash parks that I think are free. Lunar Golf at the Lewisville mall is putt putt that glows (the blacklight again!). I think it's $5 per kid. For little ones, the play area in the Lewisville mall is fun and free.
In Dallas, first Saturday of each month the Nasher Scuplture Center is free from 10-2 and offers kids activities.
Check out the local gymnastics places for "open gym" times. I know Achievers in Denton sells a pass for 8 visits or something.
We also did some easy fun things close to home -- like dump the loose change from our change jar and go to QT to mix up fun drinks at the drink fountain :-). Even better if you turn up enough change for a snack too.

http://dallas.todaysmama.com/
Sign up for the weekly email. Free to low-cost events are included every week.

I love free entertainment. I periodically do random searches for free stuff to do in DFW and see what comes up. I also check in with our favorite places to see if they have something special or new happening. Here are a few of our favorite free and cheap hot spots.

Ft Worth Zoo- half priced Wednesdays. We bring a lunch and snacks to save money. Avoid this place like the plague over spring break :)

Paradise Pond - indoor play areas with bounce house, dress up etc. It's $1 per person, only open Thurs and Fri in Grapevine
http://www.fbcgrapevine.com/groups/children/paradise-pond/

Ft Worth Museum of Science and History - I bought a membership and make it a play date(my friend also got a membership) about every other week. We pack a lunch and all three kids LOVE it (1, 4, and 5 y.o.), especially the play area. We went for a visit and they let us credit our tickets towards a membership after we saw the exhibits and decided if we would be back. My daughter is only 1 and gets in free, so I bought a 2 person member ship for me and my son for $65. We go pretty often and love our visits.

Ridgmar Mall has a great indoor toddler playground. It's free. Just go early because the kids seem to get bigger and rowdier as the day progresses.

The botanical gardens are free and they have a kids area. We picnic here often. In October the Monarch butterflies are migrating and they are everywhere...makes for a fin trip!

Glenview Baptist (in Haltom City)- great indoor playground. The cost is $1 per kid. You would have to check with them for the times...it's been a little while since we have been there.

Cabelas and Bass Pro make great trips. The kids love the aquarium. If you look online you can find the feeding times and schedule a trip around that.

Stockyard Station - cattle drive at 11:30 daily. We went during spring break and they had a free petting zoo that day.

Ft Worth Modern Art Museum is half priced on Wednesdays (free the first Sunday of the month). You may want to double check what exhibits they have running before you go - they are not always kid friendly, depending on your comfort level. I have been pleasantly surprised that those visits have gone well. I think and hope my 4 year old is learning how to behave in a museum. Sometimes we bring snacks and go eat outside near the water for a break (you have to cut through the restaurant to get here, but the staff always lets us through). And he loves to hear the echoes in the sculpture out front! We have been doing this trip since he was about a year old. (we used to go to this one a lot more when it was free on Wed.)

The US Treasury off 287 has a free tour. In all honesty we could have just spent the day riding the shuttle bus from the check-in point to the tour facility and our kids would have been absolutely thrilled. It's free and close. The kids (1, 3 and 4) did get a little bored with the tour, but he liked the hands on exhibits we played with before and afterward. Check the website...the rules are very strict about what you can bring with you.

Check with your local Rec center for deals too. Ours has certain days where they open the indoor pool to the public for just a few bucks. Makes a fun play date in the winter when you have the place to yourselves.

Story time at the local library is a weekly trip for us.

We are always visiting local parks...I check the parks and rec websites to peruse the parks and see what's available before we head out. We try to go to a different park each time to keep things interesting.

playinaroundtown.com

Dallas/Fort Worth Area Events:

Jan. 14th Pump It Up in Coppell (10:00 - 12:30)

Jan. 17th @ Fieldhouse USA in Frisco (10:00 - 1:00) No School

Jan. 26th @ Pump It Up in North Dallas (10:00 - 12:30)

Feb. 16th @ BounceU in Carrollton (10:00 - 1:00)

Feb. 21st @ Pump It Up in Frisco (10:00 - 12:30)

www.familyeguide.com researches ALL of the free and affordable activities we can find in Lewisville, Flower Mound, and Highland Village. Then we include any special or unique (free & affordable) activities we can find in the surrounding cities (Coppell, The Colony, Carrollton, Lake Dallas, Lantana, Argyle, Grapevine, Hickory Creek, etc.). We also dedicate a page or two in each newsletter to things that may be "Worth the drive?".. special events in Denton, Dallas, etc.

I encourage you to check out our community calendar:
http://familyeguide.com/user_vcalendar/week.php?id=3&sid=

And be sure to sign up for weekly newsletters:
http://familyeguide.com/Newsletters.html
We send an email out every Wednesday with the following week's activities.

Good luck!
www.familyeguide.com Free guide to affordable family activities in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village, and the surrounding area.

http://familyeguide.com/Home.html
Check out this website- they will send you a weekly newsletter of events going on around the surrounding Flower Mound area.
I would also check into MOM'S Club, Greater Lewisville Early Childhood PTA, MOMS and more, or some other mom's group. Many of these groups plan play dates and outings.

Check out http://national.macaronikid.com/ and then search for your state and town. Macaroni Kid is a website and FREE weekly eNewsletter created by local moms for local moms and dads (and their kids).

I've found the Family eGuide to be very helpful for finding stuff in the Lewisville area.

http://familyeguide.com/Home.html

Try www.metroplexbaby.com. It has a calender with lots of event in the DFW area.