Free in the RGV

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I love free stuff!

I’ve recently started collecting coupons to make sure I get things for free or nearly free. So, naturally when I thought of this summer and the activities with the kiddos you bet I’d be on the lookout for things we can do that are completely free or nearly free.

Here’s what I’ve found so far.

FREE-IN-THE-RGV-PLAIN

Completely Free for Kids

If your kids enjoy doing crafts Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Lakeshore Learning offer free workshops where all the materials are provided for you. Your kids can leave with an awesome craft, their own apron, work belt, and/or safety goggles.

Some of these fill up fast so be on the lookout for upcoming workshops and register at the store closest to you.

Bass Pro Shops is offering free workshops, free crafts, and free family activities as part of Family Summer Camp running form now until July 13. There are so many free activities to choose from and participants earn a free pin for every workshop they complete.

If you want to keep your kids reading this summer and you don’t want to be a victim of the summer slide there are many free options to keep them busy.

Barnes and Noble offers free story time and has a great reading programs for the summer that ends in a free book.

Our local library also offers a host of camps and or summer activities for your voracious readers of all age groups.

Then tally up those read library books and enter H-E-B’s reading program for some free rewards.

In a move to get my kids to stay active and to make for some summertime adventure we’re planning a tour of our city parks. There are several parks in our area but it’s going to be fun making it a point to visit every park we possibly can.

Many of the parks offer their own free attractions such as the splash park at Zinnia and 29th, the new Splash Pad at Freddy Gonzalez Memorial Park in Edinburg, and free movies at the park at Westside Park on Ware Rd. Also, McAllen ISD has initiated a free summer meals program for kids 18 years and younger at designated sites.

If nature is something your family enjoys there are several wildlife parks and refuges that you can visit for free. Many have their own special events and attractions as well. It is a great way to deepen  appreciation for local flora and fauna.

quintamatzalan

Also, It is completely free to plan a trip to the airport to watch planes take off or swing by your local fire station with some fresh-baked goodies for our local heroes. Also, a visit to the pet store has always been entertaining for our kiddos. If you need to get the creative juices flowing on ways to fill your days create a family summertime bucket list.

Completely Free for Adults

If mom and dad are planning a little escape for date night every Wednesday Feldman’s offers a free Wine 101 where you can sample four wines and enjoy some light bites. They also feature free tastings on Tuesdays when they have new items in stock. You can keep checking their Facebook page for new features or events.

If home improvement is on your summer to-do list Home Depot also offers free DIY workshops  for all ages and experience levels.

It is also completely free to donate some of your time to give back to the community Quinta Matzalan has a volunteer program where you can help out on the grounds of a beautiful birding center. The whole family can spend some time together getting their hands dirty all while giving back.

Affordable Fun

J’aime Les Livres  in McAllen is a wonderful shop that has gently used books for kids and adults that are affordable and make for a great way to bulk up your in house library. They may be offering a free story time soon so make sure to keep checking their Facebook page.

IMASimasrioscape hosts a family fun night  every Thursday where admission is only $1 a person. You can check out some cool new exhibits or enjoy some outside play time on their Rio Scape.

 lucasmuseum

The Museum of South Texas History has free admission before noon on Saturdays and is also has a wealth of activities this summer that are low-cost for the entire family.

A great way to beat the heat this summer is to spend some time getting active indoors and what better a way than with some free bowling.  You only incur the cost of shoe rental, but each kiddo gets two free games.

Also, stay cool and catch a movie for only a $1 a person at your local participating theater or join the Summer Movie Clubhouse and pay $5 for 10 movies.

Finally, stay completely cool by visiting your local pool. There is lap swimming for adults for anywhere from $1-$2 and there is public swim at designated times at each pool. The Pharr Aquatic Center is a local favorite with good reason. Admission for our family of five is equal to the cost of one ticket to a bigger water park, but this water park is closer and the perfect fit for our little big kids.

Rancho El Charco is just a 15 minute drive from McAllen and has started their Summer Fun Days on the weekends. For $8 dollars per child and $10 per adult the family can enjoy swimming in the pools, a petting zoo, and wagon rides.

Edinburg World Birding Center has a new camp called The Tots Nature Camp that is $10 for members and $14 non-members. The price is for one child ages 1 to 3 and free admission for one guardian. They also have toddler play dates on site for kids ages 1 to 4 for $2 with one free guardian coming up on July 19th.

In case you still have brain free like me here’s our complete guide to where kids eat free in the RGV.

What is your favorite free activity? Do have any low-cost or free activities that your family enjoys doing during the summer time?

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Sofia Ledesma
Sofia is a former English teacher and now stay at home mom to six year old twin girls and a four year old son. She is married to her awesome husband, Robert, who is the husband and the father to their three children that she always prayed for. She is a lover of all things food with a flair for cooking on the fly. She loves word games and wine. Her biggest hero is her mother, and all the beautiful women in her life that make her the woman she is today. Three of her favorite things are coffee, silence, and bedtime. Her favorite scent is the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Her hope is that all three of her kids inherit her love for cooking and baking and that they inherit her husband's sense of humor and great taste in music.

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