Frugal & Free Activities For Kids / Families in the Northwest 2/15 – 2/21

We hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day this week, did you do anything fun for the day? We’ve got a good amount of different kinds of events to attend this weekend. Such as movie showings, swimming, culture events, Black History month celebrations. Something for everyone to enjoy this weekend!

Make sure to check out these fun ideas around the Northwest:

• Portland Staycation Ideas
• Seattle Staycation Ideas
• NW Weekend Getaway Ideas on a Budget (updated weekly)

And if you find a fun, frugal event that’s not listed, feel free to leave a comment so we can add that event to our list.

Cheap Event Tickets for Seattle Area

Head to Goldstar and select Family events to easily find these. Some of the tickets sell out fast, so it’s a good idea to buy ahead if you see an event your family would want to attend!

• Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical – Tacoma; $7.50 (reg. $15)
• AMC – Multiple Locations; $9 (reg. $13.50)
• Comedy Sportz – Seattle; $5 – $7.75 (reg. $10 – $15.50)
• Seattle University Baseball – Bellevue; $5 (reg. $10)
• Find more Cheap Event Tickets for Seattle area on Goldstar HERE.

Cheap Event Tickets for Portland Area

Head to Goldstar and select Family events to easily find these.

• The Starlings Presents: Dinosaurs! – Portland; $10.50 (reg. $20)
• KidsFest – Portland; $3 (reg. $6)
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Gresham; COMP -$7 (reg. $14)
• Find more Cheap Event Tickets for Portland area on Goldstar HERE.

Things To Do in Seattle Area

Friday, February 15th, 2019

Ballard Playspace – Seattle; 5:30pm – 7:30pm; Free; This is a fun drop in play inside. A good way to connect with the community and have fun!

Side-by-Side with Seattle Symphony – Burien; 7:30pm – 8:30pm; Free; Join the Seattle Symphony, the Ballard Civic Orchestra and students from the Seattle World Youth Orchestra for an all-Latin American program. Doors open at 6 p.m. RSVP recommended, but not required.

Friday Night Magic for Kids – Seattle; 4:30pm – 6:30pm; $5; This is a fun after school Magic the Gathering cards club for kids ages 17 and younger.

The Great Northwest Glass Quest – Various locations in Stanwood & Camano Island; Various Times; Free; Grab their guidebook on where to find a clue ball. Clue balls are hidden in the Stanwood and Camano Island parks and businesses now through February 26th. If you find one you win a piece of glass art.

Mommy Matinees at the Movies – Seattle; 9:30am; Children 5 and Under Free, Adult tickets are Matinee Pricing; Every Friday you can show up with your young children and don’t have to worry about interrupting anyone with a crying or antsy little one. Actually, enjoy yourself, worry-free.

Skwim – Seattle; 7pm – 8pm; $3.75 youth/seniors, $5.50 ages 18 – 64; Bring the family to play a mixed game of water polo and frisbee golf.

Volunteer Park Conservatory – Seattle; 10am – 3:45pm; Free; Enjoy free admission to the park by a generous donation. Admission is free until February 28th!

Story Time with Betsy and The PJ Library – Seattle; 11am; Free; Join Betsy for stories and songs.

Friday Night Skate – Seattle; 5:45pm – 7:45pm; $3 per person; Family skate night with the latest pop music, races, and lights.

Family Game Night – Seattle; 6:30pm – 8:30pm; Free; Enjoy a free night of playing games with your family. They provide refreshments as well.

Saturday, February 16th, 2019

A Royal Valentine’s Day Party – Issaquah; 11am – 1pm; Free; Attend this fun event dressed as your favorite prince or princess for a royal Valentine’s Day party at Springfree Trampoline. There will be jumping, cupcake decoration, crown and wand making, face painting, and photo ops!

Renton History Museum – Renton; 10am – 4pm; Free; Enjoy free admission to this museum this weekend.

Movin’ Around the World with Northwest Folklife – Seattle; 11am – 2:30pm; $5 suggested donation; Northwest Folklife invites you to experience the cultures of the world. The festival explores cultures with music, arts and crafts, workshops and more. Check out the link for a detailed view of the schedule this weekend.

Saturday Story Time – Seattle; 11am – Noon; Free; Enjoy a free story time.

Bird Fest – Burien; 10am – 2pm; Free; Learn about how to identify different local birds. They’ll have family activities such as hourly walks and counts, identification games, touching bird skins and mounts, and more.

Tukwila Pool: Candyland – Yukwila; 1pm – 3pm; $3.25 per swimmer; This is a fun Candyland themed swim! They’ll have inflatables, games, snacks, and prizes.

Dental Health Month at Hands On – Olympia; 10am – 5pm; Free w/ $12 museum admission; Enjoy fun activities at the museum as well as free dental screenings. February 16th theme is Mammoth Mouths!

Dungeons and Dragons for Kids – Seattle; Noon – 3pm; Free; Kids are welcome for a fun gaming session of Dungeons and Dragons. Materials are provided and no experience is required. The event is geared for the 8 to 16 age group.

Watershed Story Time & Crafts – Bend; 1:30pm – 3:30pm; Free; 

Kids Art Workshop – Kent; 10am – 2pm; Free; Join the Rusty Raven Art Studio for a fun free little art workshop.

Discovery Day – Des Moines; 10am – 2pm; Free; Enjoy free viewing of the marine biology and aquarium facility of Highline College.

Sunday, February 17th, 2019

Tracks, Scratch, & Scat – Bellevue; 2:30pm – 3:30pm; Free; RSVP by 4 is required the Friday before the program at 425-452-4195 or [email protected] You’ll learn some animal signs to search for prints, feathers, and scat. They say this is best for children ages 5 to 10 with accompanying adult(s).

Sunday Public Sail – Seattle; 10am – 4pm; Free; Enjoy a nice 45-minute boat ride. Sign up for a slot in person, they have several trips throughout the day and space is limited.

Things to Do in the Portland Area

Friday, February 15th, 2019

Chinese New Year at Lan Su Chinese Gardens – Portland; 10am – 5pm; $7-$9.50; Celebrate Chinese New Year, the most colorful and joyous of all Chinese festivals during Lan Su’s two-week celebration featuring lion dances, cultural performances, martial arts, calligraphy, family-friendly craft activities and much more!

Micah and Me Dance Party – Portland; 10:30am – 11:30am; $5 suggested donation; This is a fun music and dance show.

Snow Soup – Portland; 11am – 11:45am; Free; Snow Soup is a musical arctic version of the old French folktale “Stone Soup.”

Teva Oriata – Sherwood; 2pm – 3pm; $5; Family Matinee presents Portland’s only authentic Tahitian dance studio, Teva Oriata. Get a taste of the sounds, and costumes of the Pacific.

Comic Book Magnets – Portland; 3pm – 5pm; Free; Create some fun magnets by cutting out some of your favorite superheroes and villains. For kids in grades k-5.

Family Day: Experience Oregon Grand Opening Celebration – Portland; Noon – 4pm; Free; This is a fun program that is celebrating the grand opening of a new exhibit.

Music & Movement – Portland; 11am – Noon; Free; Join award-winning children’s educator and performer Aaron Nigel Smith as he gets the whole family moving, grooving and learning.

Legos at the Library – Portland; 4pm – 5pm; Free; Head to the library this weekend and use your imagination to create with Legos.

Open Swim – Beaverton; 11:45am – 12:55pm; Free; Join in for a fun free swim!

Io e la Mamma (Mommy and Me) – Portland; 10am – Noon; Free; This is free fun and weekly Italian language playgroup for children led by native Italian teacher lo e la Mamma.

Portland Art Museum – Portland; 5pm – 8pm; $5; Enjoy museum admission for just $5 per person after 5pm.

Zazzy Zoe Plays Music – Portland; 4:30pm – 5:15pm; $5-$10 suggested donation; Enjoy live music for the family to enjoy together.

Saturday, February 16th, 2019

How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World Movie Release – Portland; 9am – 1pm; $10; Make your own version of Toothless and enjoy free promotional items, free tickets to the advanced movie screening as well.

Free Child Car Seat Clinic – Beaverton; 9am – 11:30am; Free; If you’ve been wanting to learn car seat safety. This is a great opportunity this weekend, you’ll have a chance to learn the correct way to install a car seat, and how to buckle in your child. They’ll even have a certified child safety seat technician to provide hands-on tutorials for families. Arrive early as they mention at times they can become quite busy and have to turn people away.

KidFest! SportFest! – Portland; 10am – 5pm; $6, ages 3 and under free;  This is an exciting winter festival offering kids and parents an affordable day of fun and an abundance of entertainment and education.

Oregon’s 160th Birthday Celebration – Salem; 10am – 2pm; Free; This is to celebrate the 160th birthday of Oregon. They’ll have covered wagons on display, live costumed historic interpreters, birthday cake, and much more fun for the whole family.

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical – Beaverton; 10am; $5; This is a fun performance based on the book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical. It has adventures, song, and dancing.

Winter Farmers Mercado – Portland; 11am – 3pm; Free; Attend to support local growers, artisans, and Latino entrepreneurs. They even have kids activities and live music!

Open Saturday at Pearson Field Education Center – Vancouver; 10am – 5pm; Free; Experience STEM education through different aviation activities.

Guided Nature Walk – Portland; 10am – 11:30am; Free; Explore the forest and stream ecosystems and natural history at Tryon Creek State Natural Area. This weekends theme is the changing forest.

Sunday, February 17th, 2019

Celebrate Black History Month with A Midsummer Night – Portland; 2:30pm – 3:15pm; Free; Experience this twist on Shakespeare and the contributions of artists of color throughout history in this performance.

Sunday Family Matinee – Beaverton; 2pm – 4pm; Free; Enjoy a free showing of the movie The Grinch this weekend.

The Secret Society – Portland; 4pm – 6pm;$8; KiLoFri is a band made up of Mr. Ben, Zazzy Zoe, Tallulah’s Daddy and our amazing drummer Tony! The opening act will be the legendary Lorna Miller featuring Oregon Music Hall of Famer Paul Brainard on steel guitar! They open doors at 3:45pm, tickets can only be purchased with cash only at door. Purchase online in advance if you rather not use cash.

Sensory Sunday – Beaverton; 9am – 11am; $10; Sensory Sundays are an open gym time designed for families of children affected by sensory processing disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder, or any other disabilities.

“The Good Egg” Storytime – Portland; 11am – 11:30am; Free; Jory John will be returning again with the book The Good Egg this time.

Tumble Gymnastics Open Gym – Portland; 10am – 1pm; $12 for 1 child, or $20 for 2 children; Tumble Open Gym Open gym is a time for families to come in and play without a facilitator-led curriculum. Space is limited, call before you go if you want to check on space.

National Events:

Great Backyard Bird Count – Various Locations; All Day; Free; Participate in this fun global event of counting birds you see! You can register online and log the different birds you see in your neighborhood during this 4-day event.

Bank of America Museum Admission – Various Locations; Any cardholders with Bank of America can enjoy FREE admission to various museums! Check out the list in your state to check out which museums are participating.

Barnes & Noble Saturday Storytime Enter your zip code to see special storytime events at your local Barnes & Noble store.

Michaels’ Kids Club – every Saturday from 10am-noon; $2 for children ages 3 and up with all supplies included. There are also special projects for spring break. Check your local Michael’s store to see if they are participating in this weeks’ project.

Lakeshore Learning Stores– every Saturday from 11am-3pm there are fun free crafts at Lakeshore Learning Stores for ages 3 and up. Check with your local store to see if they are participating.