Frugal & Free Activities For Kids / Families in the Northwest 5/18 – 5/24

We have a quite few new events that have popped up over the week. Who else is excited for the weekend? I know I am! I have had a crazy week myself, looking forward to spending time with the family. We have some great frugal events below to do with the family this coming weekend. I hope you all had a fantastic mother’s day as well. Happy thrifting!~

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!

• Discount Mariners Game Tickets – starting at $12!
• The Lamp is the Moon – Seattle; Comp – $19.50 (reg. $22 – $39)
• Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There – Mercer Island; $6.50 – $7.50 (reg. $13 – $15)
• Redhawks Baseball at Bannerwood Sports Park – Bellevue; Comp – $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.

• Improv For Kids – Portland; Comp – $5 (reg. $8 – $10)
• Peter Pan – Portland; $10.50 (reg. $20)
• Portland Thorns FC: National Women’s Soccer League – Portland; $11 – $16 (reg. $15 – $21)
• Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr – Portland; $6 (reg $12)
• Find more Cheap Event Tickets for Portland area on Goldstar HERE.

Things To Do in Seattle Area

Friday, May 18th, 2018

Mommy Matinees at the Movies – Seattle; 9:30 am; Children 5 and Under Free, Adult tickets are Matinee Pricing; Every Friday 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. Current movies playing!

Everfree Northwest My Little Pony Event – Seattle; 10 am – 6 pm; 1 Day passes $45 Adult, $25 Teen, 12 and under Free, check out the website for more pricing options; This is a 3-day event and one of the Northwests most popular event that celebrates all things My Little Pony! If you have a fan it’d definitely be something not to miss.

Open Art Studio – Seattle; 10 am – 5 pm; $15 age 6 and older, $10 age 5 and younger; This sounds like fun to do, they even provide the materials! I have to admit I’m interested in checking out this “splatter” room they have.

Ben Hunter & Joe Seamon’s Concert – Puyallup; 6:30 pm – 8 pm; Free; Grab the family and head out to the Karshner Museum to listen to this duo. They play instruments like the fiddle and banjo with music styles such as early age jazz and blues! Fun for the whole family.

Classic British Tales Theater – Seattle; 11:15 am; Free; Enjoy a performance from young children about classic tales that celebrate Springtime. The 2 tales are The Fairy Tulip & Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Gage Art Studio – Seattle; 4 pm – 7 pm; Free; Your teens will get to learn and engage in new techniques of art and be creative. You’ll want to pre-register for this workshop.

Imagine Children’s Museum – Everett; 5:30 pm – 9 pm; Free; If you need something to do with the family after dinner this would be a great idea! Plus it would help make bedtime easier afterward. My kids would love something interactive like this to do.  The museum does free admission every 3rd Friday of the month! 

Batty Nights at Lewis Creek Park – Bellevue; 8:30 pm – 10 pm; Free; Explore with a Park Ranger and learn about bats and after enjoy a hike just after dusk to see them leave their roosting sites.

Saturday, May 19th, 2018

Pacific Science Center Autism Early Open – Seattle; 8 am – 10 am; Free; Families with autism spectrum are welcomed to the science center during a special free morning visit closed to the general public. They make the environment more friendly for your needs as much as they can.

Health and Fitness Expo – Explore over 50 booths for health and fitness. Also, they’ll have free health screenings and activities. Visit the link to see the schedule.

West Seattle Bee Festival – Seattle; 9:30 am – 2 pm; Free; Take the family to enjoy all things bees! They will even be having a parade. See the link to view the schedule of activities for the day.

Teen Late Night – Seattle; 7 pm – midnight; Free; This sounds like a great way to give your teenager a little “freedom” without the worry. Ages 13-19 can hang out with friends, watch movies, or shoot hoops. They even serve dinner at 8:30 pm!

Saturday Farmers Market – Anacortes; 9 am – 2 pm; Free; Come rain or shine to enjoy live music while browsing fresh vegetables, hot food, and kids activities. Dogs are welcome too. Click here if you want to check and see if you have a Farmer’s Market in your area that maybe we don’t have listed.

Endangered Species Day – Seattle; 10 am – 1 pm; Free; Learn about how you can attract butterflies and birds to your home gardens. Check out the link for how to pre-register. They provide necessary tools and gloves.

University District Street Fair – Seattle; 10 am – 7 pm; Free; This sounds like a fun event to attend with family and it’s happening Saturday and Sunday! This is the longest running street fair in the country. It features crafts, food, entertainment and more. Something fun for the whole family to enjoy.

Plaine Field Aviation – Seattle; 10 am – 5 pm; $15 10 and up OR $35 per family (2 Adults, 4 children); Enjoy kids activities, aircraft displays, planes flying over and much more!

Armed Forces Day Parade – Bremerton; 10 am; Free; Attend a wonderful event celebrating Armed Forces, along with fireman, police officers and more.

Sunday, May 20th, 2018

Imagine Museum – Everett; 9 am – 11 am; Free; If you’re a family of the autism spectrum or sensory processing disorders. You can visit the museum with the peace of mind that the museum will have the atmosphere perfect for your needs.  You can pre-register online.

Bicycle Sundays – Seattle; 10 am – 6 pm; Free; You can take the whole family out for a nice Sunday bike ride. They close the area to motorized vehicles as well, which is nice when you have little ones riding bikes as well. Other dates listed at the link above too.

Sunday Public Sail – Seattle; 10 am – 4 pm; Free; Enjoy a 45-minute boat ride with the family on Lake Union. Space is limited, sign up for a slot in person.

Train Rides – Port Orchard; 10 am – 4 pm; Free; Enjoy free train rides throughout the day with the family. This would be a fun thing to do after lunch.

Lacey Spring Fun Fair – Lacey; 11 am – 5 pm; Free; If you need something to do on Sunday. This would be a perfect idea. They’ll have face painting, costumed characters, games and more!

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

Family Fun Run – Burien; 5:30 pm – 8 pm; Free; Participate in a scavenger hunt style that is sure to get your whole family exercising! Have fun while hunting for raffle tickets for potential prizes at the end. Rsvp at the Facebook Event Page.

Things to Do in the Portland Area

Friday, May 18th, 2018

Lady Bug Nature Walks – Portland; 10 am; $3-$8 per child (sliding scale); Take your 2-6-year-olds on a nature walk to discover trees, plants, insects, animals, and much more.

Music Quest – Portland; 10:30 am – 11:30 am; Free w/ $5 suggested donation; Head to Smallfry this Friday and listen to music with a little bit of laughter and dancing. Always a plus when your kids can get the wiggles out while not home.

 

Saturday, May 19th, 2018

Stargazing Oregon Observatory – Sunriver; 8 pm – 10 pm; $10 Adults, $8 kids 12 and under; Enjoy a night of stargazing with the whole family.

Portland Train Day – Portland; 10 am – 6 pm; $10 Adult, $5 Senior, Free age 12 and under; Enjoy a nice train ride, food, games, live music and more.

Open Saturdays at Philip Foster Farm – Eagle Creek; 11 am – 4 pm; $5 per person, or $20 per family; This event sounds fun and educational about pioneer life. Explore and learn all about the Oregon Trail. Don’t forget to pack a picnic to make it even more exciting!

Armed Forces Day – Clackamas; 9 am – 4 pm; Free; Gather together to honor and celebrate all U.S. veterans as a family. This would probably make a great educational tool as well.

Family Movie – Portland; 1 pm – 3 pm; Free; You can take the whole family and see a movie for free! The movie playing is Paddington Bear 2. Popcorn is provided as well.

Sunday, May 20th, 2018

Portland Sunday Parkways – Portland; 11 am – 4 pm; Free; Stroll along walking or riding your bike for a relaxing Sunday.

Mt. Pisgah Wildflower Festival – Eugene; 10 am – 5 pm; $8 Suggested Donation, Kids 12 and under Free; Here is a great opportunity to go look at some beautiful flowers and landscaping. I know my kids love looking at flowers and all the different colors. Could be educational.

Dozer Day – Ridgefield; 11 am – 4 pm; $8 – $13; This would be an awesome hands-on experience for someone in your family if they enjoy construction type vehicles! Plus they have food, music, giveaways and more!

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

Vanport Mosaic Festival – Portland; All Day; Free; This is an educational remembrance of certain times in life. Even is from the 23rd to 28th. Look for a detailed schedule in the link.

National Events:

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.