Welcome, Good Morning Texas viewers!
Summer is quickly approaching…EEK! How the heck are we supposed to keep our kids entertained for nearly three months without breaking the bank? On this morning’s GMT segment, I share some Affordable Kids’ Summer Activities.
Scroll down for links and exclusive codes to help you save some money, plus enter to WIN a 5-Day Main Event Summer FUNCamp & (4) Perot Museum Tickets!
If you’re new to my website, I’m glad you’re here! Stick around and you can save 40-60% on your groceries, household items, clothing, entertainment and more. It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you start slowly (and let me do most of the work for you), soon you’ll be Coupon Crazy, too.
Here are some things to get you headed in the right direction:
1. Sign up for my FREE “Crazy Deals Newsletter” and you’ll have the top deals for restaurants, movies, online, kid’s stuff, travel and more delivered to your inbox every weekday.
2. Check out my New to Couponing section. There you’ll find a printable “Best Buy” Price Book, the Annual Grocery Sales Cycle, learn How to Organize Coupons, and more.
3. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the minute deal postings. Also, go here to ensure you see Facebook posts. (Because when Mark Zuckerburg isn’t busy ruling the world, he’s messing around with your Facebook timeline!)
One of my favorite new ways to save is with the Pogo Pass. It’s an annual family-based entertainment pass, that’ll get you more than 20 visits to the best venues in Dallas/Ft. Worth (like the Ft. Worth Zoo, Dallas Children’s Aquarium, Going Bonkers, Urban Air, Mountasia, Hawaiian Falls, and MORE). The pass is regularly $124.95, but when use you my exclusive promo code COUPONCRAZY you’ll get 60% off…making the pass $49.98! That means you’re basically paying less than $2.50 per visit! What the what?!?! So, if you’re looking for affordable entertainment for your kids this week, go here to get your Dallas/Ft. Worth Pogo Pass.
And you can also use promo code COUPONCRAZY to get 60% off an Austin Pogo Pass and San Antonio Pogo Pass. If you’re traveling south this summer, these might be great to have on hand.
CityPASS is also new to the Dallas area and is a booklet of full of admission tickets to the best attractions. You’ll save up to 50% compared to combined regular box office prices!
And now Dallas CityPASS now has a mobile voucher available! You will just need to present your voucher on a smartphone or other mobile device at the first attraction you visit to receive their Dallas CityPASS ticket booklet. No need to worry about getting your CityPASS booklet mailed to you or printing the voucher off. This makes it even easier to purchase a Dallas CityPASS while traveling and use it right away.
Skip ticket lines: Save time with easy access at most attractions. Once you have your CityPASS booklet, skip the ticket line and head straight for the entrance.
Take your time: CityPASS booklets are valid for nine consecutive days beginning the day of first use. Visit the attractions in any order you wish.
Easy Purchase: Get all your attraction tickets in advance in one easy purchase. Buy now and choose delivery option during checkout: Email voucher or ship ticket booklets.
Here’s what’s included in a Dallas CityPASS ( $46 Adults & $31 Kids)~
1. Perot Museum of Nature and Science~ 3D Film and Museum General Admission, including any public programming on day of admission
2. Reunion Tower GeO-Deck~ General admission offering 360-degree views from the indoor and outdoor observation deck atop one of Dallas’ most iconic structures.
3. Dallas Zoo~ General admission to the 106-acre zoo, featuring over 2000 animals.
OR
The Sixth Floor Museum~ Includes audio tour and admission to the permanent exhibit and temporary exhibits on the seventh floor.
4. George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum~ Admission to all permanent and special exhibits and special Library and Museum programming on the day of attendance, as well as a handheld audio guide.
OR
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden~ General admission to the main garden.
Sky Ranch, located in Van, Texas, is one of the leading North American Christian camps. But if your child isn’t ready for an overnight camp, you might consider one of their D/FW Launch Camps for an awesome day camp experience – right in your neighborhood! It’s a great option for kids entering kindergarten through 5th grade who want to enjoy Sky Ranch Summer Camp, but are not quite ready to stay overnight. Plus, it’s affordable at only $269 for a 5-day camp, 9am-3pm.
***Even better, I’ve got two EXCLUSIVE coupon codes for you:
- Use promo code 16LCBlog at checkout, and you’ll get $25 off Launch Camp registration. This code is only valid for the first 25 people, so don’t delay!
- Use promo code 2016SCBlog and you’ll get $100 off any Overnight Camp session at Sky Ranch.
Did you know you can claim a Childcare Tax Credit for dependent children 12 and under and get up to a 35% credit back on childcare expenses? Go HERE for more info. Keep in mind, only day camps qualify, not overnight camps. Also, many employers offer a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account where you can set aside up to $5,000 every year for childcare (and it’s tax free!).
Bass Pro Shops will be offering FREE Family Summer Camps in June and July. They haven’t listed this year’s schedule, but it usually involves crafts and kid’s workshops on Bird Watching, Fishing, Archery, Kayaking, and more. Plus, kids can practice casting a fishing rod and perfect their marksmanship skills in the BB shooting range & Shooting arcade.
If you have an Apple store nearby, sign up for their FREE Apple Camp for kids ages 8-12. During the first two days your child will learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. On the last day, all the campers will show their movies at the Apple Camp Film Festival.
Each week at the Perot Museum Discovery Camp kids will focus on a different topic that incorporates science, technology, engineering, art and math skills.
Camps held Monday-Friday 
K-6 Camps 9am–3pm
Jr. Camps 9am–12pm or 1–4pm
Go HERE for more info and to register.
Main Event Summer FUNcamps are the perfect way to beat the summer doldrums (and the heat!). FUNcamps are $29.95 per child, per day OR pay $124.95 for a full 5-day session (that’s a savings of $24.80!). Limited to kids 8-15 years old.
Enter below for a chance to WIN an entire week of Summer FUNcamp, plus (4) tickets to the Perot Museum!!!
Cool, dark movie theaters are perfect for surviving the brutal Texas summer heat. Here’s a list of theaters in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area offering special discounts this summer:
Cinemark Theatres is continuing their Summer Movie Clubhouse, where you can enjoy movies for just $1 per show or pay $5 for 10 movies…that’s just $.50 per movie. What a deal!
Studio Movie Grill offers a different movie every week (Mon-Fri) for just $3.
Moviehouse & Eatery – FREE Summer Kids Camp is back! Every Tuesday morning from June 7th to August 23rd you’ll get to enjoy a hand-picked family favorite! Tickets are given away starting at 9am on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Harkins Theatres has Summer Movie Fun every weekday at 9:45, and you can purchase Season Tickets for all 10 shows for less than $1/show, or pay as you go for $2/person.
There are also Kid’s Skate FREE and Kid’s Bowl FREE programs available for even more indoor, air conditioned fun!
As part of our annual summer tradition, we always hit the local libraries and join their summer reading clubs. Not only do these programs encourage lots of reading, kids earn great rewards like FREE tickets for summer activities, books, coupons for restaurants and more. Be sure to check out your local library reading clubs and these national programs:
Scholastic – Kids complete weekly reading challenges online to win digital prizes like book & audio chapters.
Sylvan – Kids read books, take a quiz, earn points based and redeem points for prizes.
Books-a-Million: FREE Camp Half-Blood Tote Bag when you read four books, and turn in your journal to your local store.
Half Price Books is offering up FREE $5 HPB bucks for those kids and parents that read 300 minutes each month. Children must be 14 years or younger to participate in this program. Here are my boys with all their loot from Half Price Books last year…..
If you’ve got older kids or teenagers, check out this Groupon deal for Escape Room HQ.
They have 60 minutes to escape, and the clock is ticking. Inside the room are a series of props, puzzles, and clues—each leading the crew closer to freedom. It’s a task that requires strategy, problem-solving skills, and the willingness to combine minds and put the “you” in “team.” Plus, the scenarios devised by the game makers at Escape Room HQ. make being held captive just as fun as escaping.
$28 for a room-escape game for two ($60 value)
$52 for a room-escape game for four ($120 value)
$76 for a room-escape game for six ($180 value)
***Plus, new customers can use promo code SAVE10 to get $10 off a deal priced at $25 or more.
Need a recap of all these awesome ideas??? Watch our ModMom TV video and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, too!
Thank you!! I just saw the segment on Good Morning Texas and love your info! It will save me so much money this summer and keep my son and I busy- when we have downtime to enjoy! Plus, I had forgotten about Sky Ranch- would love to send him to learn to water ski this summer!
Thank you,,
My favorite affordable summer activity for kids is the Main Event Summer FUNcamp.
One of our FAVORITE Summer Activities is to create some entries during the summer to enter in the State Fair of Texas Creative Arts Competition. There are different age groups for everything from photography to painting and pottery. Plus, if you win, then your child’s art is displayed to see at the State Fair! Just go to http://www.BigTex.com and click on the Creative Arts link. (entry fees are minimal)
New to this website LOVE IT! I have twin 12 yr old grandsons and this means twice the price so ALWAYS looking for discount.. Main Event is their favorite place..
Most affordable summer activity is going to the lake!
Great ideas for my family of 6 to stay busy this summer. So glad I caught the segment on Good Morning Texas. What a blessing it’d be to win the Main Event and Perot tickets.
We love the free bowling program and Hawaiian Falls summer passes.
Just saw segment on channel 8 this morning new to the area theses are all great ideas packed with lots of fun to keep my grand children busy doing the summer. Thank you
I am new to couponcrazymommy, these are great summer ideas.
My favorite affordable think to do with my child is going to the park-bike ride or taking the dogs for a walk.
Going to the community pool is a favorite for my kids!
The water park or a free splash pad makes some great affordable summer fun! Also activities at the library.
Movies and swimming
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!
The local AMF Bowling Alley has a summer pass that are about $25 and you can bowl 3 games per day all summer long!
We did the movie pass deal last summer with my nieces. Everyone enjoyed it!
The library of course!
My favorite summer activity with the grandkids is swimming!
Super excited to find your blog and the pogo pass. Thanks for all the exciting ideas!!
Our favorite summer activity is going to the pool and baking!
Amusement Parks, Perot Museum and bowling are our favorite summer activities!
Our favorite affordable activity is using our yearly state parm pass to go to Ray Roberts
Anything with water
Swimming and camping!
My kids love to roller skate in the summer. We signed up for the Kids Skate Free program at Interskate and I get free coupons emailed to me every week.
We love the city pools!
We love swimming and going to the movies!
Great Info! Summer $1.00 or $2.00 movies are a great way to beat the heat!
I came across your blog by a segment that came on Good Morning Texas. I love what you share on here! The most affordable summer activity I like to do is take my little brother swimming. Weather its the pool or the lake. 🙂
Love to beat the heat with Summer Movies!