I love living in North Texas because there are TONS of opportunities to expose our kids so many unique events and places. And with the HOT summer almost behind us, we can now step outside and start enjoying our beautiful Texas weather and all the activities that come with it!
Here’s my list of the Top 10 FREE or Discounted Cultural & Creative Activities for Dallas/Ft. Worth Families…
1. FREE Museum Day is usually the third Saturday in September and it’s the annual Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day LIVE! event, where hundreds of museums across the country offer FREE admission. There are 15+ participating North Texas museums. Go here to see a full list and to download your ticket. Each ticket is valid for two FREE museum passes.
2. The first Saturday of each month the Nasher Sculpture Center is FREE courtesy of Target. They’ve got lots of fun kid-friendly activities, too. Kids are always FREE, but adult admission is regularly $10, so this is a nice deal for the entire family. Check out the details here.
3. If you have a Bank of America credit card, you can receive FREE admission* at more than 150 museums across the country first full weekend of each month.
Check the list of participating museums here. Dallas/Ft. Worth readers you can get FREE admission to the popular Perot Museum! *Only (1) FREE general admission per cardholder
4. The Dallas Museum of Art offers FREE admission every day. Yes, FREE! General admission includes viewing the Museum’s collection galleries and most exhibitions…that’s over 22,000 art pieces! Plus, they offer First Tuesday Pop-Up Art Spot to give kiddos a hands-on experience in the DMA galleries. You can visit the Pop-Up Art Spot for creative writing, playing, and sketching activities inspired by nearby works of art. All ages welcome.
5. Spark! Saturdays is creative fun housed in the sub-basement of South Side on Lamar, where children from 2nd through 12th grade come to play and to learn about the creative process. The 6,000-foot Climb, Crawl, Slide Sculpture and activity center welcomes kids into a world of imaginative activities and play time. There are even pop-up activities: Giant Light Bright, Recycled Art, Chalk Art, Percussion and Poetry Magnets. These events are suitable for kids in 2nd grade through high school. Read more about it HERE. Tickets are regularly $8 per person in advance, or $10 per person at the door, but there’s a Groupon deal right now where you can get One Family Pack: Admittance for Four People for $25 (Reg. $40)
6. Head to the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area to discover animal tracks, deer trails, trees with personality, singing birds, and much more on their monthly nature walk! The hike will last about two hours. There is no fee for this event; however, there is a $5 per vehicle entry fee payable at the gate by cash or check only. No registration is required. For further information call 972.219.3550 Monday through Friday, or 972.219.7980 on weekends.
7. Michaels Kids Club offers FREE or cheap classes regularly. Go HERE to register for upcoming classes.
8. Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics are so fun and I love that the kids get an apron, goggles and patch to take home along with their project…and best of all it’s FREE. They sell the most popular Build and Grow kits for $7.98! So, if you can get in on the FREE clinics, that’s quite a savings, and lots of fun, too!
Registration opens September 12th for the next Lowe’s Kids Clinic on Saturday, September 24th where kids will kick off Fire Safety month and build a FIRE BOAT! Be sure to register your kids as soon as registration opens, as spots tend to fill up fast!
9. Dallas Arboretum offers $5 admission throughout the year. This Labor Day weekend guests will enjoy $5 admission, which includes complimentary admission to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden with the same ticket! This deal is only available at the ticket booth. They’ll also have food deals at the Terrace Café: $2 Hot Dogs and $2 Root Beer Floats. Go HERE for more info.
10. The next “Dollar Day” at the The Dallas Zoo is Wednesday Nov. 23rd. Admission is $1 per person all day and special $1 treats will be available. Parking is $8 per vehicle or you can take DART Red Line directly to the Dallas Zoo Station to avoid traffic and parking.
***BONUS***
And I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite 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.
