Austin. Mom. Blog. » free

Fall Fun Festival at Old Settlers Park

Dianna — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:39:30 +0000

October is filled with fun events. I love this time of year. It’s the beginning of all the holidays and nice cool weather. The one event I will definitely take my four year old to is the Fall Fun Festival in Old Settlers Park located in Round Rock, Texas. It’s on Thursday, October 28th from 9 a.m. to 11:30. We have attended this event for three years in a row. My six year old has outgrown the event since it’s geared toward preschoolers and toddlers. Fortunately Andrew (my six year old) will be in school and won’t realize he’s missing out. It’s a free event that includes treat bags, games, a hay ride, a chance to see a fire truck up close, and refreshments. They encourage the children to come in costume. It’s also encouraged to bring a canned item to donate to the Round Rock Serving Center. I’m a little sad that this will be my last year of getting to participate in the event. My little boy is growing up. I will just have to treasure it.

Interstate Lanes in Round Rock

Dianna — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:02:39 +0000

I’m not sure how we got the information about “free bowling,” but today we tried it out. Interstate Lanes in Round Rock is offering a free game of bowling for kids ranging from pre-k to 12th grade. The kids get one free game each day from May 15, 2010 until August 31,2010. The shoe rental is not included. The fee is $1.50. This offer was totally worth the drive for us since our two boys only last one game. On Interstate Lanes’ website there is a summer fun card that must be printed out to bring for the free game. We had no problem using the print out copy of the card. Mondays are discount days so this might be a routine on Mondays for the summer. We all had a delightful time and look forward to going again.

KidFish at Lake Pflugerville

Dianna — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:34:45 +0000

There will be a “KidFish” at Lake Pflugerville this Saturday, June 5th from 9 to 12. Our family hasn’t had the chance to experience this event, but I will definitely let everyone know how it goes. From what I read, the idea behind “Kid Fish” is for children to appreciate the sport of fishing. Also, they hope that children respect the environment and its natural resources. On the city of Pflugerville’s website there is a registration form that needs to be filled out to participate in the event. The form is to be taken to the event on Saturday. It is a free event, but I was told by the recreation department of Pflugerville that if you make a donation, the participant can receive a t-shirt or trophy. I wasn’t told how much the donation had to be. So, my guess is if it’s $100, I will have to pass. Either way it sounds fun and since Andrew loves to fish, we will definitely be there.

Free Family Summer Movies

Dianna — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:07:03 +0000

Last year I was informed of free family movies during the summer. Fortunately, Regal Entertainment Group is providing the same this summer. On specific dates Lakeline Cinemas, Westgate 11, and Arbor @ Great Hills are offering families to attend free movies at 10 a.m. It’s a great way to fill in the calendar with things to do. The movies are not new releases, but it’s a great way to try out the theater experience with the kids. That was my thought last year. I wanted to see if my boys would sit still through a movie. Collin (which was 3 at the time) had a hard time. I had to bring reinforcements. I brought a lollipop. We only went once last summer, but plan to try out more this year. So, if you’re like me and want to get out of the Texas heat every once in awhile, this whole “free movie” is worth it.

Movies in the Park

Dianna — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:24:25 +0000

We have never got to experience a movie in the park yet, but plan to on Friday, June 4th. In Round Rock at Old Settlers Park there will be a showing of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” Activities start at 7:30, but the movie will start at dark. According to the Round Rock website there will be a concession stand. The movie and parking are free. I do not know how much the snacks at the stand will be. I will definitely write about how our experience was.

Austin Nature & Science Center

Dianna — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:41:57 +0000

Austin Nature & Science Center is one of Austin’s hidden treasures. I honestly didn’t know it existed until six months ago. We were looking for something different to do and came across Austin Nature & Science Center. To get there, you really need to have directions. It’s located on Stratford Drive and if you aren’t looking for it, you might pass it by. Once we finally found the Center it was worth the confusion. First, I must say it’s totally FREE. There are several animals to see. Our boys’ favorite was the raccoon. There’s also a cute little fox. Keep in mind this isn’t a zoo, so don’t expect to see a lot of animals. The next area we went to was the Dino Pit. The boys loved it. There’s four areas with sand, shovels, and buckets that the kids can play with and uncover bones. This is where we spent the majority of our time. To clean the sand off, there’s a small stream you can get your feet wet and rinse your hands. Our boys always seem to have fun when water is involved. You might want to pack extra clothes in case they get too wet. The center also has a naturalist workshop. Their motto is “please touch.” You can touch anything from snake’s skin to fossils. The boys enjoyed looking through a microscope at different slides. On certain days you are able to bring in one of your findings and trade it for something else. When the weather is nice and not so cold we plan to visit again.

Lights of Love 5K benefiting Ronald McDonald House

Dianna — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:46:50 +0000

I got informed of an event on December 4th. It’s a free family event. The event is called McDonald’s Lights of Love 5K.

It’s at Mueller Hangar at 5:00 p.m. The event is a 5K run, walk, or jog benefiting Ronald McDonald House. You do not have to participate in the run to enjoy the event. First, it’s for a good cause. Second, we won’t be cooped up inside. Third, why not? We will definitely be there.

December 4, at the open-air Mueller Hangar. It is a totally family friendly event.

Zilker Botanical Garden

Dianna — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:50:17 +0000

It was a great family day. The boys were great, the weather was great, and the view was great. When I say the view, I mean the Zilker Botanical Garden. We originally hadn’t planned on going there, but on a whirlwind ended up there. We wanted to take advantage of the outdoors. The boys both were off school due to the holiday. They are at the perfect age to appreciate the beautiful gardens and scenery. It was like an adventure for them. In each corner was either a plant, flower, rock, or some sort of nature. It’s free to visit. If you haven’t already seen the Garden, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who lives in Austin or is visiting.

Free Kids Workshop at Home Depot

Dianna — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:23:49 +0000

It was a great Saturday. I felt like a productive mom today. I took the boys to the kids workshop at Home Depot (in which I will go into detail later), we went and ate at Chick-fil-a, went to the park, visited my mom, and ended the day playing with the neighborhood kids. It was a filled day.

The first Saturday of each month Home Depot has a free kids’ workshop at their locations from 9 to 12. My oldest son has ten pins on his home depot apron so I believe we have been participating for ten months now. It is a totally free workshop for the recommended ages of 5 to 12. Each month is a different project. Today we made a trivet. I usually only bring my oldest son, but decided to bring my youngest also. My youngest son doesn’t like to stay still for long. However; he did very well today. I believe it was because the project didn’t take as long. It was a simple project, but I still did not get it correct. The project consisted of four wooden pieces and I didn’t line them up right. The boys didn’t notice, but I did. When I got home, my husband noticed also. Oh well… The boys worked together on it, had smiles on their faces, and we got an end result. That’s all that truly matters. Home Depot’s goal on these projects is for families to have family time. I believe they have been successful. My oldest son looks forward to these projects and treasures the pin and certificate he receives after the completion of the project. Today my youngest son also seemed happy about the completion. My husband works weekends so he isn’t able to participate, but I really wish he could. I think it would be easier for him to follow the written instructions. I seem to end up having extra pieces at the end. I’m told that’s not supposed to happen. Fortunately, my brother is able to take my son sometimes. Before the event, home depot has a posting on what the project will be and I thought it looked easy enough for me to get. I guess not. The next project looks even harder, so I’m hoping my brother will be able to step in. I really think this is a cool event that home depot has for the kids and totally recommend it.

Skyridge Plaza Festival

Dianna — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:39:10 +0000

Today we decided to check out the event at Skyridge Plaza in Round Rock. I’m not a fan of crowds or lines so we went at 10:00 when it started. That was the perfect time to go. That first hour the crowds and lines were minimal. Everything was free except for the pony rides for $5.00. It was a fairly small event, but perfect for my three year old and five year old. We lasted two hours and that was perfect. The activites included a petting zoo, face painting, balloons, inflatables, and a cake walk in which the prizes were pretty generous considering it was a free event. We would definitely go again next year.