Free Bowling

There are several programs that are lined up at bowling allies across the United States and Canada that will provide free bowling for children during the summer. One such program can be found at Kidsbowlfree.com. They have a complete list of participating bowling centers in a wide range of states and kids can get up to two free games of bowling per day during the summer.

The absolute best part is that when you sign up directly on their site to be included in the program, you are given the opportunity to purchase a family pass for $24.95, which provides up to 4 adults with 2 free games per day for the whole summer too. That is an incredible value. Technically, that means all children and up to four adults in the family could bowl two games per day all summer long and it will never cost more than $24.95! Of course, the parents can always sit out and let the kids go for free too.

Free Movies

There are two main movie promotions that theaters put out each summer for free or super cheap movies. The first is through Regal Theaters and is their Family Film Festival. At participating theaters every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am, you can see a different movie for free. Go here to check your state for start dates, end dates and a list of movies that will be shown.

The second movie program used to be free, but now charges a $1 per person per movie and proceeds go to the Will Rogers Institute so it is still a great deal! The AMC Theater Summer MovieCamp is held every Tuesday at 10am during the summer and a different movie is shown each week. Go here to see the movie lineup and here to see a list of participating theaters.

Public Library Summer Programs


While there is no specific link I can give you that will go over the summer programs for every library in every state, I can tell you that most public libraries do have some sort of summer program. Some have weekly incentive programs where children can come in and get a stamp or small prize in exchange for having read books, others have particular days in which they have story time and some even have full fledged camp-like programs that run for a few hours each day.

Our public library is one of the few that has a free summer camp program that lasts from 1-3pm each weekday in the summer. Parents must be present, but the themes include mad science and art appreciation. Your local library may also have computers the children can use and a fun reading or play area where they can find more free entertainment during the summer.

I hope this helped some of you come up with ideas on how to keep the kids busy during the summer. I know it can me hard to keep them entertained without breaking the bank, but these are some attractive alternatives.