Free Activities

We’re always looking for something budget friendly to do – especially during the day. Here’s some solutions we’ve come up with so far to keep us entertained! I will continue to add to this article as more ideas come to mind! Check back

• A trip to your local bookstore – we’re big fans of the Barnes and Noble at the Edgewood Retail Center in Atlanta.  The exact address is 1250 Caroline Street, Atlanta GA 30307. We love this particular store because it has a dedicated children’s area, a train table and it’s within walking distance of Petco. Some bookstores even have their own story times.
• A trip to your local pet store – Trips to pet stores with animals are always fun for children – especially if you can interact with the animals. Although children over a certain age may think this is a trip to get a new pet. Uh-oh.
• Going for Hikes or nature walks – Going for a hike or a nature walk with a new walker sounds like a daunting challenge but it’s actually really a ton of fun. If you go for walks with a group called Hike It Baby, it’s even more fun. There are chapters in different areas of the city with hikes in many of the different parks. Some hikes are short, some are day-trips and some are toddler-led. Many of the hikes can be taken with a baby in a carrier which makes it a great escape for the parents too. You can learn more about Hike It Baby here.
• Splashpads – A great way to cool off in the summer are splashpads. There are many splashpads located throughout the Atlanta area with new ones being constructed as well. Access to Splashpads are usually free (the splashpad at the zoo, for instance, requires a fee) and usually located within a park. That’s a two for one!
• Children’s Museum of Atlanta – On the second Tuesday of every month, the Children’s Museum admission is free from 1pm – 6pm.  Please note that parking is not free for this museum.
• Plane Watching – Watching the planes take off at Doc Magnet Memorial Aviation Park at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport (PDK) is very fun. Small planes take off within excellent viewing range of the small playground. If you’re hungry there is even a restaurant nearby overlooking the runway.
• Library Story Time – Story times happen at all different hours at all different locations throughout the city. Some story times are fit for younger (just crawling, for instance) all the way up to preschoolers. Story time is a great way to interact with other children and for parents to meet other parents.  The best way to find times and dates for storytime is to check with your local library.
• Mall Events – Some malls have special children only events that happen on set days and times of the week. Atlantic Station has something called Tot Spot that happens every Tuesday throughout the summer from 10-12pm. With the events, come specials for children at neighboring restaurants. Avalon in Alpharetta has a similar event from March-October.
• Indoor Playgrounds – While most indoor playgrounds have a fee to enter, Superior Play Systems offers free access to their play equipment two days a week – Wednesday and Friday between 10am – 1pm. You can find Superior Play Systems in Norcross and Alpharetta. More information is located here
• Farmers Markets – A great way to get your shopping done and let your children experience new things is to show them the farmers markets. Our favorite is the Your Dekalb Farmers Market (YDFM) which has every piece of produce you can imagine. There are many different sights, smells and lots of action. Plus it’s also very budget friendly! Lots of farmers markets happen on the weekend mornings with times and locations varying by town.
• Walking around the Mall:  The usual standby idea for new moms, many malls in the area are much less crowded during the week during the day. Many malls also have play areas for little ones  like the Mall of Georgia for instance.
• Church playgroups – check with your local church regarding free playgroups. Our local playgroup, for instance, meets every Wednesday at 9:30am.
• Playdates – Looking for playdates can sometimes be difficult. Meetup.com is great website that can connect you with other parents in your area looking to set up playdates. You can also search by common interests, religion, lifestyle or location.