Today while we were enjoying the $1 Carnival at Emerald Hills we realised that we have that kid. We have the kid that the ride operator has to stop the ride for because she won’t keep her safety belt on. You guessed it. Our three year old has learned that she has a newfound skill, unbuckling everything. Her carseat, her sister’s carseat and now carnival rides.
It was a great day full of activities at Emerald Hills, the new shopping destination in Sherwood Park. You can find Wal-Mart, Winners, Addition Elle, Ardene, Warehouse One and Bath and Body Works right here in Sherwood Park. Plus, it’s only in phase one, phase 2 is going to bring even more stores. To celebrate the grand opening there was a dollar Carnival with all of the proceeds going to Saffron house. For under twenty bucks, the little had a couple of hours of fun.
Frugal activities like this are a great way take advantage of everything that Edmonton has to offer for kids without breaking the bank. Here are five ways that you can plan fun activities with the family, on the cheap:
Fundraising Events
There are often lots of fundraising events for different organizations where tickets to the waterpark at West Edmonton Mall or Galaxyland are on sale for only $5-10. These events are a great way to get in to the waterpark or Galaxyland without spending upwards of a hundred bucks. Without coupons and promotions these places aren’t cheap. We took Olivia before the baby was born as a ‘special day out’ and it cost us $80 for the three of us. A complete waste for a toddler and an eight month pregnant mama! The $5 events are listed all the time on Kijiji, search for waterpark on the popular classified website.
Grand Opening Events
Just like the great event today where the $1 carnival rides went to Charity, there are tons around the city. Whether you are going to the grand opening events of shopping centers, or of local businesses there are lots of kid friendly activities, and they are often free of charge. Listen to the radio, check local event websites and even follow your favorite Edmonton businesses to find out the information.
Check out City and Baby
Every single weekend there is a great weekend guide that is listed over at City and Baby. The weekend guide gives you a list of the best things to check out that weekend for kids and there are lots of cheap and free activities. For activities that aren’t free, consider bringing your own snacks and beverages to save a bit more.
Free Activities at Local Stores
A lot of the local Chapters stores host free story times with a craft on Saturday afternoons. These free activities are a great way to get free gift cards for Chapters too, as kiddos get a card when they attend them and a card with five stamps means a $5 gift card to spend in-store. Toys R Us is another store that frequently hosts free make it and take it events where you can build something in-store and bring it home. Lastly, Michaels offers weekend and evening activities that are free or around two bucks and are hosted for kids to make a craft to take home.
Use Coupons and Promotions
There are coupons for everything from Build a Bear to the Edmonton Corn Maze. Follow your favorite businesses through their social media pages or coupons found in local Entertainment Book or the SUTP book to get half off of admission.
Buy Annual Passes
Buying annual passes can save you big - especially for something like the Valley Zoo or TWoS, going just a few times to the popular attractions and the pass pays for itself. Check out the annual pass and consider it a great way to take advantage of the local attractions (especially when it comes to avoid getting stir crazy in the winter!
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