Free for Alls

Clint Perry & Free Pancakes

2012-01-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

If you haven't figured it out by now, we are big fans of Clint Perry at our house. I am excited to see that Clint has a new gig at The Landings at Carlsbad, Palomar Airport. You can watch planes takeoff and land while you eat. He'll be playing there this Saturday, January 28th, at 9:30am.

If you are a paid ($10 annual fee) member of the Kids, Movement and Music Meetup, you'll get a coupon for a free pancake for your kid(s). (Don't forget that $10 annual fee will also get you a free download of Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew's album Jelly & Peanut Butter.)

And, wait, there's more. If your child colors in the coloring page of the helicopter found on the coloring pages of the Boo Hoo Crew's website and brings it to the gig on Saturday, you'll get a free song download (or two).

Free admission to Birch Aquarium with Rueben H. Fleet Membership

2012-01-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

I just discovered that Reuben H. Fleet members can get into Birch Aquarium for free through the end of January.

Reuben H. Fleet is the science center in Balboa Park with tons of hands-on exhibits for both kids and adults. Although admission prices are not what I consider low-cost for this website, their membership is affordable for a family. An annual family membership, which includes 2 adults and up to 6 children in the same household, is only $84. That works out to $7/month for the whole family. That's a pretty good deal considering regular adult admission is $11.75 and children ages 3-12 are $9.75. Oh, and that family membership includes 8 IMAX tickets to use during the year.

And although they do not advertise it on their website, you can add a care giver for only $10/year. So if you have a nanny or grandparent who would take your kids, it's a nice option. The add-on membership won't let that person get in for free on their own, but will get them in free with your kids.

If you have young kids, in addition to the hands-on science exhibits, you can also take advantage of Kid City upstairs. My kids can spend hours in Kid City. In fact, I have a post dedicated to Kid City with several pictures.

Birch Aquarium located in La Jolla, is a very nice aquarium. We visited once a couple of years ago and would go more often if it were closer. Daily admission prices are not low-cost ($14 for adults, $9.50 for kids 3-17), but a family membership is $89 which includes 2 adults and 2 children (or grandchildren). That works out to about $7.40 per month, and it includes 4 guest passes. Additional children are $10 each. In addition to the large indoor fish tanks, Birch also has tide pools outdoors where you can learn about and touch the animals. Another exhibit that kids love are the hands-on water tables (where kids can build dams and sail boats), which are now a part of an exhibit called Boundless Energy, which is new since our visit, and looks like it has more hands-on activities related to renewable energy.

Yelp Reviews on Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
Yelp Reviews on Birch Aquarium

Chinese New Year

2012-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year occurs on January 23rd this year. It will commence the Year of the Dragon. In the Chinese zodiac, each year is represented by an animal and there are 12 animals in the zodiac which repeat. I know very little about Chinese New Year and the Chinese zodiac but look forward to learning more about it with my children.

To that end, I've been researching Chinese New Year events around San Diego County. Here is what I have found so far.

Chinese New Year Party at the Encinitas Branch Library on January 18th at 3:30. This free event will feature crafts, stories and snacks!

30th Annual 2012 San Diego Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair in downtown San Diego. This is a free, 2 day, family-friendly festival January 28-29 from 10am-5pm.

Chu Chu the Dragon at Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park. This one isn't on our calendar, but this puppet performance involving a red dragon will run February 1 - 5. See their website for times and prices.

Chinese New Year's Community Celebration at Barnard Elementary on Feb 4 from 11am-3pm. Barnard Elementary is a Mandarin Chinese magnet school located in Point Loma. (Note: this event is listed as TBA on their website, but I got the exact time by e-mailing the school today.)

Ms. Susan's Storytime Schedule

2012-01-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year! It's hard to believe it is 2012 already.

Starting this week, Ms. Susan's storytime schedule at Baby Vie is changing. She will be doing storytime tomorrow, January 2 at 10:30am, but that is the last Monday storytime. Starting this week, January 3 to be exact, storytimes will be Tuesday and Friday mornings at 10:30am.

Hope to see you there!

New Year's Bash at The New Children's Museum

2011-12-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

I don't have this event on the calendar because it doesn't qualify as low-cost, but I thought I'd mention it. The New Children's Museum in downtown San Diego is having a New Year's Bash this Friday, December 30th from 11am to 4pm. Non-member admission is $10 for adults and children over 1 year. One of the bands that will be playing is Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew at 11:30am. This will be the full band, not just Clint and his guitar.

The cool thing is, if you join Clint's Meetup group and pay the $10 annual fee prior to the event, you can get 2 for 1 admission to the event, which includes several other performers as well access to the museum itself. Plus, for paying the Meetup annual fee you'll also get a free download of Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew's album Jelly and Peanut Butter along with other group benefits at their events.

Clint Perry and Food

2011-12-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

What's better than listening to live music with your kids? Eating some good food while you do it.

We saw Clint Perry playing at Capriotti's Sandwich Shop today over in San Marcos. He plays outside in a little fenced in area starting at 11:30 and it was a beautiful day to eat sandwiches outside. Capriotti's is in the food court over by the Edwards Cinema on San Marcos Blvd. We arrived early to order our sandwiches which were brought to us outside at our table while we chatted with Clint before the show. He's been doing the Capriotti's gig for a couple of months, I think, but this is the first time I was able to make it. You can catch him twice at Capriotti's in January on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

If you haven't been to Capriotti's (as we hadn't), they have generous subs and smaller sandwich options, as well as salads. I ordered off the kids menu for the kids. The choices were turkey and cheese (which we ordered), ham and cheese, and grilled cheese. And the sandwiches came with a small apple juice box and Craisins.

I'm also looking forward to him playing a little closer to us starting in January. The second and fourth Mondays in Janauary, Clint will be playing at Panera at North County Fair mall in Escondido at 9:30am. Panera is located near the entrance by JC Penny and has a large outdoor eating area where Clint will be playing. Perfect time of day for a coffee and a bagel while the kids listen to music and stories.

Since both these gigs are outside, Clint many have to cancel due to rain so check his website or his Facebook page if the weather is uncertain those days.

Lights of the Season

2011-12-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

San Diego Family magazine has compiled a great list of all the best neighborhoods for Christmas lights this year. It includes a map for easy reference, along with specific addresses you can use to search for the location online. They have the dates and times the displays are turned on, too. Some only run through the 24th and some run through the end of the year.

Our favorite is Candy Cane Courts in Poway. A bit off the freeway, but worth the drive. We get out and walk with the kids. It gets crowded. One house does Christmas karaoke on their driveway, projecting the words on the garage door and passers-by can sing their favorite songs. My kids love to listen. We heard about it through a friend, but now that we have the map from San Diego Family magazine, we plan to check out a few more neighborhoods.

Check it out here: San Diego Family magazine 2011 Map of Christmas Lights

Christmas Trees and More

2011-11-26T14:57:00.001-08:00

There is no War on Christmas in San Diego County. Nearly every city in the county has a Christmas Parade or tree lighting event planned. I have been updating the Free For Alls calendar with holiday themed events and between now and December 4th, there are over 2 dozen Christmas events. Check back often as we continue to update our calendar.

Santa at Bates Nut Farm

2011-11-25T17:04:00.001-08:00

Starting today and running through Sunday at 3:30 is the Arts 'n Craft Fair at Bates Nut Farm, including a visit from Santa.

Storytime and Arthur Christmas Giveaways

2011-11-21T12:08:00.001-08:00

Ms. Susan is doing her storytime at Baby Vie tomorrow, November 22, at 6pm as she does every week. But this time her marketing friends have some free paraphernalia to give away from the Arthur Christmas movie which comes out on Wednesday. Storytime is always fun with Ms. Susan and who doesn't like free stuff?

Back when Ms. Susan did storytime at Border's, my kids attended a storytime with a movie giveaway event for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A local weatherman came in and the kids got a little zippered pouch with 5 erasers that look like food (a meatball, hamburger, hotdog, donut and a strawberry). My son still plays with the erasers.

Here's a trailer of Arthur Christmas if you haven't seen it.

The Boo Hoo Crew

2011-11-18T14:10:00.001-08:00

Assuming they do not get rained out, Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew will be playing at UTC this Sunday, November 20th at 11am. This will be the whole band, which is quite a treat for my kids. And they will be playing some new tunes, including "Go! Go!" and "Sandy the Beach Dude" which I understand is the Southern California version of Frosty the Snowman. I haven't heard it yet myself. They should be playing outside near the food court. Check their website if it looks like rain.

http://www.boohoocrew.com/

Christmas Events

2011-11-18T13:55:00.001-08:00

Why wait until after Thanksgiving to start celebrating Christmas? It's hard to believe, but there are Christmas themed events starting as soon as tonight.

Tonight starting at 5:30pm, the city of Santee is hosting their Holiday Lighting Celebration at Santee Trolley Square. There will be live music, free kid's activities and a tree lighting ceremony. You can also get photos with Santa for $10, ice skate for $3 or enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride for only $2.

Tomorrow, November 19th, you can check out the San Elijo Holiday Boutique from 10am - 4pm. There will be arts and crafts vendors, food, entertainment and a free children's craft area.

Tomorrow night in Chula Vista is the 5th annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting. This holiday parade is filled with schools, bands, holiday entertainers, community organizations and more and begins with the tree lighting at 6pm on Main St.

After that, you will actually have to wait until after Thanksgiving for more holiday events.

Thanksgiving Events

2011-11-18T13:41:00.001-08:00

Check our calendar for some Thanksgiving\Fall themed events this week, easily identified by their brown and orange color scheme.

Tomorrow morning at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, listen to some stories about Thanksgiving, turkeys and other birds followed by a craft and nature walk.

At 11am tomorrow, the Carlsbad library has Thanksgiving stories and activities for the whole family.

The Lakeshore Learning craft this Saturday is a turkey centerpiece.

Also on Saturday is the Scripps Ranch Farmer's Market & Family Festival to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Pick up some ingredients for Thanksgiving and enjoy the kids' game booths.

Sunday is the Encintas Fall Festival featuring arts and crafts, children's rides and live entertainment.

Also on Sunday, down in El Cajon, is the annual Mother Goose Parade.

And finally, on Monday, down in Balboa Park, for $5 per parent/child pair, check out History for Half-Pints where you can learn about the history of the Thanksgiving turkey, play some turkey games, hear a story and complete a turkey craft.

Rainy Saturday Ideas

2011-11-11T19:40:00.001-08:00

Looks like we are in for a wet weekend! What to do on a rainy San Diego County Saturday? There are plenty of indoor family events going on tomorrow on our calendar. Here are a few highlights.

Down at the North University Library, Clint Perry will be telling stories and singing songs starting at 9:45am. Maybe he will even sing his new song, A Pirate Holiday.

And Lakeshore Learning has their weekly free craft event from 11am-3pm at all locations. Tomorrow's craft is a Silly Scarecrow, perfect for the season.

Barnes & Noble stores in Encinitas, Escondido, and Carmel Mountain all have storytimes at 11am every Saturday.

And in the afternoon from 3:30-5:00pm the Escondido Library has their 2nd Saturday concert series featuring The Folk Collection - singing the classic songs of the 60's folk era.

Rhymes & Reading Storytime at Escondido Library

2011-11-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Merrily Cox storytime on Halloween

Mondays at 11am, Miss Merrily Cox leads an engaging storytime at the Escondido library in the children's area. Geared for ages 3-5, she uses fingerplays and songs to enhance the storytime. She has hoops for the children to sit in and chairs for the parents. My 4 year old enjoyed this event.

In-N-Out Burger’s “Cover to Cover” Reading Incentive Program

2011-11-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Starting this Tuesday, November 8 and running through November 19th, the Carlsbad Library is participating in the In-N-Out Burger "Cover to Cover" Reading Incentive Program. Children age 4-12 who read 5 books can earn a free hamburger or cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger.

See the Carlsbad Library's Event page for details.

Update: I also saw this program listed on the calendar for 4S Ranch Library, part of the San Diego County Library System, so your local library may be participating even if you are not in Carlsbad. If you like burgers, check it out.

Dia de los Muertos

2011-11-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a holiday celebrated in Mexico and throughout the world. It is a time to remember family and friends who have passed away. To learn more about Dia de los Muertos, there are several free events going on today.

Old Town is having a two day celebration with events going on from 11am-8pm both days. In North County, Mission San Luis Rey is having a Dia de los Muertos celebration from 10am-4pm. Although admission is free, on-site parking is $5. And on a smaller scale, the Escondido library is hosting a Dia de los Muertos event at 3:30pm which will include stories, music and special gifts.

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

If you didn't catch any of the many Halloween events over the weekend, there are plenty more today. Starting at 2pm in Chula Vista, there are Trick-or-Treating events throughout the county at malls and shopping centers. They are a safe way to enjoy trick-or-treating during daylight hours with your little ones. Most are open to children 12 and under (in costume), but check the event details on our calendar to verify if there is an age limit. Most local Westfield malls have trick-or-treating at 5pm until candy runs out. And although we've listed many shopping centers through the county that have trick-or-treating this afternoon, many of these events are only publicized at the center themselves, so I suspect there is a shopping center near you with trick-or-treating that is not listed on our calendar.

Encinitas, along the 101, is also having a safe trick-or-treating event from 5-8pm called Pumpkin Lane. There will be carved pumpkins, activities at the Lumber Yard, as well as treats from local merchants.

Or if you are downtown, Little Italy is hosting Trick-or-Treat on India Street from 5:30 - 7:30pm, with a costume parade at 7:00pm.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Sing Along and Music Palooza Halloween Party

2011-10-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, October 27th, join Elenah for a potluck Halloween Party and Music Palooza. Wear your costume and bring a treat to share while singing some Halloween songs.

Elenah, a generous and musical mom to two beautiful girls in North County, has been offering a free Sing Along and Music Palooza at Lakeview Park (next to Discovery Lake in San Marcos) for over 5 years. She brings instruments for the kids and song lists for the parents. She is currently leading her Sing Along every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 10am, rain or shine. She does occasionally cancel due to illness, but you can check the Sing Along and Music Palooza at Lakeview Park in San Marcos Facebook page for last minute changes.

Lakeview Park has a nice tot-size playground with sand and on warm days, there is a splash fountain for the kids to cool off. There is a path along the lake and if you bring some old bread, you can feed the ducks from the dock on the lake.

Toddler Yoga and Storytime

2011-10-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you like yoga but find it hard to fit in with having a toddler, you might want to check out Erin Noland's Toddler Yoga and Storytime at the RB Library. You can find her every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 11:15am-12:00pm. There are songs, stories and of course yoga for parents and kids ages 1-4. It is free and open to everyone.

I first met Erin when I took a Mommy & Me yoga class that she taught at Pomerado Hospital shortly before my son's 1st birthday. It was a great class that included my son in many of the poses and helped me lose some baby weight. Erin herself just had a baby girl in August, but has recently started teaching yoga again. Although she's had substitute teachers for her classes for a few months, you'll find her back at RB Library this Thursday. You can find out more about the other classes she offers on her Facebook page.

Halloween Events this weekend

2011-10-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

We now have over 50 Halloween events on our calendar! And our event list is far from comprehensive.

If your kids can't wait to put on their Halloween costumes, they needn't wait much longer. The fun starts this Friday morning with a spooky toddler storytime at the Carmel Mountain Ranch library. Later on Friday, there are some family-friendly Halloween carnivals with activities for a nominal cost.

There is a Halloween parade and carnival on Saturday in San Diego and a costume contest out at Bates Nut Farm (which has a pumpkin patch going on through Halloween, open 9am-5pm every day). If you are a nature enthusiast, you might enjoy taking your kids trick-or-treating along the Haunted Hike nature trail at the San Elijo Lagoon, going on both Saturday and Sunday. Or check out the Camp Fire San Diego sponsored CaHiTo Spooktacular for nominal admission rates of $1 per child and $2 per adult.

Up in Oceanside on Sunday, you can check out some Halloween HiJinks at Heritage Park.

Halloween Events

2011-10-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

I started researching Halloween events and trick-or-treating and I can't believe how many free and lost cost activities there are throughout San Diego County for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. There are nearly 40 events on the calendar now! And that is just for family and kid-friendly events. Look for the black and orange color scheme to find Halloween and Dia de los Muertos themed events.

Many local attractions such as the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Legoland, and Birch Aquarium have Halloween themed events that are free with admission. But there are dozens of free and low cost options as well, starting as soon as this coming Friday. There is so much going on, I'll break it down into multiple posts. But you can check the calendar now to start making plans for your family. Some events are specifically for Halloween, but I've also changed the coloring on recurring events, like the Lakeshore Learning craft, that have special Halloween themes close to Halloween.

Post-Summer Reading Programs

2011-10-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

I thought reading programs only happened in the summer, but I just found out about the Escondido Library's Fall into Reading Kids Club. The program, for children grades K-6, runs October 10 - November 19, 2011. After reading 10 hours, your child writes a short blog entry about the best book they read, and then they can to go the library to pick up their prize. Kids can sign up and track their hours online at http://library.escondido.org/fall-into-reading.aspx.

While at the library, I also picked up a form for a Rewards for Reading Program from The Old Spaghetti Factory. You can't sign up on line for this one, but your library may have forms at the children's desk. Kids just need to list 5 books they read and get a signature from a parent, guardian, teacher or librarian. Then take the completed form to an Old Spaghetti Factory for a free kid's meal. You will need to purchase one adult meal per free kids meal. The offer is valid through June 30, 2012 for kids age 10 and under.

Does your library have a Fall reading program? If so, let me know!

Happy Reading!

Ms. Susan and Clint Perry

2011-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 17th, two of my kids' favorite storytime/music entertainers are teaming up at Baby Vie. As I mentioned previously, Ms. Susan, who used to do storytime at Borders in Carmel Mountain, is now doing storytime 3 times a week at Baby Vie, a baby and maternity boutique on Scripps Poway Parkway. Well, on Monday, Clint Perry, of Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew, will be joining Ms. Susan at storytime. It turns out that Clint Perry used to take his own kids to Ms. Susan once upon a time and he'll be joining her to play along with all the songs your kids enjoy singing with Ms. Susan, as well as playing a few of his own songs. Should be a great show! Join them Monday, the 17th at 10:30am.

Barnes & Noble Escondido Storytime Update

2011-10-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Barnes & Noble in Escondido has canceled their Wednesday storytime but has added a storytime on Fridays. They now have storytime in the children's section on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11am. On Thursdays, Tanya will most likely be reading some Elephant and Piggie books, my kids' favorite series by Mo Willems. Enjoy!

Storytime stage at Escondido Barnes & Noble