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It's $5 day at the zoo Sunday
Load up the kids and get to the Lowry Park Zoo early on Sunday because the $5 Day at the Zoo deal only comes along a couple times a year and it’s hugely popular. The crowds are often three times their usual size because everyone gets in for $5 — instead of the usual $23.95 adult admission — on Sunday starting at 9:30 a.m. You still have to pay for extra for some rides and experiences, like feeding a giraffe or riding a camel that can cost $1 to $5 each.
You get lots of exotic animals, from penguins to tigers to manatees, but the kids can also have fun in the splash play area (wear water shoes).
What I have done is give each kid a set amount, $5-$10, and let them choose how to spend it. That usually ends up being one or two rides and one hand-feeding of a giraffe and then we move on to the exhibits. Even on a busy day like this you can see whatever you want, but prepare to be patient while waiting for the crowds to move on. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with your kids
We can see our very own dolphin movie star at a free screening on the beach, or take advantage of low light for star gazing or see what artists have done to turn PODS into a portal into their imagination. We have these and more are cheap family diversions this week. Read on for more:
A hometown hero is the star of the free movie Friday on Clearwater Beach. Dolphin Tale tells the story of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s own Winter, the dolphin with the prosthetic tail. Bring blankets, low lawn chairs or towels. Movie starts at dusk. Concessions for sale; no alcohol. 10 Pier 60 Drive, Clearwater Beach. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids
This week brings the return of Monster Jam, a spy exhibit lurks, there's a $2 admission deal at a children's museum and all kinds of trucks will be available to climb on as we peruse all the free and cheap things you can do with kids.
Monster Jam roars back on Saturday. Giant custom-designed trucks crush lesser cars and even school buses in competition. Go early for tailgating and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and get a close-up view of the trucks and meet the drivers. Free Pit Passes will be available at participating Southern Ford Dealers through Saturday, while supplies last. $15-$35. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Toll-free 1-800-745-3000. 7 p.m. Saturday. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids
There's some great family-friendly diversions to choose from this week if you want to avoid the crowds of Gasparilla, from the folksy Kumquat Festival to free movies on the beach to a park filled with all manner of trucks and even a tank for kids to climb on. Read on for more:
It’s shark mania at this week’s free Sunset Cinema at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. Bring blankets, low lawn chairs or towels to plop on Clearwater Beach and watch free movies. Friday features the PG-rated film Shark Tale with the voice of Will Smith and Saturday features the PG-rated film about a shark attack victim, Soul Surfer. Concessions for sale. No alcohol. Free. Pier 60, 10 Pier 60 Drive, Clearwater Beach. (727) 434-6060. Shows start around dusk. ... Read more
Kids can see pirate ballet for $10
A new $10 ticket price for children 12 and under is available for Gaspar: A Pirate Fantasy, the swashbuckling ballet on stage Sunday at Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
"It's a family friendly event and the $10 ticket price is designed for kids to enjoy the Gaspar Ballet," said Sharon Sanchez, Gaspar executive producer.
The swashbuckling ballet features beautiful ballerinas, handsome pirates, daredevil swordfighters, acrobats and romance. It tells the tale of Jose Gaspar, Tampa's most famous pirate. Principal dancers from Philadelphia will perform lead roles with local dancers taking part as supporting cast. A KidsFest taking place in conjunction with the show will offer a magician, face painting, pirates, art/coloring centers and a visit with ballet dancers from Gaspar Ballet, one hour after the show in the lobby of Ferguson Hall. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids this week
Monster trucks roar into Raymond James Stadium, the kids take over Gasparilla and a new family area opens up in the botanical gardens. We have these and more family-friendly (and wallet-friendly) suggestions in this week's list of free and cheap things to do with your kids:
I have never hidden my fondness for Monster Jam. What's not to love? First there's the meet and greet with the drivers and pictures next to the trucks. It's an amazing sight when you see a grown man isn't as tall as one of those wheels. Then there's the tailgating with the other families before the show starts and then the metal crunching begins. Despite all the testosterone, it's a very G-rated, family friendly event. Monster Jam is so popular here, it's coming twice. First up is this Saturday and then again on Feb. 4. Why is it so popular? Because it’s loud and the trucks fly 200 feet into the sky and it’s awesome when Grave Digger soars through the air and lands on a motor home and it explodes like a confetti cannon. That's why. It's also affordable. Tickets start at $15.
The kids take over Gasparilla this Saturday. There's lots of beads and even the pirate Jose Gaspar himself this year at the Children's Gasparilla Parade. Never been? Check out our insider tips and the day's schedule here. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids this week
We've got kites flying over Treasure Island, high-stepping marching bands in town for the MLK Day parades and even a Festival of Chocolate. Lots to do this weekend and not all of it will cost a fortune
Watch some of the best multiline kite flyers from all over the country compete in aerial ballets and perform tricks that seem to defy the laws of physicsat the Treasure Island Kite Festival this weekend, left . There will be three rings of constant entertainment from demonstrators flying kites as big as houses, to candy drops for kids and kite skill games. It starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday behind the Bilmar Beach Resort, 10650 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids
Back to reality. If money's tight, you can still find some free and cheap diversions for the kids this week, from the highly anticipated rowing regatta, to dogs dressed in pirate costumes, see magnificent stallions in training or help the Dali Museum celebrate a surreal first birthday. Read on for more: ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids this week
Happy New Year! One of our resolutions is to be more mindful of spending, and what better way than free and cheap things to do with the kids? Spending time, not spending money, is the most important thing. And this week we have lots of kid-friendly New Year's options, as well as a parade for the Outback Bowl, a $2 museum deal and more. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids
There's no getting out of it now, the holidays are breathing down our increasingly-tense necks. But how about looking at it this way: With family visiting this is a marvelous time to stop and pay attention to how much fun they can be. Luckily, we have lots of wallet-friendly ways to spend some time together, whether it's taking in a free concert, seeing free movies on the beach or painting alongside circus elephants, you don't have to spend a lot to be richly rewarded. ... Read more
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THE AUTHORS
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com