Tired of shelling out a lot of money to get the kids out of the house and do something new? There are plenty of free and cheap things to do that the internet doesn't tell you about. You just have to think outside the box.
1. Take a trip on MARTA. Kids ride free. This can be fun for those toddlers and younger grade-school kids and there is no having to find airport or downtown parking. We started at North Springs Station near Alpharetta and my son who happens to love trains enjoyed riding through the city. Once we arrived at the Atlanta airport he got to see the hustle and bustle of one of the country's busiest airports. The thrill of watching the airplanes take off and land kept him well-entertained. Often you will find visuals from local points of interest throughout the main terminal on display. When we were there, The Fernbank Museum of Natural History had a skeleton of a huge dinosaur. When he asked what he did that weekend he said, "Went to the airport and saw a dinosaur!". On the way back from the airport we stopped off at Centennial Olympic Park which is another free attraction. There are two playgrounds and open space to run around. Plenty of shade trees and benches for enjoying a picnic all in the heart of downtown. Kids love seeing all the buildings; CNN Center, Phillips Arena, Georgia Aquarium, and The Coca-Cola Museum, just to name a few.
www.centennialpark.com , www.itsmarta.com
2. Visit the Fernbank Science Center in Decatur. Many people don't realize that it is located near the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and that admission and parking is FREE. They have a lot of things on display in their exhibit hall including living creatures. Take a voyage to outer space in the planetarium that offers several different shows throughout the day. Ticket prices for planetarium shows are $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for students and seniors. A meteorology lab and Aerospace lab are also housed there. They also have live chickens outside near the rose garden and the Fernbank forest offers a shady walk and a little education on your way to a pond. Check out their wbsite for operating ours and lists of events. At our last visit they were televising the last Shuttle launch by NASA in the planetarium. It was great to create that memory of being a part of history for my kids. http://fsc.fernbank.edu/visitors.htm
3. Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland. Head north to the home of the original Cabbage Patch dolls. The hospital has been in Cleveland since the early 80's and opened up a brand new facility on a sprawling piece of land not too far from their original location. They are open seven days a week and admission is FREE. You can stay as long as you like to tour the facility. I have been going there since 1987. There are new baby's born the the cabbage patch every hour. Make sure you stop to witness a mama cabbage give birth and feel free to yell out a name for the new baby and the labor nurse just might select your choice. http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com
4. North Point Mall in Alpharetta Carousel, Kiddie rides and upgraded soft play area.When it's raining, too hot or too cold to go to the park but you need your kids to burn off some energy without paying for admission to one of those indoor inflatable centers, take them to the North Point Mall. The soft play area was totally remodeled and offers plenty of comfortable seating for parents. Have a handful of change in your pocket so your kids can each have a go on one of the coin operated kiddie rides or spend a few dollars on a more memorable ride on the full sized carousel complete with music and shining lights. Town Center mall in Kennesaw also has a soft play area and $3 Train rides.
5. Here are several other free and cheap things you can do for more fun unique to Georgia. Search for details online about...Marietta Fire Museum, Marietta Square and locomotive playground, Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park, Heroes of Sandy Springs Museum, Peachtree Dekalb Airport playground and observation deck, Pick Your Own fruit at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge Georgia, $10 gets a carload into Stone Mountain Park to enjoy the non-commercial and quieter side of the park.
EATING OUT on the cheap: Everyone knows that at IHOP kids eat free at certain times of the day. There is another family friendly place we sometimes forget about and that is Steak N' Shake. They send out some great coupons in the circulars and Kids eat free ALL weekend! That leaves money leftover for those milkshakes your kids will beg you for!
**If you know of some free and cheap things to do in your area of town please feel free share them!
