"Free Fun" Friday - Guide to a Cheap Weekend!

Big Fun this weekend for NO (or a little) money!
Opening This Weekend!

SAT: Six Flags White Water : open 10-7pm, 250 Cobb Pkwy N., Marietta; Season Pass Special Online: 2 park (Six Flags & White Water) season passes for $99!

SAT: “Spray ‘n Play” @ Riverside Park: Stay cool in the sprayground area this summer! Open 10-7pm, closed Tuesdays; Daily fee $1 per person; adults free if not getting wet. Summer Passes available. 575 Riverside Road, 770-594-6158

Free Stuff:
FRI: "Cheap Date" Night - Glover Park Evening Concert Series: Go Retro with the sounds of the 70's & 80's  by "The Neon's".   Bring a blanket and enjoy a free concert. Tonight's listen to Historic Marietta Square ; 8pm; FREE, (770) 794-5601. Pick up a "Grab-N-Go Concert Cooler" this afternoon from Harry's Farmer's Market full of delicious tapas!

SAT&SUN: Atlanta History Center – Facebook Fan FREE Admission Weekend – visit Atlanta History Center's Facebook Page and print coupon for 2 free adult admissions under the “About Us” tab. Read our “Beyond Cobb” page to find our tips on bringing kids to AHC. On Sunday, they are having a special event for Memorial Day!
SAT: Barnes & Nobles Storytime at 11am; Town Center Prado

SAT: Lowe’s Build & Grow Workshop – bring the kids to any area Lowe’s to build a Bi-Plane from 10-12 ; best to pre-register but can walk-in:

SAT: Craft at Lakeshore Learning Store from 11-3, Drop-in to make a kid-safe “Look at Me Mirror!”, 4287 Roswell Road, 30062;

SAT: Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day at Centennial Olympic Park. This month’s Family Fun Day theme is “Flights and Kites”. May 28. Noon-4 p.m. 265 Park Ave. West, Atlanta. 404-543-7407. Free

SAT: Summer Outdoor Movie Series at Riverside Park in Roswell: Festivities begin at 7:00 (movies begin at dark). Bring a picnic along with your lawn chairs and blankets, enjoy great music, play on the playgrounds, and then settle in for "Despicable Me". Food and drinks may also be purchased at the concession stand. 575 Riverside Road, Roswell

SAT: Another Date Night Opp - Glover Park Symphony Saturday: Bring a blanket and enjoy a free concert. Tonight listen the sounds of the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Jazz Band. Historic Marietta Square ; 8pm; FREE, (770) 794-5601.

SUN: Molly’s Star Whirler Craft at the American Girl Store at Northpoint Mall: You favorite little girl can say “Hurray for the USA!” just like Molly did in her day. Drop-in craft session for girls 8 and up to make a patriotic star whirler. American Girl Store, Northpoint Mall, 1202 North Point Circle, Alpharetta

Cheap Fun!FRI-SUN: Movies at The Picture Show, 4400 Roswell Rd., Marietta; several G-PG movies showing this weekend, seats are $1.75! www.movies.com

SAT: End of School Play Day at Chattahoochee Nature Center ; Have fun with hula hoops, Frisbees, parachutes and sidewalk chalk. Make your own bubbles and much more from 1-4 p.m., 9135 Willeo Rd., Roswell. 770-992-2055. FREE with admission :$8/adults; $5; children 3-12, under 2, free.

Memorial Day Celebrations:

SAT-MON: Memorial Day Celebrations at Stone Mountain Park:Stone Mountain park honors our troops and their families, in a three-day celebration of American spirit at Atlanta's largest Memorial Day Weekend celebration. All active and retired military personnel will receive one FREE Adventure Pass with valid ID and will save up to $10 off per person for immediate family members along with other special offers. Laser Show with Fireworks Saturday, Sunday & Monday Night! Check online for more info about their Memorial Day Celebrations !

SUN & MON: Free Memorial Day Events at Kennesaw Mountain Park Free events Sunday and Monday include artillery demonstrations - cannon firings at 11am, noon, 2pm and 3pm at the Visitor Center Field. Veteran's uniform display through Monday, 9 to 4, in the visitor center

SUN: Veterans Remembrance Day at The Atlanta History Center : 12-5 pm, visitors interact with both veterans and living history interpreters who represent the various branches of the United States Armed Forces. Listen to stories about battles and military strategies; displays of authentic dress, equipment, and vehicles, authentic WWII jeeps and other wartime memorabilia. Vintage Vocals will perform favorite tunes from WWI on (the group has performed overseas with the USO). ** FB Fan FREE admission weekend (see above)

SUN: “We Will Never Forget”: Patriotic concert to celebrate to our veterans and first responders. Program followed by ice cream social. Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 4385 Lower Roswell Road. 6:00 PM Nursery is available for this event, but registration is required. Please contact Debbie Ruth - (770) 971-2588.

SUN: Salute the US Armed Forces with the Cobb Wind Symphony at Kell High School Performing Arts Center, 4770 Lee Waters Road. FREE; 3PM

MON: "Roswell Remembers" Memorial Day Event: Roswell hosts the largest Memorial Day Event in Georgia on the grounds of City Hall. 617 Atlanta St.,Roswell, 10-4pm Check online for program schedule, directions and parking info

Make Time for Fun this Summer!

I am SO ready for summer. I am over the homework, the volunteering, the fundraising...I need the break. I am ready to throw away papers, sift through all the "art”, clear the school year clutter! I am looking forward to lazy summer days, swimming at the pool, just hanging out...but wait, I still need a PLAN! Here are few ideas on how to survive summer while having fun.

Talk to your family about what they would like to do and create a summer “bucket-list”.  The activities don’t have to be grandiose. It could as simple as taking a hike at Kennesaw Mountain or roasting marshmallows one night. Each summer one of my “goals” is to make a stepping stone with my children's hand prints and my kids have been talking about “camping” in the backyard.  If you need some inspiration to get the brainstorming going, check out About.com’s 100 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids and Parents.


Figure out what’s in the budget. It’s fun to dream but this is the real world so maybe the 14-day Disney cruise your preschooler suggested is out of the question. There are so many free and cheap things to do around town. Roswell has a really fun “spray-ground” at Riverside Park which only costs a $1 per person (opens May 28^th!) This is a really fun way to stay cool! Consider purchasing family memberships to your favorite places…they may seem pricey at first but usually if you tally up the cost of your family going at least 2x in a year, it saves money. It will also encourage you to go more often and you will be less hurried to explore since you know you don’t have to squeeze in all the fun in one visit!  The Cobb Libraries have a TON of free programs for kids all ages this summer - programs about Legos & robotics, family friendly movies, storytimes, book clubs for tween’s and teens, puppet shows and crafts! Cobb Tots & Kids will be including our “top picks” from the library calendar on our Facebook page and our website calendar but be sure to visit their Kid's Calendar to see ALL the programs.Click here to see more ideas for free summer fun. Hopefully, your “must-do” list will involve lots of “free” stuff…because it’s just like at Christmas or birthdays, what you do your kids want to play with…the new toys or the box it came in? Your kids will most likely remember the day you spent hiking together or the picnic you set up in the backyard over the trips to Six Flags.

Next, print blank calendar pages – fill in dates you already have on the calendar – camps, trips, all the things you have already said “yes” to! Each week, maybe Sunday night, fill in the “empty” days with one or 2 activities from your summer “bucket list” (a special craft, visiting the zoo, going for a hike or to a particular park you’ve wanted to check out) Be sure to balance them out with “down” days – days you just do stuff at home or for the fun stuff you find out about last minute or impromptu playdates! “Scheduling” summer fun might sound like going overboard but merging your summer “must-do” list and your calendar is really important – a list is great but if you don’t schedule the time to do the items, then it’s pointless!

Now that you have all your fun planned, how about the stuff you still “gotta do” – CHORES and your “to-do’s”? The laundry & going to the grocery store still need to get done. Chances are your “mommy work” schedule will be disrupted with the kids underfoot! If you are like me, you tried to get as much of that housework done while the kids were at school…at least the floors would stay clean for a few hours!  Since it totally stresses me out to take BOTH kids to the grocery store, over the summer I have hired a teen in my neighborhood to come down one morning a week for a couple hours so that I can get to (at least) the grocery store sans kids. So think about how you can work those chores into your summer schedule – maybe instead of having one day that you do all the laundry like you did while your kids were in school, now you throw in a load each day before breakfast.  My kids may not help me with the grocery shopping but I’m happy to give them a broom! J Get the kids involved! Check out this list of Age Appropriate Chores from Kathy Peel's Website.

You certainly don’t want to rigid in your planning, you will need some flexibility – it is summer after all but remember you gotta make time to have fun! So sit down with your family and make a plan! Be sure to stay connected with us – we will be keeping you informed of all kinds of summer fun!