Free & Cheap
Family-friendly Bay Area Fun on The Cheap
Discounted admission to museums, plays, classes and other tips to discover free fun for East Bay Area children.
Upcoming Free or Cheap Events in the East Bay
Thursday, April 30, 2026
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Chop and Chat – Cooking Fun @ Melrose Branch | Oakland Public Library4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Bike Month Kick-off @ Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza
Friday, May 1, 2026
9:00 am – 4:00 pm: Explore Blake Garden @ Blake Garden9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pop-N-Play @ Ruby’s Tumbling
10:00 am – 10:50 am: Preschool Yoga Class @ Yama Kids Yoga
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Wee Play: Drop-In Playtime @ Alameda Veterans Memorial Building
10:15 am – 11:00 am: Bouncing Babies Storytime @ Fremont Main Library
10:30 am – 11:00 am: Story Time @ Crab Cove @ Crab Cove Visitor Center
10:30 am – 11:00 am: Toddler Plus Storytime @ Main | Alameda Free Library
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Opera For Kids @ Central Library | Berkeley Public Library
Free & Cheap Resources for Families
Watch Planes Soar at Buchanan Field Playground in Concord
Plane-loving kiddos will love spotting airplanes and jets at Buchanan Field Playground and Observation Area. Plus, it's free!
Visit the Sunflower Fields of Yolo County near Davis
For years the farmers of Yolo County, about an hour from Berkeley, have grown 70,000 acres of sunflowers. They bloom in June & July.
Let Us Plan 10 Summer Adventures for Your Little Kids!
Have you ever spent hours googling for activities to do with kids, instead of going out and doing them? Let us spare you the effort. ...
What to Do With Kids on Hopkins Street, Berkeley
The stretch of Hopkins Street in Berkeley from MLK to Monterey is full of kid-friendly goodness. Here are our favorites for parents.
Park Profile: Kennedy Park in Hayward
The park is a farm-themed paradise for little kids with a carousel, train, teacup ride, and petting zoo on weekends. Target is right across the ...
17 Children’s Authors That Will Be at The Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley
Discover new children's books and hear from the authors at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley on May 7+8.
The Veranda: An Outdoor Mall in Concord With a Way-Cool Play Structure
The most exciting feature of The Veranda, a shopping center in Concord, is hands down the play structure, the Veranda Climber.
New Nature-Based Park in Alameda: Chochenyo Park
Chochenyo Park is a cute little nature based Park in Downtown Alameda worth a visit if you're in the area.
Sweeney Open Space Park: Fab Playground in Alameda
Four tiers of rope climbing; a super-sized interactive chime instrument; an extra-wide slide with an AstroTurf-protected landing at the base; and, a zip-line with seat ...
Best Places to Take Kids in Oakland’s Grand Lake Neighborhood
Nestled in the Northeast corner of Oakland’s Lake Merritt is the quaint, and easygoing Grand Lake neighborhood with so many places to push a stroller.
