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.

Free and Cheap Activities Scheduled This Month

Child playing with pretend garden/kitchen toys near parent

How to Get in FREE to Dozens of Bay Area Museums, Science Centers, + Gardens

10 Mostly Free & Cheap Outings for Mixed Ages in the East Bay

Berkeley library storytime with adult reading to two small children

Free Storytimes Around the East Bay

child in party hat with crabby face and plate of donuts

14 Free and Cheap Birthday Party Places

14 East Bay Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free

Upcoming Free or Cheap Events in the East Bay

Friday, October 23, 2026

9:00 am – 4:00 pm: Explore Blake Garden @ Blake Garden
10:00 am – 10:50 am: Community Preschool Yoga @ Yama Kids Yoga
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Shabbat & Play @ Temple Sinai
10:30 am – 11:00 am: Story Time @ Crab Cove @ Crab Cove Visitor Center
11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Oaktown Jazz Storytime @ Richmond Library | West Side Branch
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Trunk or Treat @ Civic Park & Community Center (Walnut Creek)
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm: Costume Swap @ Swings and Wings
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: MOCHA Creative Art Play @ Central Library | Berkeley Public Library
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Petting Zoo @ The Backyard
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Haunted Trail @ Pleasant Hill Park

Free & Cheap Resources for Families

Save The Date: Solano Avenue Stroll

Solano Avenue in Berkeley and Albany will come together for their superfun Solano Stroll on Sunday afternoon, September 11, 2022.

Child hangs on monkey bars at all-abilities playground

Matteo’s Dream Playground, Inclusive Fun in Concord

Imaginations can run wild at Matteo's Dream Playground in Concord, a space for all children to experience the joys of outdoor play regardless of their ...

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.

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 ...