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
Friday, January 16, 2026
9:00 am – 4:00 pm: Explore Blake Garden @ Blake Garden9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pop-N-Play @ Ruby’s Tumbling
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Tot Splash (Ages 7 and Under) @ Richmond Plunge
10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Fairyland 510 Fridays @ Children’s Fairyland
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
11:00 am – 5:00 pm: Open Play @ Small Talk City
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Cal Men's Tennis @ Hellman Tennis Center
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Movie Night: Moana 2 @ Cellarmaker Berkeley
Free & Cheap Resources for Families
Oakland playground: Union Point Park
This playground, located very close to Pump It Up in Oakland, will keep tots entertained for a while, and when it gets old, you can ...
You’re invited: {510} Saturday Cereal Cinema with Close5
Join us for our 12/10 Cereal Cinema pajama party at New Parkway where we'll enjoy a cereal buffet while watching classic Saturday morning cartoons! All ...
20 free things to do in the East Bay before summer is over
Take on one of these items as your mission every day, and you'll definitely be getting the most out of the East Bay.
Fortune Cookie Factory in Oakland
There’s a fortune cookie “factory” in Oakland’s Chinatown, and if you are not paying attention you’ll miss it. Tucked into the span of two small ...
Kid Report: Geocaching in the East Bay
Our Kid Reporter today is Soren who will be starting Kindergarten this year. I started geocaching after my mom told me about it. We watched ...
Kid Report: Menchie’s – Berkeley Frozen Yogurt
I will be in third grade this fall. I am a guest writer on 510Families.com this summer. Do you think your kids enjoy frozen yogurt ...
Day trip idea: Howarth Park in Santa Rosa
Howarth Park has enough attractions to keep you busy all day long, and though it’s further away than Tilden Park, it’s almost definitely sunny there, ...
Brentwood farms fruit picking, tips for families
Monday, I drove four boys out to Brentwood to go fruit-picking. I was vague in my promises — berries, cherries, apricots, or whatever they have. You like ...
Parents’ guide to Piedmont parks
6 places to play in Piedmont
A Parent’s Guide to South Berkeley: The Lorin District
The Lorin District is close enough to Ashby BART for train spotting, the library for storytime, and Grove Park for all kinds of recreation. The ...
