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
Monday, May 4, 2026
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pop-N-Play @ Ruby’s Tumbling9:00 am – 7:00 pm: Splash Park @ El Cerrito Swim Center
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Wee Play: Drop-In Playtime @ Alameda Veterans Memorial Building
10:30 am – 11:15 am: Garbage Truck Storytime @ Richmond Civic Center Plaza
10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Tot Splash (Ages 7 and Under) @ Richmond Plunge
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Reptile Show @ North Branch | Berkeley Public Library
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Star Wars Day Celebration @ Rockridge Branch | Oakland Public Library
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Build it! @ Albany Library
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Magic in the Mundane: Comic Art Workshop @ West Branch | Berkeley Public Library
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: May the 4th Celebration @ Castro Valley Library
Free & Cheap Resources for Families
Berkeley Family Bike Fest & Family Cycling Rodeo
My favorite kid-friendly bike rodeo event is happening 3/18 at LeConte school in Berkeley, and everyone's invited.
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
