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freekidsevents

Free things to do with kids, near you

This week there are 1,103 free kids events across 118 Bay Area cities and towns, from 58 official calendars: public libraries, park districts, museums, zoos and family event calendars. Type your town or ZIP above and pick how far you’ll go, or open your city’s page below.

Most are drop-in: storytimes, LEGO and art clubs, science workshops, nature walks, museum free days and seasonal festivals for ages 0–12. We check every calendar daily and link each event to the organizer, so you can confirm before you go.How we check events.

Free kids events by city

Free Christmas events for kids

Tree lightings, free visits with Santa, light displays and library holiday crafts, city by city.

All Christmas eventsSan Jose Christmas eventsSan Francisco Christmas eventsOakland Christmas eventsFremont Christmas eventsWalnut Creek Christmas eventsSan Mateo Christmas eventsSan Rafael Christmas eventsChicago Christmas eventsSeattle Christmas events

Free programs at national chains and museums

Home Depot Kids WorkshopsFree. Home Depot supplies all tools and materials, while kits last.Lowe's Kids Workshops (MyLowe's Rewards Kids Club)The regular monthly workshop is free, and so is the Kids Club. Lowe's says some members-only events may charge a small fee. The MrBeast workshops cost $14.98 plus tax per kit.Barnes & Noble StorytimeThe store event listings checked show no fee or ticket. Storytime is an open in-store event.LEGO Store Make & Take Events (formerly Monthly Mini Model Build)Free to take part, and the model can't be bought. Joining LEGO Insiders is also free.Bank of America Museums on UsFree general admission for the cardholder. Special, ticketed or enhanced exhibitions and add-ons cost extra. Fundraising events are excluded.National Free Museum & Park DaysFree entry on the listed days. On NPS fee-free days only the entrance fee is waived. Reservation, timed-entry and other fees can still apply. Starting in 2026, NPS free entry is for U.S. citizens and residents only. Smithsonian museums are free every day except Cooper Hewitt in New York City.Michaels Kids ClubFree for Kids Club events. Each event page calls it a free event, and the December pages say Michaels provides the materials. Other Michaels classes on the same events site can cost money.Kids Bowl FreeThe 2 games a day are free for registered kids. Shoe rental depends on the center: some include it, some charge a per-visit or season shoe fee, and you can bring your own bowling shoes. The optional Family Pass starts at $24.95. It covers up to 4 adult family members with 2 games each per day, and you can buy it any time during the program.

How we check every event

Nothing spoils a Saturday faster than a cancelled storytime. So we only list events we can trace to the organizer.

01

From official calendars

Public libraries, park districts and museums publish their own calendars. We read those, not reposts.

02

Checked every day

Times and places refresh daily. Each card shows when we last checked it.

03

One tap to the source

Every event links to the organizer’s own page, so you can confirm before you go.