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SALT LAKE CITY — For Jackie Reed, keeping her four kids busy during summer break is a must.
“It’s pretty hard,” Reed said. “So as soon as they start getting bored, they fight.”
Many moms like Reed and Heidi Poole will tell you it’s no easy task. Especially on a budget.
“Especially with different ages,” Poole told KSL. “So, we try for camps. We try and look for affordable ones, but it’s hard to find them especially. They fill up fast. So, that can be tricky.”
KSL asked moms and dads for some tips on inexpensive ideas on keeping kids occupied.
California resident Adam Tenney and his family have been touring Utah for the past several days.
“We went to the natural history museum yesterday. We went to the park today, and I think we are going to go up into the mountains tomorrow and possibly the discovery museum, so it should be fun,” he said.
“We do a lot of trips that are local. We just try to do stuff outside, like biking and going to the park and swimming. You know, as many things that kind of wear them out,” said Erin Hamilton with a laugh.
Lagoon was built to wear kids out, but you don't have to wear your wallet out, too. Costco sells discounted passes that’ll save you up to $8 on entry. And for every $5 you spend at Deseret Book, the bookstore will give you a $10 Lagoon coupon, up to eight coupons total. And Lagoon itself will knock $7 off your ticket price if you just bring in a Coca-Cola product with you by noon.
How about catching a professional soccer game in beautiful Rio Tinto Stadium? There are Real Salt Lake tickets selling for $25 and going up to $500. But for an incredible bargain, you can watch their red hot farm team, Real Monarchs, play. The team just recently tied the United Soccer League record with eight straight wins. And a Monarchs ticket is not pricey at all — $8 to $15 will get you in.
There's plenty of activities with the extremely budget-friendly admission price of zero. The Olympic Snowflake Fountain is just one of dozens of splash pads sprinkled throughout Utah. There’s the Legacy Regional Park fountain in North Salt Lake, Thunder Junction Park in St. George and the Spanish Fork Splash Pad.
You could always go bowling. Eight participating bowling centers in Utah are inviting kids to bowl up to two free games a day, every day for all summer. Or how about a little magic? Hatch Family Chocolates in Salt Lake’s Avenues neighborhood is treating families to a free magic show on Monday nights.
And there is no shortage of free, newer movies for kids, playing in dozens of parks and other venues across the state and throughout the summer. They’re being shown in Salt Lake City, Lehi, Magna, St. George, Brigham City, Ogden, Kearns, Centerville, Logan, Park City and other cities.
And when the show’s over, the Salt Lake Astronomical Society is hosting several free star parties this summer where volunteers are inviting families to gaze at the cosmos through their telescopes.
Below are a list of activities to do this summer, many of them either free or generally inexpensive.
Salt Lake City area
- Wheeler Farm: http://slco.org/wheeler-farm/.
- Tracy Aviary: $7 adults, $5 kids http://tracyaviary.org/
- Red Butte Garden $10 adults, $6 kids http://www.redbuttegarden.org/.
- Weber County RAMP: — Summer Saturdays offer free entry into several recreational and cultural facilities. http://www.webercountyutah.gov/
- Salt Lake County ZAP: Summer passport gets kids into several attractions including the Utah Arts Festival, Discovery Gateway, Tracy Aviary and more. http://slco.org/zap/kids-summer-passport/.
- Clark Planetarium: Take a trip to outer space for free. Admission to the planetarium is always free, with optional tickets for theater screenings available. More info at https://slco.org/clark-planetarium/.
- 7 Peaks Water Park: Right now, 7 Peaks' “pass of all passes” is only $24.99 per person. It offers entry into the Towne Cinema Movie theatre, Utah Grizzlies Hockey, Real Monarchs soccer and both BYU and U. of U. athletic events. http://www.sevenpeaks.com/.
- Cool Air Concert Series: Free outdoor concerts at Snowbird Resort, every Saturday through the summer. More info at http://www.snowbird.com/events/coo-air-concert-series
- Public Star Party: Saturday, June 17, at Stansbury Park Observatory Complex. Free stargazing with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. More info at http://slas.us/.
- Magic Monday: Every Monday from 7-10 p.m. at Hatch Family Chocolates. Families can watch a free magic show while eating chocolate. Kids get free balloons. Hatch Family Chocolates also hosts avenue block parties every two Fridays, featuring live music and a free movie. https://www.hatchfamilychocolates.com/block-parties/.
- Orem Concerts in the Park: Monday nights at 7 p.m., free concerts at City Center Park in Orem. More info: http://arts.orem.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=353
- Movies in the Park: Most cities in the Salt Lake area host free movie nights throughout the summer. Checkout this website to find the movies closest to you: https://www.coupons4utah.com/utah-movies-in-the-park-2/.
- Coupons4Utah has also compiled an extensive list of Splash Pads https://www.coupons4utah.com/utah-splash-pads/
- Venture Out! in Millcreek: Every Friday of the summer, Millcreek puts together a family friendly night of fun with themed activities, live entertainment and a movie to close out the night. More info at https://millcreekut.org/venture-out-summer-17/.
- BrickSlope 2017: The fourth annual BrickSlope Lego fan event is June 23 and 24 at the UCCU Center in Orem. Admission is free for kids 8 and under, and $7 for adults who buy online before the event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brickslopes-2017-tickets-31429703088?aff=es2#tickets.
- Park Silly Sunday Market: Every Sunday of the summer, come explore Park City Main Street and see local vendors and entertainment. More info at http://www.parksillysundaymarket.com/.
- Mountain Town Music Concert Series: MTM puts on several free summer concerts throughout the summer at locations around Summit County. Find concerts on Friday nights at Woodenshoe Park in Peoa, Sunday nights at Quarry Village in Park City, and Thursday nights at the NewPark Amphitheater in Park City. http://www.mountaintownmusic.org/.
- Dejoria Center Summer Concert Series: Located about 30 minutes east of Park City, Dejoria Center in Kamas hosts a free summer concert every Thursday at 6:30. http://www.dejoriacenter.com/events/summer-concert-series-2017/.
- Movies in the Park: Basin Recreation hosts free movie nights once a month at different parks around the area. More info at http://basinrecreation.org/events_calendar.html?post=4985#top.
- St. George Children’s Museum: Admission is free, donation encouraged. https://www.sgchildrensmuseum.org/admission-and-hours/
- Georgefest: First Friday of every month in the historical district of St. George. Enjoy live entertainment, games and food. https://georgestreetfest.com/.
- Movies in the Park: Free movie nights every other week at the Town Square Park. https://www.visitstgeorge.com/calendar/2017/05/26/13494/.
- Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival: Saturday, July 8. Hang out with some wildflowers. Admission is free for the park. Kids under 15 are free, over 16 are $6. https://www.nps.gov/cebr/index.htm.
- Summer Star Party at Cedar Breaks: Every weekly Saturday of the summer, guided tour of the night sky. https://www.nps.gov/cebr/index.htm.
- Renaissance Faire: Cedar City hosts an annual Renaissance Faire, this year it is July 12 through 15. Free admission and entertainment and kids games. http://www.umrf.net/index.html.
