BrainFuzz.coma deliberate waste of time

*I use the term “free” lightly. Some of these may have a small fee but nothing too outrageous.

For some reason I like to have themed posts. I’ve decided to title all posts related to fun activities for the kids “free fun”. So here is our free stuff for today (courtesy MetroFamily Magazine).

I also feel another TASID (see here, here, and here) post coming on so be ready for that!

• Oklahoma Railway Museum

3400 NW Grand Blvd., OKC
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9am-5pm
424-8222, http://oklahomarailwaymuseum.org
Freight cars, passenger cars and real steam engine. Train rides available for a fee.

• Martin Park Nature Center

5000 W Memorial Rd, OKC
Wednesday-Sunday 9am-6pm
755-0676, http://OKC.gov/Parks/Martin_Park/index.html
You can wade in the nearby creek, take a hike on the trails and visit the hands-on museum.

• Park concerts

Midwest City’s Twilight Concert Series at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park. Held every Thursday, 7pm through July. For more information http://www.midwestcityok.org/concerts-in-the-park.

Summer Concerts held at Hafer Park in Edmond, 7:15pm. Every Thursday through July. For more information http://VisitEdmond.com.

Summer Breeze Concert Series held every other Sunday through September 27 at Andrews Park and Lions Park in Norman, 7:30pm. For more information go to http://ThePAS.org

Sunday Twilight Concerts at the Myriad Gardens in Downtown OKC, 7-8:30pm. Held every Sunday through August 24. For concert line up visit http://ArtsCouncilOKC.com/Twilight-Concerts1

Concerts in the Park are held at Yukon’s Chisholm Trail Park Gazebo every Thursday through August 20 from 7-9pm. The park is located at 500 W Vandament. http://yukoncc.com (event calendar).

• Express Clydesdale Ranch

12701 W. Wilshire, Yukon
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12:30-5pm
closed on Monday
350-6404, ExpressClydesdales.com
At this ranch, you can see and pet the unique (and huge) Clydesdale horses. Also available is a zebra and other ponies. Located 4 miles north of Interstate 40 off of Exit 136 (Garth Brooks Blvd)

• 45th Infantry Division

2145 N.E. 36th Street, OKC
Tuesday-Friday 9am-4:15pm
Saturday 10am-4:15pm
Sunday 1-4:15pm
424-5313, http://45thdivisionmuseum.com
Museum houses exhibits like the Bill Mauldin Cartoon Collection, Reaves Military Weapons, World War II and Korean War artifacts, and Thunderbird Park, a 15-acre area that features tanks, artillery, aircraft and the Thunderbird Monument

• State Capital Tours

Tours of the capitol can be self-guided or guided tours (available Monday-Friday 9am-3pm hourly but closed at noon). Schedule your group tour (10 or more) by calling 521-3356.

• Guthrie Gunfighters Inc.

http://Guthriegunfighters-inc.orghttp://Guthriegunfighters-inc.org
This group performs their Old West reenactments on Saturdays,1-5pm hourly at 2nd and Harrison.

• Edmond Historical Museum

431 S. Boulevard
Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday 1-4pm.
340-0078, http://EdmondHistory.org
The permanent collection is arranged in chronological order from the early days when Edmond was a coal and water stop for the Santa Fe Railroad, through the Run of 1889, the building years in the early 1900′s, up through the present. Most important to the kids in your family is the Children’s Learning Center which provides hands-on learning fun about Edmond’s history.

I have too much free time I guess.
The original video is in the previous post.

This video was just taken today.

I forgot to add Chitwood Park in Edmond to the list. They have a new play structure there that is a big rocketship. I know Tyler and Molly would get a kick out of it. I plan on going up there soon. http://edmondok.com/parks/cityparks/chitwood

Lately I’ve been compiling a list of stuff that I think my kids would enjoy that is free (or very inexpensive) around the OKC area. I’ve been sending it on to some via email but I decided that it’d be much easier to start posting my finds on our blog. Then I can remember them as well! The info is taken from the corresponding websites – you can click on the name to be redirected to the site.

So here we go.

These are only for a limited time (see dates):

Little Sprouts Day Out is planned for Wednesday, July 15 and again Saturday, July 18 at the Norman Farmers Market. Kids ages 2-7 & parent will learn about farm fresh food, take a special garden tour, learn about growing your own garden and receive a packet of starter seeds. The little ones will also get a reusable children’s market bag to decorate and then fill with healthy and fresh produce and much more! Cost is $5 per child. Pre-registration is required. For details call 440-8802.

Summer Movie Fun - May through July
Harkins Theatres has brought back some of Hollywood’s best family films to keep kids entertained and cool during the summer. Kids can enjoy a movie a week for 10 weeks, for less than $1 per film. Cinemark & Regal cinemas are offering similar programs as well.

Hooked on Fishing” FREE Kids Fishing Clinic – May through August
Kids 5-15 can learn casting, knot-tying, fish ID and more in this FREE clinic hosted by OKC Parks, the Police Athletic League and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Permits not needed during class times. Equipment provided. Hours: 8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Registration required. Call 316-FISH to register.

These are taking place all summer:

Free Kids Workshop at The Home Depot
This is available all year on the first Saturday of every month from 10am to Noon at all Home Depot stores. We did this with Tyler this month and he LOVED it.

Kids Bowl Free
Two free games of bowling (shoe rental required) all summer long. Check here to find a participating bowling alley near you.

Play in the Park
It is not a substitute for daycare, but provides a place where kids can participate in adult-supervised, structured activities during summer break. Sports, crafts, educational games and performing arts are a few of the activities offered by trained staff. Free breakfast and lunch are available for participants at selected sites – provided by the Oklahoma City Public School District’s Child Nutrition Summer Food Program.

Spraygrounds
Spraygrounds are open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. These interactive water play parks are a great way to take a break from the summertime heat. Kids of all ages will love to spray, spritz and slosh their way through these fun water play environments. Take a turn on the water cannon, get drenched with a downpour from the tilting water bucket, or stand under mushroom water curtain. Whatever you prefer, spraygrounds are the playground for summertime cool. Click here for a map of where they are located in the city.

Summer Reading Programs
Borders, Half Price Books, Chuck E Cheese, and Barnes and Noble all have summer reading programs offering incentives to your kiddos who read. The bookstores also have regular story times and activities for the kiddos on the weekends. Click the links above for more info.

Drive-In Movies
The Beacon Drive-In in Guthrie is open every night and the cost is $4 for adults and $2 for kids. Here in OKC we have the Winchester Drive-In. At the Winchester, children 3 to 10 years old pay $2 and 11 through adult pays $5. Much more inexpensive than going to the theater and you get to sit outside! Bring snacks in a cooler! It’s lots of fun. Click the respective links for movie schedules.

Fun at the Library
There is stuff going on almost everyday at the metro library branches this summer. Too many to list, so for a calendar click here.

Okay, well, that is all I have for now. I’m always on the hunt for more so I may post more stuff to do as I find it. Now you see how we stay so busy!!

One last thing, I highly recommend picking up the membership to the science museum and paying the little extra for the Oklahoma Museum Network. We’ve already been enough times that it has paid for itself several times over. The OK Museum Network covers admission for any 5 people to the Jasmine Moran Children’s Muesum in Seminole; Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse in Enid; the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton; and the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Road trips!