FREE Fun in the Water at Splash Pads in Cleveland

(Photo Credit: Crocker Park)

There are several Splash Pads in the Greater Cleveland area, and they are a free, safe way to have fun in the water this summer! They are open for the season starting Memorial Day (when the temperature reaches 80 degrees) and close on Labor Day. These are the ones that I'm aware of, and the details are as follows:

North Ridgeville Splash Pad, located in South Central Park. This splash park is completely fenced in and good for small children. Open daily from 10am-9pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Click here for more details. As of this summer in 2012, this splash pad is now open only to residents of North Ridgeville.

Medina Splash Pad, located in Fred Greenwood Park on West Sturbridge Drive across from A.I. Root Middle School. Open 11am-8pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Click here for more details.

Lake Ridge Academy Splash Zone in Westlake, located in Crocker Park off the roundabout right behind Game Stop. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 10am-4pm and again from 7pm-10pm every day (Sunday hours are 11am-4pm only). Children must wear shoes.

Old Brooklyn Splash Pad, located in Loew Park. Newly constructed in 2011. Splash pad and 3 ft. pool open daily at 12pm.

There are many other Splash Pads located in parks throughout the Cleveland area. They are open when the weather hits 80 degrees from 11am-6pm, Memorial Day thru Labor Day. The parks are listed below:

Arthur Johnston Park (E. 147th & Seville)
Carol McClendon (East 98 & Union)
Charles Orr (Ansel & Lamont)
Easton (E. 88th & Union)
Emery (West 130 & I - 71)
Fairview Park (W. 38th & Franklin)
Grant (E. 38th & Central)
Halloran Park (West 117th & Linnet)
Irma (E. 74th & Irma)
Lincoln Park (Tremont)
Mercedes Cotner (W. 95th & Maywood)
Moulton/Scoutway (E. 115th & Moulton)
R.J. Taylor (Melville Rd. & Nottingham)
Regent (E. 70th & Regent)
Roberto Clemente (West 38th & Seymour)
Rockefeller Park (East 105 & MLK Blvd)
Trent (W. 40th & Trent)
Village Green (Olmsted Falls)

Enjoy!

FREE Songs for Your MP3 Player

Amazon.com features a FREE Song of the Day that will play on any MP3 Player. It also offers hundreds of free songs and albums in the Free Songs & Special Deals Section of its site.

Starbucks offers a FREE Pick of the Week each week at it's stores. Here's how to get it:
1.Come into one of our stores and log on our free Wi-Fi
2.Click into the Starbucks Digital Network
3.Find the Entertainment section
4.Locate iTunes Pick of the Week and Download it.

Your Guide to Kids Eat FREE (or Cheap) in Cleveland

Numerous Cleveland restaurants offer kids eat FREE meal deals. A host of cuisine styles can be enjoyed any day of the week, without breaking the family budget. Cleveland kids eat free meal deals all require the purchase of a regularly priced adult meal. In some instances, up to three free or discounted children's meal can be ordered with only one adult meal purchase. Some of the more well-known restaurants are as follows:

Everyday:
CiCi's Pizza offers free buffet meals for children age 3 and younger everyday. The buffet is discounted to a rate of $4.49 for children age 10 and younger.
bd’s Mongolian Barbeque allows kids to eat cheap daily.
Cheryl & Co. (Beachwood) allows kids to bring in their report card & receive one FREE cookie for every A grade! Maximum 6 cookies per report card.
Eat’n’Park allows kids 10 and under eat from the soup & salad bar and breakfast & fruit buffet for half-price. Kids 5 and under eat for "free" from the soup & salad bar and breakfast & fruit buffet when they're with an adult who has purchased the soup & salad bar or breakfast & fruit buffet. One free kids' soup & salad bar or breakfast & fruit buffet per adult. Kids 10 and under also get a free Smiley sugar cookie to end their meal!
Hoggy's allows kids to eat free everyday from 5-9 pm with the purchase of an adult meal.
The International House of Pancakes offers kids eat free deals each evening after 4 p.m. An adult meal purchase is required. Children must choose items from the special kid's IHOP menu.
Junior's Deli allows children age 12 and under to eat free on weekdays from 4-7p.m.
Golden Corral allows children 3 and under eat free from the buffet with the purchase of an adult meal all day, every day.
McDonald's offers free Kiddie Cones every day! Now the cone is only about as big as your thumb, but when you're little, that's big enough to be cool!

Monday:
Applebee's allows one child age 12 and younger to eat free on Mondays with the purchase of an adult meal. Additional children can dine at a discounted rate of $1 from the kid's menu.
Buffalo Wild Wings allows children age 12 and younger to select items from the kid's menu for $.99 between the hours of 5-9 p.m. on Mondays.
El Rodeo allows one child age 12 and younger to dine free per adult entree purchase on Sundays & Mondays.
Harry's Steakhouse Monday & Tuesday: one FREE kid's meal per adult entree purchase.
Quaker Steak and Lube offers kids eat free meals on Mondays from 5-9 p.m.
Red Robin offers kids eat free deal to those ages 10 and younger on Mondays.
TGI Friday's allows children age three and younger to eat free with a paid adult on Mondays.
Smokey Bones allows kids to eat free on Mondays from 5-7pm along with the purchase of an adult meal. Receive 15% off your meal when you present a same-day reciept from the mall. That offer is available any day of the week!

Tuesday:
Bennigan's allows kids eat free meals after 4 p.m. for children age 12 and younger. Discount on Tuesday only.
The Boneyard allows kids eat free with adult meal purchase on Tuesdays.
Champp's offers kids eat free meal deal each Tuesday after 4 p.m. One regularly priced adult meal (not including sandwiches) is required to receive all the kid's meals free!
Chick-fil-A in North Olmsted has Family Night every Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 pm featuring fun, a craft, and more! Kids get a free 4-count Kid's Nugget Meal with the purchase of an adult meal.
Chuck E. Cheese offers kids eat free meals on Tuesdays for children age 2 and younger.
Denny's allows kids eat free meal deals every Tuesday and Saturday from 4-10 p.m.
Fazoli's offers a kids eat free meal option from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Harry's Steakhouse Monday & Tuesday: one free kid's meal per adult entree purchase.
Max & Erma's allows kids 12 & under to eat free with purchase of an adult entree. One kids meal per adult entree. No other discounts may be applied. For a limited time only.
Moe's Southwest Grill offers kids eat free meals on Tuesdays with an adult meal purchase of at least $5.
Perkins offers kids eat free meal deals each Tuesday from 4-10p.m.
Stir Crazy offers kids eat free on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 4 pm.
The Texas Roadhouse offers kids eat free meal deals, with the purchase of an adult meal all day on Tuesdays. This deal applies to all children age 12 and younger.
Tony Roma's offers kids eat free meals all day on Tuesdays.

Wednesday:
Ponderosa offers kids eat free meals on Wednesday after 4 p.m.
Skyline Chili allows one free kids meal for every adult meal purchased on Wednesdays from 5-9 p.m.

Thursday:
The Roadhouse Grill allows two children age 12 and younger to eat free each Thursday.
Stir Crazy offers kids eat free on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 4 pm.

Saturday:
Denny's allows kids eat free meal deals every Tuesday and Saturday from 4-10 p.m.
The Lonestar Steakhouse allows two children to eat free with each adult meal purchased on Saturdays. This kids eat free meal discount is honored between the hours of 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
O'Charley's allows children age 10 and younger to eat free from the select children's menu all day on Saturdays. Two children can eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.
Steak 'N' Shake offers kids eat free deals on weekends. An adult purchase of $9 total is required. Drinks are not included in the free kid's meals.

Sunday:
Checkers offers $.69 cheeseburgers, shakes, and hotdogs all day on Sunday for children age 12 and younger.
El Rodeo allows one child age 12 and younger to dine free per adult entree purchase on Sundays & Mondays.
Steak 'N' Shake offers kids eat free deals on weekends. An adult purchase of $9 total is required. Drinks are not included in the free kid's meals.
Tumbleweed Southwest Grill allows kids 12 and under to get one FREE kid's meal (regular price $3.99) for every adult entree purchased on Sundays.

Annual Promotions:
Bob Evans offers kids a free meal when the sign up for their Birthday Club.
Chick-fil-a offers a one free breakfast item per day during Customer Appreciation Week in August. They also have Cow Appreciation Day in July, where you get a free meal if you come dressed as a cow from head to toe!
California Pizza Kitchen offers each child a coupon for a free kids meal, good during the month of their birthday when you sign them up (ages 10 and under) for the California Pizza Kitchen Kids Club.
Wendy's offers a Trick-or-Treat Coupon Book from mid-September until the end of October that allows you to get 5 Junior Frostys for $1. The Wendy's in Parma by Parmatown Mall will honor these all year round, so stock up on the coupons if you live in the area!! Let us know if you find other Wendy's restaurants that do the same.

Please call the restaurant in advance to verify this information is still current. If you find any of the information to be out of date, please comment and let us know!

Use the GREAT search engine at www.kidsmealdeals.com to find more restaurants near you!

Enjoy!

Your Guide Nature Centers in the Cleveland Area

There are several Nature Centers in the Cleveland area, many of which are located in the Cleveland Metroparks. Nature and Visitor Centers are Cleveland Metroparks gateways to outdoor discovery. Come and ask questions, experience "touch and feel" exhibits, and go outside to see the plants and animals that make up Cleveland Metroparks. Naturalists are available to provide information and guide visitors to nearby trails. Nature centers are open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). All of Cleveland Metroparks nature and visitor centers offer a diverse array of outdoor education programs for all ages. Located in Brecksville, Cuyahoga Heights, Garfield Heights, Mayfield Village, and North Olmsted, the centers are FREE and open to the public. All programs are also provided FREE of charge. Visit here for center descriptions and programming.

The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is located at 2600 South Park Boulevard, Cleveland, 44120.  The center is located within a section of the Shaker Parklands that includes six natural habitats -- lake, stream, marsh, field, ravine and forest. To experience these fascinating habitats, take a walk along one of two beautiful trails. The center also has many exhibits, occasional art shows, and activity tables for children and adults. Hours of operation are Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. & Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Trails are open from dawn till dusk. The center is FREE and open to the public. Visit here for more details and upcoming events.

The Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is located in Bay Village. The center teaches the wonders of wildlife through our live animal exhibits, our wildlife education programs and our rehabilitation services. They have outdoor and indoor display areas for our public visitors to view both local wildlife and exotic/domestic animals. You can visit the beautiful red fox, magnificent bald eagle, 9-foot boa constrictor and many other creatures during Center hours: Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center has a wide variety of educational programs available for all ages as well as a planetarium that also has programs for children and families alike. The center is FREE and open to the public. Visit here for more details.

FREE Classes at Archiver's, The Photo Memory Store

"Archiver’s classes are designed to help you organize, preserve and display your photographs through creative ideas and techniques. After deciding which class best suits your needs, simply call one of our stores to sign up." Current free classes include Albums Made Simple, Tool Time Workshop, Scrapbooking Basics, Stamping Basics, and Bridal Showcase. Archiver's permits the use of their scrapbooking tables and tools (including a large selection of dye cuts, scissors, and more) during business hours Sunday through Thursday when there's not a speical class or event in session. Also, sign up for their mailing list to receive coupons, including frequent coupons for five FREE sheets of cardstock, and to find out about FREE craft projects and demos. The closest stores are located in Fairlawn and North Olmsted. See the link for more details!

http://www.archiversonline.com/classes

Kids Bowl FREE This Summer

"Select bowling centers and schools around the country are participating in the first ever “Kids Bowl Free” program. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer. Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of the particpating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations."
See the link below to register and find a participating bowling alley near you! Enjoy!

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

FREE Toy Library at the Brooklyn Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library

Do your kids ever get tired of having the same old toys? Stop by the Brooklyn Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library and check out some new toys along with your books and videos. Even the pickiest kid couldn't resist the huge selection of toys they have available behind the desk in the Children's section. These toys are sanitized when they are returned and have the same check-out period as everything else. Explore this and other public libraries for a variety of free programs, including story times, classes, crafts, reading programs, and more! See the link below for details, and enjoy!

http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/BrooklynBranch.aspx