Corbin Suddeth takes aim at the pins at Pin Strikes Bowling in this 2016 file photo.If you're looking for ways to entertain the kids now that school is out, here are two words to add to your summer vocabulary: freebie and cheapie.
Freebie is the favorite, of course, but cheapie will do in a pinch.
Depending on your school district, you've got, what, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, to keep the offspring entertained? There are ways to do that without setting them in front of a screen all day - and without hitting up the ATM every time you leave the house.
You know about blue holes, of course, and swimming pools at community centers and state parks. And hiking along the area's network of trails or the Tennessee Riverwalk.
Here are over a dozen more ideas for banishing boredom without busting the budget over the next couple of months, some surely worthy of a mention in the "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" assignment when they go back to class.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@ timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.
KIDS BOWL FREE
Kids 15 and younger can bowl for free through Aug. 31 at five area bowling centers: Pin Strikes at 6241 Perimeter Drive in Chattanooga, Spare Time Chattanooga at 5518 Brainerd Road, Spare Time Hixson at 5530 Hixson Pike, Miracle's Cosmic Bowl at 2208 Cleveland Highway in Dalton and Calhoun Bowling Center, 123 Columbus Circle NE in Calhoun, Georgia.
In most cases, you can pick your own hours, except for Friday and Saturday nights.
You'll pay to rent the fabulous bowling shoes and whatever snacks and arcade games the kids will want to add on.
Go to www.kidsbowlfree.com to sign up. You'll receive weekly coupons via email.
SUMMER MOVIE EXPRESS
See $1 feature films all summer long at Regal's Hamilton Place 8 theater. Movies start at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; there are two each week, and both show each day. Most are rated PG and have a running time of at least 90 minutes. A portion of proceeds will go to the Will Rogers Institute, which funds medical research of cardiopulmonary diseases. Find out more at www.regmovies.com/movies/summer-movie-express.
-June 5-6: "The Iron Giant" and "Curious George"
-June 12-13: "Despicable Me" and "Ice Age: Collision Course"
-June 19-20: "Storks" and "Mr. Peabody & Sherman"
-June 26-27: "Despicable Me 2" and "How To Train Your Dragon 2"
-July 3-4: "The Lego Movie" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks"
-July 10-11: "Sing" and "The Peanuts Movie"
-July 17-18: "The Lego Ninjago Movie" and "Ferdinand"
-July 24-25: "The Secret Life of Pets" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel"
-July 31-Aug. 1: "The Lego Batman Movie" and "Trolls"
SUMMER MOVIE CAMP
Five area AMC Classic theaters are screening kid-friendly movies at 10 a.m. every Wednesday (except July 4). The $4 admission includes a KidsPack with popcorn, drink and FrootiTooti snack.
All of the movies are rated PG and have a running time of at least 90 minutes. See them at Chattanooga 10 on Gunbarrel Road, Northgate 14 in Hixson, Battlefield 10 in Fort Oglethorpe, Walnut Square 12 in Dalton and Bradley Square 12 in Cleveland.
-June 6: "The Boss Baby"
-June 13: "Paddington 2"
-June 20: "The Lego Batman Movie"
-June 27: "Ferdinand"
-July 11: "Trolls"
-July 18: "Despicable Me 3"
-July 25: "Captain Underpants"
-Aug. 1: "Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature"
Find out more at AMCTheatres.com/summer-movie-camp.
CAMP CREATIVITY
Michaels stores will offer seven weeks of kiddie arts and crafts June 11 through July 27. Sessions meet 10 a.m.-noon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (some are one-hour classes within the two hours). There are new crafts each day and new themes each week, but the end of the week is reserved for the ever-popular Slime Fridays. Cost is $2 for ages 3 and up, $5 for ages 6 and up, supplies included.
Area stores are at 2200 Hamilton Place Blvd. in Chattanooga, 600 Northgate Mall Drive in Hixson, 2025 Battlefield Parkway in Fort Oglethorpe and 4550 Frontage Road NW in Cleveland.
A parent or guardian must remain on the premises during class time. Space is limited. The first 25 to sign up at each store receive a drawstring backpack. Register at www.michaels.com/camp-creativity.
-June 11, 13, 15: Friends Forever (projects to share with your BFFs)
-June 18, 20, 22: Outdoor Adventures (decorate a flower pot, make a birdhouse).
-June 25, 27, 29: Classic Camp Crafts (using yarn and stamps)
-July 2, 4, 6: Under the Stars (constellations and glow-in-the-dark stars)
-July 9, 11, 13: Summer Souvenirs (reminders of how you've spent the summer)
-July 16, 18, 20: Jamboree (make musical instruments)
-July 23, 25, 27: Campfire Stories (share reminiscences or made-up stories)
SUMMER READING PROGRAM
"Read" is just one of the recommendations in the Chattanooga Public Library's summer reading program, "Make. Play. Read." There are also 26 activities included in your summer learning passport, all designed to foster creativity and imaginative play.
You can register online at https://chattlibrary.readingrecord.net or stop by any branch or partner location to pick up your "passport" and start earning points. You'll earn a point each time you do one of the 26 activities included in the passport - everything from "read a book" to "sing a song" for young participants, along with "cook something" to "watch a movie based on a book" for teens. For every 10 points, you earn a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of five prizes. Your goal is to earn 50 poits to be entered into the grand-prize drawing for an iPad Mini.
The following organizations are partners: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Center for Mindful Living, Chattanooga Zoo, Creative Discovery Museum, High Point Climbing & Fitness, Hunter Museum of American Art, McKamey Animal Center, Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, TechTown, Tennessee Aquarium and WTCI.
STORYTIME AT BARNES & NOBLE
Children's storytime starts at 11 a.m. each Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. After the story, there are activities to go along with each book. Some of the titles this month coincide with movie releases, including "Incredibles 2: Sweet Dreams, Jack-Jack" (June 9) and a Little Golden Book version of "Jurassic Park" (June 23). Find more events on the Chattanooga store's schedule, including upcoming author appearances, at https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2337.
SUMMER READING ADVENTURE
Storytime at Books-A-Million depends on the location. The Cleveland store, 4560 Frontage Road, gathers the kiddies at 2 p.m. every Saturday, and general manager Samantha Redden says there will be additional activities, such as science experiments, on Saturdays this summer. The Dalton store, 816 Walnut Square Blvd., doesn't have a storytime at the moment, but offers a teen book club at 6 p.m. on last Tuesdays of the month (June 26, July 31, Aug. 28). The Hixson store, 5230-B Highway 153, has a new general manager who is evaluating options.
If you're buying books for your kids, don't forget about BAM's Summer Reading Adventure. Kids choose any four books from the SRA section in store or online, write a comment about the books in a notebook, and then show a completed notebook to a store associate for a free pencil case and pencils.
LOOKOUTS BASEBALL
Chattanooga Lookouts games are good bargains for kids. Members of the Little Debbie Little Lookouts Kids Club ($10) get in free to Sunday games. Today, anybody who brings a canned-good donation receives a free general-admission ticket to the 5:15 p.m. matchup against the Mobile Bay Bears. After the game, families can get autographs from the players and play catch on the field.
And there are several Kids Eat Free Mondays still on the schedule. On June 4, June 25, July 16, July 23, Aug. 6 and Aug. 27, kids 12 and younger get a voucher for a free hot dog and soft drink.
For more information on promotions, visit www.lookouts.com or call 423-267-4849.
TOURISTY PLACES
Most local tourist attractions tout memberships as the cheapest way to see the sights, and it's a good investment if you'll visit regularly. But did you know a couple of places also offer some form of freebie on designated days?
-Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St., has Free Family Night 5:30-8:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month (that'll be June 14, July 12 and Aug. 9 during summer vacation). Children have access to all the regular offerings: splashing in RiverPlay, creating a masterpiece in Arts Alley and digging for dinosaurs in Excavation Station, as well as the summer draw, "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit." (Regular admission is $14.95 for adults and children 2 and up.) www.cdmfun.org.
-Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View, always offers free admission for guests 17 and younger, but the parental units can score a bargain on Throwback Thursdays. On first Thursdays, nonmember adults can view the permanent collection for free from 4 to 8 p.m. and temporary exhibitions for $5 (normally $15). During the summer, Throwback Thursdays coincide with a free concert series, Bands on the Bluff, which includes musical guests and themed art activities for all ages. On the musical roster are I Can Japan on June 7, Charlie the Head on July 5 and Carl Cadwell on Aug. 2. www.huntermuseum.org.
DOUBLE SCOOP WEEKEND
-Ice Cream Safari: This inaugural event at Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave., isn't free, but it has some bang-for-the-buck potential. From 4 to 7 p.m. June 9, the zoo will host several vendors offering ice cream and other cool treats. You'll buy a slightly discounted admission ticket ($7 for ages 3-12, $10 for adults) along with an optional wristband for all-you-can-eat ice cream. Wristbands are $5 in advance (available online or in the gift shop), $8 day of. With both, you're entitled to your fill of treats, plus games, crafts, face painting, animal meet-and-greets and enrichment activities with langurs, jaguars, chimpanzees, bobcats and potbellied pigs. There are additional costs for rides on the camel, carousel or train. www.chattzoo.org.
-Ice Cream Social: Chattanooga Market continues this summer tradition, a benefit for Chambliss Center for Children, on June 10. For each $6 ticket, you'll get generous samples from each of five local purveyors: Clumpies Ice Cream, Cold Stone Creamery, Mayfield, Milk & Honey and Ice Cream Show. You'll get to vote for Best Pure Flavor Ice Cream and Best Ice Cream With Add-Ins. The market takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. Admission is free.
All Chattanooga Market events are family-friendly, but kids might be especially interested in a couple more this summer. The Team Tennessee Teen Cook-off, in which young cooks shop for ingredients and cook a dish in front of the crowd, is June 24, and Red, White & Blueberries, which includes pie-eating contests, is July 1. Yep, eat till you're blue in the face.
SPEAKING OF FOOD
July 10 is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Come in wearing cow apparel (homemade or store-bought) between opening and 7 p.m., and you'll receive a free entree at area restaurants.
It's truly a mooooving experience. No? Udderly delightful? You herd it here first? Never mind. We'll steer clear of further cow puns.
And National Hot Dog Day is July 23. Last year, 7-Eleven, Burger King and Sonic were among the national chains offering discounts.
Hey, how does a cowboy order a wiener on a bun? He gets a long little doggie. (Sorry.)
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Watch your neighborhood for signs of this summer tradition, or check Saturday's Faith & Family section for submitted announcements. Churches usually design programming for kids age 3 to middle school, though some even cater to entire families. Kids will spend a couple of hours with their age group singing songs, creating crafts and learning messages of faith.
SIR GOONY'S FUN ZONE
The miniature golf/go-kart/bumper car/bumper boat/batting cage/arcade emporium at 5918 Brainerd Road has been a Chattanooga fixture for more than five decades. There's a lot to do, a lot of it priced separately, so mind the ka-ching. The cheapest package option is a Sunday early bird special, granting one game of Goony Golf, one go-kart ride and one bumper car ride for $15 (a $24 value) between noon and 2 p.m. If you have more to spend, check out the Funtastic Fridays promotion for two hours of unlimited rides at www.sirgoonys.com.
PLAYGROUND TOUR
Practically every neighborhood in Hamilton County has a playground to explore. Here's a partial list:
-Imagination Station in Collegedale
-Kids' Corner in Red Bank
-Mountain Maze on Lookout Mountain
-Pioneer Frontier in East Ridge
-Pumpkin Patch Playground in Walden
-Scramble Alley in Soddy- Daisy