10 Best Free & Cheap Weekend Activities To Do With Kids in Austin

Want to entertain your kids over the weekend without spending any money? Here are the 10 Best Free & Cheap Weekend Activities To Do With Kids in Austin so you can have all the fun without going broke!

1. Take a Hike

We try to go on a family hike every Sunday. If your kids also like to climb trees, here are some of our favorites. And one of our favorite places to bring out of town visitors is watching the sunset from the top of Mt. Bonnell.

2. Visit a Playground

If your kids are super into BMX biking, check out the dirt jumps at 9th Street BMX or Elizabeth Milburn Park in Cedar Park.

3. Visit the Library

We love the Central Public Library! They have a cool indoor/outdoor reading deck, plus a computer station, story times, and more.

4. Visit a Farmers Market

Ask for free samples, and the whole experience is free!

5. Kids Eat Free

Kids can eat for free on weekend days with the purchase of an adult’s meal at:

• Kebab Shop on both weekend days
• Modern Market on Sun & Mon from 5-close (order must be placed in store)
• Freebirds on Sundays
• Luby’s: kids eat free all day Saturday from 11am to close.
• Zen Japanese Food Fast: kids eat every Saturday and Sunday for dine-in service only
• Gusto Italian Kitchen + Wine Bar: Family Nights are Sundays 4pm-10pm with complimentary kid’s items available
• Dickey’s: Order online or come in store, every Sunday kids eat free with code KEFOLO! The Round Rock location has confirmed that they are participating.
• Salt Lick: (both locations) Kids 3 & under eat free on Sundays
• High 5 Bowling (both locations) every Sunday with purchase of an entree.
• Simar Seafood on Sundays with purchase of adult entree

6. Story Time

Head over to BookPeople on Saturdays for a story time at 10:30 a.m. or Paper Bark Birch Children’s Bookstore in Cedar Park for story time at 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

7. Volunteer

We love combining volunteering with our weekly Sunday hikes! You can sign up through Generation Serve to pick up trash on certain days and they will provide all the necessary equipment (or just bring your own trash bags, gloves, and grabbers).

8. See Live Music

You can see free live music on Central Market North Lamar on weekend evenings from 6-8:30 p.m. and on Sundays at Cherrywood Coffeehouse at 10 a.m.

9. Laugh til your cheeks hurt at a kid-friendly improv comedy show

You can see Excused Absence Comedy on Saturdays from 11 a.m. – noon for $5 (at the door or online). Best for all ages and great for those kids who are ready to get up on stage! They take audience member volunteers and will make you feel right at home on the stage. The cast is made up of hilarious adults who make sure everyone is laughing and having fun. This show will break you out of your comfort zone but in a sweet and nurturing way!

Another $5 option is Family Maestro Shows at the Hideout Theatre on Sundays, 4-5 p.m., tickets are online as low as $5. Funny cast made up of adults and kids. Not many opportunities to volunteer to be up on stage (probably because the cast is huge already?) This is a competition-style show where you vote for your favorites with your applause. We liked seeing the wide range of ages among the cast and how well they all play off each other.

And for older kids plus adults, we love Comedy Sportz at Pinballz Lakecreek on Saturdays from 7:30-9 p.m. $8-15. This show is hilarious. We’ve gone twice and my tummy hurt from laughing so hard both times. The cast is all adults but they will bring kids up on stage occasionally. This is a clean, family-friendly show, but not specifically geared towards kids, so it might be best for older kids since young kids might not grasp the topics. It’s competition-style and you vote for your favorites with your phone.

10. Austin Nature & Science Center 

Hours of free entertainment (dig for dino bones, see fossils, visit the animals). You’re right next to Zilker Park, so you can also stop by to play on the playground, walk the Ann & Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail, have a picnic, or play frisbee in the park!

Bonus Free Weekend Fun

On select weekend days, you can also do these activities for free:

Home Depot or Lowes Free Kids DIY Workshops

Home Depot has free workshops on the first Saturday of the month and Lowes has one once a month.

Visit the Bullock Museum

You can get free admission to the Bullock Museum on the first Sunday of every month from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Visit the Texas Science & Natural History Museum

Free admission the 4th Sunday of every month!

Visit Laguna Gloria

Free admission on the second Saturday of each month.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden

Family Days are free admission from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on select days.

Zilker Botanical Garden

Will usually have one free day each month that will sometimes fall on a weekend.

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