Are you thinking about how to stay cool and keep the kids entertained this summer? These Summer Movie Programs should fit the bill!

Cinemark Theatres offers Summer Movie Clubhouse for $1.00/show or a $5.00 pass for the whole summer, purchased in advance. The start date varies depending on what part of the country you’re in (what date school gets out).

Classic Cinemas (IL) offers their Wednesday Morning Movie Series for $1.00/show at 9:00am every Wednesday, starting June 12th. You can go early and see costumed characters.

Clearview Cinemas (NY & NJ) has FREE movies every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30am starting July 10th.

Dickinson Theatres offers a Summer Vacation Movie Series with FREE movies and a $4.50 concession special. You’ll need to click on your local theater to download the schedule.

Harkins Theatres has Summer Movie Fun every weekday at 9:45, and you can purchase Season Tickets for all 10 shows for less than $1/show, or pay as you go for $2/person.

Malco Theatres offers $2.00 movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00am, with a portion of the proceeds going to local Children’s Hospitals. Click on your local theater to see the schedule.

National Amusements will offer their Bookworm Wednesdays program, starting July 10th. Kids receive FREE admission when they present a completed book report. Children under 6 do not need to complete the book report.

Regal Theatres offers Summer Movie Express all summer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00am for $1.00/person. Choose from a G or PG movie each morning, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Will Rogers Institute.

Click through to your local theater chain to find the closest location. Have fun at the movies!

Original image by atomicjeep at Flickr

Time to think about summer! If you’re not already enjoying these free activities for kids at stores nationwide, bookmark the store websites for your summer calendar. They’re an easy way to shake up those long summer days for FREE:

Free Arts & Crafts at ACMoore:

ACMoore holds monthly craft demos and projects, but the schedule varies by location, so check your local store’s calendar. Their next national event is Saturday, May 25th, where kids can purchase and decorate a foam visor.

Free Storytime at Barnes & Noble:

Most Barnes & Noble stores offer a weekly storytime for preschoolers around 10:00am, though the day varies depending on the store. Check out your local store’s website for details.

Free Special Events at Disney Store:

Head to the Disney Store website and down at the bottom, click on Store Locator & Events. There’s nothing this Mother’s Day weekend, but they usually offer 1-2 events per month, so keep an eye out for the next FREE event.

Free Building Projects at Home Depot:

The first Saturday of the month, you’ll find a FREE Kids Workshop at Home Depot. You now need to register (just tell them a number of kids ages 5-12 who are attending), then go anytime between 9:00am-12noon. On their first visit, kids receive a Kids Workshop Apron, and every week they can take home their craft, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement. The next one is a pencil holder on Saturday, June 1st, plus you’ll get a FREE Kids Ticket (with purchase of adult ticket) to LegoLand, Sea Life, or Madam Tussauds.

Free Arts & Crafts at Lakeshore Learning:

Every Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm, kids 3 and up can make arts & crafts at your local Lakeshore Learning store. This weekend, there’s a cute Mommy’s Memories Photo Frame for Mother’s Day, and you can see the projects ahead for the next two months.

Free Building Events at The Lego Store:

At most US Lego Stores, there’s a Monthly Mini Build on the first Tuesday of each month. Check with your local store for start time, since the kit is while supplies last. We’ve shown up 30 minutes in, and the line is so long that they tell us that they’ll run out of kits before we get to the front. It’s a very popular event, so show up early!

Free Building Projects at Lowe’s:

The Lowe’s Build & Grow Workshops require registration, and they fill up quickly, so keep a note on your calendar to register online weeks ahead of time. Workshops are typically at 10:00am on every other Saturday, but last year they offered extra workshops during the summer on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm, so keep an eye out for that. Check the full schedule for upcoming projects. This Saturday, May 12th, kids can make a Sweetheart Frame for Mother’s Day.

Free (and Low Cost) Arts & Crafts at Michael’s:

Michael’s has changed up their craft offerings for kids; while they still offer a few freebies each month, they now also have a Kids’ Club where you pay $2/child and they create crafts while you shop. Kids Club is every Saturday from 10-noon, so check your local store for the schedule and type of craft.

Free Storytime & Other Events at Pottery Barn Kids:

This Saturday, attend a Mother’s Day Doll Tea Party at your local Pottery Barn Kids; in June, they’re hosting a National Geographic Kids event for World Oceans Day. Some events are FREE while others have a fee; all require an RSVP.

The PBK Storytime is every Tuesday at 11:00am. Each week has a different theme and often includes a small art project and stickers; there’s also a gift after five visits.

Free Kids Club Events at Whole Foods Market:

Some Whole Foods locations offer a Kids Club, including FREE events like Cooking with Kids! and craft projects. Each store has a different schedule, so you’ll need to locate your store and check their calendar for details.

Let me know if you find other FREE activities for kids at stores near you!

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Some parts of the country are already talking about summer vacation–we go well into June here in the mid-Atlantic–but it’s never too early to think about how to encourage the kids to read over the summer. Every summer, we find a balance of family reading (we’re on book 3 of the Harry Potter series right now), independent reading (my kids like to come home from the library and curl up on pillows and blankets together on the floor), and the summer reading programs at our local library as well as around town:

Barnes and Noble
Kids who read 8 books and keep track on this printable Reading Journal can head to a Barnes & Noble store to pick out a FREE book from their selection (you’ll see it on the journal). The program runs May 21st through September 3rd, and the limit is one FREE book per child.

Scholastic Summer Challenge
Scholastic has a FREE online program this summer, where kids can sign up and log their reading minutes to win rewards. You can download suggested book lists for all age groups, and you can download a FREE Reading Timer App so kids can track their reading no matter where they are.

Showcase Cinemas
Starting July 10th, kids receive FREE admission to Bookworm Wednesdays morning movies when they present a completed book report. Children under 6 do not need to complete the book report, and accompanying adults also get FREE admission. No food purchase is necessary.

I’ve started a new board on Pinterest called Summer Fun 2013 where I’m collecting ideas for the kids–science projects, outdoor games, simple art projects, and more. Hope you’ll follow me there (I follow back!).

Original image by FutUndBeidl at Flickr