Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Living on the Cheap.
Want to shine a spotlight on good times? Family fun takes center stage with these no-cost options.
Here are a variety of ways to watch movies and TV shows, take a class, earn gift cards or find movies, music and more, all for free!
Whether you’re into live music, interactive workshops, or creative activities, there’s something for everyone.
This list is a combination of in-person and free entertainment online. You’ll find cheap workshops (and free ones), other freebies, and more!
Movies and TV
Get a chance at passes to free movie screenings through GoFoBo.com and SeeItFirst.net. Some previews let you immediately download the tickets. For more popular films, you usually enter to win a drawing by sending a text or completing an online form.
Regal Cinemas Crown Club lets you earn rewards for going to the movies, free popcorn, soft drinks, and tickets.
Watch free movies and TV shows at Crackle.com (also check the TV networks’ websites).
Books and music
Don’t pay a cent to legally download thousands of books whose copyrights have expired from Gutenberg.org.
Also look for free e-books from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, BookBub, and BookGorilla.
New titles are available for “check-out” for 10 to 21 days at your public library.
Shake your groove thing with music streaming from Pandora, Spotify, AccuRadio.com. All are free (or have free options), but be prepared to listen to a few ads between tunes.
Wilderness and outdoors skills
Earn your wilderness skills badge with free clinics on camp cooking, archery, fly fishing, hunting, bike maintenance, snowshoeing, and more at outdoor retailers REI, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro Shops.
Tech and tool skills
Stumped by CTRL-ALT-DEL? Microsoft and the Apple Store offer free workshops on how to use all their products and devices, plus software.
And don’t forget your local library for free classes on creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Get the “tools” to handle any household repair or DIY project with Home Depot’s free Do-It-Yourself and Do-It-Herself workshops. Find a schedule in store or online.
Cooking techniques
Williams-Sonoma hosts free cooking technique classes. Not only can you brush up your kitchen skills, but taste the prepared dishes.
Check with your local store for a schedule and to register as most classes are limited in size.
Keep the kiddos entertained
Need to entertain the kiddos on the cheap? Lakeshore Learning Stores offer free crafts for kids every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stores provide all the materials. No registration required.
Children can learn to safely use a hammer and other tools at free Home Depot Kids DIY workshops.
Lego Stores host model builds for kids on a monthly basis. Even better, kids get to take home their finished projects.
Broaden your horizons
Want to expand your mind? Go back to school.
Check out edX or Udemy for free online courses from some of the best universities and/or specialty schools around, including Harvard, UC Berkley, Cornell, Rice, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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