1) Family golfing
Kids golf for free during
Take a Kid to the Course week in July, when 675 courses across Canada offer free golf and junior club rentals to children under 16 when they are accompanied by a paying adult.
2) Museum passes
You can borrow more than books from the library. In Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, a valid library card allows patrons to take out a weeklong family pass for free admission to museums and other local attractions.
3) Home improvement workshop
Learn how to tackle your next DIY project—whether it's installing a faucet or building a wooden fence—at The Home Depots workshops. Kids aged four to 12 can also get in on the DIY fun with a monthly in-store craft activity. Register at
homedepot.ca/workshops.
4) Run and walk club
Keep up with the pace or set your own at
Running Rooms free weekly Run Club, which offers practice walks and runs on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings.
5) Fitness sessions
Try a free one-hour yoga class (also available online), running club or other fitness program at Lululemon stores across the country.
6) Start stargazing
Take advantage of free public telescope viewing nights at select observatories across Canada. Visit the
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada website for more details.
7) Coin counters
Don't pay to have your change counted by machines at the supermarket! Personal-banking customers at TD Canada Trust and Bank of Montreal can cash in using the free self-service coin counters at select locations.
8) Nutrition advice
Improve your diet with the help of in-house dietitians at all
Loblaws and
Zehrslocations and select
Real Canadian Superstore. Complimentary services include menu-planning advice, cooking demos and hands-on label-reading store tours.
9) Cooking class
Improve your culinary skills with free one-hour lessons at
Williams-Sonoma. Bonus: You get to sample the dish you prepared in class!
10) DIY fun for kids
During Lowes Build and Grow Clinics, kids aged six to 10 can take home their own do-it-yourself woodworking project, a certificate, an apron and goggles. Clinics are held every other Saturday at 10 a.m. Register in store or at
lowes.ca.
11) Family Bowling
Register at
kidsbowlfree.com and your kids will receive two free games a day, all summer long, courtesy of participating bowling centres. Purchase of a family pass (for parents) is optional. Use the Canadian search feature on the site to find age restrictions and a participating alley near you.
12) Lego lesson
Free Lego! Yes, you read that right: Kids can take home a free mini model constructed during monthly builds at
Lego stores or during Make n Take events at
Toys "R" Us Canada across the country.
13) Outdoor tutorials
Outdoor-recreation retailers
MEC,
Cabelas and
Bass Pro Shops provide a variety of free in-store tutorials. Events are listed online.
14) Park visits
Celebrate Canada Day (July 1) with free admission to the more than 200 national history sites, marine conservations areas and parks administered by Parks Canada.
15) Pet freebies
Register at
mypuppy.ca or
mykitten.ca to receive a free bag of Purina puppy or kitten food.
16) Tea-steep deal
Become a Frequent Steeper at
Davids Tea to receive a free cup of tea at sign-up and on your birthday.
17) Slurpee special
Celebrate 7-Eleven Day on July 11 with a free 12-ounce slurp. Participating stores across Canada serve the treat in special birthday cups while supplies last.
18) Coffee reward
Register a Starbucks card at
starbucks.ca and receive a free birthday drink or treat.
19) Smoothie certificate
Join Booster Juice's Booster Nation 24 hours prior to your birthday for a free smoothie.
20) Language lessons
Take "classes" whenever you choose by downloading audio lessons in more than 40 languages at
openculture.com, or study grammar in 16 languages at
duolingo.com.
21) Kids' eyeglasses
Each August, Loblaw Optical offers a free pair of eyeglasses (frames valued up to $29, with single-vision lenses) to children aged four to 10 with a prescription from within the past 90 days. Some restrictions apply. Visit
loblaws.ca to find an optical location near you.
22) Creative inspiration
Want to try your hand at jewellery making or fine-tune your scrapbooking skills?
Michaels two-hour intro classes provide expert instruction. (You provide your own supplies.)
23) Makeup samples
Become a Beauty Insider at
Sephora to receive a birthday cosmetics gift—available any time during your birthday month—every year.
24) University education
Coursera.org offers 871 free online classes from top universities in dozens of disciplines, including law, art, biology and social sciences.
25) Birthday breakfast
Show a valid ID on your birthday and Dennys will treat you to a Grand Slam breakfast.
26) Tech tutorials
Both Apple and Microsoft stores offer free programming and workshops. Or keep the kids (aged 8 to 12) busy this summer at
Apple Camp, a series of three-day workshops held in July at Apple store locations.
27) Family fishing
Kids can fish without a licence, and adults can, too, during Family Fishing weekends (
catchfishing.com) held in June and July. Beginners can download the free Catch Fishing booklet for tips.
28) Swim pass
Tim Hortons sponsors free swimming at pools in participating communities during March and summer breaks. Check
timhortons.com for dates and locations.
29) Car seat installation
Receive hands-on instruction on how to properly install a childs car seat—from infant to booster—at Chevrolet Safe and Sure workshops offered in partnership with Parachute Canada. Check
safeandsure.ca for courses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, or find a free St. John Ambulance Car Seat Safety Clinic near you at
sja.ca.
30) Favourite freebie sites
The best freebies go fast. These Canadian sites track the hottest offers so you dont miss out:
