san diego

Free Backpacks & School Supply Round Up (San Diego County)

Abby H.1 Comment

It’s that time of year- Back to school is looming. School supplies and backpacks are getting more expensive. However, there are several opportunities in the San Diego, CA area for free backpacks, school supplies, and even free haircuts for kids at selected events. For more information about each event, click the links or images (they are linked to the events).

Back 2 School Jam – Spring Valley School supplies, backpacks,  and resources.

Back 2 School Jam – Spring Valley School supplies, backpacks,  and resources.
Spring Valley Gymnasium, 838 Kempton St, Spring Valley, CA 91977
Sat, August 1, 2026 10:00 AM –1:30 PM

 NAACP’s 24th Annual Back 2 School Stay in School Rally
MiraCosta College (Clock Tower Area), 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056
Sat, August 1, 2026 10:30 AM –12:30 PM

Buddy’s Backpacks is WILDLY popular here in East County. It starts at 9am, but last year, when we drove by at 8 am, there were already over 200 people in line. If you are dedicated to attending this event, consider arriving very early.

Backpack & School Supplies Giveaway
Radiant Life Church, 10060 Carmel Mountain Road, San Diego, 92129
Sat, August 1, 2026 10:00 AM –12:00 PM

Southern Indian Health Council – Back to School Bash
Golden Acorn Casino & Travel Center, 1800 Golden Acorn Way, Campo, CA 91906
Sat, August 1, 2026 11:00 AM –2:00 PM
CCAE is in Central Escondido, CA. This is a newer event, and they have supplies for 200 students. There will be backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, and more. 

Back 2 School Jam – Lakeside.  School supplies, backpacks,  and resources.
Lakeside Teen/REC Center, 9911 Vine St, Lakeside, CA 92040
Fri, August 7, 2026 3:00 PM –6:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Super Saturday | CSAM ’26 Community Event Backpacks, school supplies, and resources.
County of San Diego Child Support Services, 3666 Kearny Villa Rd, San Diego, CA 92123
Sat, August 8, 2026 9:00 AM –1:00 PM

Backpack Giveaway and Family Resource Fair
The O’Farrell Charter School (outdoors lower lot), 6130 Skyline Dr, San Diego, CA 92114
Sat, August 8, 2026 8:00 AM –10:00 AM

Talk Back: If you know of other similar events, please leave a comment!

San Diego Area Upcoming Free E-bike Safety Courses!

Abby H.

There are so many kids (and adults) in my area riding e-bikes and scooters as of late and some of them aren’t wearing helmets. It’s scary! As a parent and someone who works with kids, I’ve seen the injuries that can happen from e-bikes and scooters. That’s why when I saw this email in my inbox, I had to share. This is a free series of events all over the county.

The YMCA is partnering with Scripps Health, the San Diego Bicycle Coalition and local leaders to offer free, hands-on e-bike safety courses for youth ages 12–16. The training will be hosted across five YMCA locations and is designed to help young riders build confidence, learn the rules of the road and develop safe riding habits. Every participant will receive a free e-bike-rated helmet provided by Scripps Health. Learn more here.

Choose the day and location that works best for your family:

Saturday, July 11 at 1:00pm | RSVP here
T. Claude and Gladys B. Ryan Family YMCA
4390 Valeta St, San Diego, CA 92107

Saturday, July 25 at 1:00pm | RSVP here
Rancho Family YMCA
9410 Fairgrove Ln, San Diego, CA 92129

Saturday, August 08 at 1:00pm | RSVP here
Dan McKinney Family YMCA
8355 Cliffridge Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

Saturday, August 22 at 1:00pm | RSVP here
Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA
200 Saxony Rd, Encinitas, CA 92024

Please note that registration is required and limited to one child per family. Spots are limited and are expected to fill quickly, so we encourage families to register early!

Taylor Research Sleep Habits Study- $125

Abby H.

Taylor Research is a research company based in the San Diego, CA area. I have been involved in their studies for over 15 years.

Frequently, they will send out emails requesting referrals for studies that are hard to fill. This is one of those cases.

  • Study Topic: Sleep Habits
  • Study Type: Individual Interviews
  • Study Location: Online (Nationwide)
  • Target Audience: Adults 18+
  • Available Date(s): April 20th – 30th, 2026
  • Session Duration: 1 hour
  • Reward Amount: $125

To sign up, please complete the form here. In the referral box, enter my name Abby Hewes. If you are selected and participate, I may earn a referral bonus!

Please feel free to share this.

Free Summer Mentor Support in Santee!

Abby H.

If your tweens/teens are feeling a little meh this summer and could benefit from support, check out this great free offer from Live Well San Diego, the County of San Diego HHS, and Fred Finch.

Available three times a week at various locations throughout Santee, this program is open to all kids in grades 5-8. No prior registration needed.

If you are looking for mental health resources in California, check out my post here.

2025 Summer Lunch Programs for Kids (And Other Free Food Resources in San Diego)

Abby H.

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I’m back with as many free summer lunch resources as I could find for 2025!

Y’all know I love to keep everyone’s kids fed.

San Diego Unified School District has partnered with San Diego Parks and Recreation to have food available at neighborhood schools and Recreation centers throughout the city of San Diego. The complete list of locations can be found here. Times vary by location.

Feeding San Diego has a list of locations in San Diego County offering free food for kids 0-18 here.

Feeding San Diego has many other programs to help families and individuals all over San Diego County. You can learn more about all of their programs here.

Lunch at the library:

City of San Diego library has two locations participating; more information and hours/times can be found here.

County of San Diego library locations include Ramona, Casa de Oro, and Spring Valley. Check to see if your county library branch is participating here.

Lunch at the Park is hosted by several libraries throughout the City of San Diego!

To find schools near you participating in free summer lunches for kids, the California Department of Education website has a map for the entire state of CA, separated by County with free lunch locations for children.

If you need assistance feeding yourself and/or your family beyond these free meals, and you are looking for free and low-cost food resources, check my page here.

 

2025 San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering is Coming 3/1/25!

Abby H.


It’s back! This event is super fun, and FREE! We’ve gone in the past and my kids have loved it!
The annual San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering’s signature event returns to Petco Park and will be held on Saturday, March 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Festival will be a full day of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fun provided by hundreds of San Diego area businesses, schools, libraries, and museums. Admission is free and open to the public, no registration is required. A clear bag policy will also be in effect.

This year’s event is presented by Illumina Corporate Foundation and will feature more than 100 booths. New to the event this year:

  • Construction Corner: From interactive building challenges to demonstrations of cutting-edge technology, this space highlights sustainable building, structural design and the latest construction materials.
  • Cybersecurity Zone: An interactive space to dive into the fundamentals of online safety, ethical hacking, encryption, and cyber defense. Also includes demonstrations on how to protect personal data and digital landscapes.
  • ‘All Hands’: The Navy’s virtual reality experience gives attendees the chance to step aboard an aircraft carrier.
  • Algae Foundation: Explore sustainable solutions for the planet.

“The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering aims to make learning exciting and accessible for all ages by immersing kids and adults in STEAM education,” says Sara Pagano, Managing Director, San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering. “The event also highlights San Diego’s leadership in the science industry, breaking down even the most complex topics to make them clear and engaging for everyone.”

There will be dozens of returning hands-on learning experiences, interactive activities, and experiments to inspire kids (and kids at heart!) to engage in all things STEAM including:

  • DNA fun and genomics education with Illumina Corporate Foundation
  • The pre-K zone is filled with engaging activities for little learners
  • Virtual reality experiences
  • Ecovivarium, and Parks & Rec
  • Rockets and explosions with General Atomics
  • Make slime, learn about underwater sea life, play with robots and more!
  • Art Pavilion infuses the STEM experience with live artists
  • College and Career Connections allow students to consider career pathway options

All EXPO DAY ‘Know Before You Go’ tips and updates are listed at: lovestemsd.org.

Fall 2024 Clothing Swaps (San Diego, CA area)

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kid’s wardrobes (and my own).

There are a few upcoming swaps that I recommend. Both are for adult clothes and accessories.

And as always, And if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post (with other San Diego, CA area resources)  here.

FREE Clothing Swap & Decor & Extra!
Location: Pioneer Park 1501 Washington Place, San Diego
Sunday, October 6, 2024
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM PDT
Bring clothes, small decor, and Unused makeups / perfumes, personal items to donate or swap. Open to all genders, ages, and sizes.
Bring your unwanted, clean, in good repair clothing and extras to take home new clothing. Take what you want and leave what you don’t want. Clothing, accessories and small personal items are accepted. * No books, or any heavy items please.

Green LOVE Clothing Swap
Location: Montezuma Hall
6075 Aztec Circle Dr · San Diego, CA
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
12:00 PM to 4:30 PM PDT
For more information, check out the website: https://as.sdsu.edu/greenlove/swapshop

Porchlight Halloween costume swap
Location: 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite F, San Diego, CA
Saturday, October 12th
9:30 am-11:30am
For more information or to sign up to participate, check out the website: https://events.humanitix.com/kids-costume-swap

Women’s Clothing Swap
Location: The Chapel at Grossmont
5651 Water St, La Mesa, CA
Saturday, October 19, 2024
10 am-2 pm
How it works:
Bring your gently used* WOMEN’S CLOTHING, accessories, shoes, etc. and trade them for items you want to take home. No selling, no buying, just swapping. You simply drop off your items on the front table and you can start shopping for items you want to take home – free! Come and drop off all the items you want to swap and leave with items that will bring value to you.
Items can include:
-Gently used* or semi-new clothing pieces
-Gently used* or semi-new shoes
-Jewelry pieces
-Accessories: scarfs, hats, purses, belts
*Items should be freshly laundered and either on hangers or laid flat in a box (not in bags, please)

San Diego Regional Center’s 2nd Annual Family-Vendor Resource Fair!

Abby H.

If your child is a client of San Diego Regional Center this event is a great opportunity for you to learn about how SDRC can assist your child and family.

On 9/28/2024 at the Town and Country Hotel, SDRC is presenting its second annual Family-Vendor Resource Fait.

For more information, or to sign up, Family-Vendor Resource Fair.

SeaWorld: Free Tickets for U.S. Military Veterans!

Abby H.

This deal is back, but only through July 31st! To show their appreciation for those who have served our country, SeaWorld San Diego is offering FREE tickets to SeaWorld San Diego for U.S. Military Veterans and up to three friends or family members. You can also purchase up to six additional tickets at 50% off.

Get your tickets by verifying your military status through GovX.com here. All tickets must be used by July 31, 2024.

If you live near another SeaWorld, check their website for a similar deal.

2024 Summer Fun on A Budget!

Abby H.2 Comments

Today marks the first day of summer break for my kiddos. I am usually a lot more prepared and would have posted this on the blog already, but… Life happens.

I’ve got some stuff planned for summer, but not as much as I have during previous summers. I’m having surgery next week, so a lot of our activities will be more chill.

But we will be including:

If you are looking to beat the heat and need something free, check out the Waterfront Park downtown. They have a great splash pad area for kids, a really fun playground, and a big grassy area for picnics. The only downside- is no shade trees.

If you are looking for free summer lunches, Feeding America has a great list on its website here. 

And beyond that, if you are looking for free and low-cost food resources, check my page here.