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.
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.
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:
“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:
All EXPO DAY ‘Know Before You Go’ tips and updates are listed at: lovestemsd.org.
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)
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.
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.
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.
If you have a friend or family member with social, emotional, of physical special needs ages 5-20, this event looks like a great night out!
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from 6-8pm at the Santee Sportsplex there is a Full Spectrum Soccer Clinic.
The event is free, however, the Sportsplex does have a $3 per 18+ entrance fee.
For more information, check out the graphic on this post. I found this information via email from my kids’ school. Googling the contact name and phone number didn’t give me any additional information or a website, so I’m unsure which organization sponsors this event.
PRC aka iOpinion is a nationwide research study company. They are always running studies and looking for more respondents. They email me once a week with online studies they are looking to fill. This week they sent me a particular request!
looking to speak to adults ages 18 and older to participate in an upcoming in-person session about games and entertainment.
Location: San Diego, CA
Dates: May 22 and 23, 2024
Study Format: In-person Session
Commitment: 45 minutes
If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.
We’ve gone to this event in the past, and it’s always a fun time with great resources. This year, the All Inclusive Day of Play & Resource Fair includes a movie under the stars!
Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 5-9 pm at The Salvation Army Kroc Center Field – 6753 University Ave., San Diego, CA 92115
Activity booths include:
Parents can connect with helpful resource services and providers, gaining valuable insights and family support.
And as the sun sets, an outdoor screening of the family favorite film Finding Nemo will be shown on a large outdoor screen! Bring your chairs and blankets!
Hewes Family Fun 