Summer fun on a zero-dollar budget? Yes, please.
Don’t let another summer slip by wondering how to keep the kids busy without blowing your budget (or your sanity). We’ve rounded up 10 completely FREE family adventures across Harrisburg, the West Shore, and Carlisle–Shippensburg. From splash pads to bike trails and library perks that’ll make you weep tears of joy (and air conditioning), this list is your golden ticket to memory-making without money-melting.
Which ones will you check off first?
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💦 1. Splash Around at Ridley Park
Ready to ditch the heat? Grab your water shoes and head to Ridley Park in East Pennsboro — a local fave where kids can splash in the creek, skip rocks, and wade their way into summertime bliss. Bonus: it’s quiet, shady, and doesn't cost a dime.
➡️ Want more places to make a splash?
💦 Free Places to Make a Splash in the Cumberland Valley
Did someone say *FREE* water fun? From lake beaches to splash pads, here's where to beat the heat without sweating your budget.
🌊 Dive into the full list2. Celebrate Summer at the Independence Weekend Family Celebration
Nothing says summer like the smell of fair food, the sound of live music, and kids dancing with sticky fingers. Head to Heroes Grove on Saturday, July 5th for a FREE patriotic festival with live music, family games, food trucks, and a beautiful salute to the flag.
🇺🇸 Independence Weekend Family Celebration
Join us at Heroes Grove on Saturday, July 5th for a full day of free patriotic fun – live music, food trucks, family games, and a beautiful salute to the flag. Don’t miss the Calm Down Tent by Neurodiverse Network!
🎆 View Full Event Details➡️ Looking for more summer events? Peek at our full calendar!
📚 3. Visit Your Local Library
Think the library is just for borrowing books? Think again. Summer at local libraries = reading challenges, storytimes, crafts, STEM events, and glorious indoor air conditioning.
➡️ Find out more:
📚 Free Summer Reading Programs in Central PA
Books, bribes, and big prizes – summer reading has gone next level. From toddlers to tweens (and yes, even teens), we’ve rounded up every local program that rewards your little bookworms just for reading.
📖 Explore the full reading guideWant even more budget-friendly ways to save while making memories?
Check out our partner site, CertifiKID, for amazing deals on everything from amusement parks to aquariums and family attractions across the country!
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🌳 4. Explore Upper Allen Parks with a Free Parks Pass
Let the kids run wild (without running up your spending) with the Upper Allen Parks Bandwango Pass — a free mobile pass that turns playtime into a prize-earning scavenger hunt.
🌳 Explore Upper Allen Parks with the 2025 Bandwango Pass
Your kids think it's just a fun summer adventure. You know it's a brilliantly disguised local scavenger hunt. Check out how to earn prizes just by playing at your local parks!
🎟️ Learn how to grab your free pass🌞 Want more backyard-style adventure?
☀️ 4 Free Ways to Get Your Kids Outside in Harrisburg & West Shore
Running wild outside is free. So are these genius local ideas to make it feel like an epic day out – minus the budget breakdown.
🌳 Get the list and go play🚴♀️ 5. Bike the Capital Area Greenbelt
Whether you’ve got balance bike beginners or trail-hardened tweens, the Greenbelt offers scenic, family-friendly riding with stops at splash pads, playgrounds, and snack spots along the way.
🚴♀️ Best Places to Bike with Kids on the Greenbelt
Wildwood, Riverfront, City Island, and a whole lot of snack-fueled adventure. Get ready to ride the Greenbelt with tips for avoiding meltdowns and chasing geese (or avoiding them entirely).
🚲 Read the full guide🎶 6. Enjoy Outdoor Movies or Live Music Under the Stars
Because bedtime can wait. Pack snacks, grab a blanket, and head to local parks across the West Shore for free movie nights and summer concert series. Dancing optional, popcorn mandatory.
🌅 Sunset Music and Movie Series
Live music. Outdoor movies. Gorgeous sunsets. The perfect free family night out returns this summer at Fort Hunter and Reservoir Park!
🎶 View the full schedule
🎬 Free & Cheap Summer Movies 2025
Beat the heat and save your wallet! Here's where to catch $1 blockbusters, free family flicks, and big-screen fun all summer long in Harrisburg & the West Shore.
🍿 See the full movie listMore FREE summer fun:
Visit Olwine Nature Center at Wildwood Park
⭐️ Report Card Freebies: Big List of Rewards for Good Grades
☀️ Bye-Bye Boredom: Get Your FREE Ultimate Summer Bucket List for Kids
Many museums are FREE with your ACCESS or SNAP card
Have a PA State Museum Membership or Whitaker Membership? Visit these reciprocal museums FREE
🏛️ 7. Borrow a Free Museum Pass from the Library
Your Cumberland County Library card is basically a golden ticket. Check out a museum pass and gain free entry for your family to places like the Whitaker Center, AACA Museum, and more!
🎟️ Free Museum Visits with Your Library Card
Library card = golden ticket! Borrow a family museum pass and explore Central PA’s best museums without spending a dime (or losing your mind over ticket prices).
🏛️ See the full museum list🥾 8. Hike a Local Trail
Get the wiggles out with a family-friendly hike at Wildwood Park, Boyd Big Tree Preserve, or Fort Hunter. Bonus points for spotting birds, collecting acorns, and pretending it counts as P.E.
🥾 Toddler-Friendly Trails Near Harrisburg
Flat paths, shady spots, and zero mountain goat moments. These 7 trails are perfect for tiny feet, wobbly legs, and snack-heavy hikes in the Harrisburg & West Shore area.
👶 See the trail list
📖 StoryWalk® Trails Near Harrisburg
Take a walk, read a story, and trick your kids into exercise and literacy at the same time. These StoryWalk® trails combine fresh air and page turns all across Central PA.
🌲 Browse the StoryWalk® listLike this article? Want it all delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to Macaroni KID Harrisburg and West Shore and never miss a moment of family fun. It's free, it's local, and it's made just for busy parents like you.
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🎳 9. Let the Kids Bowl FREE
Yes, really. Your kids can bowl two free games a day all summer long at participating local alleys. It’s air-conditioned, active, and doesn’t involve screen time or sand in your car.
🎳 Kids Bowl FREE All Summer!
Two free games every. single. day. If you’re looking for air-conditioned fun and somewhere to burn off energy (that isn’t your house), local bowling alleys have your back.
🎳 Get the bowling alley list📅 10. Check the Macaroni KID Calendar
We’re constantly updating our calendar with every free event we can find—from storytimes to festivals to crafts and community celebrations. If it’s free and family-friendly, we’re sharing it.
🗓️ See the Full Calendar of Free Events
📩 Don’t miss a thing: Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox weekly. It’s free, just like everything else on this list.
