Looking for Low Cost Activites.

Hi S.. I have two suggestions for you. First, most local community centers have free preschool open gym time at least once per week, where kids can run around, play with balls, hulahoops, etc. We've been to the AV community center on Hayes Ave., and Rosemount center on Hwy 3.

Also, most local business will do free tours (and many times the kids get goodies/samples to take home). The ones we've been to that might be appropriate for your age group: Petco, Rainbow or Cub Foods, Krispy Kreme.

Hope this helps!

The downtown St. Paul public library has great free activities including story time, live music, and puppet shows. See their website for schedules and details:

http://www.stpaul.lib.mn.us/families/

I am not sure if there's a Dakota County (I know St Paul has one) Early Childhood Family Eduation program (ECFE) but I live in Bloomington and our ECFE often has great discounted events. I am a member of the Bloomington/Richfield ECFE's Parent Advisory Council and we often offer scholarship/discounts to events or make donations to Cornerstone (a Bloomington domestic violence shelter for women) so maybe that's a place to ask. Hope this helps! Oh, and the ECFE also sometimes has a list of inexpensive ideas for stuff to do.

You could try Cardio Kids in Eagan. She gives a fair price for fieldtrips and its a lot of fun. She has a website called cardiokidsstudio.com and her phone number is ###-###-####. You could also the Gedney Pickle Company. They do fieldtrips also. Email me with other questions, If I think of more I will let you know-I used to work at a daycare and we had to plan the fieldtrips all year. B.

Hi S.,

I've got two little ones and am also on a budget - I've had a lot of luck with twincities.babyzone.com's listing under Family Fun: Free Things to Do. There are a lot of great ideas on there. They've also got an events calendar on the site.

And, one of my personal favorites because I love food, under Family Fun: Fun Dining lists places that kids eat free on certain days.

Good luck!