Looking for summer activities for kids to stave off boredom without hemorrhaging money?
It's tricky but with a little planning, free or inexpensive fun can be had throughout the summer.
Here are a few things to do, to consider adding to your summer calendar:
Discovery Room, storytime and free museum passes at the library
After an 18-month closure due to seismic upgrades, renovations and the pandemic, Salem Public Library returned in 2021 to many parents' relief. When temperatures spike — or the rare summer storm hits — kids have an option for spending the day inside accompanied by books, crafts and activities.
Since its reopening, the library has worked to build its programming back up. Now, on any given week, patrons can sign up for storytime, enroll in the Summer Reading Challenge or check out a knitting kit, pasta maker or bubble machine from the new Library of Things.
Activities are available for a range of ages.
Tweens and teens can hang out in the Teen Scene Room, which has board games, puzzles, video games and a music exploration cabinet.
Babies, toddlers and younger school-aged kids can play for hours in the Discovery Room. The theme of the room rotates every few months.
The library's Cultural Pass program allows patrons to check out free passes for the Gilbert House Children's Museum, Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, Oregon State Parks, the Portland Japanese Garden and more.
Other activities include Tinker Tech Tuesday for Kids,Spanish-language storytime, craft time and concerts.
The Salem Public Main Library is open Tuesday through Saturday. The West Salem Public Library is open on Tuesday and Saturday.
If the weather is nice, patrons can walk across Peace Plaza and Salem City Hall to walk around the manmade Mirror Pond. Kids can spot frogs, fish, nutria, ducks and great blue herons along the paths, which also borders Pringle Creek.
Salem issues Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service cards, which also give access to checking out from the 17 other libraries in the system, including Stayton, Woodburn and Silverton.
Try visiting another library in the network and pair the trip with a stop at a local park. The Silver Falls Library District features storytimes, play areas, crafts and game nights. The downtown Silverton location is only a few blocks away from Coolidge McClaine Park, which has two playgrounds shaded by towering trees and access to Silver Creek.
A day at the Dallas Public Library could include a walk through the historic downtown, a visit to the creek and swimming hole at Dallas City Park or a hike at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge.
Parks, splash pads and trails
With 90 parks in the city — and even more in the surrounding counties and neighboring cities — the Salem area has a park for nearly every kind of summer day.
Trying to steer clear of the sun? Try a shady, tree-filled park like Englewood Park, Lee Park or Pringle Park.
Overcast, cool day? Visit a less covered play area like Riverfront Park, Nelson Park or Bryan Johnston Park.
Want to explore a creek? Hit up Bush's Pasture Park, Clark Creek Park, Woodmansee Park or Turner City Park.
Thinking of exploring a nearby trail or garden? Keizer Rapids Park, Orchard Heights Park, Deepwood Garden, Fairmount Park and Minto-Brown Island Park all have fun options.
Need to cool off in a splash fountain? The splash pads at River Road Park, West Salem Park, Wes Bennett Park and Northgate Park are open for the season.
Resources for exchanging ideas and learning about events
Parent social media groups and pages are great resources for exchanging ideas and learning about upcoming events.
The Salem-area chapter of Mom What's Next documents fun local spots, playgrounds and hikes on Instagram and has specialized guides for birthdays, summer camps and holidays.
Facebook groups such as Salem area moms, Salem & Surrounding Moms and PNW Hiking with Kids are often great sources for new ideas and recommendations.
In a 2023 posting on cheap summer activities, parents suggested the playground at Turner Lake and the Molalla Train Park, which is open to the public every Sunday through Oct. 27. Admission to the train park, which has picnic tables, ponds and bridges, is free, with donations encouraged.
If you're looking for a more wild spot without the driving time of going up the Santiam Canyon or the Coastal Range, check out nearby wildlife refuges Ankeny and Baskett Slough.
Visitors to Ankeny Hill Wildlife Center can pick between a boardwalk that navigates through riparian marshland in a setting filled withbullfrogs,turtles and 250 different types of birds or a newly added Nature Center that offers a nature play area and trail. For more:fws.gov/refuge/ankeny.
Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge west of Salem features a chance to hike up a hill to a view point, through a forest and past lakes, possibly spotting bald eagles, deer, wildflowers and Fender's blue butterfly.
Parking is free at both refuges.
More free, fun and cheap events in Salem
Not all summer events in Salem come with a hefty admission price.
No admission fee is being charged to view the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at the Oregon State Fairgrounds.
Some events, like the Depot Day celebrating berries, at the Powerland Heritage Park in Brooks are free.
Kids 12 and under also get free admission to the park's annual Steam-Up featuring miniature train and trolley rides, blacksmith demonstrations and a parade of vintage tractors, trucks and steam traction engines.
Riverfront Family Fest, one of the largest child-friendly community events in Salem, is free to attend. The annual health fair features activities, costumed guests and snacks.
Englewood Forest Festival will return in August. The free event focuses on local artist vendors, family-friendly art and environmental activities.
Also in August is the Aumsville Corn Festival. This year's free event is dubbed Field of Dreams and will feature a parade, games and hot-buttered corn.
Even activities that have a higher admission price can be free for kids, cheaper on certain days or discounts for SNAP card holders. World Beat Festival, for example, is free for kids 14 and under and for those on SNAP. Tickets a $10 otherwise.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry also drops admission to $5 on the first Sunday of every month. Five-dollar admission also is available for those with an Oregon Trail Card.
The city hosts free movies at the park on select Friday evenings at Salem's Riverfront Park. This year's lineup features Barbie, Wonka, Elemental, and Ghostbusters Frozen Empire.
More ideas for free, inexpensive things to do in and around Salem
Other parents suggested the free trolley in Independence and Monmouth — especially fun for kids that love Daniel Tiger — along with $5 parent and tot time at the Dallas Aquatic Center, $5 kids movies at Northern Lights Theatre Pub on Tuesdays, $5 movies at the Independence Cinema on Tuesdays, free fishing at local ponds for kids and free bowling for kids at The REC in Keizer. Regal Cinemas also offers $1 movies for certain showings on Tuesday and Wednesdays throughout the summer.
Yearly or seasonal memberships to museums, gyms and attractions can hold a higher upfront cost but are valuable if used frequently.
A family of four would pay $56 for a single visit to Salem's Gilbert House Children's Museum, whereas an annual family membership costs $130 for unlimited visits. The museum includes indoor and outdoor exhibits, an arts, crafts and STEM room, and imagination-based play rooms, like the "Up, Up and Away" where kids can pretend to fly a plane and learn about aerodynamics through a wind tunnel.
The phrase "summer camp" can instill fear and dread into the hearts of many parents of school-aged children. Camps quickly fill up and typically cost between $200 and $350 a week. Some spaces remain available in Salem's Summer Parks Program. The day camps are held at three parks in different parts of the city, have different themes such as Science Week, Carnival Week and Seas Creatures Week and cost $45.
Fee waivers also are available for qualified residents.
For kids needing to burn off energy, Salem Gymnastics Center offers daytime playtime at its 15,000-square-foot facility. Parents and non-walking infants are free. Walking-aged kids to 11 years old are $6. During playtime hours, kids can climb through tunnels, jump into foam pits, run obstacle courses and play in a bounce house.
Did we miss anything? Email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com with your ideas.
