Chuck E Cheese's in Allen, TX

If you have a child, 9 times out of 10 you have heard of Chuck E Cheese's.  I have taken my kids there countless times.  However, hopefully, you will learn something new today.  Chuck E. Cheese's offers a reward program for kids to earn free tokens.  If you need a motivator/a bribe to get your child to do something right/good, then check this out.  

There are 15 different calendars and 5 different awards to use.  Kids get 10 free tokens for completing 2 weeks.  They can be awarded for good behavior, reading, chores, homework, etc.  Every child in the family can use one and get free tokens, but only one calendar per child per day.  Here is the link to the calendars and awards. 

Every now and then, I need a little something to get my girls motivated to do things.  It is nice to have these as an incentive.  

Cost:

FREE!

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse in Allen, Plano, or Dallas, TX

Summer is a fun and inexpensive time to visit the movie theater! Every summer Cinemark offers 10 movies for $5... Yes, that is 50 cents a movie! To get it for 50 cents, you need to purchase the $5 pass. Then, you can visit the theater every week for 10 weeks for their featured clubhouse movies. Or, you can pay as you go for $1 a movie.

Plano Legacy and Allen 16 are both featuring their clubhouse movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10am starting this Tuesday!! Here is what is playing and when:

June 5&6: Journey 2

June 12&13: Happy Feet 2

June 19&20: Rio

June 26&27: Kung Fu Panda 2

July 3&4: Despicable Me

July 10&11: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2

July 17&18: Dolphin Tale

July 24&25: Puss in Boots

July 31&August 1: Winnie the Pooh

August 7&8: Yogi Bear

Cost:

$1 per movie per person

$5 for a unlimited summer pass per person

Cabela's in Allen, TX

If you love the outdoors, you will love the things you can buy and see at Cabela's.  Cabela's has everything you need for camping, hunting, boating, fishing, and any other outdoor activities you can think of.  I am not in to any of those things, but after a visit, I wished I could go camping with the cool tents and accessories. 

This is a place to take the kids to see fish.  There are several tanks with different types of fish inside.  They even have a feeding demonstration.  If you time your visit right, you can see it. 

We enjoyed seeing all of the different animals.  Even though they were all deceased animals that were stuffed... It was cool to see all of the animals we would never see otherwise.  These animals are all over the store.  You can see them above you, beside you and all around you. 

We walked out without buying anything.  We just enjoyed seeing all of the gear they offer and the fish and animals. 

Natatorium in Allen, TX

The Natatorium in Allen is a great place to swim without having to worry about putting on sunscreen.  The pool starts at 0 depth, so it is even a pool I would take a baby to.  There are plenty of pulleys and water gadgets for the kids to play with as well as slides. 

You can not bring any floats into the pool with you, but they do have life vests available for use.  Children 7 and under must have an adult in the water with them at all times, and there must be no more than 3 children under 7 years old per adult. 

This pool is always very clean.  There are lockers, changing rooms and showers available.  There is no outside dirt or leaves floating in the water. 

The one thing that I do not like about this pool is that it doesn't open until 1pm. 

Cost:

Adults: $5

Children 3-17: $4

Children under 3: FREE!

You can check out the web-site here: Natatorium

Watter's Creek in Allen, TX

Watter's Creek is a neighborhood/ shopping center/ park in Allen.  There are trails you can walk and do window shopping or do the real shopping with a very nice view.  There are gliders that you can sit and relax in, if you happen to wear yourself out. 

There are plenty of restaurants to stop at for a bite to eat as well. 

It is really pretty in the evening time, and there are often musical events scheduled.  Tonight at 7pm, a group called Falling Sideways will be performing at the creek.

Free movies are shown once a month, including one coming up Saturday May 26.  "You've Got Mail" will be playing. 

Yes, there is always something great happening at Watter's Creek, so check it out this week! 

Celebration Splash Park in Allen, TX

With temperatures in the 90's, it is definitely time to get wet!  Beat the heat at Celebration Park in Allen.  This is the largest splash pad I have ever seen.  There are dumping buckets, shooters, and sprinklers.  You will get soaked for sure! 

It is open from 9am to 9pm but closed on Wednesdays.  We have stopped by on a Wednesday before and found out the hard way, so just know that there is no water on that day. 

There are shade trees on the grass and covered areas with tables.  All of these spaces get filled up quickly, so plan accordingly.  You may find yourself without a seat.  We bring a picnic blanket just in case. 

Cost: FREE!

For more information about the park, visit the web-site at: Celebration Park

The Village Depot in Allen, TX

There are 5 little buildings for children to explore, and a maze to find their way through!

A real train caboose is open for exploring and can even be rented for parties.

This play area is in the parking lot of The Village on the Allen side (southeast side of US75 and Stacy Road).  Here are some of the fun things inside the gates of this play area:

*Little buildings for the kids to play in including a bank, train depot, etc. 

*A (fake) grass maze to get lost in.

*A caboose with toys inside to play with.

*picnic tables with umbrellas

*park benches

Cost: FREE!

This is the perfect play area to stop when you are out doing errands and need a break.  The kids can get their energy out, and you can sit down.  There are a lot of shops in the area such as Super Target, Dollar Tree, Best Buy, etc.  Restaurants are all over this area including Uncle Julio's.

For more information about the Village Depot, visit the web-site here: web-site