Free or cheap movies

Many Theaters offer free or very inexpensive movies through the summer months. While I have listed the locations and available movies for Illinois, many of these are available in other states, simply click through to their sites to find a location convenient for you.

As part of the Kerasotes Theatres the following Illinois theaters offer movies through the summer:

  • Bolingbrook – ShowPlace 12
  • Chicago – City North 14
  • Chicago – ShowPlace 14 Galewood
  • Cicero – ShowPlace 14
  • Edwardsville – ShowPlace 12
  • Glenview – Glen 10
  • Lake-in-the-Hills – Lake-in-the-Hills 12
  • Machesney Park – ShowPlace 14
  • New Lenox – ShowPlace 14
  • Niles – ShowPlace 12
  • Rockford – ShowPlace 16
  • Skokie – Village Crossing 18
  • Springfi eld – ShowPlace East 8

They should all be showing these films:

  • June 24 and June 25 – Igor
  • July 1 and July 2 – Madagascar Escape 2 Africa
  • July 8 and July 9 – Kung Fu Panda
  • July 15 and July 16 – Mall Cop
  • July 22 and July 23 – The Tale of Despereaux
  • July 29 and July 30 – Hotel for Dogs
  • August 5 and August 6 – Coraline

Cinnemark Movie Theaters offer films $1 at the door or $5 for all 10 showings (they don’t list specific movies or times, so check with individual theaters):

Participating Classic Cinemas also offer movies on Wednesdays from June 17th through August 12th. All Movies begin at 10AM and cost $1. The movie showing varies by location.

  • Charlestowne 18 – St. Charles, Illinois
  • Cinema 12 – Carpentersville, Illinois
  • Elk Grove Theatre – Elk Grove Village, Illinois
  • Fox Lake Theatre – Fox Lake, Illinois
  • Lake Theatre – Oak Park, Illinois
  • Lindo Theatre – Freeport, Illinois
  • Meadowview Theatre – Kankakee, Illinois
  • Paramount Theatre – Kankakee, Illinois
  • North Rivierside Mall Theatre – North Riverside, Illinois
  • Ogden 6 – Naperville, Illinois
  • Tivoli Theatre – Downers Grove, Illinois
  • Woodstock Theatre – Woodstock, Illinois
  • York Theatre – Elmhurst, Illinois

Featured Movies:
The Tale of Despereaux
Hotel For Dogs
Kung Fu Panda
Space Chimps
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Inkheart
Madagascar 2: Escape From Africa
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Goodrich Quality Theaters offer movies Monday through Friday at 10:30 for $1 per seat. These include:

  • Kendall 10
  • Randall 15
  • Savoy 16
  • Willow Knolls 14

Movies they will feature:

Caroline
Mall Cop
Flushed Away
Jumanji
Daddy Day Care
Over the Hedge
Shrek the Third
Surf’s Up
Bee Movie
Spiderwick Chronicles

Chicago Outdoor Film Festival

July 17 – August 28 on Tuesday Nights in Grant Park. Butler Field in Grant Park features a free outdoor film festival. The big outdoor movie screen features free classic movies at sunset. The lineup of classic movies offers an impressive variety of movies that have been enjoyed over the ages. Enjoy balmy summer nights in Grant Park, relaxing with friends and watching classic films.
Read more: “Summer Events Chicago Illinois: Soccer, Movies. Venetian Night, Air & Water Show, Jazz Festival | Suite101.com” – http://illinois-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/summer_events_chicago_illinois#ixzz0GZkdolEj&A

These can make great Frugal ideas, and help beat the heat and break up the monotony.

Homeschooling High School for College and Beyond

Title: Homeschooling High School for College and Beyond
Location: Plainfield Public Library
Link out: Click here
Description: A free workshop on July 1 at 7:30 pm, sponsored by The Plainfield Homeschool Group. Come for some helpful encouragement on homeschooling high school.

See library website for more details.

Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2009-07-01

The Old Schoolhouse Summer Reading Program

The following is a message from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine:

It’s hard to believe that so many months have passed and it’s time to kick off our SECOND ANNUAL SUMMER READING SPLASH! We had so much fun last year and hope that you and your children did as well. We’re looking forward to another summer filled with lots of reading and great books! (This reading program is open to ANY homeschooled student – you do not have to be a TOS magazine or E-newsletter subscriber in order for your children to participate.) As a matter of fact, we are so passionate about getting children to read, we’d love for you to share this information with EVERYONE you know! Please forward this e-mail to all your homeschooling friends and share the news about the Summer Reading Splash!

Over the next 3 months, we’ll provide lots of great information and creative ideas for encouraging your children to read. Below, you will see (in more detail) what all we have available to you NOW. As the summer progresses, we will add more resources to Splish’s blog. You’ll want to check back often! In the coming weeks and months, we will be offering several freebies and downloads to enrich your family’s reading fun!
Summer is a fantastic time to promote reading to your child(ren). Take a break from your regular studies and just spend some time reading to and with them. We are looking forward to another fun summer and hope that you will encourage your children to participate. Please continue reading below to learn more about some of the awesome things we have planned for the summer. Then, go pick up a book and READ!

Set Reading Goals

We will be providing you with downloadable record-keeping sheets; these are available in two formats- for younger students and older students.

We encourage you to help your children set attainable reading goals this summer. Let your children take an active role in helping to set their own goals; they will be more eager to read if they are doing it for themselves! At the end of our 10-week program, you’ll have opportunity to share your child’s reading logs and he/she will automatically be entered in a drawing for free books!

Kick-Off Contest

This year, we have decided to kick things off with a fun coloring contest! We have two coloring pages – both featuring our mascot, Splish the frog – one for older kids and one for younger kids.

To enter the contest, click here. Download the appropriate coloring page(s) and print. Then, follow the rules for submitting your entries. (Be sure to read the entire page.)

The winning entries will be “popping up” throughout the summer on Splish’s blog. And, the best part … we’ve got a great prize package of summer reading material for the winners as well! So, get those crayons, markers, and colored pencils out and get to work!

All submissions due by June 16th.

We hope that you will encourage your children to participate in the SECOND ANNUAL SUMMER READING SPLASH, not only by reading books this summer, but by playing along in our weekly scavenger hunts. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,
Splish and the rest of your friends at The Old Schoolhouse(r) Magazine

Keepers at Home and Contenders for the Faith

A couple years ago I started looking for a program that would allow me to mentor my growing girls on a spiritual and practical level. I wanted some type of Christian Girl Scout experience.

In looking around, I came across a company called American Heritage Girls that looked rather interesting. It is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.” It sounds like a well organized, exciting program. However, as I looked at the expenses involved it would cost at least $75 per student per year without even considering books and uniforms. That falls out of the affordability of most homeschool families I know that might have some interest in joining a club with us. They probably offer a great program, a solid framework to fit into, easy to start up, and lots of support for the coordinator if needed, just not right for my family and situation.

I continued my search.

Then I came across another club, also designed with young Christian girls in mind. The Keepers at Home club developed by the Keepers of the Faith organization. After looking over the materials, objectives, framework and flexibility of the program I knew this was what I was looking for.

I ordered a couple of the handbooks and the director’s guide and began studying the program in earnest. As fall approached I realized that I had stumbled upon a great thing and other homeschool families might want to jump in on this also. I sent an email to my homeschool group expecting one or two other families to begin this journey with. Well, by the time of our first meeting in November we had 9 families with a total of 20 children!

I love the heart of this program, to raise godly girls prepared to be godly keepers at home. I love the flexibility also. We meet only once a month. You could meet once a week, but our schedules are too busy to add something that often. Once a month we get together at my house and have explored decoupage, stenciling, prayer, pets, baking, and letter writing. We begin with a devotional time, then the kids have an opportunity to share any projects they have worked on since our last meeting, and then have the lesson or project time.

The book for the club is simple, but packed full of ideas for learning, discipleship and mentoring the young girls into adult hood. The book costs about $15, but is used for the duration of the program. The ideas (over 100 of them), depending on how quickly you go through them, could easily last you for 8-10 years and many could be repeated at greater depth as the girls grow older.

We set our club cost at $40 per child for the year including the book and sash. Next year for returning students they will only need $25 for the year to cover all of the projects and activities that we offer. This easily fits in my desire to mentor my girls while keeping a frugal, simple lifestyle. We all look forward to club time each month and have had great opportunities to grow our relationship through crafts and projects with spiritual significance.

There is also a club for boys, Contenders of the Faith, which we are looking to incorporate even more next year for the boys that have joined our group as well. These are great programs that offer a framework and concepts to build into the lives of our children.
And, while the end result is priceless, we don’t need to break the bank to get there. This wonderful program has definitely worked for us.

Free days at Museums

Many museums offer free days at various times throughout each week, month, or year. Target stores have stepped up to offer a number of these opportunities making it possible for families to enjoy these local treasures without spending a small fortune of their own. I know with five kids of my own to pay admission for, we love to take advantage of these special offers which enable us to do so much more than we would otherwise!

Even though these are posted it is always a good idea to double check websites or even make a phone call before heading out to enjoy one of these great field trip opportunities.

Chicago Children’s Museum – Target Free First Mondays

Free admission for kids 15 and under. First Monday of every month, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
700 East Grand Avenue, Navy Pier
Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier
Chicago IL, 60611
312-527-1000

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago – Target Free Tuesdays

Free every Tuesday
220 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago IL, 60611
312-280-2660

Congo Square Theatre, Chicago – Target Saturday Matinees

2-for-1 Tickets, Saturdays at 2 p.m.
Various locations
Chicago, IL 60657
312-587-2292

Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago – Target Saturday Matinees

Buy One, Get One Free, Saturday performances at 3 p.m.
821 North Michigan Avenue
Water Tower Water Works
Chicago IL, 60611
312-337-0665

Art Institute of Chicago – Target Free Evenings

Free General Admission every Thursday, 5-9 p.m.
Free General Admission every Friday from Memorial Day until Labor Day, 5-9 p.m.
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL, 60603-6110
312-443-3600

The Field Museum – Target Free Second Mondays

Free admission every second Monday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2496
312-922-9410

National Museum of Mexican Art – Target Free Admission at the NMMA

Free admission every day during museum hours, 10 a.m-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
1852 W. 19th Street
Chicago, IL 60608
312-738-1503

Millennium Park Family Fun Festival Presented by Target

June 3-September 1, 2008 Daily, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Summer-long free festival of music, performances and family activities for all ages, seven days a week in the Millennium Park Family Fun Activity Tent and on the Jay Pritzker Pavillion Performance Stage.

Chicago Children’s Choir – Target Free Family Concert in Millennium Park

Thursday, June 12, 6:30 p.m.

Information from Insider’s Passport.

Lego Learning Opportunity!

Just came across a fun opportunity for educators from the Lego company:

Now through August 2009, LEGO® Education is hosting an activity challenge for educators of all grades and subject areas!

The LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest begins with your imagination and ends with great prizes, online recognition, and the chance to share your activity with thousands of students across the nation!

The task is simple.

Create an activity using only the
bricks included in a LEGO Smart Kit

Educators are being challenged to use the kits’ contents to develop a hands-on activity for their students. This can range from a simple build to a more advanced mathematical problem. You’re the creator, so let your imagination lead you!

Check out Lego’s site to request your own kit, submit your idea, and enter for your chance to win!

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for sharing this news.

Barnes and Noble Reading Program

I hope you already take advantage of any summer reading program at your local library, and now you can also enroll your child in a reading incentive program through Barnes and Noble.

A very user friendly program that anyone can enjoy . . . Simply go to Barnes and Noble’s Summer Reading Program and print out the summer reading journal form. Students must simply read 8 books, write them down, and bring in the form anytime between May 26 and September 7. Couldn’t get much easier than that!

While there you can check out their Eduator’s Kit with more ideas for getting and keeping your kids in a book. The theme this summer draws on  Rick Riordan’s series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

The form has these books listed as available as a reward for participating:

Grades 1 & 2:

Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
Biscuit Takes a Walk by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Camping Out by Mercer Mayer
Curious George: Piñata Party/Jorge el curioso y la piñata by H. A. Rey
Fancy Nancy: The Dazzling Book Report by Jane O’Connor
Little Bear’s Visit Else by Holmelund Minarik

GRADES 3 & 4:

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now by Lauren Child
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon by Judy Donnelly
Pick of the Litter by Bill Wallace
El ratoncito de la moto by Beverly Cleary
Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One by Judy Blume
Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic by Whoopi Goldberg

GRADES 5 & 6:

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles
Beacon Street Girls #1: Worst Enemy/Best Friends by Annie Bryant
Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
Lady Margaret’s Ghost by Elizabeth M. Jones
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin

Apologia Notebooking Giveaway!

Apologia has become synonomous with engaging, high quality science in the homeschool community. Now, a new product is available in conjunction with these great books (Read on, post your own blurb, and have a chance to win one! Taken from Jeannie Fulbright’s blog):

Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available.

These journals are beautiful, spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won’t have to print and keep up with your child’s notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders…everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.

Each of the notebooking journals includes:

  • A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
  • Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
  • Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
  • Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
  • An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
  • Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
  • A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

See the sample pages here:
Botany

and . . .

Astronomy

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest.

Classical Conversations Practicum

Title: Classical Conversations Practicum
Location: Wheaton, IL
Link out: Click here
Description: Come practice the skills needed to teach your children how to recover the lost tools of learning. Learn to see Him in all you teach. Plan to use your brain and laugh a lot! The CC facilitators love teaching the fundamentals of learning and turning the difficult into the doable!
These Practicums are for parents and teachers of all grade levels. The cost is FREE for adults and teens! The costs listed for children\’s camps are for all three days or any part of the three days. Come when you can, as even part of a Practicum is beneficial. It is important for Children attending to be there on time the first day, as they are taught a lot of foundational material the first day.
Parents attending practicums can relax knowing that their younger students are learning AND having fun, whether they are in the nursery or in one of our academic camps.
Start Date: 2009-06-22
End Date: 2009-06-24

Classical Conversations Practicum

Title: Classical Conversations Practicum
Location: Rockford, IL
Link out: Click here
Description: Come practice the skills needed to teach your children how to recover the lost tools of learning. Learn to see Him in all you teach. Plan to use your brain and laugh a lot! The CC facilitators love teaching the fundamentals of learning and turning the difficult into the doable!

These Practicums are for parents and teachers of all grade levels. The cost is FREE for adults and teens! Parents attending practicums can relax knowing that their younger students are learning AND having fun, whether they are in the nursery or in one of our academic camps.
Start Date: 2009-05-27
End Date: 2009-05-29