Pittsburgh is full of cheap activities for kids. Because of my recent lifestyle change from working mom to work from home mom to now a full-time stay-at-home/work-at-home, homeschooling mom, I spend tons of time with my kids. But, as I said in 4 Questions You Want to Ask a Black Stay-at-Home Mom, I’m nowhere near rich. I home-school on a tiny, little budget. So, I’m always looking for inexpensive activities in Pittsburgh to do with my kids. I did a little googling and here is my list of cheap activities you can do with your kids in Pittsburgh.
The Toonseum
The Toonseum is a small museum in Downtown Pittsburgh on Liberty Avenue that focuses on celebrating the art of cartooning. From exhibits on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Star Wars and of course your run of the mill Superman, Batman, Spiderman mashup, if your kids love comics like mines do, you’ll want to make a trip to the Toonseum. One thing my boys love about the Toonseum is that Eides comic book store is right up the street on Penn Avenue. Eides has discount comic books in the basement (as little as $1) and discount action figures as well.
Discovery Center at Snapology
If your kids love legos like my boys do, check out Snapology’s Discovery Center at Monroeville Mall. If you have shopping to do, this is a perfect distraction for your kids. Children 5 and over can play in the Discovery Center for $6 per hour. Snapology has loose legos in addition to Bionicle and Duplo sets. If you go with a group of 4 kids or more, a 10% discount is available.
Nationality Rooms @ the Cathedral of Learning
The Nationality Rooms are classrooms designed to represent the culture of various ethnic groups that settled in Allegheny County. Each room is uniquely styled with hand carvings and stained glass representative of each culture and ethnicity. Tours are available year-round and are free.
Take a Ride on the Duquesne Incline
Hop on the train at the Wood Street Station downtown and ride over to the Duquesne Incline. Voted one of top ten sites in the world for viewing a city landscape, the Duquesne Incline provides an exciting view of Pittsburgh’s beautiful skyline. The incline is accessible 365 days a year from 5:30 am to 12:30 am. Fare is just $5.00 round trip per person. This is a history and geography lesson all rolled up in one!
Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh
I think most Pittsburghers would be amazed at the amount of stuff that goes on in Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Libraries. From maker classes, to speaker series, book signings, writing clubs, story time and puppet plays, my kids have had a ton of fun experiences going to different libraries across the city. As always, libraries are completely free. Check the master list of activities to find a FREE event that your kid will love.
Want more?
Check out the Remake Learning Network
Here’s an article on Cheap Activities for Families with Access Cards
Assemble has FREE Crafternoons after-school and every Saturday