Showing posts with label FUN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FUN. Show all posts

More Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah

June 16, 2025

Are you sick of going to the playground or are your kids too grown-up for splash pads? Don't worry, there are more free fun summer activities in Utah coming right up. From farmers markets to summer movie clubs, LEGO building, and cultural events. Utah is not lacking in fun, free events!

Free Summer Activities Utah

Farmers Markets

I've always loved going to the Ogden Farmers Market, but did you know that there are more awesome places to get fresh produce and hand-crafted goods? There is a different one in a different city in Davis or Weber County almost every single day.

  • Tuesdays from 5-9 PM. 85 W 1800 N, Sunset, UT 84015. Provides residents with convenient access to fresh and artisanal goods while fostering a sense of community pride and support for local businesses.
  • Wednesdays from 5-8PM. 4059 S 1900 W Roy, UT 84067. Fresh air, friendly faces, and homegrown goodness await!
  • Thursdays from 5-9 PM. 1891 W 1700 S, Syracuse, UT 84075. The Syracuse Farmers Market is all about fresh food and local businesses! Shop directly from local farmers and vendors offering seasonal fruits and vegetables, honey, baked goods, crafts, services, and more. 
  • Thursdays from 4PM-8PM. 100 S 100 E Bountiful, 84010. The Bountiful Farmers Market is a wonderful opportunity to purchase fresh vegetables, fruits, and goods from artisans and retailers. Local farmers, food court, and crafters.
  • Fridays from 5:30 PM. 437 N Wasatch Dr. Layton, 84041. Layton FEST (Farmers, Entertainment, Shopping, food Trucks) is an open-air market that brings together the best of Layton City and Northern Utah. 
  • Fridays from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM. 550 N 3500 W, West Point, UT 84015. Come enjoy a vibrant evening supporting local farmers, makers, and small businesses in the heart of West Point! There's something for everyone - food, crafts, fresh air, and community spirit.
  • Saturdays from 8AM-1PM. 25th Street from Wall to Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401. Farmers Market Ogden transforms Historic 25th Street into a lively festival of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, floral arrangements, and handcrafted goods. Free Summer Activities Utah

Summer Movie Clubs

Sometimes I want to beat the heat and find somewhere with air conditioning so I can cool off. Summer movie clubs are the perfect solution. They aren't free, but with ticket prices between $1-3, it's close enough. 

The Kaysville Theater always has $5 movie tickets, but during the summer, they have $1 matinee kids movies on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12 PM and 2:30 PM. I haven't see many of the movies that are on the list this year, so I think we'll be going quite often.

Free Summer Family Activities Utah

Free Play and LEGO Building

Bricks and Minifigs (4074 Riverdale Rd, Ogden, UT 84405) has a free Open Build for kids 4-12 every Wednesday from 11 AM to 4 PM. "We’ll bring the bricks—you bring the imagination." It’s the perfect midweek break for curious minds and creative hands. 

BONUS: Want to take your creation home? Kids can pay their age to keep their build! No sign-up needed—just drop in, build, explore, and play all summer long! It's another great way to beat the heat.

Free Summer Activities Utah

Cultural Celebration Series

The Hale Center Theater is excited to announce the return of their Cultural Celebration Series! Celebrate 3 different cultures throughout August. I've never been before, but I'm excited to check it out. 

When: Mondays in August,  Food trucks available at 4:30PM, the program starts at 6:00 PM.

  • August 4 - The Hot House West Swing Collective
  • August 11 - Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani
  • August 18 - Ballet Floklorico Eck Junenil

Where: Cairns Plaza Fountains 9900 South Monroe, Sandy, UT 84070

What to bring: blankets, water, camping chairs, Umbrella, etc

Price: Free admission and parking.

Free Summer Activities Utah

I love living in Utah where there are so many activities we can enjoy for free or close to it. Let me know which event you're looking forward to attending this summer.

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Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah

June 07, 2025

We love all the sunshine and free time that summer brings, but fun summer activities in Utah can get expensive. I've found some great options for families in Davis and Weber County that are absolutely FREE!

Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah


Free Saturday RAMP Activities

My very favorite thing is the free Saturday R.A.M.P. activities. Weber County offers 6-9 different activities that families can attend for free every Saturday. They can be crowded sometimes, but it's usually not too bad. Here's the list of where and when you can go to places all over Ogden for FREE. 

Fun Summer Activities in Utah

Family Friday Film Series

I love going to the Kenley Centennial Amphitheater on Friday evenings at 7 PM. It is located in the Layton City Park (403 N Wasatch Drive, Layton). Davis Council of the Arts is awesome for providing this free event every week. The screen is nice and bright, so they can start the movie before the sun goes down. 

You can bring snacks or even dinner if you want. There are quite a few seats, or you can bring a blanket or chairs and sit on the lawn, it has perfect picnic vibes. Friday movies are completely free and family-friendly. They usually have a nice combination of newer choices mixed with some classics. This year's lineup looks awesome! 

  • Friday, June 13 - Twisters
  • Friday, June 20 - The Wild Robot
  • Friday, June 27 - Uncle Buck
  • Friday, July 11 - Cars
  • Friday, July 18 - Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
  • Friday, July 25 - Hook
  • Friday, August 1 - Moana 2
  • Friday, August 8 - Harold and the Purple Crayon
  • Friday, August 15 - Toy Story
  • Friday, August 22 - Mufasa
  • Friday, August 29 - Wonka 
You can come early at 5:30 PM for Layton FEST. It stands for Farmers, Entertainment, Shopping, and Trucks (foodtrucks). It's fun to walk around and window shop, but you'll likely end up spending quite a bit of money, so I didn't want to open with this.

Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah
Free Sunday Concert Series

The Davis Arts Council also sponsors free concerts every Sunday night at the Kenley Centennial Amphitheater (403 N Wasatch Drive, Layton). It's open seating and the gates open at 6:15 PM. The concerts start at 7 PM just as the sun is setting, it's pretty magical. 

I haven't heard of many of the artists, but it's usually a great experience. The lineup this year is a variety of styles from folk to classical and even a tribute band. What a treat that my kids can experience so many types of live music for free. Shoot, I might leave the kids at home and enjoy a date night with my husband. All the details are found at davisarts.org/upcoming-events.

Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah

Splash Pads in Davis County

I love splash pads because you don't have to worry about your kids drowning. Young kids are usually more inclined to play on their own, without me having to get wet. I don't mind playing with my kids, but when I bring them somewhere, it's nice to just have a little chat with a friend while the kids entertain themselves.

  • Syracuse Island Splash Pad (1800 S 2000 W Syracuse). This is a huge, newer splash pad that also has a playground. The kids really love to float little boats and other toys on the river feature.
  • Ellison Park (700 N. 2200 W. Layton). It is one of Utah's only splash pads with a slide and elevated splash pad toys. Nice shade is available for parents. There is a playground, a skatepark, and ballfields nearby.
  • Heritage Park (150 N. Fairfield Rd. Kaysville). Includes a splash pad, playground, and pavilion.
  • Creekside Park (600 East Millstreet, Bountiful). Includes a playground, water play area, and a nearby creek.
  • Legacy Regional Park (1140 West 1100 North, North Salt Lake). This park includes a playground, pavilions, basketball courts, and a splash pad.

Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah

Splashpads in Weber County

  • George E. Wahlen Park (4200 S. 2175 W. Roy). Has a nice big playground, splash pad, tennis courts, multipurpose basketball court, and a triplex T-Ball field.
  • Riverdale Park Splash Pad (4300 S Parker Drive, Riverdale). There are two brand new playgrounds and a nice variety of water features for the kids to play on.
  • Burch Creek (4300 Madison Ave. South Ogden). Includes a small water play feature, two large new playgrounds, and pickleball courts.
  • Nature Park (5874 S Park Vista Dr, South Ogden). Includes a splash pad, playground, and large grassy area.
  • Harrisville Park (1350 N Hwy 89, Harrisville). This is a smaller splash pad with various water features.

There are some really great splashpads in Davis and Weber Counties! You could try a different one every week of the summer and then revisit some of your favorites. Invite some friends and have a blast.

Free Summer Treats

You've got to try Free Frazil Friday from Maverick. You just download their app, and everyone who is with you can get a frozen treat anytime on Fridays in June. Don't forget a free Slurpee from 7/11 on July 11th. It's the little things that make it fun!

Free Fun Summer Activities in Utah

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DIY Father's Day Gift

June 05, 2025

Who doesn't love a DIY Father's Day Gift? Especially one that the whole family can enjoy! Dad doesn't need another tie or more golf balls; he needs a custom family board game! I have the perfect gift that's easy, cheap, and super fun. Make a customized Guess Who game with the faces of people in your family. 

DIY Fathers Day Gift


DIY Father's Day Gift: Guess Who Game

To make your own Guess Who game, start by finding a picture of each person in your family. I stole some from Facebook or asked family members to send me one. There are 24 characters, so you need to have at least 24 different people in your family to make it work. If you're short by a few, you can add extended family or pets. 

Each card is a little over 1 inch wide and 2 inches tall. I made a template on Canva.com that you can just drop your pictures in. If you would like to use my template, Venmo me with the comment "Guess Who," and I'll send it to you for $5. 

Once you have the link, you'll need to sign in to Canva.com, click File, then "Make a copy." You'll upload your pictures and then drop them onto the different smiley faces. Double-click the pictures to crop them how you'd like them to print. You can change the word "Family" to your last name, or make any other changes; it's your file now.

DIY Fathers Day Gift

Once you have all the pictures of your family added, click "File," then "Download," and save them as a PNG file. You'll need to "unzip" the files, then you can send them anywhere to be printed. Print three copies of each picture, one for the red team, one for the blue team, and one set for the draw pile. 

Thrift stores usually have old Guess Who game boards. I've had the most luck at the DI or Goodwill. You'll need to cut the pictures you printed so they'll fit in the game. Then you just take out all the old cards and put in the new ones.

It's so simple, silly, and so fun! It costs under $10, and your family will play over and over again. Venmo me with the comment "Guess Who," and I'll send you my Canva template for $5. 

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Outdoor Pools and Waterparks in Northern Utah

May 26, 2025

Summer break has officially begun, so I wanted to give you some ways to cool off that won't break the bank. My kids always ask to go to Lagoon, but there are some really great outdoor pools and waterparks that are much more affordable. Bring a lawn chair and a good book, and say goodbye to standing in line at Lagoon! 

Outdoor Pools and Waterparks in Northern Utah

My kids really love a lazy river, so their first choice would be North Shore. It is a great outdoor pool with a big waterslide, an interactive play set, and a toddler pool with all kinds of fun stuff. They have lots of picnic tables and grassy areas to set up your own chairs or blanket. I especially love that they allow you to bring your own food and drinks.

The Roy Aquatic Center is a close second favorite because it's closer to us and has almost all the same things as North Shore. Instead of a lazy river, they have a fun fast slide that goes straight down. Both places have a large pool with 2 diving boards and a splash pad. They're hours of fun for a great price.

Outdoor Pools and Waterparks in Northern Utah

Splash Summit is our favorite waterpark, which we would say is worth the drive all the way down to Provo. It has a nice variety of big and small waterslides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and some decent pools for younger kids. They don't allow outside food or drinks, and you will probably want to rent a tube for $6/person. We can usually find parking on the street in a nearby neighborhood to save $10 on parking. If you go on a weekday, you can save $2-3/person and Groupon.com often sells tickets for less. 

We have been to Cowabunga Bay before; it’s quite a bit smaller than Splash Summit, but still a great time! My kids love the huge lazy river and the big bucket that dumps water on you. Tickets are $22-26, but parking and tube rentals are included. The only bummer is that you can only go for the morning (10:30 AM – 2:00 PM) or afternoon (2:30 PM – 6:00 PM). It seems a bit short to me.

Classic Waterslides is quite small, but it’s still fun. They have 3 twisty slides that the kids will ride over and over again. Things can get a little crazy with all the twists and turns, many bathing suits have been ripped and a few joints have been twisted, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad. 

Outdoor Pools and Waterparks in Northern Utah

Layton Surf and Swim has a big wave pool and another pool, but that's about it. You can't bring your own tube, and it's $3 to rent one. Clearfield Aquatic Center has some outdoor play areas, but it’s mostly indoor, so it’s not our favorite. They make the kids wear these weird headbands, so it's not our favorite.

Lorin Farr has an outdoor pool with a diving board and some slides, but we haven't been there very often. I don't know why, because I just checked the price and it's only $3. Fun fact, the Sandlot movie was filmed there, the scene with Wendy Peffercorn is just a classic.

Here are prices in order of our favorite to least visited:

  • North Shore $9.50 (free parking and outside food is allowed) 2480 N 200 E, North Ogden, UT 84414
  • Roy Aquatic Center $8 (free parking and outside food is allowed) 2977 W 5200 S, Roy, UT 84067
  • Splash Summit $18-28 ($10 parking + $6/person tube rental) 1330 E 300 N, Provo, UT 84606
  • Cowabunga Bay $22-26 (free parking and free tube rental) 12047 S State St, Draper, UT 84020
  • Classic Waterslides $13 (free parking)  4465 S 600 W, Riverdale, UT 84405
  • Layton Surf and Swim $5 + $3 tube rental (free parking) 465 N Wasatch Dr, Layton, UT 84041
  • Clearfield Aquatic Center $8 (free parking) 825 State St, Clearfield, UT 84015
  • Lorin Farr Pool $3 (but I'm thinking this is going to move up our list this summer) 1691 Gramercy Ave, Ogden, UT 84404

You could actually go to all of these water parks and pools and STILL save $10 over the price of a ticket to Lagoon. This is what I'm talking about when I say I try to evaluate is something is worth the price. Would you rather go to Lagoon once, or have 8 days of family fun throughout the summer? Whatever you decide, I hope you can have some fun with your family, all while spending less. Let me know in the comments which places you plan to visit.

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Fun Party Idea: Women Wine Tasting Party

May 06, 2025

What could be better than a blind taste test with all your girlfriends to determine the best wine? I’ll give you all the details so you can plan a fun women wine tasting party that is sure to be a hit with all your girlfriends. Not everyone needs to know each other; by the end of the night, everyone will be besties anyway.

Women Wine Tasting Party

How to Host a Women Wine Tasting Party

Pick an evening and invite 12 friends for dinner and drinks. Ask everyone to bring 2 bottles of the same wine covered in tin foil so no one can see the labels. 

The host can choose a type of wine: red or white, or a specific grape: cabernet or chardonnay, or leave it up to the guests and have a variety of wines. People can decide how much they want to spend on the wine they bring, or you can set a budget. 

I found the perfect little cups for the taste test. We felt so fancy with our real glass cups, and they weren’t much more expensive than the plastic. Now that I have them, it just gives me the excuse to have another party! Here is a link to buy the cute little cups.

Women Wine Tasting PartyI also got some little charms for our cups so we could remember which one was ours. Here is a link to buy the wine charms. It might be a good idea to get some boxes from the liquor store for the winners to bring bottles of wine home. 

You can make dinner for everyone or have people sign up for a potluck, whatever sounds easier for you. We decided to start at 5 PM. Guests can taste the wine in any order, they just try to keep track of each wine as they taste it, giving it a score and some comments. 

After each person has tasted every wine, they may want to go back to taste some of them again so they can pick a winner. Everyone needs to choose their favorite.

Women Wine Tasting Party

Determining the Winner of the Women Wine Tasting Party

The host tallies the points and determines who won first place, second place, and third place. The third-place bottle is revealed first, then the second-place winner, and finally, the ultimate winner of the night is revealed. 

Then all the other bottles are revealed. My sister ended up bringing everyone’s favorite wine, and she doesn’t even like wine or know anything about it; she just picked it because Snoop Dog was on the label.

Women Wine Tasting Party
Encourage people to take pictures or write down the names of the ones they liked so they can remember them the next time they want to get some wine. This was one of my favorite things about the night, because I never know what to get a the liquor store, but now I know what I like.
Women Wine Tasting Party

Prizes for Winning the Women Wine Tasting Party

The person who brought the first-place wine gets to bring home their top choice wine, it might not be the same as what everyone else voted for, and that's just fine. Whichever is their favorite, they get to bring home. The person who brought the wine that won second place gets to choose next. Then the person who brought the third-place wine.

The third-place only gets to bring two bottles of wine home. The second-place winner gets to bring home four bottles, and the first-place winner gets six. The host gets to keep all the open bottles or can send some home with the “losers.” Here's how the winnings go if you need it explained a different way.


Round 1 
First-place: pick a bottle to take home
Second-place: pick a bottle to take home
Third-place: pick a bottle to take home

Round 2
First-place: pick a bottle to take home
Second-place: pick a bottle to take home
Third-place: pick a bottle to take home

Round 3 and 4
First-place: pick a bottle to take home
Second-place: pick a bottle to take home

First-place: takes home the rest

You’ll have a chance to go home with 6 bottles of wine, but you’re guaranteed to have a fun night. I loved being able to taste 12 different wines and discover some new favorites. So find some friends and have a wine tasting party together!

How to Host a Great Bunco Night

April 14, 2025

I've played a dice game called Bunco for a few years and I'd love to share with you how to host a great Bunco night. I love hanging out with my friends, it’s getting it scheduled that seems impossible. Having a recurring event already on everyone’s calendar is one of my very favorite things. Bunco is an easy dice game that’s fun to play and gives us an excuse to get together.

How to Host a Great Bunco Night


How to Host a Great Bunco Night - Where to Start

First, find 11 friends that you want to hang out with once a month. It’s nice if you live within 30 minutes of each other. Then, pick a day and time that works for everyone. Ours meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 PM. We have dinner together, so 6 PM is a good starting time if we want to be done around 8 or 8:30, depending on how chatty we are.

Once I recruit all my friends, I send an email to make sure everyone understands the commitment. I always host first so everyone can get an idea of how it will work. Print out a spreadsheet with the months listed so people can sign up for when they would like to host. The email template and signup sheet are in my Bunco PDF that you can purchase.

Pay $10 via Venmo @jesgriffin and fill out the contact form with “bunco” in the subject line and I’ll send you the PDF.

How to Host a Great Bunco Night - When You Host

The host sends an email the week before, and everyone RSVPs to her. If someone can’t make it, she just asks another friend to be a sub. They don’t have to be an official member of the group, they can just show up for that week. It’s fun to meet some new friends too.

You’ll set up three tables: a high table (with a bell and a feather boa), a middle table, and a low table. Have an area for “binky gifts” and an area for the “cash.” The table signs, score sheets, and tally sheets are in my Bunco PDF that you can purchase.

How to Host a Great Bunco Night
Make dinner for 12 people with drinks and/or dessert. It’s always a good idea to ask if anyone has any dietary restrictions so the host can plan accordingly. It doesn’t have to be fancy, some people just order pizza. It’s not a cooking competition, I promise that everyone is just excited they don’t have to cook.

How to Host a Great Bunco Night - It's Time to Play

Everyone brings $5 towards the cash prizes, and an unwrapped gift worth $5. Part of the fun is taking home a gift at the end of the night and the chance of winning a cash prize. All the rules and how to distribute the cash prizes are in the Bunco PDF. I usually review the rules at the beginning of the night in case there are any subs that haven’t played before.

Pay $10 via Venmo @jesgriffin and fill out the contact form with “bunco” in the subject line and I’ll send you the PDF.

How to Host a Great Bunco Night
At the end of the night, we gather up the bell, dice, feather boa, signs, pens, rules, extra tally sheets, and score sheets. We put them all in a bag to give to whoever will be hosting next month. Some people don’t have a card table or enough chairs, so the group has some to share if needed.

It’s really fun to rotate houses every month and get to know people through food and a silly game. It’s a great bang for your buck because you cook dinner once and then someone else cooks dinner for you once a month for the rest of the year. You don’t have to start in January, find 11 friends, and start next month!

You could also just host it one time with any number of people, it just works best in multiples of 4. Once we had a party at church with 20 tables, that’s 80 women if you’re not good at math. It was so chaotic, but it was a blast! Whatever you decide, you’ll never regret getting together with your girlfriends.

My full-color Bunco PDF is only $10 and includes:
  • Email templates for inviting friends and the monthly reminder
  • Signup sheet
  • Table signs
  • How to host checklist
  • Bunco rules
  • How to distribute cash prizes
  • Score sheets
  • Table tally sheets

Pay $10 via Venmo @jesgriffin and fill out the contact form with “bunco” in the subject line and I’ll send you the PDF.

Let's Go To Lagoon, Cheap Tickets and Discounts

March 07, 2025

Lagoon cheap tickets

My kids are always enticed by the big amusement park they can see from the freeway. If I'm going to take my kids to Lagoon, cheap tickets and discounts are a must. For my family of five to go, we'd have to pay over $525, which is a big chunk of change for just one day of fun. It really is such a great time that I end up giving in and we go once a year. Don't worry, you know I've found some ways to get tickets for less.

Lagoon, Cheap Tickets for Homeschoolers

Homeschool families get one of the best deals and can save almost 50%. There's a Facebook Group specifically for discounted Lagoon tickets for homeschoolers, the downside is that it's only on certain days. This year you can go on May 9, 15, 20, 21, or 22.

Tickets are normally $99 at the gate, but if you go with the homeschool group they're only $55, including tax. The lady who runs the group has very detailed rules, so be sure to read through them if you'd like to go. Another nice thing is that parking is free, so you can save another $20. 

Lagoon Cheap Tickets

Other Lagoon Discounts

You can get 2 for 1 tickets by using promo code KUTV2025 online after 2pm at lagoonpark.com. Promotion valid Tuesdays only June 3rd- August 12th after 2:00pm only. They also offer big discounts for groups of 25 or more people, so if you get a group a friends together you'll get about 23% off.

The website says that Bounce Back has been discontinued, but I think they just changed the name and you can still go a second time for $30, at least you could last year. If you want to go more than once or twice, the season pass is still probably the best deal.

More Fun for Not Much More Money

If you don't homeschool or you can't go to Lagoon on May 15, the Get Out Pass is a pretty good deal. I love it because it's only $10 more than the price of a Lagoon ticket and you get to go to Lagoon and a bunch of other fun places. Splash Summit has become a family favorite for us, and we probably never would have discovered it or other cool venues if we didn’t have the pass. It activates when you use it for the first time and then you have a year to go to anything listed on their website. 

To get the most value from my pass, I planned out an activity to do every week or two. We ended up getting $2,150 worth of fun. If you use my coupon code Griffin2, you can get your tickets for $109.95 (regular price $169.95). Be sure to check "Lagoon Included" and I recommend using the "Gift Voucher" option because then you can decide when your 365 days of fun will start.

Lagoon Cheap Tickets

Free Season Passes to Lagoon

If you’d rather get season passes, there's a way to get them for free. Season passes are $229, so for my family of five, we’re talking about spending over $1,100. No thanks! Lagoon typically relies on teenagers to work for them, so they struggle to find people to work while school is still in session. 

To attract parents they offer 4 season passes or 16 single-day passes if you work 7 shifts and at least 45 hours. It’s not a bad deal. You can even earn 2 more season passes or 4 more single-day passes if you work 4 additional shifts. There are certain days that you have to work, so check out all the details at lagoonpark.com. I have a couple friends that have done it and they say it's actually pretty fun.

Lagoon Cheap Tickets

Ideas to Save Money at Lagoon

You can bring your own food, and even alcohol into the park. So we like to pack some snacks, meals, and now that I know, I may have to literally BYOB. It's common practice leave coolers on one of the picnic tables under an awning and I've never had a problem with anyone messing with our stuff. 

Parking is $20-30, and a season parking pass will set you back $85. When we go, we like to park across the street at Station Park and ride the free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes. Just be sure to check to UTA website for when the last shuttle comes back, because sometimes its before the park closes. One time we missed the last shuttle and had to cram in with our friends to get back to our car. Always an adventure with the Griffins, it's all part of the fun! 

Leave a comment with your favorite ride, I really love the Cannibal even though I feel like I'm going to die every time I ride it.

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