‘F’ is for Free & Frugal Family Fun: Week of March 11

SUMMER PLANNING
iD Tech Summer Camps for kids and teens ages 7-17. Students experience real campus life at Macalester College in St. Paul. Day campers study in computer labs, eat in university dining halls and may take campus tours. Boarding campers live in college dorms! With an average of 6 students per instructor and customized curriculum for beginner to advanced learners. iD’s unique computer camps offer courses that vary from creating video games and producing digital movies to designing web pages and learning programming and robotics. Click .

Creative Kidstuff Toddler Play Time at the West End St. Louis Park and Wayzata stores (Wednesdays at 10 AM) is hosting a weekly Play Time for toddlers and parents in our inviting playroom stocked full of toys and activities that toddlers will love. We’ll prepare the room and plan the activities, set up and clean up! Your only job is to play. FREE!

Family Gym Time Tuesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 15 at the Edina Community Center, 10 AM – 12 noon. Gym time is an interactive time with your children. This facility will give you and your pre-schoolers a chance to dance, run, wiggle and play. The Edina Family Center provides the environment and age appropriate equipment, and you provide the snacks and supervision. No registration required. Cost is $3 for First Child, $5 Maximum, Annual pass $80

MALL of AMERICA EVENTS
The Great Girl Gathering Sunday, March 11, 10 AM – 6 PM, Mall Wide. Girl Scouts, friends and families of all ages are invited to celebrate our 100th birthday. Join us for a weekend of entertainment, interactive activities, attempts for a world-record and celebrity appearances. It’s free to attend and open to all!

China Anne McClain and the McClain Sisters Performance and Signing Sunday, March 11, 10 AM, Rotunda. Join us for a special performance by China Anne McClain and the McClain Sisters to help us celebrate the Great Girl Gathering 100th Anniversary of Girls Scouts!

Toddler Tuesdays: Toddler Tee - Off Tuesday, March 13, 10 AM - noon, Moose Mountain Adventure Golf. Let’s hit the links! Give mini golf your best shot when we visit Moose Mountain for Toddler Tuesdays®! Grab a pair of moose ears, play up to nine holes with your toddler and win a fun prize!

Phillips, Craig & Dean Performance & CD Signing Tuesday, March 13, 7 PM, Rotunda. The guys who brought you great worship music like “Revelation Song” are coming back to Minnesota, and this time they are kicking off the launch of their new album “Breathe In” featuring the hit song “When the Stars Burn Down“! Please click here for Official Event Guidelines.  FREE!

McKenna "Take the Challenge" Scavenger Hunt American Girl Store, Wednesday, March 14, 5 PM,  Your girl will go on a scavenger hunt throughout the store, taking fast and fun challenges to stretch her skills along the way. Plus, she’ll get a free American Girl poster at the end!

Photos with the Easter Bunny Saturday, March 17 - Sunday, April 8, West Market Square. Hippity Hoppity Hooray – the Easter Bunny is on his way!  Children will also receive a special treat from Peeps & Company! Hours: Sunday – Thursday: Noon – 7 p.m.; Friday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Please Note: Break times will vary and will be no longer than 15 minutes in length.

Peeps & Company Grand Opening Event Saturday, March 17, 8:30 - 10:30 AM, Great Room. FREE breakfast, catered by Crave Restaurant, with the PEEPS Chick mascot and the Easter Bunny from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (for the first 250 people to register by March 15, 2012.)* From 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., PEEPS & COMPANY will open the doors of the event to the rest of the general public for free arts and craft activities, including Easter basket and cupcake decorating stations. Raffle drawings will be held for all attendees of the morning event. Special celebration coupons will also be distributed for great deals at the PEEPS & COMPANY Store.*As space is limited for the breakfast, fans should register here by Thursday, March 15.

Celebrate the grand opening of our new ride, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock! Saturday, March 17, Registration: 8 a.m., Event Starts: 9 a.m. , West Market Square. Help us break the World Record for the Largest Gathering of Ninja Turtles and ride Shell Shock.  Come as you are or show your Turtle Power by dressing like Mikey, Donnie, Raph or Leo. All participants will receive a Turtles t-shirt and mask while supplies last. All participants must be in costume or wearing the provided t-shirt and mask by 9 a.m. to participate in the World Record attempt. *All participants will receive a Nickelodeon Universe 6-point pass. Must be 48” tall to ride Shell Shock. FREE!

Meet & Greet with Author Amanda Hughes Saturday, March 17, 10 AM - noon, Caribou Coffee. Her debut novel, Beyond the Cliffs of Kerry, was published in 2002 and her latest historical adventure, The Pride of the King, released in 2011. Amanda will be available for a special Meet & Greet at the Caribou Coffee Level 3, South.

Madagascar Saturday, March 17, 10 AM, Free Family Flicks at the Mall of America, first-come, first-served, as seating is limited to the theater capacity. FREE!

EXHIBITS & THEATRE EVENTS
Alice in Wonderland, Friday Night Family Movies, Friday, March 16, 6 PM, West Side Perk, FREE!

The Secret Garden at Stages Theatre Company, March 2–18, musical adaptation was created just for Stages Theatre Company and is for ages six and up with a run time of 75 minutes. and tickets can be purchased by visiting www.stagestheatre.org for performance dates and times, or by calling the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children (ages 5 to 17) and seniors (60+). Lap passes are available for free (ages 0 to 2) and $5 (ages 3 to 4). Discount coupons available in the Entertainment Guide (E124) and Chinook Book (C136) or Enter to win FREE tickets from Macaroni Kid.

Real Pirates Exhibition, Science Museum of Minnesota, Saturday, Feb. 18  though Monday, Sept. 3 – Don your pirate hat and climb aboard a recreation of a pirate ship. Learn to tie knots, hoist a pirate flag and explore what life was like on a real pirate ship. See more than 200 artifacts from North America’s only authenticated pirate shipwreck.MOVIES & THEATRE

NATURE EVENTS
Wood Lake Nature Center,  Minneapolis Parks and Recreation and Three Rivers Park District offer a wide variety of fun activities and events for all ages including preschoolers.  Three Rivers also has Free Family Fun Days.

STORY TIME
Family Storytime at the Hennepin County Libraries (recurring) FREE!

Augsburg Park Library, Family Storytime, Tuesdays, March 6 – April 10 at 10:30 AM
--Guys Read Book Club, Monday, March 12, 6:30 p.m. , Register Online or call 612-543-6200, Guys in grades 4-6. Join other guys to talk about a great book! Pick up a copy of the book at the information desk.  What We're Reading: March 12: Black Duck, by Janet Taylor Lisle.
--Teen Grab Bag, Thursday, March 15, 3:30 p.m., Grades 6-12. Come see what cool things you can work on. Will it be paperback wallets, graphic stationery or something equally awesome?
--Paint It Green: Full Circle, Saturday, March 17, 11 AM - noon, Register Online or call 612-543-6200.
K-grade 6. Turn your school locker or refrigerator into an artwork! Use discarded CDs, bottle caps, magnet strips, fun photos, beads or other objects, and create a magnetic expression of who you are. Materials provided.

Edina Library, Toddler Storytime, Mondays, March 5–26, 11 AM; Baby Storytime, Thursdays, March 1–29, 11 a.m.
For children from birth to 24 months. Delight and stimulate your baby's senses with books and music. Build brain power.

Oxboro Library, Family Storytime, Monday, March 5 – May 21, 10:30 AM

Penn Lake Library, Family Storytime, Tuesday, March 6 – April 3, 10:30 AM
--Teen Anime Club, Wednesday, March 14, 3:30 - 5 PM, Grades 6-12. Can't get enough anime? Join up to watch and review brand-new anime episodes, share artwork and hang out with other anime fans.
--Master Gardener: Growing Berries in Minnesota, Saturday, March 17, 11 AM, Register Online or call 612-543-5800. Would you like fresh berries on your cereal or mixed into your pancakes? Learn about selecting a growing site, the berries that grow well in our area (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries), common diseases and how to preserve your produce.

Southdale Library, Baby Storytime, Monday, March 5 through April 2, 10:15 AM and Tuesday, March 6 – April 3, 10:15 AM; Family Storytime, Tuesday, March 6 – April 3, 7 PM and Wednesday, March 7 – April 4, 10:30 AM

Wild Rumpus Tail Time – Mondays at 10:30 a.m. The Wild Rumpus also has a program for book clubs. Register your book club and receive 20% off. (recurring) FREE!

Barnes and Noble Story Time – all FREE events
Mondays – 11 AM, Burnsville, Preschool (recurring)
Mondays – 10 AM, Eagan (recurring)
Wednesdays – 11 AM, Edina, Fancy Nancy (recurring)
Thursdays – 10 AM, Highland Park, St. Paul, Toddler story time (recurring)
Fridays – 11 AM, Edina, St. Patrick's Day (recurring)
Fridays – 7 PM, Highland Park, St. Paul, PJRama story time (recurring)

Creative Kidstuff Story Time, Thursdays at 10 AM at all stores  (recurring) FREE!

NATURE
Marvelous Maples, Sunday, March 11 (2:30 - 4 PM) or Saturday, March 17 (1-2:30 or 3-4:30 PM), Woodlake Nature Center, Discover the natural and cultural history of maple syruping. Identify and tap trees, collect sap, and enjoy a maple treat! $3/person, free for members.

Gifts of the Maple, Richardson Nature Center, Sunday, March 11, 3-4 PM. Discover the maple syruping process. Watch sap boil in the evaporator, hike to see tapped trees, and taste real maple syrup. Trails to the trees can be icy, uneven, and moderately maintained; strollers are not recommended. FREE!

Preschool Drop-Off: Kits and Cubs: Migration, Richardson Nature Center, Tuesday, March 13, 1-3 PM, Drop off your kids and investigate spring things. Explore what animals come back to MN in the spring, make a craft, and enjoy a snack from home. Reservations required. Children aged 4 and 5, $10.

Visit Alphabet Adventures for more family fun at home and around town. Please share FREE and FRUGAL FAMILY FUN ideas in the comment section or email them to meganmmc@yahoo.com.