Free Kids Workshops: Home Depot, Lowe's & More
Two national retailers run free build-it workshops for kids every single month, and both are genuinely free. Home Depot holds Kids Workshops at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month for ages 5 to 12; Lowe’s runs its Kids Club workshops once a month, typically on the third Saturday, for ages 4 to 11. Both want you to register ahead because spots and kits run out. Those two dates alone give you a free, hands-on Saturday morning twice a month, all year. Here’s what each one actually involves, plus the seasonal programs and the ones I couldn’t confirm.
Home Depot Kids Workshop Verified August 2026
Home Depot’s own workshops page states it flatly: “Our Kids Workshops are free, while supplies last.” The schedule is the easiest thing in this whole category to remember — “Join Us at 9 a.m. the First Saturday of Every Month,” with the session window running 9 a.m. to 12 noon, so you’re not tied to a single start time.
Ages: “The Home Depot Kids Workshops are designed for children ages 5-12.”
Registration: yes, and the page is direct about it — “Be sure to register to secure your spot.” Sign up at homedepot.com/c/kids-workshop.
What your child leaves with is the reason this one has a following. Per Home Depot’s page, each child takes home “a newly constructed project, a Kids Workshops apron, an achievement pin, and a certificate.” The apron is a one-time thing kids bring back each month, and the pins accumulate on it — which turns a free craft morning into a collection, and is why families who start tend to keep going.
Lowe’s Kids Club Verified August 2026
Lowe’s relaunched its program under MyLowe’s Rewards, and monthly in-store Kids Workshops are listed among the free perks. Lowe’s own page says workshops are “held once a month, typically on the third Saturday,” and that “each workshop lasts about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the age of the child and the complexity.”
Ages skew a little younger than Home Depot’s: “Workshops are generally recommended for kids ages 4 through 11 with parent or guardian supervision.”
Registration: “Parents can reserve a spot at Lowes.com/KidsClub. We recommend registering early since spots may fill up.” You create a free MyLowe’s Rewards account and add a kids profile. The workshops hub is at lowes.com/diy-projects-and-ideas/workshops.
Instead of pins, Lowe’s does badges — physical and digital — and runs a builder recognition ladder on top. Collecting 12 physical badges earns a tool bag.
One honest flag. Lowe’s also runs premium MrBeast-themed workshops where families “can purchase a MrBeast toy kit for $14.98 plus tax” for access, and Lowe’s own page specifies those badges “do not count toward earning a tool bag.” That’s a paid event sitting inside a free program, so read the workshop title before you register. The standard monthly workshop remains free.
The two-Saturday routine
Because the dates don’t collide — first Saturday at one chain, third at the other — the practical move is to put both in your phone as recurring events. Home Depot’s early 9 a.m. start suits kids who are up anyway; Lowe’s shorter 30-to-45-minute format suits the four-and-five-year-old end, where an hour of hammering is one hammer too many.
Register the moment you decide to go. Both programs cap by kit supply, and “free while supplies last” means exactly what it says on a busy Saturday.
Seasonal programs worth knowing about
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Verified August 2026 — Bass Pro’s own event coverage describes a Family Summer Event “held June 22 through July 21, at most of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores located across the United States and Canada,” offering “free games, activities and workshops for kids with their families.” The craft list included making a picture frame, colouring a plaster bird magnet and building binoculars, plus a casting challenge and archery range. Kids get “a free lanyard with booklet to mark off completed workshops” and a collectible badge per workshop completed. This is a summer window, so it is not running in August — note it for next year rather than driving over this weekend.
Apple Camp Verified August 2026 — Apple’s own camp page is written in the past tense right now: “This year at Apple Camp, kids ages 6–10 took their imaginations on an artistic adventure.” Registration is closed and the page offers an email notification for when it reopens. The page does not state a price, so I’m not claiming one — sign up for the notification and read the terms when it returns.
The ones I couldn’t verify this week
Site rule: if I can’t confirm a program at the company’s own page while writing, it goes here instead of on the list. All three of these appear on other roundups with confident schedules. I’m not repeating those schedules.
- Lakeshore Learning free crafts — the store events and free-crafts pages both blocked automated access when I checked, so I can’t confirm whether the Saturday craft program is currently running or on what schedule. Call your nearest store.
- Barnes & Noble storytime — the storytime landing page returned an error, and the company’s help article on local events describes how to find “Children’s Storytime” through the store finder but says nothing about cost or registration. Individual store event pages exist; check yours through the B&N store finder.
- Michaels kids events — the kids classes page loaded without any class, pricing or age content at all. Whatever is running, I can’t tell you what it costs.
Where else free kids activities live
Recurring free programming is more common than most families realise, and the biggest source isn’t a retailer. Your library card unlocks passes, kits and activity programmes at no cost — that’s the full inventory in your library card is a freebie machine. For the national museum programs that get you in the door free, see free museum days. And if you’re building a whole cheap Saturday, the food half is in kids eat free: which US chains, which days.
FAQ: free kids workshops
Are Home Depot Kids Workshops really free?
Yes. Home Depot’s own page states “Our Kids Workshops are free, while supplies last.” There’s no purchase requirement, but kits are finite, which is why registration is recommended.
What day are the Home Depot and Lowe’s kids workshops?
Home Depot runs at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month, with the window open until 12 noon. Lowe’s runs once a month, typically on the third Saturday.
What ages are the workshops for?
Home Depot lists ages 5 to 12. Lowe’s recommends ages 4 through 11 with a parent or guardian supervising.
Do I have to register in advance?
Both retailers ask you to. Home Depot says to register to secure your spot; Lowe’s recommends registering early through a free MyLowe’s Rewards account because spots fill.
What do kids take home?
At Home Depot, the finished project plus an apron, an achievement pin and a certificate. At Lowe’s, the project plus physical and digital badges, with 12 physical badges earning a tool bag.
Is anything at these workshops paid?
The standard monthly workshops are free at both. Lowe’s does run separate premium MrBeast workshops requiring a $14.98 kit purchase, and those badges don’t count toward the tool bag — check the workshop name before registering.
