Looking for fun and free ways to bring excitement to your child’s day? Have some joy delivered straight to your mailbox! Kids will love seeing their local postal carrier arrive with free samples by mail, and there’s good news for parents: our list is full of items that encourage kids to learn about themselves and the world around them. From books to free stickers by mail, scroll down to see how to request free stuff for kids by mail today.

Stickers

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The Wildlife Conservation Society has been preserving wildlife and their natural habitats since 1985 through education, conservation and encouraging people to join in their cause. Recognizing the importance of inspiring children from a young age to be a part of these efforts, the WCS offers of range of learning resources, as well as free stickers by mail, featuring amazing animals that kids will love.

Chances are your little ones love to play in the dirt, dig for worms, and make mud pies. A group of some big kids (ahem, adults) that love dirt as much as yours got together to start the Soil Science Society of America so that they could study and support this super important part of our natural ecosystem. The SSSA wants everybody to learn and get excited about soil so much that they mail free I LOVE SOIL stickers straight to your home.

Do you have a little animal lover in your house? If you do, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will send free stickers by mail so your child can show off their love of animals while inspiring others to show kindness to all of our furry (or furless) friends!

Books & Magazines

a little boy who got free stuff by mail, which is a book
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) might be a go-to for COVID-19 facts and updates, but did you know that they're always looking for ways to help teach children about the health of themselves and their communities? Since books are always a hit, the CDC will mail free ones to kids when their adults request them here. Our favorite one, Amazing Me: It's Busy Being 3, that the CDC is currently offering follows Joey the kangaroo and friends along a developmental milestone journey.

Dolly Parton founded Imagination Library in 1995 to encourage the love of reading and literacy among children. Today the organization mails free books to kids from birth to when they begin school. Check here to see if your child is eligible to receive free high-quality books from Imagination Library.

PETA is on our list again, this time with their Kids’ Guide to Helping Animals’ Magazine. The magazine includes puzzles, stickers, and quizzes that aim to help kids learn about animals and how they can protect them. Want a free magazine mailed to your child today? It’s as simple as filling out this quick online request form.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to get kids excited about protecting their environment. That’s why they offer free activity books by mail such as Planet Protectors Club: Follow That Trail, which takes kids through a fun-filled mission to protect their environment. You can request one here.

LEGO bricks are the ultimate imagination-building toys around so it’s no wonder that kids around the globe are passionate about their colorful creations. But sometimes, children need a little bit of inspiration to help kickstart their LEGO builds. Your kids will never run out of ideas with the free LEGO Life Magazine mailed to them four times a year.

Letters

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If your child dreams of getting mail from their favorite Disney character, encourage them to write to them. Follow this guide for tips on where to mail your child’s letter and which characters are most likely to respond.

The White House receives all kinds of mail, and you guessed it, a lot of that mail comes from children eager to share their thoughts on everything from the environment to White House pets! Does your child have something important to share? While they may not receive a personalized response, The White House secretary diligently attempts to mail a reply on official White House letterhead when you follow these instructions.

Seeds

A mother and kids garden as an outdoor family activity
iStock

The Live Monarch Educational Foundation needs your kids' help supporting monarch butterfly populations by planting milkweed. While they encourage small donations to help keep their foundation going, they are happy to send free seeds by mail when you send them a self-addressed stamped envelope.

The Rob Greenfield Free Seed project strives to help people learn to grow and share food within their communities. We think this is a fun (and delicious) way to teach children about where their food comes from and get them excited about preparing and sharing healthy meals! Check out the requirements and join their 2024 waitlist, so they know you want free seeds mailed to your child.

 

Last year, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats launched Love Notes for children who are blind or have low vision. The Braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes gave parents a new way to share the love with their kiddos—in an easily accessible way.

This year Kellogg will expand the Love Notes experience to include children with autism spectrum disorder. In a collab with Autism Speaks, Kellogg’s new sensory Love Notes include heart-shaped stickers that match the space on the Rice Krispies Treats’ writable wrappers.

The new stickers come in different textures and include silk, fleece, faux fur, satin and velour. Kris Bahner, senior vice president of Global Corporate Affairs at Kellogg, said in a press release, “This is a beautiful way to extend our Rice Krispies Treats Love Notes and showcase the many ways to express love and support as kids return to school.” Bahner added, “This cause is very dear to me as a mom of a child with autism. I know firsthand that love and emotions aren’t always easy for children on the spectrum to express and receive—but they need to feel it and share it as much as any other child.”

So how do you get your own sensory Love Notes? Visit Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats Love Notes website here starting Aug. 13 to order your free stickers!

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Kellogg

 

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What says summer more than lounging in the Presidio while feasting on food truck delicacies? Off the Grid’s popular Sunday afternoon Presidio Picnic kicks off again this Sunday, April 3, and families around the Bay are sure to flock here for sun, fun, food and more. Read on for all the details.

New Flavors, Old Favorites
For those who have been picnicking at the Presidio’s Parade ground the last three seasons, you will be happy to see many of your favorite trucks have returned, such as Bacon Bacon, Del Popolo andLittle Green Cyclo. There will also be sweet new vendors, such as Powder, which specializes in the Taiwanese dessert snow—ice-cream-meets-shaved-ice made with filtered water, organic dairy by Three Twins, and fresh, flavorful, locally sourced ingredients.The full list of trucks includes DUM Truck, Beach Brew, Sugarfoot Grits, Grilled Cheez Guy, , Nopalito, Ceviche & Co, El Porteño, Slightly Skewed, Fat Face, Wing Wings, Verde Vivo, Cholita Linda, Cochon Volant, Lucianos, Stateside, Girl Friday Zeppole, SAJJ, Sam’s Chowder, Ruru Soul, Powder, The Crème Brûlée Cart, Fine and Rare, La Marcha, Réveille Coffee Co., Scrappy, Shorty Goldstein, and The Whole Beast.

Awesome Activities
Off the Grid’s Presidio Picnic is so popular with families because from eating to playing to exploring, everyone can do what they want, when they want. When their bellies are full, there are lots of activities to keep kids having fun. This year the Presidio Picnic will have yoga classes, a Green Screen photo booth for “selfies” in front of one of the Presidio’s many iconic landscapes; the “Roving Ranger,” a mobile park visitor center with information about wildlife in the Presidio and free stickers and animal tattoos for kids; and park staff-led nature-based arts and crafts activities using materials found within the Presidio. The Presidio YMCA will also be on site once a month with their free Y Bike Learn to Ride program.

Sunday Shopping
And now you can even get your weekly grocery shopping done under the sun. Yerena Farms will be there selling its delicious fruits and produce, Happy Moose Juice will be selling cold-pressed juices and nut milks, and Nosh This will offer their inventive chocolates. Off the Grid’s Mobile Retail Marketplace will also be on hand, selling a collection of stylish clothing designs that highlight the Bay Area’s foodie culture. Designed and printed locally, the new collection will include threads to outfit the whole family—baby, too!

An Opportunity to Explore the Presidio
And if you feel like escaping the crowds and heading out for a hike, the options are limitless. Check out our full guide of the Presidio for unlimited options for exploring one of the Bay’s very best parks. See you this Sunday!

Main Parade Ground
The Presidio
San Francisco, Ca
When: Sundays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Beginning April 3
Online: offthegrid.com/markets

 

What is your favorite truck or activity at the Presidio Picnic? Tell us in the comments below! 

–Erin Feher