To make things easier for you and save you time (who doesn’t want to save time, right?), we’ve categorized these gifts. So whether you’re looking for books in the mail, free printable bookmarks, or free things for kids to do, you can easily find the gift you want.
free children’s books by mail
OK, the first thing I want to cover is free books. Children love stories and fostering literacy and a love of reading from an early age is very important.
Fortunately, there are plenty of places where kids can get free children’s books in the mail.
Here are some places that offer free children’s books.
1. dolly parton’s library of imagination
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a wonderful organization that sends free books to children. Through the program, children can receive books in the mail from birth until they start school. the show is only available in participating areas, so check the website (linked above) to see if you can get books from the show in your area.
2. american stock fund braille books
if your child is blind, you can get free books from the american action fund’s braille book program. The program provides blind children with a free braille book each month from a popular children’s reading series. the program has delivered more than 318 popular children’s reading series titles to thousands of blind children since 1997.
3. cool fiction
If you don’t mind leaving a review, you can get your kids free books in exchange for new fiction reviews. The website features a wide variety of books for all ages that you can check out. this includes children’s books. you can get hard copies and digital copies of books. simply create a review and it will be published on the fresh fiction website.
4. library
librarything gives away free books and offers books in exchange for reviews. There are books on sale for all ages, with children’s book reviews often listed.
for more details, simply visit the website linked above and scroll down the page until you get to the box that says “free books”.
5. paperback swap
If you want to get some free children’s books, check out the paperback exchange. this website is an online book swap community where you can exchange the books you don’t want for the ones you do want.
Basically, you list a book that you want to trade with other members. then if your book is requested, it is mailed to the person who requested it. then, in return, you can choose a book from the 1.7 million books available on the platform. Sure, you have to pay to ship the book you send, but the postage on the books you receive is already paid. you can keep the book you receive or exchange it back for another title.
is a great way to update your child’s library. There are many children’s books available in a variety of genres on the site, and both paperbacks and hardcovers are offered.
free bookmarks for kids
Kids can keep track of where they are in their last reading with a free bookmark. yes, you can get kids markers at no cost! Most of them are online, so you’ll just need to print them out, but there are a few places that send kids free bookmarks.
here are some awesome free bookmarks for kids:
6. disney bookmarks
The disney family used to offer free bookmarks featuring some of their most beloved cartoon characters. These feature characters like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. unfortunately, it appears they have discontinued it. but if you like to DIY, marcie & the mouse has a great DIY tutorial to create your own free disney bookmarks. Plus, you can make it even more fun by having your kids help you create the bookmarks.
7. harry potter bookmark
Kids of all ages love Harry Potter, which is why these Harry Potter themed bookmarks are so awesome. They feature quotes from the books and adorable designs!
8. free animal bookmarks from skyenimals
Subscribe to their email list and skyenimals will send you a free set of animal bookmarks in the mail!
9. tales of a ranting ginger
These tales of a ranting gingerbread bookmarks feature super cute robot and rocket designs.
free stuff for kids to do
If you’re looking for fun and free things to do that you and your kids can really enjoy, then this is the section for you. I’ve listed some fun and free things below that are great for kids, and many are great for the whole family!
10. free visits to a national park
many national parks offer free admission days. click the link in the section header above for more information.
11. free visits to the museum
many museums offer free admission on certain days or all the time.
Whether it’s art or history, children can enjoy learning about many different subjects at museums. Fortunately, there are plenty of free museums near you, too.
12. free home depot DIY workshops
kids can get free home depot DIY workshops. These are free live streaming and digital workshops where expert store associates can help you complete projects, learn how your home works, and more. you can register online at the website linked above.
13. free bowling games for kids free bowl
with kids bowl free, you can sign your kids up for 2 free games of bowling every day during the summer!
free coloring books & pages for children
Kids love coloring books, so why not gift them some? You can find free coloring pages for kids as well as coloring books. some are available online, so you’ll need to print them out. but you can also get a free coloring book by mail.
Here are some awesome coloring books and coloring pages that you can get for free!
14. snow white and the seven dwarfs for coloring
Since most kids love Disney movies, this coloring page featuring Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is sure to be a hit!
15. u.s. sesame street fire safety coloring and activity booklet fire management
The United States Fire Administration offers a fire safety coloring and activity booklet for children ages 3-5. you can request a copy online and receive it by mail for free. or you can read it online and download and print it instead.
16. bee a scientist natural inquirer coloring book
you can get a free bee a scientist coloring book from natural inquirer. provides an English version and a Spanish version. The coloring book provides a basic introduction to different types of scientists.
free educational apps for kids
Educational apps can help teach kids everything from math to the alphabet. In this section, I’ll cover some great learning apps for kids that are totally free.
17. khan academy
khan academy offers thousands of educational books, activities, songs, and games for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. is an excellent application for children. This award-winning app features a cast of friendly characters who guide kids through the lessons. kids can learn about a variety of topics like math and reading.
This is where you can get the app:
- download khan academy for android devices here.
- download khan academy for ios devices here.
18. cool math games
In coolmath games, you can find a variety of math, logic, thinking and strategy games. And new mini-games are added every week!
This is where you can get the app:
- download the app for android devices here.
- download the app for ios devices here.
19. games for kids pbs
pbs kids games is a very popular learning app for kids that offers hundreds of free educational games. this includes things like art games and math games. There are over 200 curriculum-based games available for kids ages 3-8 that are totally free!
This is where you can get the app:
- download pbs kids games for android devices here.
- download pbs kids games for ios devices here.
20. scratchjr
Coding is a useful skill nowadays, which is why scratchjr is such an interesting app. is an app that teaches kids to code. is an introductory programming language that allows children ages 5 and up to create their own interactive stories and games.
Kids can put together graphical programming blocks to make characters move, dance, jump, and sing. And kids can even modify characters, add sounds and voices, and then use programming blocks to bring their characters to life.
You can consider making a donation to the scratch foundation if you wish, but the app is completely free.
This is where you can get the app:
- download scratchjr for android devices here.
- download scratchjr for ios devices here.
21. epic
epic is a great educational app that helps improve children’s reading confidence. Using the app, which is designed for ages 12 and under, kids can access a library of thousands of learning books, audiobooks, and videos. there is a free version of the app and a paid version.
This is where you can get the app:
- download epic for android devices here.
- download epic for ios devices here.
22. piano kids
To develop musical skills, piano kids is a great app. The app allows children to learn to play musical instruments, explore different sounds, and just develop their overall musical skills. kids can also create melodies, learn to count, learn the alphabet, solve puzzles, learn to paint, learn to draw, and more.
This is where you can get the app:
- download piano kids for android devices here.
free printable games for kids
ok, if you want your kids to spend less time looking at screens, consider printable games. just print them out and your kids can enjoy playing with them, all with a good old-fashioned pen and paper!
In this section, I have listed some cool printable games for kids that they are sure to love!
23. mr. printables
mr. printables offers some really cute word search puzzles that are great for kids. They feature many different themes, from farms to the sea. The best part is that they are very decorative and colorful, so they are sure to be a hit with the kids.
24. sudoku from puzzles-to-print.com
puzzles-to-print.com presents some amazing sudoku puzzles for kids that you can print for free. the puzzles are available as pdf files, and each file comes with a second page that includes the answers, which is always helpful, right?
Be sure to click the “easy sudoku puzzles” link on the previous page to find puzzles that are great for kids because the site also includes printable sudoku puzzles for adults.
25. word search puzzle from free-for-kids.com
Get great printable word search puzzles for kids at free-for-kids.com. Riddles are available on a variety of topics, including Road Dahl, Star Wars, and the weather.
free ebooks for kids
In addition to books delivered by mail, there are also a host of free e-books you can get for your kids or toddlers. In this section, I’ll cover some awesome websites for finding free eBooks for kids.
26. amazon
amazon is a great website for finding children’s books. these can be read on any device with a kindle cloud reader installed, such as tablets, desktops, and phones.
That’s because there are so many kindle books out there for free! Amazon divides its best-seller list into two sections: the top 100 paid and the top 100 free.
click through to the top 100 free children’s books section (or just follow the link in the section header above!) and you’ll be able to see tons of the site’s best-selling free children’s books.
27. good reads
For free children’s books, goodreads is a great website. You can find a list of free e-books for children ages 7-12. This includes well-known titles like Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. seuss and grimm’s complete fairy tales All in all, it’s a great place to find quality children’s books!
28. freechildrenstories.com
freechildrenstores.com has many children’s stories for a variety of age groups from 3-5 to 8-10 years old. The best part is that these stores are also illustrated, which kids always love!
29. freekidsbooks.org
freekidsbooks.org offers a selection of children’s books that you can download for free. You can also get pdf versions of books or read titles online. the site offers books for a variety of age groups, from toddlers to young adults.
30. magic keys
at magic keys, you can find illustrated children’s stories for children of all ages.
31. net galley
netgalley allows authors to give their readers preliminary copies of their books. therefore, you can get free digital children’s books from the site. You can find a variety of children’s books on sale in the children’s fiction and children’s non-fiction section.
In exchange for this free book, you will need to provide a review.
32. read.gov
read.gov is a website of the government of the library of congress that aims to promote literature and reading. the website offers many classic children’s books that they can read for free.
you can read titles like the adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain and cinderella.
33. project gutenberg
project gutenberg is an amazing website for free books offering over 60,000 e-books. there are tons of children’s books available there that they can read for free! This includes such well-known titles as Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
34. children’s books online: the rosetta project
the rosetta project is a large collection of vintage illustrated children’s books online. There are books available for all reading levels that can be read online for free.
35. international children’s digital library
The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) is a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Library and Museum Services, Microsoft Corporation, and Adobe Systems Incorporated.
the icdl aims to create a library of children’s books from around the world. Although it doesn’t have as many books in as many languages as it used to, it still offers over 4,000 titles that can be read online for free.
36. children’s world fun
kids world fun offers a selection of animated children’s books that can be read for free. and you can read them online or download books so that your child can read them whenever he wants.
free worksheets for kids
worksheets are fun and educational, making them ideal for kids during school breaks, the weekend, or whenever you want to keep them entertained.
here are some awesome free worksheets. all you need to do is print them!
37. elephant connect the dots worksheet
For rainy days, weekends, and school holidays, this elephant connect the dots worksheet is great and it’s free, too.
38. castle color by number worksheet
This castle color by number worksheet is sure to keep the kids entertained.
39. candy 1st grade math worksheet
If you’re looking to help your kids learn math, this handy first grade math worksheet is ideal. With it, your child can practice finding numbers that are one more and one less than the number on each candy, up to the number 20.
40. 123 homeschooling 4 yo
Kids are sure to love these adorable star wars themed bookmarks from 123 homeschool 4 me.
free games for kids
Sometimes it can be hard to keep the kids entertained! especially during school holidays. that’s why the sites below are so good. they offer free online games! this includes board games, arcade games, and more.
here are some great game sites for kids:
41. tabletopia
There are over 1,700 board games kids can play for free on Tabletopia. it’s an amazing site for older kids in particular.
42. Lego
lego offers some games for children that can be played for free. Examples include LEGO Ninjago: Prime Empire and LEGO Friends Heartlake Rush.
43. board game field
again, for older kids, board game arena is a great site. allows you to play thousands of board games from your browser for free! you can play with friends or players from all over the world.
44. cartoon network games
Cartoon Network Games is a great site for kids of all ages offering a variety of games like sports, action, arcade and adventure games for kids.
45. arcadio
arkadium offers many games for older children, such as solitaire and crossword puzzles, and they are all completely free.
other free stuff kids can get in the mail
In this section, I have even more gifts for kids!
46. autographed nasa astronaut photo
kids can get an autographed photo of a nasa astronaut. simply write or fax your request. you can get the address on the linked page in the section header.
47. free seeds and gardening tips from the national wildlife federation
Kids can pledge to be one of the National Wildlife Federation’s Butterfly Heroes and get free seeds! you can plant these seeds and help the butterflies to thrive. You can also get tips for gardening on your windowsill, porch, patio, or backyard.
48. lego life magazine
kids can get a free copy of lego life magazine. The magazine is for children ages 5-9 and includes comics, activities, posters, and lots of other engaging content. You can receive the magazine at home 4 times a year.
49. free maps in the mail
Kids can get free maps in the mail. And we have a post about it! Take a look at 38 Places To Get Free Maps By Mail to learn more! maps are great for older kids especially!
50. free stamps from the international society of stamp collectors of the world
Children can receive free stamps in the mail from the International Society of World Stamp Collectors (ISWSC). And you don’t need to be a member of iswsc to take advantage of the offer.
free activity books for kids
Actually, there are many free printable activity books or online activity packs, but they’re not all created equal. I found that I think it covers everything a child needs in an activity book: learning while having fun coloring, crafting and creating!
51. free puffin activity pack
we all know penguin books, one of the giants of the publishing industry. they offer free printable puffin activity packs for 3 different age groups including:
- 0 to 5 years old
- 6 to 9 years old
- 9 to 12 years old
Simply choose the age group your child or toddler belongs to and download and print the activity book. the free activity pack lets them “color, create and get creative with stories – they’re full of fun!”
enjoy these gifts!
The internet has become a great source for finding all kinds of free stuff for people of different age groups. From totally free baby stuff and gifts for moms-to-be to free stuff for teens, adults, and seniors, all it takes is a little time to find it.
but you don’t even need to spend time on it. we have done the work for you. Bookmark this page and come back when you need something particular for your kids but don’t want to pay for it.
There is something for all children’s tastes and interests, from games to museum visits!
Do you have any tips on where to find free stuff for kids? let us know in the comments section below.