- Visit the Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay. Then window shop on the Embarcadero.
- Organize a tea party. Invite real friends or stuffed animals to attend.
- Write a letter to congress or your local representative, sharing your feelings about local issues- positive or otherwise.
- Roast marshmallows with toothpicks over the flame of a candle.
- Go dancing at Concerts in the Plaza in San Luis Obispo.
- Participate in a coastal clean-up day.
- Go for a drive with your Little where you only stop or turn when you encounter a pre-determined area or event, such as a garage sale sign or a street that starts with the letter M.
- Check out a theatre production at the SLO Little Theatre or at Cal Poly.
- Visit Boo Boo records and listen to the featured artists at the listening stations.
- Go to Farmer's Market. See if you can identify the different types of fruits and vegetables. For more of a challenge, try to identify the different types of flowers.
- Go to the mall. Let each person have $5 and see who can buy the best item for it.
- Have a competition to design a protective package for an un-boiled egg. You can not spend more than $1 on supplies. Then see whose egg can be dropped from a pre-determined height with out breaking.
- Take an architectural tour of a nearby city. Spend a few minutes researching the buildings online and then stake 'em out. You may have passed by cool sites you have never even noticed.
- Make up short stories and remove random nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Ask your Little to fill in the blanks, then read the story aloud.
- Hold a movie marathon. Show movies that you enjoyed when you were younger.
- Finger paint with chocolate, strawberry, or lemon pudding.
- Visit the Green Acres Lavender Farm in Atascadero.
- Play croquet with a twist (in the wintertime or at night with flashlights.)
- Go to Doc Bernstein's Ice Cream in Arroyo Grande on Tuesdays and check out the Reading Lab.
- Learn to skate at a local skate park. Talk to your Little about why it's important to wear safety gear.
- Take a trip to a discount clothing store. Let your Little design a new look for you.
- Get a free make up demonstration at Sephora in downtown SLO
- Pick berries at Avila Valley Barn
- Write a letter to one of your Little's favorite celebrities.
- View elephant seals at Point Piedras Blancas in San Simeon.
- Take a tour of the Monarch Butterfly Grove.
- Visit Carrizo Plain National Monument, the nationally protected wilderness & ecotourism area in Paso Robles.
- Try out one of the 1,000+ challenging climbing routes at the Crux Climbing Gym in SLO.
- Learn a magic trick.
- Have an ice cream sculpting contest. Use a block of ice cream, spoons, knives, and toppings. See who can build the best house, boat, car, etc.
- See the animals, stroll through the herb garden, and pick fresh products at Jack Creek Farms in North County.
- Volunteer yourselves as models for a beauty school.
- Check out the oldest residence in SLO County, the Dana Adobe in Nipomo
- Rent a kayak from the Kayak Shack in Morro Bay. Get up close and personal with local wildlife.
- Look at old photos and try to guess their career, lifestyle, and make up a story about that person.
- Watch a melodrama in Arroyo Grande
- Bake and frost cut out cookies or a cake
- Learn about plants and ecosystems of five Mediterranean climate zones, from California and Chile to Australia and South Africa at the SLO Botanical Garden.
- Get a couple of disposable cameras and go some place to take pictures. Then once the pictures are developed, compare how different they are.
- Roll up and make paper balls. Hold an indoor snowball fight or shoot hoops into a waste paper basket.
- Volunteer at the Cal Poly Organic farm.
- Go to one of the several local farmer's markets and try new foods.
- Take a walk together or at a local beach and with a memento bag, collect interesting leaves, rocks, junk.
- With your Little's birthday money, open a savings account for him/her at a local bank
- Feed the ducks at Atascadero or Laguna Lake.
- Take your Little to a volleyball or basketball game at the high school he/she will attend.
- Skip rocks on the water.
- Take turns playing advice columnist and help seeker. Take turns to see who can come up with the worst problem and the best advice. Then try coming up with some of society's most challenging problems, wit your ideas for real solutions.
- Visit a second hand store. Buy and design old t-shirts for each other.
- Pain each other a piece of pottery at Red Hot Pottery in SLO or Serendipity Artworks in Atascadero.
- have a water balloon fight.
- Teach your Little how to bargain shop and find treasures at a flea market or garage sale.
- Research famous individuals that have lived in SLO County. Find out which ones attended Cal Poly.
- Spend an afternoon at Cena To Go in San Luis Obispo putting together ingredients for a special dinner. Take the food home and cook it together.
- Visit and tour Cuesta and Cal Poly. Explain the difference between a junior college and a university.
- Take a dive with out getting wet! Enjoy underwater views on the Sub-Sea Tour in Morro Bay.
- Cheer on your favorite racecar at the Santa Maria Speedway
- Plan an outing around a book checked out from the library (i.e., astronomy, origami, French cooking, etc.)
- Challenge each other to a contest. Anything works, and the sillier the better! Try sand castle building, hop scotch, name that tune, marbles, or kite flying.
- Go for a hike at Montana de Oro or up Bishop's Peak.
- Learn to Salsa dance with the Salsa Club at Cal Poly.
- Art Center and the Historical Museum.
- Visit a farm and milk a cow or a goat. Have your Little taste fresh milk.
- Hike the sand dunes together- in Los Osos and Oceano.
- Use a Frisbee to knock down 2 liter plastic soda bottles, set up like bowling pins. Score the game the same as bowling.
- Try out a few fitness classes at the SLO YMCA.
- Practice filling out applications for everything.
- Take a health and safety class at the SLO Country Red Cross.
- Visit a local coffee shop to sip hot chocolate or soda while playing chess, checkers, or backgammon.
- Create a time capsule and bury it. Open the capsule on your one year matchiversary.
- Take a tour of City Hall or attend a City Council meeting to find out how your local government works.
- Visit the Sweet Springs Preserve in Los Osos.
- Make up a non-sense word and come up with a creative definition. Add the word on Wikipedia.
- Read through the Guinness Book of World Records together. Look for a record you and your Little could potentially beat.
- Get active with a local intramural sports team.
- Plan a trip to Solvang. Visit antique shops and guess how old each item is.
- Create your own nature or shopping mall scavenger hunt and use a camera to capture items. Ex- something from each color of the rainbow, something living, something dead, something non-natural, something that begins with "X."
- Go out to breakfast before school.
- Walk around a local boat or car show.
- Fly a kite in Morro Bay and have a picnic lunch near Morro Rock.
- Raise money for future outings by collecting recyclable bottles and cans, holding a lemonade stand, or ice cream stand.
- Explore the SLO or Paso Robles Children's Museum.
- Get low cost manicures/pedicures at the San Luis Obispo Beauty College in San Luis, or the Institute of Beauty in Pismo Beach .
- Buy a glow in the dark Frisbee and two glow sticks. Go to the beach at night and play a game of Frisbee. Each person holds a glow stick so the other knows where to aim.
- Have a sock war- five minutes and 20 pairs of socks.
- Have a bonfire at Avila Beach. Invite friends.
- Attend a local sporting event.
- Learn a new trick. It could be a day of learning card tricks, learning how to juggle or learning to make bird calls.
- Take a tour of the Luffa Farm in Nipomo
- Volunteer together at a local non-profit or charity during the holidays.
- Go to the airport for lunch and watch planes take off and land.
- Taste some fresh apple cider at the Glenbrook Apple Farm in Templeton.
- Rent a paddle boat at Lake Nacimiento.
- Go to the mall. Discuss body image and how certain clothes affect body image.
- Spend a day at Mustang Waterslides or at the Ravine Water Park.
- Hold a thematic dinner for your friends or family (e.g. beach, 50's, jungle, superhero, etc.) Pick foods, decor, invitations that reflect the theme, and ask everyone to dress up.
- Learn how to play a musical instrument with your Little. Form a band-choose a name for your band and make a music video.
- Walk around a boat show, car show, or convention of some kind.
- Swim at Sinsheimer pool or at the Avila Hot Springs
- Get a book of animal's tracks and explore a pond or trail together to see what animals live in the area.
- Bowl a strike at Paso Bowl, Mustang Lanes, or Pismo Bowl.
- Pick apples at the Swanton Organic Apple Orchard.
- Sign your Little up for the First Tee Golf Program at the Laguna Lake Gold Course.
- Help preserve our local trails. Volunteer with SLO Rangers.
- Use pre-made pizza dough or pie crust and make pretzels or cinnamon snacks.
- Explore Poly or Stenner Canyon.
- Develop a list of 30 questions: odd and unusual facts you would like to know about each other. Fill them out and read them to each other.
- Make a calendar of the major events of his/her year.
- Go puddle hunting on a rainy day and make a BIG splash.
- Collect leaves and safe plants on a hike. Make plant rubbings or press the leaves between wax paper and hang in your window. Watch how the plants glow.
- Create an "International Night." Decorate the home with an international theme, dress up, prepare ethnic foods, listen to appropriate music, and watch a foreign film on DVD.
- Take him/her to a photo darkroom to see how negatives and prints are made.
- Build a sand-structure. Use colored sand and the things you find in the surroundings to enhance your creation.
- Open the hood of a car and learn about the different parts of an engine. Teach your Little how to change the oil in your car.
- Grow fruits and vegetables. When it comes time to eat your creations, discuss how much sweeter your foods are.
- Take a Ranger-led hike. Learn about the city through a personal tour.
- Ride the Old SLO Trolley around down town
- Visit the tide pools at Morro Rock
- Sit on a bench and watch people. Take turns guessing where you think people are going.
- Go star gazing at Prefumo Canyon
- Find hidden images at the stonewall of the Mission or Bubblegum Alley in downtown SLO.
- On a sunny morning, travel around the coast and photograph serene scenery.
- Check out the Ticket and New Times for activities in the area.
- Listen to a poetry reading or slam poetry at a coffee shop.
- Invent a new meal. Put outrageous ingredients together and dare each other to eat it.
- Borrow a boogie board and hit the waves.
- Go fishing off the pier in Pismo or by the lake.
- Hold your own Olympic games. Create your own teams, flags, colors, etc.
- Check out the BBBS Big Newsletter's Free Stuff.
- Attend a BBBS Match Activity.
- Check out fun activities at your local library.
- Make a themed picnic lunch.
- Organize a scavenger hunt together, then go find everything on the list.
- Make a kite together and see if it will fly.
- Go grocery shopping. Make a list before hand or find the cereal brands with the most and least sugar.
- Make a cake together. Decorate it. Eat it!
- Visit San Simeon. See who spots Hearst Castle first and how many animals you can identify on the Hearst Ranch.
- Take in an IMAX movie at the Hearst Visitor Center.
- Check out the interactive exhibits at the Coastal Discovery Center at San Simeon Bay.
- Take a break from hiking the beautiful trails at Montana de Oro at the Spooner Ranch House Visitor Center.
140+ Free and Low Cost Activities
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Free HDTV
Indoor or Outdoor Antenna?
HD signals can be picked up by inexpensive indoor HD antennas if you happen to live close enough to the broadcast tower. If you don’t know where the nearest broadcast tower is located, then it might be a good idea to try using an indoor antenna first to see if you can pick up the signals because they cost less than rooftop antennas. If the indoor HD antenna doesn’t work, you can simply return it and put the money toward a rooftop model.
Tools and Materials
- HDTV with a built-in digital tuner
- 72 ohm all-weather coaxial cable
- Grounding wire
- HD antenna with mounting hardware
- Coaxial cable grounding block and grounding strap (if needed)
- Power drill
- Adjustable wrench
- Screwdrivers
- Roofing screws
- Silicone caulk
- Nail gun
- U-clamp nails
If you have an existing antenna on your roof, you can try connecting it to your HDTV to see if you can pick up any channels. Many homeowners are able to receive a high quality picture using their old antenna, so this might be worth a try.
Step 2: Choosing the Right HD Antenna
There are plenty of HD antennas on the market to choose from, so this can be an intimidating process for someone who is not familiar with them. So rather than get all stressed out about it, visit Antennaweb.org and input your address to find out where the nearest broadcast tower is and what types of antennas work best in your area.
Step 3: Preparing for the Installation
On the Antennaweb.org website, you will be given a number of different channels and their compass headings. You will want to position your antenna at a compass heading that will give you the most channels so use a compass to find out which direction your antenna should face.
Step 4: Install the Mounting Bracket to the Roof
Follow the instructions that came with your mounting kit and secure the mounting bracket to the roof. Secure the bracket to the roof using roofing screws and apply silicone caulk around the screws to seal them against water penetration.
Step 5: Assemble the Antenna
Depending on the type of antenna you purchase, you may have to assemble it, or it may come in one solid piece. If you have to assemble it, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions so you know how to put it together properly.
Step 6: Attach the Antenna Pole
Loosen the bolts on the mounting bracket’s sleeve and slide the pole in until it reaches the bottom of the sleeve. Tighten the bolts so the pole is held securely in place.
Step 7: Place the Antenna on the Pole
Loosen the bolts on the sleeve on the antenna and slide the sleeve over the pole until the top of the pole meets the top of the sleeve. Rotate the antenna so it is facing the general direction of the broadcast tower. Leave the bolts loose for the time being as you may have to adjust the antenna’s direction in order to get the best picture.
Step 8: Run a Temporary Cable Line
Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the cable output terminal on the antenna and then run the cable line to your HDTV. This is just a temporary run to test for signal so don’t worry about securing the cable just yet. Connect the other end of the cable line to the coaxial input on the back of the HDTV and turn the TV on.
Tune to your local channels as listed on the Antennaweb.org website to check for the HD signal. In order to get the best picture, you may need to have someone watch the TV while you adjust the antenna on the rooftop.
Step 9: Secure Everything
Once you find the ideal position for the HD antenna, secure the antenna in place on the pole by tightening the sleeve bolts and disconnect the temporary cable from the HDTV. Run the coaxial cable and grounding wire neatly across your roof, securing them along the way using a nail gun and insulated U-clamp nails.
Step 10: Grounding the Installation
Drill a hole through the siding of the house for the cable to enter the interior of the home. Secure the coaxial cable coming from the antenna to one end of the grounding block. Secure another length of coaxial cable to the other end of the grounding block and run the other end of this cable through the hole and into the home.
Connect one end of the coaxial cable’s grounding wire to the antenna’s housing and the other end to the grounding block. Connect another grounding wire to the grounding block and run this wire to either a cold water pipe on the inside of the home or install a grounding rod in your yard and connect it to that. Secure the grounding block to the side of the house and seal up the hole with silicone caulk.
Step 11: Reconnect the Cable to the HDTV
Run the coaxial cable to the HDTV, and connect it to one of the TV's coaxial inputs. Turn the TV back on and double check your HD channels. Now, all you have to do is call the cable or satellite TV company and cancel that costly subscription!
And also:
What's the Catch?
In order to receive free digital and high definition signals you must meet all of the following conditions:
- You live in an area that is capable of receiving over-the-air (OTA) broadcast signals.
- Your local broadcast stations (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, etc) transmit a digital signal.
- You either have a HDTV that has a built-in digital (ATSC) tuner or a HD-ready TV and an external HD receiver connected to it.
Do You Meet the Conditions?
Here are some general answers based on each condition listed above. They are numbered accordingly.
- Most of the U.S. population should live within range of an OTA broadcast tower. The exception would be someone living in a very rural areas, like a desert or middle of a mountain range. Although, it's possible to live within the range of a broadcast tower and still not get a signal, like if you live near large buildings or have physical objects -- metal roof, large buildings, large hills -- blocking the signal getting to you.
- The digital transition has happened so all full power broadcast TV stations are broadcasting in digital. There is no more analog from these stations. Prime time programming from the networks is usually in digital or HD, but most of the daytime programming is still in the old non-HD format.
- You should know the answer to this already. If you don't, look at your owner's manual or call the manufacturer and ask them. If your TV has a square screen -- not rectangle -- then is is likely that you don't have a television capable of displaying digital or HD programming.
You Meet the Conditions…Now What?
It is time for action now that you know you have everything needed to receive free high definition and digital programming. This is what you can do:
- Go to www.antennaweb.org to find out the best antenna for your area. You can get a generalized recommendation or specific for your address. If you use your address and provide your email address then I would uncheck the two boxes if you don't want to receive emails from the Consumer Electronics Association.
- Once you know what kind of antenna you need then go to your local electronics store or shop online and buy the unit. If you are buying an outdoor antenna then don't forget to plan for the extra cable you might need to wire it into the TV.
- Once you have the antenna at your residence, install it. You might need to auto-program your television in order to access the digital stations. If you have a cable or satellite HD receiver then you might be able to connect your antenna directly to the receiver and receive HD through the receiver without having to switch the TV source to antenna.
- If your TV is HD-ready you will need to connect the antenna to the receiver in order for the TV to receive the digital/HD signal.
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