Mall of America Toddler Tuesdays – Fun & Freebies

East Entrance of Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota

A quick Tuesday morning idea for you – FREE activities and freebies at Mall of America Toddler Tuesdays – all kid-tested and approved by my own preschoolers. While our kids have grown out of the toddler years and Tuesday activities have evolved over the years, there are some things you can still count on. Tuesdays are a less busy day, taking some stress out of a visit with a toddler.

Note that beginning in 2023, themed activities are only offered on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The rest of the traditional Toddler Tuesday offerings — Kids Eat Free options, discounted Nickelodeon Universe wristbands — are still weekly. Of course, the LEGO Store is always a fun freebie, whenever you visit. Scroll down to find a couple memberships we think are worthwhile if you plan to visit often on Tuesdays.

Make it a Family Night: You don’t have to go during the day to get Toddler Tuesday deals. The monthly programming is only offered in the morning, but wristbands are good all day on Tuesday and most Kids-Eat-Free deals are also offered at dinner time.

Mall of America Toddler Tuesdays & More Fun

Activity: Toddler Tuesdays at Mall of America

Time: Monthly on the 2nd Tuesday, 10am – noon
Details: Free themed entertainment geared towards toddlers, but preschoolers will enjoy the character greets, crafts and stories. Find the latest line up here.

East Entrance of Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota

Activity: Pre-K Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays

Time: Weekly on Tuesdays, all day.
Details: Participating restaurants can change from quarter to quarter, but there are usually close to a dozen restaurants in the Mall of America that offer a Kids-Eat-Free deal on Tuesdays. While the MOA only requires the restaurants to offer the deal to kids 6 and under, many offer it to older kids too.

Family toasting at a restaurant - Kids Eat Free Twin Cities
Find our full Kids Eat Free List Here

Activity: Nickelodeon Universe – Toddler Tuesdays Ride Special

Time: Weekly Tuesdays, All Day
Details: Special toddler wristbands are available for $14.99 + tax. These are good for five hours and allow for unlimited rides on the rides on specific toddler-friendly rides.
Tot-Friendly Rides:

  • PAW Patrol Adventure Bay
  • Back at the Barnyard Hayride
  • Big Rigs
  • Blue’s Skidoo
  • Carousel
  • Crazy Cars
  • Diego’s Rescue Rider
  • El Circulo Del Cielo
  • Ghost Blasters
  • Bubble Guppies Guppy Bubbler
  • La Aventura De Azul
  • Log Chute
  • Pineapple Poppers
  • Rugrats Reptarmobiles
  • Swiper’s Sweeper
  • Wonder Pets Flyboatat.
Two boys riding the Blues Skidoo at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
Blues Skidoo Ride

Activity: Sea Life – Toddler Tuesdays Special

Time: Weekly Tuesdays, All Day
Details: Get one free child ticket (Ages 2-12) with purchase of adult ticket. Kids under age 2 are always FREE. Use code Toddler24 at the kiosk or purchase your tickets at the service desk.

Activity: The LEGO Store at Mall of America

Time: Store hours are 11am-8pm Tuesdays.
Details: Great for all ages, not just your preschoolers, this LEGO Store location features a building area for older kids and a special area stocked with Duplos for younger ones. If you’re lucky, they may be handing out free mini-build kits! 

mom and son building at LEGO store

Summer Kids Movies – Watch for them Again in 2023!

Cheap Tuesday flicks used to be a Toddler Tuesday go to. Then the Theatre closed and we missed those kids movie times.  Enter B&B Theatres – who opened a Mall of America location in May of 2021.  Watch again in 2023 for the Summer Kids Series, which offers $5 kids movies during Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday matinees.

Two girls sharing popcorn during a movie at the Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota
Grab some popcorn and watch a cheap movie

Do you have any other ideas for free entertainment at Mall of America? Drop us a line!


Tips for Navigating Mall of America Toddler Tuesdays

  • Travel light and/or bring a stroller. I’ve had my diaper bag stolen at the MOA. You want to keep your hands on your things at all times.
  • If you bring a stroller, you might just get your tot to nap while you get in a walking workout. Maybe you can even sneak in a quiet coffee!
  • The mall is ALWAYS dry and warm. So, bring a water bottle filled with ice water. It will help keep everyone less cranky.
  • Bring snacks or have a plan.
  • Know when to go and have an escape plan in case the over-stimulation gets to be too much. This is good advice for parents as well as tots.
  • Family Restrooms can be found near the 4 main entrances on level 1 – North, South, East + West. On level 2 and 3 the family restrooms are by the North side.
  • There are three Mother’s Rooms in the mall – on Central Parkway (Level 1 North), by the Level 1 East Entrance, and in Nordstrom Level 2.
  • Use our Mall of America Floor By Floor Family Guide to find more family fun ideas.
Family fun Twin Cities' Guide to the Mall of America - floor by floor - Title backdrop Pineapple Poppers ride at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
Family fun Twin Cities’ Guide to the Mall of America

Two Memberships Worth Considering

If you plan to make Toddler Tuesday your regular thing, you may want to consider a membership to one or both of these toddler-friendly attractions:

The Crayola Experience

Memberships pay for themselves quickly and you can always count on a little art time while leaving the mess behind. Not to mention the climbing structure, which essentially gives you an indoor playground for free.

Toddler Town at the Crayola Experience

Sea Life Minnesota

Again, this membership will quickly pay for itself, and then you just have a quiet, dimly lit place to escape the bustle. If your tot is 2 and under, they are admitted free, so you only need to purchase an annual membership for yourself and any pre-k over 2.

Various images of SEA Life, Manta Ray, touch and feel pools, seahorse, jellyfish


This article was originally written in April of 2015.
It was most recently updated in January 2024.

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