With 12 children between them, the parents of the Family Fun Twin Cities team are always scouting out ways to score a good deal. Who couldn’t use an extra helping of FREE events after the holidays? Our list of free Twin Cities January Family Events & Activities is stocked with dozens of ways to save money and have free family fun. For more ideas on how to find free Twin Cities events for kids and families in January visit our:Â
Want to find free things to do in the Minneapolis-St Paul area this weekend? Find our current WEEKEND FAMILY GUIDE, packed with suggestions.
50 FREE THINGS TO DO IN THE TWIN CITIES THIS JANUARY
New year, new ideas for fun things to do with kids in the Twin Cities – that go easy on the pocketbook after the splurge of the holidays.
Twin Cities free winter fun in January
There is so much FREE family fun to be had out in Twin Cities-areas parks during the winter months if you’re willing to bundle up your team and brave the chill. Community free outdoor ice skating rinks are open daily, many with warming facilities and lighting. You can browse our DIRECTORY OF FREE ICE RINKS IN THE PARKS HERE or click below on the graphic of our own little skaters. And how about throwing a sled down one of the abundant TWIN CITIES SLEDDING HILLS? Winter fun in the parks at its absolute best!
More free winter fun ideas in the parks – Minneapolis & St Paul
Throw your layers on and get out there! Bring a sled or ice skates while you’re at it. Hunt for hints of wildlife muffled by the snow.
- MINNESOTA STATE PARKS FREE DAY waives vehicle fees on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
- Parks like NORTH MISSISSIPPI REGIONAL PARK in Minneapolis often offer free outdoor programming for families complete with the engaging KROENING NATURE CENTER If you need a break from the chill.
- BATTLE CREEK WINTER RECREATION AREA invites you to try free cross-country skiing and kicksledding select Battle Creek Winter Fundays.
- And there is simply no better free indoor (and balmy!) public park space like St Paul’s COMO ZOO & CONSERVATORY.Â
MORE FREE WINTER FUN AT COMOÂ not to miss:
- Como Little Explorers Thursdays – each themed week is packed with free games, art projects and sensory tables. 10am-12pm.
- Como Music Under Glass – free concerts in the Conservatory may be more appreciated by adults but kids are welcome to wander in the gardens.
Free outdoor winter fun in the Twin Cities North Metro parks
BROOKLYN PARK:Â MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK has faithfully been running their Free Family Fun Days for many years – nature-based education that continues in the park’s new Gateway Center & Treetop Trail. Themes have included storywalks in the snow, tracking animals, and winter survival skills.
MAPLE GROVE: EASTMAN NATURE CENTER steadily offers their Free Funday Sunday program most weeks of the month. Drop in this month for activities like historic winter games, animal challenges and enrichment. 1-3pm.
ST ANTHONY: SILVERWOOD PARK is one of our favorite hubs for year-round free family events. We recommend dropping into the monthly Puppet Art Adventures event complete with free guided hikes in the sculpture park.
WHITE BEAR LAKE: Back after a hiatus at TAMARACK NATURE CENTER, the Drop-In Discoveries series offers free winter outdoor activities like kicksledding and snowshoeing.
Free outdoor winter fun in the Twin Cities South Metro parks
BLOOMINGTON: RICHARDSON NATURE CENTER is always cooking up something interesting to learn during their Free Family Fun Days. Themes in January include two chances to try kicksledding. Select Sundays, 3-4pm.
BLOOMINGTON: Free, hands-on living history moments are offered every Saturday at POND DAKOTA MISSION PARK. Drop in this month for activities like historic winter games and other pastimes. Saturdays, 1-4pm.
EAGAN: GOAT HILL PARK has a refrigerated ice rink, perfect for Eagan’s Community Ice Night with games, pickup hockey and a bonfire.
HASTINGS: Register for your free chance to dabble in Family Ice Fishing with Park & Rec staff – all equipment provided. One date in January at Lake Rebecca Park. Spots from 9-11am.
Because festivals aren’t just for summer in our state! Most of our favorite winter traditions are back (always weather-permitting) and ready to immerse you in the activities our snowy home is well-known for.
Free Minneapolis & St Paul winter festivals & events
- JAN 17-FEB 8Â Art Shanty Projects
- JAN 17 Powderhorn Park Art Sled Rally
- JAN 22-FEB 2 St Paul Winter Carnival
- JAN 24Â Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival
Free Twin Cities North Metro winter festivals
- JAN 17Â White Bear Center For the Arts Winter Open House
- JAN 14-18Â World Snow Sculpting Celebration, Stillwater
- JAN 24Â Golden Valley Winterfest
- JAN 31Â Wargo Nature Center Snow Day
Free Twin Cities Southwest Metro winter festivals
- THROUGHOUT JANUARY 2026Â Bloomington Winter Fete
- JAN 10 Eden Prairie Winter Blast
- JAN 16-17Â Shorewood Arctic Fever
- JAN 24Â St Louis Park Bundled Up! Winter Fun Day
Twin Cities free fun with arts & crafts in January
Flex your creative muscle this month with free arts events aimed right at families. From our world-class art museums to local art houses to your favorite home improvement store, here’s where you can create and save in January:
- ANOKA Rumriver Free Family Art Day
- EAGAN Art House First Friday
- EDINA First Saturday Art Lab
- MINNEAPOLIS Institute of Art Family Day
- MINNEAPOLIS Walker Art Center First Free Saturday
- MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Home Depot Kids Workshops
- MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Fleet Farm Free Kids Crafts
Twin Cities free family entertainment in January
What kind of free entertainment can you squeeze out of the Twin Cities culture scene this month? Look to “travel” the world at Landmark Center, explore instruments at a family concert, take a free ramble through Minnesota Children’s Museum.
- MINNEAPOLIS MacPhail Free Family Concert
- ST PAUL Urban Expedition: Dakota Homeland
- ST PAUL Minnesota Children’s Museum First Free Sunday
Free weekly Twin Cities activities in January
Free abounds in the Twin Cities. Many local bookstores, libraries and other businesses offer free storytimes during the week. Local coffee shops & cafes serve parents with free dedicated play spaces. Nature centers are wonderful places that offer free admission and hands-on exhibits and outdoor play opportunities most days of the week. And dozens of St Paul & Minneapolis recreation centers offer free open gyms and tot times to run your littles ragged during the cooler months. Explore from our links below.
