Where Do YOU Get Free Snacks or Treats for Your Kids While Shopping?

Hip2Save may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. Prices and availability are accurate as of time posted. Read our full disclosure policy here.

Free snack for kids

Check out this email from Rebecca –

“I recently saw a comment from a Hip2Saver that mentioned kids get a free cookie at Sam’s club everyday. I also saw recently in a Target comment thread about kids being offered a free clementine or treat at some Super Target stores and some people had similar comments about grocery stores offering freebies to their kids.

I was not aware of these possibly ongoing offers and I am curious – do people have to stop and ask at the bakery or snack bar, or is it usually just offered in their area by a designated employee? Could you consider running a post with a comment section dedicated to this? People could share which stores offer this, which regional stores have something like this, how to obtain the snack, where to look for it, etc.”

Does your store offer freebies for kids? Please share?

Join The Discussion

Comments 144

  1. darci

    Raleys has a bin at the front full of different types of fruit along with their bakery offering free cookies. Smiths (Kroger) also does free cookies at the bakery.

  2. m

    krogers offers free kroger balloon at the floral department ( just ask) and free cookie at the bakery ( just ask if there isnt any out)

    • Nicole

      some Kroger do had the free balloons but I’ve learned some don’t… if they don’t have them they charge 99 cents for 1 solid colored balloon….my son looks forward to one every time we shop so it’s worth it either way…

    • Jaime

      My Kroger stopped doing this about a year ago because of the expense of helium rising. (Middletown Ohio)

  3. Freckle53

    Hannaford grocery stores here have free sugar cookies at the bakery counter for kids.

  4. Holly

    Went into Rosauer’s the other day, and they had a plate out when you walk in offering free cutie oranges to kids 12 and under. My 3 boys love these!

    • A

      My local Walmart had cuties out with a sign saying free samples. My kids were so excited!

  5. Jackie

    Publix bakery gives free cookies to children , you have to ask tho.

  6. Lisa C

    Publix always offers a free cookie in the bakery!! For the kids and adults too!! 🙂

    • Lisa

      My publix gives my daughter a free piece of deli meat and cheese. I don’t ask. They usually offer it to her when I’m in line at the deli counter. I typically buy meat there, but they let her pick whatever she wants.

    • Princess

      My Publix also offers a free balloon with a tootsie roll tied to the bottom to keep it from flying away. They also offer a free cookie which my son loves.

  7. Jenny

    Price Chopper always gives free cookies from the bakery…..and sometimes even a balloon from the floral department!

    • nin

      Jenny which Price Chopper chain-Northeast?

  8. Amber

    Free cookie at Publix 🙂 Southern US states only obviously 🙂

    • shoppingpitchi

      Free Baloon @ Publix for kids. we should ask.

  9. Lindsay W.

    Here in the Florida panhandle, Publix grocery store gives kids free cookies everytime you come in.

  10. Suzanne

    We get free treats at Kroger, Sam’s Club, Walmart (even our neighborhood Walmart) and Target. Sometimes they are just out in plain view at the bakery counter, other times we ask and it’s never a problem. They expect people to pick up the cookies for the kids. The treats always differ depending on what they have and want to get rid of. We have received holiday cookies, huge Sam’s club cookies, cupcakes and even chocolate covered strawberries at Kroger around mother’s day. It never hurts to ask. Most of the time they just offer them to us when they see us coming because my little boys are screaming “cookies, cookies, cookies”.

  11. Jessie F.

    Schnucks grocery stores (St. Louis area) offer a free cookie to kids 12 and under. I think Dierbergs does, too.

    • natalie

      Oh how I miss St. Louis’s Schnucks. Best bakery 🙂

  12. Hydee

    My local Smiths (Kroger) has a bin in the produce department with bananas, cutie oranges, and sometimes apples with a sign that says take a healthy snack for your kids to eat. You don’t have to ask, just grab.

  13. Rachel

    We love the freebies at Kroger! We just stumbled onto it one day a couple years ago and discovered kids can get a free cookie and Kroger balloon. We always ask for it when we shop!

  14. Gpcar

    Safeway in Virginia gives kids a Cookie Club card and they can stop by the bakery for a cookie each shopping trip.

    Whole Foods in Las Vegas gives kids a choice of treats. Kids can pick up a card for a free treat (banana, single serve milk, etc) at customer service.

  15. Momof6

    My Smiths (Kroger) has a tray with free fruit for kids while shopping with their parents. It’s a great thing!

  16. Christine

    Cub Foods has a little slot in the bakery section that houses the single serve cookies with a little sign that says Kid’s Cookies (free). You do t have to ask anyone. And I may or may not have taken one for myself once. 😉

  17. Christie

    Target, free cup popcorn

    • Teri

      Do all Targets do this? Do you just ask at the cafe counter?

      • Heazer

        Not all Target’s give free popcorn. But, some will give a sticker to children who are seat belted in the cart. You take that sticker to the cafe, and they will get a free bag of popcorn for it.

  18. Rosie

    Whole foods has water and snacks at the customer service for kids and Publix gives free cookies

  19. Mia

    Our Hyvee has kid bananas out. You can also ask for slice of cheese from deli, cookie from bakery and balloon from florist. 🙂

  20. Jonie

    Target Bakery and Publix Bakery have free cookies – you have to ask, but sometimes if they see children around, they are the one who ask if the child want cookie 🙂

  21. nikita kasinger

    Bilo gives free cookies!

    • Britt

      You have to be in or near SC to know about Bilo! 😉

  22. melissa

    I’ve had employees at kroger give cookies to my kids, but it’s not always a sure thing.

    Schnuck’s let’s you get a free cookie for your kids too from the cookie display, it’s a help yourself thing.

    My favorite though is Hy-Vee. They have a display of different fruits for the kids to snack on. I love the healthy choice!! It’s usually bananas, apples, and clemtines.

  23. Amy

    Harris Teeter has a free cookie for kids either by the bakery or customer service depending on the store

  24. shveta

    Wholefoods also has snacks, fruits and drinks to choose from, for kids.

  25. sandra

    Albertsons gives you a free cookie if you ask at the bakery.

  26. Rose

    In My area Publix gives free Cookies to the kids while shopping. Also during Halloween free candy in every section and cashier to kids trick or treating.

  27. Liz

    Whole Foods has a snack wagon for kids near customer service. The snacks vary at different whole foods but usually there are juice boxes, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and fruit bars to pick from.

    • Kim

      Because of theft a few of our local whole foods switched from the wagon to the kids picking out any single serve whole fruit and going to either customer service or the register to “pay for it” (get it out of the system but free). So if you don’t see the wagon ask CS!

      Kroger here only gives out the out of season cupcake rings.

      Target here gives pealed half bananas only.

  28. Christy

    Cheese and balloons at King Soopers!
    Targets in CO are now offering free fruit (apples, bananas, cutie oranges) right next to the free cookies. My kids have taken the fruit more than I thought they would!
    Whole Foods also have a snack station with free fruit, raisins and bottles of water.

    • Annie Stsckpole

      Does King Sooper In Lafayette Co do this?

  29. Christie

    Krogers has bananas and cuties for kids free in produce dept. in a basket.

  30. Mel

    Food Lion in Virginia will give kids a cookie at the bakery counter…just have to ask.

  31. mel

    Winn Dixie gives a free cookie, but you have to ask.

  32. megan

    Smiths (kroger) has a bin of oranges, apples, and bananas. And sometimes an employee will walk around passing out mini cinnamon rolls or muffins.

  33. Katie

    Meijer they have free sugar cookies for kids 12 and under you just have to ask the bakery when your there. Also last time I was at Meijer they had out free fruit for kids.

  34. Patti

    Noticed a tray of fresh fruit for the kiddos at our Fred Meyer (Kroger), just yesterday.

  35. Cheryl

    Food Pyramid gives kids free cookies at the bakery.

  36. Bre

    Our whole foods has a bin with coloring pages,crayons, healthy snacks and water bottles.

  37. Milver

    Meijer gives a free cookie at the bakery!:)

  38. jenn

    I might be in the minority, but i dont like when food is given out to my child without me asking/someone asking before the food is presented. At my local walmart, the people in the deli section always hand out huge containers of popcorn chicken and mozzerella sticks if you walk near them it seems. And once my kids have seen it, its either deal with a tantrum when i say no ( they are 2 and 1) or let them eat it when i would rather they not eat those foods. If they asked me before shoving the food out i wouldnt be so angry. And not to mention if they had allergies and i had to say no, then im stuck with a tantrum until they are old enough to learn, or have to shop elsewhere/without them.

    • Shannon

      Whenever I am at Walmart, Costco, Kroger they refuse to give my kids samples unless I am there and say it’s ok.

  39. sudha

    Fred meyer offers free fruit for kids. They have a basket full of variety of fruits for kids.

  40. Sarah

    Vons almost always has a bakery treat out which is usually cookies, but sometimes are cut up muffins, cheesecake, or whatever. I think it is usually the stuff that is somewhat stale. 😛

    Kmart has been doing something on Saturday morning where the first X amount of kids get a free goodies (check the ad to see what it is).

  41. Jodi

    Trader Joe’s offers treats when your child finds the hidden stuffed animal in the store. You tell a cashier or customer service where the mascot is hidden. Looking for the toy keeps kids distracted while shopping.

    • Frankie

      Yes! Love this!

  42. Jessica

    Publix gives free cookies.

  43. Minde

    Giant Eagle.
    You purchase a card for a $1 donation (that goes to a local children’s Hospital). The card is good for the entire year and gets your child a treat each time you are in the store. You can choose from a cookie, piece of fruit, or piece of cheese.

  44. Amy

    Food City, Food Lion, and Ingles all give out cookies in my town which is in Virginia. You have to ask for it at the bakery.

  45. Irla

    Smiths offer a free fruit while shopping

  46. Sarah EES

    Trader Joe’s is my favorite place to shop with my kids. They have free coffee and food samples for everyone but they also offer a small cup of their store brand cookies to kids. Plus to keep my kids occupied the employees usually hide a stuff animal around the store somewhere, for a nice game of hide and seek. If your child finds the stuff animal (our store has a monkey) your child get a lollipop and to rehide the animal for someone else. Plus as a bonus they hand out stickers at check out! Overall its a win-win for me.

  47. Natalie

    Our Walmart Neighborhood Market have cookies at the deli counter for the kids. You usually have to ask for one.

  48. shirinnaz

    Our Ingles (Shelby NC) has free cookies for kids at bakery.

  49. Mandy

    These are not treats each time you go in, but if your kids sign up for the birthday club at Food Pyramid, they send a coupon for a free mini cake and Ice cream. They also offer a free bottle of children’s vitamins each month.

  50. mimi

    Cub food gives out fruits: apples, oranges, or bananas out your choices to choose from., plus in bakery they gives out one free cookies per kid.

    • RZ

      Jewel offers a cookie card from Bake Shop and Farmstand also has a card for a free banana or apple for every visit. Also if you are buying cheese from the deli counter they will offer your kids a free slice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It's not your Grandma's coupon site!

Sign up for a Hip2Save account (it's free) to access all of the awesome features!

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot Password

Don't have an account? Register

Become a Hip2Save Insider

Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! Once you join, you'll be able to save & share your favorite deals, rate posts and recipes and add items to your HipList and Cookbook! What are ya waiting for?!



Already have an account? Login

Thank you for rating!

Would you also like to leave us a comment?