By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. If you make a purchase, Which? will receive an affiliate commission, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.

22 Jul 2024

12 cheap and free things to do over the summer holidays

Find out where kids can eat out for £1 and how to get cheap cinema tickets

Grace WitherdenSenior writer

The summer holidays can be a challenge for parents juggling finances and time off work.

Whether your child is already enjoying their summer holidays, or they’re about to begin, we've got 12 budget-friendly tips to help you get through the long break.

1. Get a £1 kids meal

Lots of supermarket and store cafés offer ‘kids eat free’ deals or similar during the school holidays. Here are some of the best offers we’ve seen, where you won't have to spend more than a fiver.

Asda: Kids eat for £1 all day at Asda Cafés, with no adult spend required.
Ikea: Kids eat from 95p in Ikea restaurants. Available every day from 11am.
Morrisons: Kids eat free when an adult spends £4.50 or more on a meal.
Sainsbury’s: Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot meal from the café, from 11.30am every day.
Tesco: Get one free kids' meal for every item purchased in a Tesco cafe. The deal is running Monday-Friday until 30th August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and until 16 August in Scotland. You will need a Clubcard.

Pubs and restaurant deals

Some restaurants also have kids offers during the holidays if you purchase a main meal. Remember to check the terms and conditions of the restaurant before booking.

Bella Italia: Children eat free with the purchase of an adult main on Thursdays and for £1 with any adult main, 4pm-6pm, Sunday to Wednesday.
Beefeater: Two children under 16 can get a free breakfast every day with a paying adult during the school holidays.
Dobbies Garden Centres: Get a free children’s breakfast with any adult traditional or full breakfast or a free child’s hot meal or pick 'n' mix lunch box with any adult main course.
Hungry Horse: Every Monday kids eat for £1 with every full paying adult.
Las Iguanas: One kids meal free with every adult main if you join the app.
TGI Fridays: Kids eat free with every adult’s main meal, available all day, everyday for Stripes Rewards Members (sign up for free with the app).
Travelodge: Up to two children aged 15 or under eat free for every full paying adult.
Premier Inn: Up to two under 16s eat breakfast for free with every full paying adult.
Preto: Kids up to the age of 10 eat for free with a paying adult every weekday after 4pm and all weekend. You can download a voucher from its website.
Purezza: Children under the age of 10 can get free mini pizza with every adult main purchase.
Sizzling Pubs: One child can eat for £1 with every adult main meal, 3pm-7pm, Monday to Friday.
Subway: Get a kids 4 inch Sub, a snack, and a drink with the purchase of any full price footlong sub or SubMelt until 25 August.
The Real Greek: Free under-12 kid's meal for every £10 spent by adults on Sundays.
The Range: Get one free kids meal for every adult main
Yo Sushi: Kids eat free all day Monday to Fridays with a minimum £10 adult spend until Friday 30 August.

You could also consider getting a dining card, which could save you up to 50% at thousands of restaurants across the UK.

Find out more: most sustainable UK restaurant deals revealed

2. Cheap cinema tickets

From Inside out 2 to Despicable Me 4, if your kids want to watch the latest blockbuster in the cinema, make sure you save on tickets. Most major cinema chains have offers during the school holidays.

Cineworld’s Movies for Juniors screenings offer children's tickets for £2.50.
Odeon Kids has a deal where adults pay the same price as a child every day during the school holidays, as well as every Saturday and Sunday. And if you have an Amazon Prime account, you can get two Odeon standard tickets for £10, or two Odeon Luxe tickets for £15 Monday - Thursday.
Vue has Mighty Mornings screenings from 10am during the school holidays. Tickets for adults and children cost £2.49 each.

Find out more: how to save on Disney+

3. Discounted days out

If you fancy a day out in the city, your train ticket can unlock savings.

Not only do some rail companies let youngsters travel for £1 when you buy an adult ticket, but National Rail offers two entry tickets for the price of one at a huge number of attractions nationwide, including the London Eye, Sea Life locations across Great Britain and several historic landmarks including Leeds Castle and Hampton Court Palace.

Before you book, check National Rail's Days Out Guide, which also explains which tickets are valid.

If you're a Tesco Clubcard holder, you can convert the points you earn on your loyalty card into vouchers to spend with its Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners. These can often be used at wildlife parks and theme parks.

Find out more: best UK days out for free

Get Which? Money magazine

Find the best deals, avoid scams and grow your money with our expert advice.

4. Theme park thrills

Buy theme park tickets in advance to save. For example, an adult day pass bought on the day at Thorpe Park will cost you £66, but bought online will cost you £29. Alton Towers is also doing a deal right now where you can get kids tickets from £19 before 3 September. So it's worth doing your research online before.

You can also convert Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco reward vouchers, which can often be used to buy tickets for theme parks and more.

Find out more: how to keep kids entertained on long car journeys

5. Free kids workshops

How about making some slime, or learning how to care for a furry friend.

Pets at Home run free My Pet Pal animal workshops throughout the summer holidays. From now until Sunday 1 September you can learn about how to care for a Syrian hamster. Booking in advance is recommended.

On the first Sunday of every month, Dobbies Garden Centres offer free gardening workshops for ‘Little Seedlings’ between 4-10 years old. They’ll learn about wildlife, plants and receive stickers and certificates for taking part.

Apple offers lots of free sessions for kids to learn creative skills like photography, video editing and music creation. You can sign up on the website to find out when registration opens.

Hobbycraft runs kids workshops throughout the summer for £5 at different store locations. We spotted a friendship bracelet workshop and a slime making class. These need to be booked online in advance.

6. Kids Week theatre deals

As part of the ‘Kids Week’ theatre, you can get a free child ticket for those under 17 when you purchase a full-priced adult ticket for selected performances from Wednesday 24 July until Friday 6 September.

Some shows include Back to the Future, Sister Act and Wicked. The tickets must be booked through the Kids Week promotion website.

If you miss out, there’s also a few other deals you can use throughout the summer:

Disney Day Seats: Every Monday at noon, a number of tickets for Disney shows (such as The Lion King and Frozen) are available for £29.50 through the Disney Tickets website – but they get snapped up quickly.
Enter lotteries: Some shows, including Hamilton, have lotteries you can join to try to win cheap tickets. If you're successful, you'll be able to buy tickets for between £10 and £35 for a performance taking place that week.
Opt for cheaper seats: You may be able to get cheaper seats if you're willing to sit at the back, or in a seat with a restricted view. You can use SeatPlan to check out the view beforehand.
Book direct: You can usually find cheaper deals by visiting the theatre's website directly, rather than buying tickets via third-party websites.

7. Free Historic England sites

Did you know that many of the historic sites under Historic England are free to enter?

From mysterious prehistoric monuments to Roman ruins, and from mighty mediaeval castles to spiritual sites deep in the countryside, there’s plenty of England’s past to enjoy in peaceful settings.

You don’t need to book ahead, although you may need to pay for parking. You can find the full list of locations online.

8. Don't forget about free local events

Local councils sometimes run free half-term activities for kids, or sports workshops.

To see if you can join any nearby events, search your local council's name followed by 'half term activities' to see what's going on in your area, and look out for posters in the library or local park.

If you're not sure which local council covers your area, you can search on Gov.uk using your postcode.

9. Get active outdoors

Parkrun facilitates free weekly community running and walking events that take place all around the world.

The main 5k events take place on Saturday mornings, with Junior Parkrun for children aged four to 14 on Sundays. There is no time limit and no one finishes last!

Find out more: best fitness trackers 2024

10. Board game Olympics

Board games aren’t quite on the same level as the sport you'll be able to watch during the Paris Olympics this summer, but they can be just as competitive.

Our experts have reviewed hundreds of board games to bring you the very best, from classics like Monopoly and Articulate to newer games like Herd Mentality and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.

But rather than buying them all yourself, you could invite friends over and ask everyone to bring a game of their choice.

Find out more: best board games 2024

11. Learn something new

Not only are museums and galleries great for learning, but many are free.

Lots of museums have dedicated exhibitions for children, often featuring interactive displays, although you may have to pay to access some exhibitions.

During the school holidays and weekends, some museums also run activity sessions or days where kids can get involved in crafts. Booking in advance is recommended.