From free passes to eating out – five activities for kids this summer that cost absolutely nothing
KEEPING the kids entertained during the school holidays can be hard work, especially on a budget.
But warding off cries of “I’m bored” is easier than you think.
Here, Claire Dunwell and Julie Cook share their bumper guide to free and cheap activities for little ones over the summer break, come rain or shine.
Sport
BURN off energy with the little ones this summer by enjoying a bunch of free sporting activities.
See tennisforfree.com for a list of free coaching sessions in your area.
For Aldi shoppers, the supermarket is offering a free sports session when you spend £30 in store until July 31, 2023.
Pick up a voucher at the checkout, redeem it online – and with 50 different sports to choose from in your area, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
McDonald’s isn’t just about nuggets and fries – they’re offering free footie sessions for kids over the summer holidays.
You can register and find out about what’s going on near you at mcdonalds.co.uk/football.
- ANYONE FOR TENNIS?: Encourage kids to head outside over summer to enjoy a range of free sport sessions
Great Outdoors
WITH a range of outdoor freebies on offer, get the kids out in the fresh air.
Geocaching is an outdoor adventure where kids can use the Geocaching app or a GPS device to find hidden containers called geocaches.
There are millions around the world and plenty in the UK.
Create a free Geocaching account at geocaching.com or get the app to find local stashes.
For budding fisher folk, the Angling Trust is offering a Summer Of Fishing for kids. Children under 13 do not need a licence. Visit anglingtrust.net.
The Jockey Club is offering kids- go-free days at races around the UK. Children can watch the races, try pony riding, meet a racehorse and go on fairground rides. See thejockeyclub.co.uk.
For those who love creepy crawlies, the Woodland Trust has a printable mini-beast checklist that kids can use to tick off worms, ladybirds and other little critters they find.
If you fancy a bear hunt, head to Leeds where a trail of 35 giant bear sculptures are hiding in plain sight on city centre streets.
Decorated by artists, the trail brings alive the book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt.
Call into the bear cave in Trinity Leeds shopping centre to pick up maps and merchandise.
Profits go to help sick children. See leedsbearhunt.co.uk.
The Reptile Roadshow’s free events are great for snake-lovers.
In Hertfordshire, London, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.
Find out more at reptileroadshow.co.uk.
Why not let your child learn circus skills with the Greentop Circus Centre in Yorkshire.
It’s free for children eligible for free school meals. See greentop.org.
To mark the 180th anniversary of the world’s first great ocean liner, visitors to Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol will discover decades of history.
Two kids can visit for free with each adult paying full price. See ssgreatbritain.org.
- TRY OUT GEOCACHING: Adventurous kids can use an app or GPS to find hidden boxes around the country
Free Passes
HUNGRY Horse is offering a three-month Kids Pass for free for new customers who join its database.
The offer is available until September 3. Sign up at hungryhorsesavings. co.uk.
The pass gives kids 40 per cent off cinema visits nationwide, up to 57 per cent off days out and 50 per cent off family holidays and resort visits.
Day Out With The Kids is offering a VIP pass trial at £1 for 30 days, with 20 per cent off trampolining, free access to aquariums and 25 per cent off water parks. See dayoutwiththekids.co.uk.
See kidspass.co.uk to get a 40 per cent discount on zoos and safari park trips with its current offer of £1 for 30 days’ use.
The scheme also offers 57 per cent off theme parks and 30 per cent off cinema trips.
Coding & More
DO you have a young computer whizz in your house?
Barclays Bank is offering free summer coding clubs online using Scratch, Vexcode VR and Micro:Bit.
Their Digital Eagles coders will be running sessions every Monday and Tuesday. See barclayscodeplayground.co.uk.
In Lancashire, Jam Coding is running free coding classes for kids. Visit jamcoding.co.uk.
Code Club offers free coding for kids. See codeclub.org.
IF history is more your child’s thing, they can visit hundreds of English Heritage and Historic Scotland sites free of charge.
Castles, forts and much more await your little ones.
Annual English Heritage membership for two adults (£97) allows six children aged 7-15 per card to visit attractions for free all year.
It has a family annual pass for £51.75 and up to six children can visit sites for free.
Dinosaur fans can visit the Natural History Museum in London for free, while train-mad kids can enjoy the engines at the London Transport museum, also for free.
London’s British Museum and Science Museum are free for kids.
If you fancy hot air balloon- spotting, head to Bristol between August 10 and 13 for free family fun at the International Balloon Fiesta.
If you’re in the north, Castle Howard’s family entertainment, including hot air balloons, is from August 25 to 28. Kids under three go free.
- SUMMER LEARNING: There is a whole range of free holiday activities to keep young minds busy, from coding to history
Eating Out
IF the kids are eating you out of house and home there’s no better excuse to eat out – but it needn’t cost the earth with supermarkets and restaurants offering free, or surprisingly cheap, meals for kids.
Spend £4.49 in the cafe at Morrisons and you can claim one free kids’ meal all day, every day. It includes a piece of fruit and a drink, too.
If sushi is your thing then head to Yo! Sushi, where kids eat free all day when dining with a paying adult whose meal costs at least £10.
This offer is available from now until September 1.
Order a full-price adult main at Bella Italia and a kids’ three-course meal with a drink included costs just £1 between 4pm and 6pm from Monday to Thursday.
The Real Greek is offering free meals for kids under 12 on Sundays with every £10 adult spend. It comes with a drink and ice cream or sorbet for dessert.
Snap up £1 meals for kids all day, every day at Asda, with no minimum spend.
Plus, mums and dads can get a half-price meal after 3pm. Fresh fruit is included with every kids’ meal.
Tesco is offering one free kids’ hot meal with every adult item purchased. Monday to Friday, from now to September 1.
SUSHI FREEBIE: Dining out with the kids is fun, especially when meal deals mean it’s free for little ones
Rainy Days
RAINY days combined with young kids can be hard work – but you can keep yours busy at home with a free downloadable activity pack.
The PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) pack includes pet-themed activities, puzzles and crafts. See pdsa.org.uk.
Busy Things has a range of free activity packs for kids with a monster theme, including memory games, spot the difference, code cracking, mapping and more.
Download for free at busy things.co.uk.
Twinkl has tons of summer-themed activity packs relating to camping, seaside fun, languages and more. Visit twinkl.co.uk/resources.
A trip to the cinema is usually a winner.
Odeon is running Odeon Kids screenings all summer, with tickets priced from £3.25, while Mini Mornings at Vue cinemas run every Saturday and Sunday from 10am, plus every day in the school holidays, for kids aged 2-12 years.
Tickets cost £2.49 each and adult entry is the same price.
Cineworld runs its bargain Movies For Juniors weekly, with ticket prices starting at £2.50 per person.
For films, days and times, see cineworld.co.uk.
Catch family film classics such as Cars and Kung Fu Panda on the big screen in Southend’s Elmer Square from Aug 5-26.
The outdoor screenings take place every Saturday at 3pm, and are supported by Arts Council England so they are free and booking is not necessary. For more details, check out fpg.org.uk.
- WET WEATHER: Keep the kids amused with a bargain trip to the cinema or an online activity pack
Get Drenched
FOR the water babies out there, the UK is home to lots of splash pads – free recreation areas in public parks – where kids can get drenched.
The choice is endless – simply search “splash pad” on your council website to find those nearest to you.
Here is where some are located:
NORTH: Visit Happy Mount Splash Pad in Morecambe (happymountpark. co.uk) where kids can splash for just £1.
Ridley Park in Blyth, Northumberland, has a free splash pad.
Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street, Durham, has a free splash pad for kids, while Valley Gardens in Harrogate, North Yorks, has a free-to-use pool, too.
EAST: There are free splash pads in Gorleston-on-Sea near Great Yarmouth, in Holywells Park, Ipswich, and at Waterloo Park, Norwich.
Open every day from 10am until 8pm, it’ll be tough to drag the kids away at closing time.
SOUTH: Chineham Splash Pad, Basingstoke, is free, as is Eling Splash Park in Southampton.
Eastleigh in Hampshire has a free splash pad too, which is open all summer from 10am to 7pm.
WEST: Swindon has Coate Water Country Park with its own free splash pad, open from 11am until 4pm.
There’s the Quomps Splash pad in Christchurch, Dorset, with free access all summer.
In Bournemouth, kids can soak up the fun to their heart’s content for free at Redhill Park.
SOUTH WEST: Bideford Victoria Park, Devon, has a free splash pad, and for water babies in Exeter there’s the St Thomas Splash pad.
LONDON: Kensington Memorial Park has a free splash pad, Peckham Rye Playground has a water feature park, while Granary Square, King’s Cross, has 1,080 dancing water spouts.
- MAKE A SPLASH: Keep the kids cool at one of the country’s many free water pads