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Summer Fun Without Breaking the Bank
The summer holidays are a wonderful time for children to relax and have fun, but for parents and carers, they can often feel like a long stretch to keep the kids entertained—especially with the cost-of-living crisis making many activities more expensive. However, there are plenty of free and cheap options available that can provide endless entertainment and memorable experiences for your family.
We’ve picked our top 5 favourite activities to help you get started. These ideas will ensure your children have a fantastic summer without putting a strain on your budget.
- 1. Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge is a free programme run every summer by libraries across the UK. This year’s theme is ‘Marvellous Makers.’ Children are encouraged to read a certain number of books over the summer, earning rewards and certificates along the way. It’s a great way to keep kids engaged with reading and visit your local library for additional activities and events.
Join the challenge:
You can sign up for the challenge at your local library or online.
Visit Summer Reading Challenge to find out more.
- 2. Kids Eat Free or for £1
Many supermarket cafés offer deals where kids can eat for free or for just £1 with a paying adult. For example, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Asda all have special offers during the school holidays.
Morrisons: Get one free kids’ meal when you purchase any adult meal over £4.50. This is available for children under 16.
Sainsbury’s: Purchase one adult hot main meal from £5.20 and get a children’s hot main meal or lunch bag for £1. This deal is available every day from 11.30am until closing time.
Tesco: Kids can enjoy a free meal with any adult purchase in The Café. This includes the kids’ hot meal deal, kids’ breakfast or kids’ Pick ‘n’ Mix deal. This offer is available Monday-Friday only.
Asda: Asda’s popular ‘Kids Eat for £1’ meal deals are run all year round in over 200 Asda Cafés. This offer is available all day every day and you don’t even need to purchase an adult meal!
These deals are a fantastic way to enjoy a meal out without the hefty price tag. Additionally, other restaurants are running similar deals, so check your local eateries to see who is participating.
3. Discounted Cinema Tickets
Look out for discounted cinema tickets, particularly for morning or early afternoon showings. Many cinemas run special deals during the school holidays where you can watch films at a fraction of the usual cost. It’s a perfect way to enjoy a family day out and catch the latest movies.
Here is a flavour of what’s on offer at some of the major cinema chains:
Odeon: At selected Odeon Cinemas, adults pay kids’ prices meaning 1 child + 1 adult ticket can cost as little as £2.75 each.
Cineworld: At Cineworld, you can choose from a selection of kids’ films for just £2.50 per ticket for both adults and children.
Vue: Vue are offering both adult and child tickets from just £2.49 as part of their ‘Mighty Mornings’ where you can enjoy family films every weekend from 10am and every day during the school holidays.
4. Museums and Art Galleries
Museums and art galleries often have free entry, and many offer special children’s activities during the summer holidays. From interactive exhibits to creative workshops, these cultural hotspots provide educational and fun experiences for kids of all ages.
Here’s a few things on offer at different museums but be sure to check your local museum’s website for details on summer events near you.
Manchester Museum’s Summer of Stories: Each week during the summer holidays, there will be a range of hands-on activities inspired by different stories including Chinese Decorations, Exploring Fossils and Sea Monster Magic.
Natural History Museum: Take a self-guided tour to explore some of the Museum’s incredible sights or take part in some of the free family activities taking place in the gardens. These include Family Nature Talks, Pond Explorers and Meet the Scientist.
Locomotion, Shildon: Admission to the Museum is free and there’s plenty of free additional activities on offer as part of their summer holiday programme including Lego, art and pottery, and junk-modelling workshops.
5. Olympic Inspired Gruffalo Trails
Combine outdoor fun with a love of literature by exploring Gruffalo-themed trails in local forests and parks. Inspired by the Olympic Games, these trails offer a series of activities and challenges based on the beloved character from Julia Donaldson’s books.
The trails can be found at 21 forests across England, so check the link below to find a forest near you.
