Keeping the little ones entertained during the summer holidays can be costly, so we’ve rounded up the best days out deals to help you enjoy family fun without breaking the bank – find places near you on our list
Summer holidays can be a challenge for parents – you don’t want the kids glued to screens, but it’s also tough to keep them entertained without spending a fortune. And while we all know that a day out in the fresh air is good for them and us, it’s sometimes easier said than done.
But you don’t need to spend a fortune to make magic summer memories. From free museums to £1 cinema deals, we’ve found the best UK-wide activities that will keep the whole family smiling, without stretching your wallet. So, if you’re looking for some savvy ways to save money on your family days out, check out the jam-packed list below to find affordable adventures near you.
UK-wide deals
- Cineworld £1 Family Films – Families can watch selected movies at Cineworld for just £1 per person. Scheduled to run every week until August 28.
- Odeon Kids’ scheme – Adults pay kids’ prices of £2.75 during holidays.
- Dobbies free gardening workshops for kids – First Sunday of every month and during summer holidays. Free workshops for four to 10-year-olds in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Pets at Home free kids’ workshops – Fun and informative free day out in most of its 450+ stores. Until August 17 in Scotland and Northern Ireland and August 31 in England and Wales.
- Venture Studios Family Photoshoot Experience on Virgin Experience Days – One-hour photoshoot with image and frame. Currently £23.50 – 48% off. Locations across England and Wales.
- Free tennis sessions and coaching – Barclays Big Tennis Weekends, organised by the Lawn Tennis Association – 60 venues across England, Scotland and Wales.
- Kids’ football day camps for ages 5-15 – When you buy £2-£4 promo packs of Kellogg’s cereal by August 18. Taking place at over 150 locations across the UK.
- IKEA Summer Funhouse events – A host of free arts and crafts, games, and competitions – and kids can eat for just 95p. At stores nationwide.
- Apple free summer camps – Kids aged 6-10 and their families explore the magic of filmmaking on iPad with iMovie. Available around the UK.
- Blue Peter badge – Free entry to over 200 UK attractions in 2025, including wildlife parks, science centres, castles and theme parks. Attractions include Shakespeare’s Globe, Stonehenge, Edinburgh Zoo, HMS Belfast, and the British Motor Museum.
- The Wildlife Trusts and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) – Free or donation-based sessions which teach children how to spot birds, insects and pond creatures. UK-wide.
- Tesco Clubcard – Convert Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers and on many attractions you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets. Can use at Alton Towers, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort, Chessington, Eden Project. UK-wide.
- Holiday Activities and Food Programme – Provides free holiday activity places for children and young people in receipt of benefits-based free school meals.
- National Express – Up to three under-15s travel free with every paying adult until September 30 – just book tickets online and use the code KIDSFREE to claim the free tickets.
- A third off theme parks – If you register with Days Out Guide and buy a National Rail ticket, you can get over 30% off the online advance ticket price for Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland, and Thorpe Park, writes the Money Saving Expert. There’s also 25% off via a Kellogg’s deal.
England
- ‘Kids Week’ theatre promotion – Free child ticket (aged 17 and under) to London theatre shows with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket. Selected performances until August 31.
- Merlin Thrilling Theme Park – Pairs of tickets on Red Letter Days are currently £69.99, making it less than £35 per person.
Free children’s farms:
- Deen City Farm – in South West London. Open Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from 10am to 4.30pm. Booking is recommended.
- Stonebridge City Farm – in Nottingham. Open every day from 12pm to 4.15pm. No need to book.
- Bath City Farm – Open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and Sunday from 9.30am to 4pm. No need to book.
- Surrey Docks Farm – in South-East London. Open every day from 10am to 4pm. Booking is required for groups.
- Vauxhall City Farm – in South London. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 4pm. Booking required for groups of eight or more.
Free museums and galleries – more than 200 free museums and galleries across UK including:
- Grant Museum of Zoology (Euston)
- Imperial War Museum (Lambeth)
- National Portrait Gallery (Trafalgar Square)
- Science Museum (South Kensington)
- RAF Museum (Hendon and Midlands)
- Stephenson Railway Museum (North Shields)
- Great North Museum: Hancock (Newcastle)
- Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum (South Shields)
- Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology (Cambridge)
- Natural History Museum at Tring (Hertfordshire)
- House of Marbles (Bovey Tracey, Devon)
- Jet Age Museum (Gloucester)
- Chippenham Museum (Wiltshire)
- Blandford Town Museum (Dorset)
- Bill Douglas Cinema Museum (Exeter)
- Moseley Museum (Redruth, Cornwall)
- Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive (Bolton)
- Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives (Manchester)
- Museum of Liverpool
- World Museum Liverpool
- The Atkinson Museum (Southport)
- Salford Museum & Art Gallery
- Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
- National Science and Media Museum (Bradford)
- National Railway Museum York
- Pontefract Castle (West Yorkshire)
- Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds)
- Tolson Museum (Huddersfield)
- Hull and East Riding Museum (Hull)
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
- Tudor House Museum (Worcester)
- The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery (Stoke-on-Trent)
- Cole Museum of Zoology (Reading)
- Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
- History of Science Museum (Oxford)
- Isle of Wight Aviation Museum
- Portsmouth Natural History Museum
- Royal Logistic Corps Museum (Winchester)
- Christchurch Mansion (Ipswich)
North
- Chickenley Community Centre summer camp – Children aged 8–12 free summer camp, running every Monday to Thursday from 9am to 1pm, starting Monday, July 28 in Chickenley, Dewsbury, West Yorks.
- The Turnpike Gallery at Leigh Library – Free creative activities. Tuesday to Saturday in Leigh, Wigan, Gtr Manchester. From printmaking and collage to drawing and building sculptures.
- Parktastic Play In Parks – 54 parks across Manchester are hosting free games, activities, snacks & drinks every day, 5–7pm. Outdoor games and fun activities – all for free.
- Sheffield Healthy Holidays – Activity list for the holidays – free for those in receipt of benefit-related free school meals. Running all across August.
South
- The Museum in the Park, Gloucestershire – Drop-in fun activities. £1 per child. Across August.
- Free Tennis lessons at Church Langley Playing Fields – Every Saturday. Harlow, Essex
- Free Purbeck Goes Wild Family holiday club – Free activities across summer holidays in Purbeck, Dorset.
Midlands
- Stourbridge Glass Museum – Exciting Saturday activities designed especially for families. For every adult ticket, up to two children go free for activities.
Scotland
Free museums and galleries:
- Broughty Castle Museum (Dundee)
- Highland Folk Museum (Newtonmore)
- Inverness Museum & Art Gallery
- Aberdeen Maritime Museum
- City Art Centre (Edinburgh)
- Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre, Glasgow – Free summer holiday programme for five to 12-year-olds.
- Bushido Kai Karate Academy, Coatbridge – Receive two weeks of free classes. They teach traditional and sports karate. Kids from six years old and teens, adults and family classes.
- Early Intervention Aberdeen – Activities for the school holidays, free for all children in Aberdeen City. Soft play, bouncy castle, pizza making, paint, big summer party. Runs throughout August.
- One Parent Families Scotland – OPFS is running a whole range of free indoor and outdoor activities for single parent families across Scotland. Including BBQs, messy play and cinema days.
Wales
Free museums and galleries:
- Museum of Cardiff & National Museum Cardiff
- Big Pit: National Coal Museum (Blaenavon)
- National Roman Legion Museum (Newport)
- Mostyn Art Gallery (Llandudno)
- National Waterfront Museum (Swansea)
- Trallwn community centre, Swansea – Free summer fun days for children up to the age of 11. All events are 12.30 to 4pm. Food and beverages all included. August 24: Salley Doolally children’s entertainers with bouncy castle and special appearances from Elsa and Spider Man. August 31: DNA Kids – dinosaur party, fun and games
- Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway – Kids will travel free on the W&LLR during the summer holidays. Up to three children travel free with each full fare paying adult. Connections museum at Llanfair Station will be open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the summer between 11am and 2pm with lots of free kids’ activities.
- Quayscape Gardens in Connah’s Quay – Free children’s events including outdoor storytime with bug hunt, bug hotel building and family bushcraft – dates across August.
- Brymbo Fossil Forest guided tour – See one of the world’s most fascinating fossil sites. Cost £10, with coffee and cake included in the price and accompanying children under 16 free. Multiple dates across August.
- Glynn Vivian Art Gallery – Summer of family activities and workshops. Free family film club and free family gallery tour weekly. £3 workshops on patterns, maps and 3D tech.
Northern Ireland
Free museums and galleries:
- Armagh County Museum
- North Down Museum (Bangor)
- Ulster Museum (Belfast)
- Summer Fun Days – Free activities in Belfast parks including face painting, summer crafts, lawn games, bouncy castle, etc. Runs
- until August 21.
- Slieve Gullion Forest Park – The Garden Sessions is a brand-new series of free, family-friendly open-air concerts, bringing live music, creativity and laughter to one of the most beautiful settings in Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion. Every Saturday session promises a mini-festival atmosphere with music, arts and crafts, storytelling and treasure hunts.
- Parklife 2025 – The summer-long programme is taking place across Wallace Park, Moat Park, Moira Demesne, Castle Gardens, and Lough Moss in Carryduff. Packed full of free family events, children’s activities and imaginative themed days. All August.
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