Vicky Parry is the award-winning journalist and Content Editor over at MoneyMagpie.com and here she shares her tips for keeping the costs down this summer
The summer holidays are upon us – but that also means the next six weeks could be filled with expensive outings and family trips. At MoneyMagpie, we always want to help people have a fantastic time even on a budget, so we’ve put together some ideas for things you can do this summer for under a tenner!
Visit museums and galleries
We love a good museum and gallery – and for good reason! Gone are the days of stuffy, dusty exhibits. Many museums are now child-friendly, running activities during the school holidays that are both educational and fun. There are hundreds of free museums across the UK. They’re great for a whole day out, especially as you can take your own picnic to save more money, too.
Picnic at a National Trust Park
While we’re talking about picnics, did you know there are loads of free National Trust parks and woodlands you can go to? The only thing you might have to pay for is parking. Check out their suggestion for top walks to take with the kids this summer.
Many National Trust properties allow free access to the grounds. For example, Chatsworth House has acres of land to roam outside of the formal gardens, while smaller houses like Beningbrough have large farmland and woodland parks to wander without entering the paid-for gardens and house. For many National Trust properties, kids under 5 can enter the grounds for free, too.
English Heritage also offers plenty of free sites to go to, and many of their paid sites have free entry for children, too. Always check before you go as you may be able to grab a good deal on adult ticket prices online, too!
Go on a ghost walk
If you live in a city like York, Bristol, or London, keep an eye out for ghost walks and tours. They’re a lot of silly fun, and you can have a good time with older children, too. They usually cost between £5-£10 per person, and some will offer cheaper or free children’s tickets.
Ghost tours (or any local walking tours) are a great way to learn more about the area you live in, find new routes to walk, and pick up some fun stories to share with your friends!
Take a self-guided tour
If ghost tours aren’t your thing, you can find your own self-guided tour around your city. Check out your tourist information centre to find the best tours in your area – you could be surprised to find out a lot about local history you’d never known before!
Our pick is the self-guided Banksy tour in Bristol for something a bit different and visually engaging. You could go one further, if you really fancy it: create your own version of a tour to tick off recognisable locations from your or your children’s favourite TV show or film. It could involve some travel, but make it a bingo game to try and get to every location you can before the summer holidays are over!
Visit a free farm
Farms are a fantastic way to get the children involved in something that’s not a museum or a walk! Open farms are often free to attend, such as Old Holly Farm in Preston, Bill Quay Community Farm in Gateshead, Stonebridge Farm in Nottingham, Swansea Community Farm, and. Mudchute Park and Farm in London.
Take a little extra change, either for donations or to pay for some animal feed, as children love to feed the ducks, ponies, goats or other animals!
Take the kids swimming
Family swim sessions can be found for around £20 a ticket, which works out at about £5 each. Even better, many local authorities run free swimming sessions for children in the holidays, so check your local council’s website. They may also run free swimming lessons for children under 8.
Find kids eat free offers
It doesn’t have to cost the earth to take your family out to dinner. In fact, there are many restaurant chains offering Kids Eat Free or for £1 offers this summer, making it relatively cheap to treat the family to a meal.
The Hungry Horse has a great offer to feed a family for £15 (yes, £15 total) and Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants offer a family meal for £20, too. Lots of other places include free kids meals with an adult main meal purchase, or cheap children’s meals like Ikea’s kids meals that start from just 95p.
Pick your own fruit
Picking your own fruit is a fantastic way to get the children into doing something healthy this summer, as it’s great exercise with tasty rewards. After a tiring afternoon picking strawberries and other fruit, why not make a day of it by baking a delicious dessert together with your gathered fruit? Pop some strawberries in a sponge cake, make a crumble, or experiment with your own version of Eton Mess!
Go to a sporting event
Not all sports events cost the earth. In fact, you can get cricket tickets from just £5 with The Hundred, which is available at several venues across England this summer – including extra entertainment and headline music acts.
Or, you could nab free tickets to SuperTri, the largest triathlon event. It takes place on 8th September, and you can watch professional athletes compete in the event. With big screens and easy access to its location in West India Quay, it’s a fun free day out in London.
Look online for deals
Before you go anywhere for your next trip, make sure you look online for the best deals and discounts. You could make a huge saving by booking tickets in advance for attractions and activities.
Remember, too, to use cashback websites as these give you a little something back for each purchase you make via the site. This quickly adds up and can be used as a final end-of-summer treat!
