SPEND LESS THIS SUMMER
All the free events for families around the UK and places kids can eat for nothing
Tesco Clubcard holders can convert points into vouchers for free or discounted entry to wildlife attractions
THE summer holidays are here, but entertaining the kids need not cost a fortune.
On these pages you’ll find lots of useful information, from free three-course meals for children to massive discounts on theme park tickets and fun ideas that won’t cost you a penny.
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Here, Kirsten Jones and Laura Stott reveal the best ways to spend less keeping the family happy during the ‘endless’ summer holidays.
FAMILY FUN
SEE A LANDMARK: National Rail offers two entry tickets for the price of one at nationwide attractions such as the London Eye, Sea Life centres and historic landmarks including Leeds Castle and Hampton Court Palace.
See to find out more.
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WALK WITH THE ANIMALS: Tesco Clubcard holders can convert points into vouchers for free or discounted entry to wildlife attractions such as Colchester or Twycross Zoo, Longleat and Sea Life centres across the UK.
Read More on Money
Fifty pence in vouchers equals £1 to spend on visits.
See .
THEME PARK FUN: Save a fortune by booking your theme park tickets in advance.
Both Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are offering kids entry for £19 before September 3 when you book online.
Most read in Money
See and for more details.
BIG ATTRACTIONS: Merlin is offering 50 per cent off kids’ tickets at its indoor attractions, such as Sea Life and Madame Tussauds, and £19 tickets to theme parks including Legoland Windsor Resort.
Amazing Back-to-School Deals You Can't Miss!
FOLLOW AN OLYMPIC TRAIL: Forestry England invites families to try free Olympic-inspired challenges on their famous Gruffalo trails at 21 forests across England.
Attempt sporty challenges and unscramble hidden letters to make an Olympic-themed word.
See .
BENEFITS BOOST: Families on Universal Credit and other benefits can go to London Zoo for £3 per person, or Edinburgh Zoo for £7 per person.
In the capital? Pay a visit to the London Transport Museum and Tower of London for just £1.
EXPLORE OLD RUINS: Let the kids run wild at Roman ruins, medieval castles and prehistoric monuments across the UK.
Don’t forget the sandwiches for a teddy bear’s picnic.
See for a list of landmarks near you.
FOLLOW A SCULPTURE TRAIL: Wild In Art is hosting free, child-friendly sculpture trails in cities across the UK.
Go on a Bear Hunt in Birmingham, follow the Ox Trail in Oxford or discover Elmer’s Big Art Parade in Lincoln.
Find more trails at .
FREE FESTIVALS: From Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court Estate (August 9-11) to Leeds’ Monopoly Trail (July 27 to September 1) and Cambridge’s BrickLive Grand Safari (August 10-27) – where the Grand Arcade is filled with brightly coloured animal statues – there are dozens of free exhibitions and festivals across the country.
DINING OUT
ASDA CAFE: Nip into an Asda cafe to feed the kids after the weekly shop.
Under-16s get a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day.
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Little ones are covered, too.
Kids under 18 months get a free Ella’s baby food pouch with any purchase.
See .
BEEFEATER: This family-friendly pub chain makes mornings a breeze.
Two kids under 16 eat for free with the purchase of an adult breakfast for £10.99.
It’s available from 6.30am to 10.30am midweek and 7am to 11am at weekends.
Visit .
BELLA ITALIA: Book a table and order an adult meal at the Italian eatery for kids aged two to 11 to get three courses and a drink for £1.
Offer valid between 4pm and 6pm on Sundays to Wednesdays.
On Thursdays, kids eat free all day when an adult meal is ordered from the a la carte menu.
See .
DUNELM: Make homeware shopping a fun day out.
Dunelm’s Pausa Cafes are offering free kids’ meals for every £4 spent on their food or drink.
Available all day, every day.
Visit .
BILL’S: Dine in at a Bill’s restaurant to get up to two free kids’ meals (normally £6.95 each) with an adult meal.
Valid weekdays only until August 30.
IKEA: Make it a food day at the Swedish home store.
On every day except Fridays, enjoy a pit stop at their famous cafe from 11am to get a kids’ pasta or mac and cheese dish for 95p.
Other mini meals are available for £1.50.
PIZZA EXPRESS: Kids up to age ten can get a free three-course Piccolo meal including dough balls, pizza or pasta and dessert with every adult meal purchased.
The offer runs every day until August 11.
See .
TESCO: Pop to the supermarket cafe from Monday to Friday until August 30 for free kids’ meals when an adult buys any item in the cafe.
You must have a Clubcard to redeem the offer.
See .
THE RANGE: Kids under 16 get one free meal per adult main purchased at The Range cafes.
Options include sandwiches, a cooked breakfast and fish and chips.
All kids’ meals come with a piece of fruit and a drink.
See .
Plan ahead and you can feed your kids for free by taking advantage of meal deals in stores and restaurants throughout the summer
RAINY DAYS
CINEMAS: Kids up at the crack of dawn?
Vue is hosting Mighty Mornings screenings of popular family flicks from 10am during the school holidays.
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Tickets are the same price for adults and children at £2.49 each.
See .
Alternatively, take the kids to see a classic at a Cineworld Movies For Juniors screening.
Previously released flicks cost £2.50 per ticket.
Current blockbusters may be £5 or more.
See what’s on at .
PETS AT HOME: Skip the farm on stormy days and head to the pet store, where free My Pet Pal animal workshops run throughout the holidays.
Kids can learn how to care for a cute Syrian hamster.
Book in advance for sessions until September 1 at .
APPLE: Tech-savvy youngsters aged six to ten can join an Apple Summer Camp to learn creative skills such as photography, video editing and music creation.
The camps are free at Apple stores across the country.
Register at .
HOBBYCRAFT: From friendship bracelets to slime-making, Hobbycraft runs kids’ workshops throughout the summer for £5.
Check out to find a participating store and book in advance.
DOBBIES GARDEN CENTRES: On the first Sunday of each month, Dobbies hosts Little Seedlings gardening workshops for children aged four to ten.
Kids will learn about wildlife and plants and receive stickers and certificates for taking part.
See .
VISIT A MUSEUM: Kids go free at tons of exciting museums across the country.
From London landmarks such as the Tate Modern and the National History Museum to Devon’s House Of Marbles and the Big Pit: National Coal Museum in Wales, there’s a cheap day out near you.
Find more free museums at .
SEE A PLAY: It’s a rather extended “Kids’ Week” at London theatres throughout the summer until September 5.
Children aged 17 or under go free to any participating show with an adult paying full price.
You can buy up to two extra kids’ tickets at half price.
From The Gruffalo to Shrek The Musical, find a show at .
SMYTHS TOYS: Check out your local Smyths shop for events and demonstrations, such as a Nerf Tour or a Paw Patrol Roadshow, over the summer.
Find out more at .
HOLLYWOOD BOWL: The Hollywood Bowl chain is offering up to 50 per cent off during the summer holidays for games booked before 11am.
Bowling fans can also take part in Hollywood Bowl’s treasure hunt.
Visit .
FREEBIES NEAR HOME
HAVE A VIRTUAL HOL: Keep kids entertained with live webcams from around the world.
Whether it’s seeing baby animals at Houston Zoo in Texas, a virtual tour of the Louvre gallery in Paris or a badger watch in the British countryside, they’ll be hooked for hours.
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See .
KEEP ON RUNNING: Parkruns are not just for adults.
The free weekly community events welcome juniors aged four to 14 on Sundays.
There’s no time limit and no one finishes last.
Find a Junior Parkrun at your local park at .
SWIM FOR ALL: Across the UK, “Better” leisure centres are offering a Summer Of Fun for school-age children, including Kids For A Quid swims daily before 10am.
There are also leisure pools, flumes and inflatable obstacle course Aqua Splash, junior gym and fitness classes, yoga, family swimming, ice-skating, tennis and pickleball.
RENT A TOY: Did you know there are more than 1,000 toy libraries in the UK?
Let kids choose a toy to borrow for a small registration fee – about £3 per family for an annual pass – and stick around for “stay and play” sessions, where kids can make new friends.
Find your nearest toy library via your local council.
REWARDS FOR READING: Little bookworms can sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge and discover a whole host of new stories under this year’s Marvellous Makers theme.
Sign up at , borrow books from the library and earn badges every time you smash a challenge goal.
P.E. WITH JOE: Since lockdown, fitness guru Joe Wicks has kept kids moving with live and easy workouts on YouTube.
Tune in at 9am from Monday to Friday to burn energy through silly dancing and indoor aerobics to cool tunes.
See .
MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: The Girl Guides offer a free adventure map activity for kids aged four to seven.
Ask an adult to download the map and help you explore hidden corners of your neighbourhood.
See .
GARDEN BUG HUNT: The Wildfowl And Wetlands Trust invites kids on a Great Garden Bug Hunt.
Download a spotter sheet from and explore all corners of the garden to tick off colourful bugs, from butterflies to bright red ladybirds.
HOST AN AT-HOME FESTIVAL: CBeebies has a handy guide to making your own festival at home.
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Stream a disco boogie with the Go Jetters, create a tissue box guitar and learn to craft your own easy dressing-up outfits.
Get inspired at .
ACTIVITY FUND FOR ALL
WE want to hear about holiday clubs making a big difference to kids this summer.
The Sun’s Activity For All Fund is offering 150 grants of £1,000 each to help not-for-profit organisations providing healthy activities to youngsters.
We have teamed up with Tesco’s Stronger Starts Programme to offer the cash.
To apply for a grant and for full T&Cs visit tescostronger starts.org.uk/activityfund.
Applications close August 5.
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