10 cheap and free things to do with the kids this summer

Ahead of the summer holidays, many of us will be thinking of ways to keep the children entertained, well-fed and active. 

But with money feeling tighter than ever, many families will be looking for cheap and cheerful options this year.  

To help, Which? highlights deals to check out this year, including £1 meals, cheap cinema tickets, discounted days out and much more.

1. Kids eat cheap and free deals

A range of supermarket chains offer discounted meals over the holidays, with some allowing kids to eat for free. Here are the ones that are on this summer: 

• Asda is continuing its Eat for £1 all day offer, with no adult spend required.
• Morrisons has a kids eat free when an adult spends £4.50 or more on a meal at its cafés.
• Tesco’s 'Kids Eat Free' sees children get a free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘n’ Mix deal with each item bought by an adult. To claim you'll need to show your Clubcard at the till.
• Sainsbury’s 'One kid eats for £1' is back and children can get a hot meal or 'lunch bag' for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot main from £5.20. The deal is available from 11:30am until the café closes every day.

Find out more: best UK days out for free

Restaurant, pub and hotel food offers

These deals might be useful if you’re looking to save cash while treating your kids to an evening meal out.

• Bella Italia: Kids can eat free all day every Thursday, and for £1 until 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday.
• Bill’s: Between 21 July and 29 August, up to two children can eat a meal for free all day with every adult main dish. The offer excludes weekends.
• Brewers Fayre/Table Table/Beefeater: Two children under the age of 16 can get a free unlimited breakfast at both chains with the purchase of an adult breakfast for £10.99. 
• Brewdog: Kids can eat for free at sites across England and Wales from 19 July until 31 August with the purchase of an adult meal. You must book in advance to get the freebie.
• Dobbies Garden Centres: Get a free kids' breakfast with any adult traditional or full breakfast, or a free kids' hot meal or pick 'n' mix lunch box with any adult main course.
• Franco Manca: Children under 12 can get a free kids' pizza with the purchase of an adult meal at selected restaurants.
• Holiday Inn: Children under 12 get a free meal from the kids' menu at breakfast, lunch and dinner when dining with an adult guest who orders from the full-priced menu. The deal is limited to four kids per family. Up to two children aged 17 and under can also stay for free when sharing a room with two adults.
• Hungry Horse: On Mondays, children can eat for £1 at Hungry Horse pubs. Up to two kids can eat with every full-paying adult.
• Premier Inn: Up to two children under the age of 16 can eat for free with a full-paying adult who buys either a Premier Inn breakfast or a meal deal.
• Sizzling Pub and Grill: Children can dine for £1 with the purchase of an adult’s main meal. The offer is usually available on weekdays from 3pm but during the holidays, it’s available from 12pm.
• TGI Fridays: Kids eat free all day every day at TGI Fridays with the order of an adult’s main meal. The offer is only available to Stripes Rewards members, so you will need to join through their app, which is free to download.
• The Real Greek: Children under 12 can get a free meal on Sundays at the Real Greek for every £15 spent by an adult. 
• Travelodge: For every full-paying adult, up to two children under 15 years old get breakfast for £1 each at Travelodge hotels. 
• Yo! Sushi: Children can get a free kids meal deal bento box all day when dining with a full-paying adult. A minimum of £10 needs to be spent on food, and the child must be under the age of 12. 
• Zizzi:  From 21 July to 5 September, kids can get a free bambini meal when an adult orders a main course, available Sunday to Friday. Up to six children can eat free per table. 

Find out more: dine out for 50% less in top UK cities (even at Michelin restaurants)

2. Catch a movie

Most major chains offer cheaper prices over the holidays, so it’s probably the best time to catch a flick. 

Cinema chains offering cheaper tickets include:

• Cineworld, which has its 'Movies for Juniors' screenings with children’s tickets for £2.50
• Odeon, which has its 'Odeon Kids' scheme, which lets adults pay kids’ prices of £2.75 during school holidays 
• Vue has its ‘Mighty Mornings’ scheme, which runs daily from 10am, with seats priced at £2.49 per person when booked online

Visiting an outdoor cinema is also a fun spin on watching a film, with outdoor screenings popping up across the country. For example, Everyman on the canal is a free open-air cinema running from 30 June until 17 August at Coal Drops Yard by Kings Cross station in London. 

While some screenings might be free, others might require a ticket or booking online, so be sure to check beforehand.

• Find out more: best and worst TV streaming services

3. Museums and galleries

There are plenty of different types of free museums dotted all over the UK, from science, art, technology, and history.

In London, the majority of major museums and galleries are free, such as Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

Other cities also have free museums and galleries like the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the Biscuit Factory Gallery in Newcastle, and the Industrial Museum in Bradford. 

Most also have temporary exhibitions to supplement the permanent collections, so there will always be something new, even if you have visited before. Although these special exhibitions tend to be ticketed, so check beforehand. 

Museums also put on workshops for children, which tend to be free to join. This will be listed on their website. 

• Find out more: best museums and galleries in the UK

4. Free or subsidised holiday clubs

Local councils put on activities and provide healthy food for low-income households over the holidays through the government's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. 

The programme is available to school-aged children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals. These clubs usually begin at the end of July, and parents will need a special code to book. This code is usually issued alongside a free school meals code. 

What’s on offer varies by council – for example, Nottingham is taking 200 children to Adventures at Mill Waters, with zip wires, assault courses and water sports.

You can also use tax-free childcare accounts to pay for holiday clubs, childminders and sports activities. Providers are listed in your tax-free childcare account.

• Find out more: tax-free childcare and help with childcare costs

5. Explore forests

The Forestry Commission offers a wide array of family-friendly activities, and many are low-cost or completely free. These include Stick Man trails, Gruffalo sculptures, and wildlife spotting. 

Many of its forests also have free walking and cycling trails, as well as play areas and designated picnic areas. It also offers free printable activity sheets that you could take to your local woods.

The majority of its trails will have parking fees. Although it is possible to park further away and enter the forest at a different point. Members of Forestry England get free parking, and this costs £94 a year. 

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6. Free football sessions

In partnership with the UK football associations, McDonald's is running a series of free football sessions for children aged 5-11 at 1,600 locations across the UK. The sessions run on selected dates each week until Sunday, 27 July and offer children a one-hour training session each with FA-qualified coaches. 

The sessions are free to attend, and you do not need to buy or eat anything from McDonald's to access them. You will need to pre-book online by filling out a form at McDonald's 'Fun Football' and selecting which centre you'd like to attend. 

You can register up to five children at a time, and places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pan-disability and visual impairment sessions are also available.

7. Go wildlife watching

The Wildlife Trusts and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) often run free or donation-based sessions which teach children how to spot birds, insects and pond creatures. 

Specific activities this year include pond dipping, meadow sweeping, and exploring nature reserves like Saltholme in Stockton-on-Tees and Old Moor in Bolton.

• Find out more: the best UK walks for 2025

8. Visit a city farm 

City farms can be a great free alternative to zoos or wildlife parks, especially for younger kids. Many of them also offer workshops or activity days. 

For example, Vauxhall City Farm is offering a six week Young Farmers programme for ages 8-11 and 12-16, focusing on animals, plants, and farm life. 

Popular city farms include Mudchute, Hackney, and Kentish Town in London, Ouseburn Farm in Newcastle and St Werburghs in Bristol.

It's important to note that many city farms are charities and rely on donations, so visitors are encouraged to donate or volunteer.

• Find out more: how to get a free National Trust pass

9. Attend a free workshop

High street retailers often put on free/cheap workshops for children over the summer holidays. Some include:

• Dobbie’s Garden Centres: Running free holiday clubs and workshops called 'Little Seedlings' this August for children aged four to 10. This year's theme is 'summer scents', where children can learn about flowers and how to make perfume. 
• Pets at Home: Hosting its 'My Pet Pals' free summer workshops across July and August. Aimed at children aged four plus, these sessions teach pet welfare and responsible ownership, with a different theme each week. Children will learn about animal care, take part in activities, meet store pets, collect stickers and earn a badge.
• IKEA: Running free 'Summer Funhouse' events at stores nationwide, where children can make mini hot air balloons and photo frames, hear stories, and learn dance and poetry. Stores also have a Småland supervised play area.
• Apple: Offering free summer programmes for kids aged six to 10 from 21 June to 31 July. This year, children will make a film about friendship using iPads and the iMovie app.

Find out more: best sunscreens for babies and kids

10. Stay entertained at home

You don't have to go out to have some fun over the summer holidays. Making the most of your home will help you cut down on costs. 

A games afternoon with family or friends can be a simple and free way to keep everyone entertained, and you don’t need to buy anything new. Swap board games with neighbours or invite others round to bring their favourites.

Host a movie night, build a fort in the living room and camp in it overnight, bake some cakes, make a film on your phone, or do some simple arts and crafts. There are plenty of ways to make staying in fun and exciting. Chat to other parents and see if you could work together on an at-home day, and see how creative you can get. 

• Find out more: best board games 2025