11 cheap and free things to do with kids during May half term

Another half term is fast approaching in England and Wales, and many parents will once again feel the pressure, both mentally and financially, to keep the kids entertained during the break.

Thankfully, May has better weather than the winter months, and this opens up a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors without breaking the bank.

From £1 kids’ meals to discounted cinema tickets and budget-friendly outings, Which? has rounded up the best ways to keep your family occupied this holiday.

1. Kids eat cheap and free deals

Some supermarkets offer free or discounted meals during the school holidays:

• Asda runs its 'Kids Eat for £1' all-day offer year-round, with no adult spend required.
• Morrisons has a deal where kids under 16 eat free when an adult spends £5 or more on a meal at its cafés. 
  

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.

• Angus Steakhouse Kids under eight eat free every day between 12pm and 5pm when you order at least one adult main course.
• Ask Italian: Up to two children get a free meal when at least one adult main meal is ordered between 22 and 31 May. Only available via the Ask Perks rewards app.
• Banana Tree One free kids’ meal for each adult main meal purchased between 25 and 31 May.
• Bella Italia Kids aged two to 11 can eat free with the purchase of an adult main from Sunday through to Thursday. 
• Beefeater Up to two children under 16 can eat breakfast for free with the purchase of every adult breakfast. 
• Bill’s Between 25 and 29 May, up to two children can eat a meal for free with every adult main dish. The offer doesn't include Saturdays or Sundays. 
• Café Rouge Kids can eat for free between 12pm and 4pm every day of the week with the purchase of any adult main. 
• Côte Brasserie Kids aged 12 and under get a free meal with every full-priced adult purchase, from 25 to 29 May.
• Dobbies Garden Centres You can get a children’s breakfast with any adult traditional or full breakfast, or a child’s hot meal or a pick-and-mix lunch box with any adult main course for just £1. This is available every day and also includes a free child's drink. 
• Frankie & Benny's From 25 to 31 May, kids can get a free main meal with each adult meal purchased. 
• Franco Manca Children under 12 can get a free kids' pizza with the purchase of an adult meal at selected restaurants from Monday to Thursday. 
• 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. 
• Ikea From 11am, families can get a kids' meal of pasta and tomato sauce for just 95p at Ikea cafés across the UK. Other children's dishes cost between £1.95 and £2.95.  
• Las Iguanas Kids under 12 eat free seven days a week with the purchase of an adult main via the My Las Iguanas app.
• Premier Inn Up to two children under the age of 16 can eat free with a full-paying adult who buys a full Premier Inn breakfast or meal deal.
• Purezza Available all year round, you get a free kids' pizza for every adult pizza purchased. Then it’s £5 for every additional child’s pizza. The child must be under 10 years old to qualify. 
• 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 between 11 and 31 May at TGI Fridays with the order of an adult’s main meal. The offer is only available to Stripes Rewards members, so you'll need to join via the 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 get breakfast for £1 each at Travelodge hotels.  
• Turtle Bay All day, every day, one child can get a free meal from the kids’ menu when an adult spends £15 or more. 
• Wildwood Restaurants Kids eat for £1 from 22 until 31 May with a paying adult. Includes a main, dessert, drink and a farm-themed activity pack.
• Yo! Sushi Kids under 12 eat free all day from Monday to Friday during all school holidays when dining with a full-paying adult with a minimum £10 spend. The deal will get one free kiddo bento box – one free box per full-paying adult. 
• Zizzi From 24 until 31 May, kids can get three courses free with the purchase of an adult meal this May half term. You have to be a member of Zizzi's Zillionaire loyalty club – which is free to join – to claim the deal. 

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

2. Watch a film for less

Most major chains offer lower prices during the holidays, so it’s a great time for you and the family to catch a film. Releases you can catch this half-term include The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and The Sheep Detectives. 

Cinema deals to look out for include:

• Cineworld runs its Movies for Juniors screenings, where children and accompanying adults can get tickets for £3.99. 
• Odeon offers its Odeon Kids scheme, letting adults pay kids’ prices as low as £1 during the school holidays at selected cinemas.
• Vue has its Mighty Mornings sessions from 10am daily, with seats priced from £2.49 per person when booked online.

Find out more: best and worst TV streaming services.

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3. Explore a museum or gallery for free

There are plenty of free museums across the UK, covering science, art, technology and history that are open during the May half term. 

In London, most major museums and galleries are free, such as the 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, such as the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, The Biscuit Factory art 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've visited before. As special exhibitions tend to be ticketed, do check beforehand. 

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

4. Book a free or low-cost holiday club

Local councils put on activities and provide healthy food for low-income households during 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. 

Often, 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, Haringey Council in London is offering a range of activity clubs during the May half term. Children aged five to 11 can join a Tennis for All coaching club from 26 to 28 May between 1pm and 3pm. The course is free, but parents will need to book their child's place online. 

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.

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5. Explore the great outdoors 

A trip to your local park or nature reserve is a simple way to keep kids entertained during the holidays, especially with the warmer weather and longer evenings in May.

It’s also a great time for spotting wildlife, from ducklings and lambs to butterflies and nesting birds. Pack a picnic to keep costs down or make a day of it with a woodland walk.

Forestry England offers free walking and cycling trails, play areas and printable activity sheets at sites across the UK. Many also feature family attractions such as Stick Man trails, Gruffalo sculptures and wildlife-spotting activities, although parking charges may apply.

You can also visit one of the Wildlife Trusts’ wildflower meadows across the UK, with most sites free to enter.

• Find out more: best UK walks for 2026.

6. Visit a city farm

You don’t have to head deep into the countryside to experience rural life. Even in the heart of the city, your little ones can make new furry and feathery friends at local community farms. Since some locations require advance booking – especially during the half-term holidays – it’s always best to check their website before you travel. 

Although many farms offer free entry, most are charities that appreciate a small optional donation to help with animal care.

Places you can visit include: Deen City Farm & Riding School near Wimbledon, Stonebridge City Farm & Gardens in Nottingham, Bath City Farm near Bath, and Surrey Docks Farm in south-east London. 

• Find out more: best UK days out for free.

7. Join a football club

With the FIFA World Cup just a few weeks away, there are plenty of free football sessions available for kids who are inspired to try the sport.

McDonald’s has teamed up with UK football associations to offer free hour-long coaching sessions for children aged five to 11 between 11 April and 31 May. Held at more than 500 locations, the sessions are aimed at children who don’t already play football, and covers the basic skills and techniques.  

You can sign up online in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while bookings in Scotland are handled through local contact forms. Pan-disability, deaf and visually impaired sessions are also available. Places are first-come, first-served.

Looking ahead to the summer holidays, Kellogg’s is also bringing back its football camps with the English Football League. There will be 39,000 places available across 73 clubs for children aged five to 15 throughout July and August. To book, you’ll need to buy a promotional pack of Kellogg’s cereal and enter the code online. Places tend to go quickly, so it’s worth booking early.  

• Find out more: 10 top toy trends for 2026.

8. Complete Junior Parkrun

Every Sunday morning (usually at 9am), children aged four to 14 can participate in free, timed 2K Junior Parkrun in parks across the UK. Kids can take part solo, but a parent or guardian must accompany those under 11 to and from the event and remain on-site throughout. Adults are also welcome to join in the run. 

For a bigger challenge, children of all ages are welcome at the Saturday 5K events, athough these tend to be a bit busier.

• Find out more: best gifts for runners 2026.

9. Get creative with a workshop 

High street retailers often run free or low-cost workshops for children during the school holidays. Here are just a few:

• Ikea is hosting a range of fun workshops in stores nationwide this May half term. This year, it's hosting the Ikea 'little growers club' which teaches children how to look after indoor plants, as well as its pottery corner for children aged 13-plus and macramé-making classes.
• Pets at Home is running free My Pet Pals workshops for kids aged four to 10 years across most of its stores in May. They include activities such as creating and designing animal characters and learning how to care for pets. 

10. Use your Blue Peter badge for free entry

A Blue Peter badge can be a brilliant money-saver, giving your child free entry to more than 200 UK attractions in 2026. 

The scheme covers big-name days out such as Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Edinburgh Zoo and the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire. Shakespeare’s Globe in London is included, too. You can see the full list of participating venues on the BBC website.

To get a badge, children can appear on the show, win a competition or send in a creative entry such as a drawing, photo or video by post or online. There are six badge types, including Blue, Green and Gold, each with its own criteria.

Badges can take up to 10 weeks to arrive, so if your child doesn’t have one yet, it’s worth applying now for future savings. If they already do, it’s a great time to make the most of it.

11. Make fun at home

There are plenty of fun things you can do at home to keep the kids entertained during the break. Here are a few you could try out: 

• Baking Roll up your sleeves and roll out the dough. Opt for some sweet treats such as cakes or biscuits, or give making your own burger or hot-dog buns for the barbecue a go. Baking is a fun activity for the kids to get involved in, and it helps teach them a new skill. 
• Have fun crafting May isn't always dry and sunny, so have some rainy day activities up your sleeve. This can include making sock puppets, building cardboard box robots, tie-dying T-shirts for the summer or scrapbooking the year so far. 
• Movie night Create a cosy movie night at home with a selection of your kids' favourite films, popcorn and blankets.

Find out more: best board games 2026.

Top tip

'Do your research first' 

'Whatever you plan on doing this half-term break, you should always do a little bit of research and try to find offers beforehand online, as it could save you money,' says Which? money writer Ruby Flanagan. 

'For example, Tesco Clubcard vouchers are worth double their value if exchanged at any of Tesco's 100 Reward Partners, which include Cadbury World, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Legoland, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort and Leeds Castle. 

'National Rail's Days Out Guide also offers two-for-one deals on attractions such as The Shard, Big Bus Tours and Battersea Park Children's Zoo in London when you travel by train. 

'When planning your days out, you can also work out whether it's worth buying memberships or annual passes if you visit a few times a year.'

This article is updated regularly to feature new deals. It was last updated on 19 May 2026.