These Free Summer Holiday Activities are perfect for helping your budget stretch over the summer and also show that you can have lots of fun without splashing out all the cash. Summer holidays can be expensive for parents and carers and it can be hard to say no to things that the kids want or want to do, but I have some great free things to do in the summer holidays with kids and tips to make your money go further.
Free summer Activities for Kids
I have a great post with 50 activities you can do for under a fiver, but heck there have been years when there was no way I could stretch to £5 a day, let alone more. So before I start with the free things to do in the summer holidays with kids let’s look at ways you can make your money go further.
Ways to stretch the summer budget
- Say no to the ice cream van – instead have your own supply of ice cream, cones, lollies and ice pops and let the kids have one every time they hear the ice cream van.
- Be prepared – Make sure you always takes drinks and a flask with you, drinks can really add up if you have to buy them when you are out.
- Look for offers – Lots of magazines and foods often ahve buy one, get one free entries over the summer holidays. So collect those coupons. We used to dsave our tesco clubcard points and nectar points for summer.
- Working families that they can use Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for accredited holiday clubs, childminders or sports activities costs over the summer.
- Apps like Kids pass offer great deals on family activities including discounts on theme parks, British family resorts, safari parks. You can get a 30 day trial for £1.
Free things to do with kids across the UK during the summer holidays
Visit a museum or Gallery. Money saving expert has a great list of free galleries and museums in your area. Bear in mind that food and drinks can be the hidden cost so why not take a packed lunch.
Art at home – I LOVE the Royal academy of Arts activities – they are free, easy for kids to follow and have a great range of activities for the whole family.
Visit a local play park – Free play parks are so much fun and it can make a real chance to visit different ones throughout the summer. Pack a picnic and have a fun free day out.
Visit the Beach – I think I am biased as I live by the sea and love visiting the beach. We used to pack a picnic and spend the day on the coat. You can find my top North Yorkshire family beaches here. We have a beach scavenger hunt and also a rock pooling one.
Book a Free Tennis Lesson – Visit tennis for free to see if it is available in your area. Also, lots of local parks have free to use tennis courts.
Architecture at Home – Foster and partners have some fab free activities for home fun this summer including drawing, making, playing, thinking, reading, watching and other activities to keep your kids entertained.
Join the Summer Reading Challenge – Our local libraries are a great free resource and the summer reading challenge is super fun – I have some ace reading challenge bookmarks.
Go Cycling – Find a local cycle route near you and pack a picnic in a rucksack and have fun.
Swimming – Many local councils offer certain residents free swimming at their nearest pool. Check your local council website to see if you are eligible.
Wildlife Parks – Most people live within a few miles of nature reserves so you should be able to find a Wildlife Trust nature reserve near you.
Geocatching – For something outdoors that’s a fun family adventure, why not try geocaching? Basically, you go out with your GPS and find a ‘cache’ that has been left by another user
National Football Museum at Home – Download and have fun with the free national Football Museum resources to do at home with the kids.
Visit an RSPB Reserve – From marshes and heathland to estuaries and cliffs, there is a diverse network of RSPB reserves all over the UK.
Art Gallery At Home – The Tate has an amazing award winning kids website with enough fun and activities to fill the whole summer holidays.
Brimham Rocks – If you happen to be in Yorkshire then Brimham Rocks wild open site is perfect for families with nature to explore, rocks to scramble over and miles of moorland paths to discover. Although entry is free there are parking charges
London Experiences – If you are near London this summer then there is a wealth of free things to do in our capital for families including green trails, changing of the Guards, British Museum, Tate Gallery, V&A Museum of Childhood, Bank of England Museum, National Maritime Museum Greenwich, Deen City Farm and Riding School and so much more.
Woodlands Centres – There are lots of free woodland centres throughout the country many of them with play areas. We used to visit our local one a lot and take a ball and picnic with us. Download our scavenger hunt before you go.
Local Activities – With the pandemic lots of activities that run on an annual basis might not be happening. So it really pays to check them, out before travelling. Local Councils usually have a list of free activities.
that is nice ideas to spend and enjoy with kids
Some great ideas for the summer in here, thanks for sharing!