The 40 kid-friendly & free activities that you can do on EVERY day of the school holidays this summer – starting today!

The Irish Sun

4 days ago

THE school holiday season is upon us and we have six weeks to keep everyone in the house happy without going bonkers or broke.
Never is the demand for snacks, activities and attention greater than in the UK summer break, and many parents find themselves juggling jobs and kids, while keeping their cool in the heat.
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Wheelgate theme park in Nottingham is a good choice for children under 12
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Park Run is a great way to get outdoors and stay active during the holidays
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Ruislip Lido is one of London's best-kept secrets, with a beach and huge play area.
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Coming up with new things to do every day can sometimes be as exhausting as the actual task of
Luckily, there is so much going on over the holidays, you can take your pick of
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To help give you some inspiration on how to keep the clan busy, here are 40 cheap and cheerful things to do with kids from toddler-age to teens in summer 2025.
Fun things to do outdoors with kids
1. Something really fun to do in summer is take a picnic and some foldaway chairs and watch a movie on an outdoor big screen. There are open-air cinemas popping up all over the UK this year, and some of them are completely free.
Screen on the Green in Newcastle, which is in Old Eldon Square, will be showing two or three films a day from 21 July to 31st August, as well as some key sporting events.
If you're closer to Manchester, Screen on the Square in Deansgate has a similar vibe and will be showing old favourites like Back to the Future and Cool Runnings as well as kids films like Frozen and Sing. Open until 14
th
September.
2. A cheap beach day is always a summer holiday go-to, but if you want to ensure no one gets bored relaxing on the sand, pick a beach where you can go
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The best places in the UK to go fossil hunting are Lyme Regis and Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, Compton Bay on the
3. If you don't want to travel too far, and live inland, there are still opportunities to get on the water. Look for lakes with natural or man-made beaches in your area, such as Cotswold Country Park, Loch Morlich in Scotland, Rutland Water in the
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4. For those who don't own their own paddleboard or kayak, you can rent one from Decathlon for £35 for the day and test your skills. Boards start from £99 to buy, so this is a great way to see if SUP (stand-up paddle) is for you without shelling out for your own.
5. If you're in London but you fancy a beach day, head to
6. As part of the
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7. At the
8. In Nottingham, the
9.
There are three huge playgrounds, a small zoo, a water park and an indoor soft play. Tickets are cheaper when purchased in advance, with entry starting from £10.50 for the day and £6 for toddlers, seniors and children with additional needs. If you have a Gaby's Dollhouse fan in the house, she too will be visiting on August 5th 2025.
10. If you haven't booked a holiday this summer, you can still take the kids on a mini adventure with a
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Plus, they often have free events and workshops for kids centred around the area, so you get even more than just a stay at a regular hotel
11. The Southport Air show on
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The Gruffalo Trail in Essex is a fun way to explore your children's favourite stories.
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Southport Airshow is always a spectacle and a great day our for families
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12. Children's farms are a simple and wholesome day out, and many of the best ones are free.
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13. Go for a ride on an open-top tour bus in London with hop-on-hop-off stops around the city. You can go for a general sightseeing tour, which takes in all the major sights, and there is also a kids-themed one that cuts out all the 'boring' adult bits. Book online for up to 35% off tickets
14. Camel Creek in Cornwall is another fun, family theme park that has over 40 rides and an affordable ticket deal if you think you'll go more than once. Entry tickets, from £20, are valid for seven days' entry, meaning you can go back in as many times as you want to. But when you upgrade to the annual pass, you can visit all year for £35. If you want to make a full holiday out of your visit, check out the new glamping pods.
15. Ever taken out a family canoe? At Canoe Wild in Kent, you can take out an old-school canoe, big enough for the whole family and spot wildlife along the scenic River Stour for only £27.
Plus, if you need a little 'me time', kids 8+ can join the
every Wednesday for fun, games, and learning new paddling skills. This is a drop-off session, so grown-ups can relax or even enjoy a peaceful paddle of their own
while their kids are safely looked after.
16. If you have kids that love fantasy stories, there is no greater legend than the Loch Ness Monster. If you are based in the north of England or in Scotland, head to the famous loch to hunt for 'sea creatures' on a little build-your-own adventure. Stop in at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition, visit Urquhart Castle and take on the Loch Ness 360 Trail for free while you are there.
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Family festivals and outdoor events
17. Queens Park Arena in Glasgow has a full summer programme for 2025, including movie screenings, concerts and dance and fitness classes. Movie screenings, with favourites like Mean Girls, are perfect for teens, and until 1
st
August, you can get two free tickets per person.
18. Follow the
19.
Nottingham Beach is returning to Old Market Square from Wednesday 16th July - Sunday 31st August. This pop-up festival has sand, rides, music, arcades and games on an 'urban beach' right in the heart of the city centre. Ideal for all ages
20. Take a seat on Bournemouth Beach or anywhere along the seafront and watch the Summer Fireworks light up the sky over Bournemouth Pier. Spend the day at the beach and then grab some fish and chips on the front and enjoy the free show, which takes place at 10pm on Fridays from 1 to 29 August 2025.
21. If you have an active clan, you can join one of hundreds of Junior Park Runs around the UK this summer. Shorter than the usual Park Run distance, families can run, walk or jog an official 2k route with lots of other children and grown-ups, usually on Saturday or Sunday mornings.
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Events include Riverside junior parkrun in Ballymoney, Phear Park junior parkrun in Exmouth and Alyn Waters junior parkrun in Wrexham.
22. Another upbeat activity that is free to join is one of many Park Tennis events hosted by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Barclays Bank. You need an LTA membership, but it's free to join. Then, just search for an event near you, with extra sessions being added every day.
23. If you're not feeling sporty but still want to stay active and help the kids learn a new skill, Dobbies Garden Centres have a summer programme of Little Seedlings Children's workshops for children aged four to 10 years. These are free and teach - not just kids, but adults too - about growing plants, vegetables and other garden friends like insects and birds. There are also some additional, special events like a Prehistoric Plants and Summer Scents smell workshop, which can be booked online in advance.
Kids also eat for £1 at Dobbies Gardening Centre cafes at breakfast and lunchtime, so you can spend a large part of the day hanging out there with lots to do and bargain grub.
24.
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25. They also offer orienteering sessions for adults and older children, which might be more suitable for the big kids
26. If you like Beatrix Potter, the
27. Summer is colourful at RHS Garden Bridgewater, where families can take on The Great Woodland Adventure—a programme of outdoor fun running from 23 July to 31 August. From den building challenges and tree climbing to storytelling adventures and woodland crafts, there's something for every young explorer.
28. The Bridgewater Forest School has thrilling hands-on experiences like fire lighting and tool mastery from £5. The
29. For a more extended experience, children can join
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30.
The annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is a free event where you can marvel at 100 hot-air balloons floating in the sky above the outskirts of the city. This year, from 8-10 August, you can watch the balloons take off twice each day, at around 6am and 6pm.
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The Sky Garden in London is free and has amazing views of London but you do need to book an entry time because it's very popular.
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A city bus tour is an easy way to hop on and hop off at the sights and kids love the open-top.
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31. Lavender fields are not only a social media dream - so, therefore perfect for teenage girls wanting to post pretty pics - butmost have more than just beautiful fields of flowers to admire and pick.
Mayfield Lavender, famed for its organic Banstead lavender farm has a brand-new visitor experience this summer: the Secret Lavender Garden. There will be time sessions in the morning and afternoon for visitors to explore the fragrant lavender, an apple orchard, over 500 fruit trees and local wildlife. There is a tall tree-lined avenue that leads guests to a second hidden lavender field, which boasts amazing countryside views and even the skyline of London is visible.
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32. The Greenwich Fair, a much-loved south London festival, is reopening this year after a few years off where it was unable to run due to lack of budget. However, a crowdfunding effort has brought it back to life over the weekend of 23-24th August 2025. The free event in Greenwich Park has dancing, theatre, acrobatics and family games.
Things to do indoors this summer
33. Between Friday 25
th
July and Thursday 28
th
August 2025, Cineworld are offering £1 cinema tickets for kids
and
adults on selected movies, including Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and A Minecraft Movie. Book online and pack a little movie picnic to have before the film to make a day of it.
34. Pets at Home offer free workshops for kids called My Pet Pals. Here,
35. In London, you can get a brilliant view of the city from many indoor rooftop observatories completely free. Both
36.
The Liverpool Central Library is free to enter year-round and a great activity for families in the summer. There is lots to explore, but don't miss the beautiful
Discovery Room, which is perfect for younger children to explore too.
The rooftop terrace has amazing views across St George's Quarter
.
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37. At the National Space Centre in Leicester, you can learn about rocket launches, space shuttles, the Earth and environment in a huge display of 'out-of-this-world' immersive displays. Tickets start at £18.95 but you can go back and visit as many times as you like in 12 months, so it works out great value for budding astronauts.
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Paddleboarding is a fun family activity and you can rent boards for the day to see if you and the kids can tackle it.
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Beach days can be a cheap day out for families wanting to spend quality time together.
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38. Kids and adults can take on 'The Monster'
,
an enormous
Families and young thrill-seekers aged 6+ can book daytime sessions, but if you are a big kid - go back in the evening where it is open to adults-only.
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39. David Attenborough has launched an immersive film about the evolution and future of humanity and the environment at the
40. One final way to not lose your 'marbles' this summer is a visit to the House of Marbles Museum between