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10 free and cheap days out in hot weather you can do with the kids to keep cool including IKEA events and mini golf
Plus, we reveal how you can check if you're eligible for benefits, giving you access to free days out
HELPING HAND 10 free and cheap days out in hot weather you can do with the kids to keep cool including IKEA events and mini golf
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LOOKING to make the most of the hot weather but don't want to blow the budget?
Some days out will cost you next to nothing - all the while keeping you cool and not breaking the bank.
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We reveal 10 free or cheap days out for families looking to keep cool this summer
Credit: Alamy
From splash parks to museums, here are 10 things you can do this August.
Bounce House
The Penny Social in London is hosting a Bounce House four-day event from August 18 to 22, featuring an inflatable assault course.
Sessions start at 10am, last an hour and cost £7 per child, but accompanying adults and babies under six months old go free.
You can book in your session via
The sessions are ideal for keeping your little'uns busy and out of the sun.
Virgin Media Gamepad at The O2
Based in the O2, London, Gamepad is open to all for free from 2pm to 7pm every day, Monday to Sunday.
O2/Virgin Media customers can secure a spot through the O2 Priority app.
There are racing as well as battling games on offer, with wheelchair and step-free access included.
Find out more via
Holland Park
Holland Park in Kensington and Chelsea, west London, boasts a playground featuring sand and water play features, as well as a stunning Japanese garden.
Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence
There are even peacocks on the loose which are sure to keep the kids occupied. Entry is free.
You can find out more about the park via
Free IKEA events
Swedish retailer IKEA runs free "Summer Funhouse" events at stores across the UK.
Children can enjoy free arts and crafts, games and competitions, and eat meals for just 95p.
Check your local store's page to find out what's on offer. You can find it via
Or, find out more about the free days out via
Free The Entertainer event
The Entertainer is running a free "PAW Patrol On The Road" event on three separate days this August.
Families can step inside a life-size PAW Patroller and take part in an interactive "mission".
The van is stopping off in Chelmsford on August 16, Woking on August 23 and Leeds Spring on August 30.
More details can be found via
You can also follow that link and find out if there's another free event near you by entering your local store's location.
Splash parks
There are plenty of free-to-use splash parks across the UK, including the Rivelin Valley Water Play, Sheffield, and the Splash Park at Happy Mount Park, in Morecambe.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has a list on its website of some of the best ones around the UK.
Just go to
Coral Reef Waterworld
Coral Reef Waterworld in Bracknell offers concessionary tickets to those on certain benefits like Universal Credit.
Adult tickets usually costing £18.60 are worth £13.20 if you're on Universal Credit or PIP, for example - a more than £5 discount.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
The discounted tickets aren't available to those on JSA or ESA.
National Theatre of Scotland
Theatre lovers can sign up to Theatre for a Fiver to get £5 ticket deals for National Theatre of Scotland productions across Scotland.
You'll need to be aged between 14 and 26 though.
Once you sign up, you'll receive a regular email containing the latest offers and discount codes to access great theatre for only a fiver.
The scheme is available to people on low-income benefits including: Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Carer's Credit, Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).
Standard tickets can cost as much as £50 for some shows so there are decent savings to be had.
Life Science Centre
The Life Science Centre in Newcastle is offering anyone eligible for Universal Credit £3 tickets, instead of £14.95 normally, until August 31.
Tickets can be bought for up to five others, with each ticket costing £3, meaning a group of six can visit for just £18.
The ticket includes a full day of activities including immersive exhibitions and live science shows to hands-on experiments.
Kids eat cheap and free deals
It might not be fancy, but Asda, Morrisons and Tesco all have kids eat cheap or free deals that can keep your children occupied for a couple of hours.
Asda is continuing its Eat for £1 all day offer, and adults don't have to spend any money.
Morrisons lets kids eat for free when an adult spends £4.50 or more on a meal at its cafes.
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.
You will need a Clubcard to get the deal though.
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