School Holidays On A Budget

·June 4, 2019·Top Tips, Uncategorized·5 min·

Though the kids have just went back to school it won’t be too long before they are back on a break and this time it’s the big one – 6 weeks! But how do you manage 6 full weeks of child entertainment without breaking the bank? In this post we break down 5 areas of entertainment and how you can make the most of them for as little as possible or even free.

Museums

There are over 170 free museums and art galleries in the UK meaning not only can you have a great staycation this summer but you can do it on a budget. There is something for everyone all across the UK from Devon’s House of Marbles and London’s RAF Museum to Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry all the way up to Scotland where you can find Aberdeen Maritime Museum and Broughty Castle Museum among others.

Broughty Castle Museum, Dundee

Cinema

For movie-goers the joy of a great film can often be thwarted by the cost. But this holiday break a family trip to the cinema could prove quite affordable. By taking advantage of student discounts or cashing in your nectar points (currently 500 points = £2.50 at Vue).

Cineworld’s Movies for Juniors offers tickets from just £2.50 each on selected 2d showings and is definitely worth checking out. Better still this isn’t a kids go cheap and adults have to pay through the roof type of deal, the adult ticket is also only £2.50. (Adults must be accompanied by a child to claim this offer)

Odeon has a similar offer available on weekends and school holiday mornings. A few of their locations even offer an even better deal with tickets under £2.50.

If you are not too bothered about where you are seated and don’t anticipate your local cinema will be too busy you may also opt to buy tickets at the cinema rather than online and avoid booking fees. Combine these money saving hacks with comparing your local cinema chains to find which is offering the best deal you could drive down price significantly.

Zoos and Wildlife

If you and your children are less interested in movies and more interested in nature you may be more enthusiastic about snatching up a 2 for 1 deal on entry to a selection of Zoos, wildlife parks and sea life centres.

If you buy a National Rail ticket and register you can claim your 2 for 1 entry to one of a broad selection of Zoos and Sealife centres including ZSL London Zoo.

Requirements: you will need to print out the voucher, have a valid rail ticket for the same day you are visiting with the final destination of the closest station to the zoo or sea life centre.

Check out the days out guide website for more details: https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

See the full list of wildlife attractions in this promotion here: https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/things-to-do/zoos-farms-wildlife

Theme Parks

The same National Rail 2 for 1 entry offer is available on a selection of theme parks including Chessington World Of Adventures and Thorpe Parke which can mean significant savings. If you are looking for something for younger children then you may prefer LEGOLAND Windsor Resort which is also in the promotion.

The deal isn’t strictly exclusive to theme parks either with London Dungeon and Tudor World both part of the offer too.

See the full list of theme park attractions in this promotion here: https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/things-to-do/theme-adventure-parks

Even if you are not planning on traveling by train you can still save money by purchasing a ticket to claim the offer. However, if you already eat cereal you may not need to bother with the National Rail promotion as select promotional packs of Kellogg’s cereal and snacks are also offering 2 for 1 entry. Selected packs of Kellogg’s (costing around £3) are offering a free adult ticket to 30 Merlin attractions. Effectively this “free” adult ticket is actually a two for one as you have to pay for another to ticket to redeem it. It is still a great deal regardless, plus it actually works out better than most two for one offers if you are going with a child as similar offers usually offer the (often cheaper) child ticket free.

Go Outside and Explore The Outdoors

The cost? Nothing … well maybe the price of a football. But from going running or walking to playing sports or visiting the beach, simply getting outside and enjoying the weather (assuming it is nice out) can be plenty of fun and it can cost as little as nothing-at-all.  If you want something a little more structured have a look for free outdoor activities near you. A quick internet search could show everything from free organised running events to free football sessions and free tennis lessons are on your door step depending on where you live.

Check out these resources for free football and tennis sessions:

Football for 5-11 year olds: https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/football/fun-football-centres.html

Tennis: https://www.tennisforfree.com/

Having fun on a budget can often seem difficult but by taking advantage of the offers and free experiences discussed in this post you could find you have a very exciting, budget-friendly summer break. Let us know which of these offers you take advantage of on twitter by tweeting us @comparison_trc .

*Offers, promotions and other information accurate at time of writing but may change. Check full T&Cs for each offer and promotion discussed in this post for full details.*

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