51 free things to do with kids across the UK during the summer holidays

Keeping the kids occupied over the summer holidays can be a tricky and expensive task – even for the most adventurous of parents.

Up and down the country there are plenty of fun family-friendly activities to keep kids of all ages happy and they won’t cost you a thing, so while your patience may take a hammering, your wallet doesn’t have to.

If you need even more inspiration TripAdvisor has revealed the top 10 best experiences in the UK for 2019, and we have also got more tips on cheap ways to entertain the kids this summer and clever ways to save on childcare.

For anyone keen to go abroad over the long summer school break we have found the cheapest weeks for Brits to travel during the summer holidays and the destinations offering the best value for money for families.

So keep boredom at bay with the colossal list of top things to do with kids this summer across the UK.

Nationwide

1. Visit a museum

In major cities across the UK there are world-renowned museums that offer free access to exhibitions year-round. Our highlights include the National Football Museum in Manchester, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (which also offers weekend family arts sessions for £2) and the Natural History Museum in London. www.visitbritain.com

2. Go to the cinema

Show Film First keeps you in the loop about free cinema tickets you can bag to selected cinema showings online. However, the tickets are first come, first served, so its worth checking back regularly to see what’s on offer. www.showfilmfirst.com

3. Join in National Play Day

National Play Day takes place across the country on August 1. Children and families have the chance to play at hundreds of community events, from mass adventures in woodlands to street parties with games. Find your nearest ones at playday.org.uk .

4. Love your pets

Learn how to love your furry or fishy friends at free children’s workshops at Pets at Home stores. My Pet Pals Activity Club includes games, puzzles, advice and the chance to meet some shop residents. Various dates and locations, booking essential. Visit petsathome.com/workshops.

5. Join the Scouts and earn your badges

There are 8,000 groups across the UK and all will be running free activities across the summer. Many also organise camps and day trips which come with a small fee. Find out more at scouts.org.uk .

6. Get tennis coaching

Charity Tennis For Free offers free two-hour coaching sessions at 38 locations in England and Scotland every week. Children from age three are able to take part with no booking required. tennisforfree.com.

7. Bring books to life

Reading charity Bookstart hosts thousands of free literary events for little ones in libraries and community spaces around the country. See what’s on offer at bookstart.org.uk.

8. Enjoy a day out at the park

From London’s Hyde Park to Sefton Park in Liverpool and Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park – the UK isn’t short on lush green spaces to visit this summer. Just prep a packed lunch, some outdoor toys and waterproofs and your kitted out for a cheap day of fun. www.visitbritain.com

9 . Visit a city farm

No countryside near you? No problem! There are plenty of city farms over the UK, where you can spend time meeting baby lambs, chicks and lots more baby animals – without it costing you a penny.

London

10. Come to the carnival

The Notting Hill Carnival, held on August Bank Holiday weekend, is set to feature 20 miles of colourful costumes and hundreds of Caribbean food stalls. Sunday August 27 is the Children Parade and Family Day, with workshops at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance park.9am-8.30pm. Find out more at thelondonnottinghillcarnival.com.

11. An Olympic Park adventure

Explore rock pools, a treehouse, rope bridges and sand pits at Tumbling Bay Playground at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. It is designed to offer children the chance to play in a real, natural environment, but there are plenty of slides, swings and spaces to explore too. Open daily. Find out more at queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk .

12. Life on the London farm

Vauxhall City Farm is a piece of countryside in the centre of London, where children can meet horses, goats, ferrets, pigs and lots of feathered friends. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10.30am-4pm. More details at vauxhallcityfarm.org

North East

13. Stockton International Riverside Festival

Stockton International Riverside Festival runs from August 1-4 with a programme of dancers, comedians and street theatre acts. There are a number of free but ticketed events scheduled over the four-day event. Find out more at sirf.co.uk.

14. Newcastle’s city farm

Goats, guinea pigs, Tamworth pigs and chinchillas are among the animals you can meet at Ouseburn Farm near Byker, Newcastle. Open daily, 9.30am-5pm. Find out more at ouseburnfarm.org.uk .

15. Shipley Art Gallery

Explore Shipley Art Gallery with your baby or toddler on a magic carpet. Made by artists, these special bags fold out into creative playmats, complete with a selection of The Arbeia Roman Fort toys, treasures and creative activity ideas. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm. Find out more at shipleyartgallery.org.uk.

16. Arbeia Roman Fort

Explore the home of the Roman garrison that guarded the Tyne at Arbeia Roman Fort. The South Shields museum has a mixture of excavated remains and reconstructed buildings to give you a feel of what life was like. Open daily until September 31, various times. More details at arbeiaromanfort.org.uk .

17. Explore Northumberlandia trails

Northumberlandia is a human landform sculpture of a reclining lady, scaling 100ft high and a quarter of a mile wide. You can explore her on four miles of trails set in a 19-hectare community park near Cramlington. More details at thelandtrust.org.uk/space/northumberlandia.

North West

18. Caribbean Carnival of Manchester

The Caribbean Carnival of Manchester takes place on August 10-11 in Alexandra Park. Highlights include a parade with more than 20 troupes, plus calypso and reggae music and food stalls. Find out more at visitmanchester.com.

19. Crabs and gurning in Cumbria

Established in 1267, the Egremont Crab Fair & World Gurning Championships in Cumbria celebrate the art of face-pulling. Folklore has it that the tradition of gurning was inspired by the sour taste of crab apples given away to mark the end of the harvest. September 20-21. Details at egremontcrabfair.com.

20. Penny Farm ponies

Meet the ponies at Penny Farm near Blackpool, which has 65 animals rescued by World Horse Welfare, plus trails around the farm to explore. Open Wednesdays, weekends and bank holidays. More details at worldhorsewelfare.org

21. Miniature railway

Ride the miniature railway, tackle the adventure playground and explore the hedge maze at Worden Park near Leyland. More at visitleyland.co.uk .

22. Culture at Salford Quays

You can take your pick of free attractions at Salford Quays, which is home to the Imperial War Museum North, The Lowry and Ordsall Hall. MediaCityUK’s Piazza area also hosts screenings and events. Details at thequays.org.uk.

Yorkshire

23. Rocks in Ripon

Spot the dancing bear and turtle among the weird and wonderful rock formations at Brimham Rocks near Ripon, North Yorkshire. There’s a labyrinth of paths to explore and spectacular views at this National Trust site. Parking charges apply. Open 8am-9pm daily. Full details at nationaltrust.org.uk/brimhamrocks.

24. Trains in York

See the classic locos such as the Mallard at York’s National Railway Museum. Open 10am-6pm daily. Find out more at nrm.org.uk.

25. Rockpooling in Whitby

There’s a huge choice of coastline in Yorkshire to explore. Head to Robin Hood’s Bay near Whitby for some top rock pooling action and to dig for fossils. More details at robin-hoods-bay.co.uk .

26. Knights in Leeds

The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds houses 8,500 medieval pieces and you can see a lot of it in action as knights joust in the tiltyard on selected dates. Open 10am-5pm daily. Find out more at royalarmouries.org/leeds .

27. Cycling in the Wolds

Big Skies Bike Rides are a series of one-day cycle rides around the pretty Yorkshire Wolds designed especially for families. The rides are based around picturesque market towns including Beverley and Market Weighton. Collect easy-to-follow maps from tourist information centres or download at visithullandeastyorkshire.com .

Midlands

28. Relive Robin Hood times

Sherwood Forest hosts the Robin Hood Festival from August 5 -11, featuring archery, storytelling, medieval music and traditional food. Camp out in front of the Major Oak to see Robin Hood and his Merry Men escape from the evil Sheriff. Find out more at www.visitsherwood.co.uk

29. Stately homes bring history to life

Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester is two stately houses where you can explore toys from Tudor times to present day, a play area and a recreation of a First World War trench. Open daily 10am-5pm. Find out more at leicester.gov.uk .

30. Follow the Tolkien Trail

Take Birmingham’s Tolkien Trail and see the places and people who inspired Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Maps available from tourist information centres and attractions. Find out more at visitbirmingham.com

31. Find a fairy tree

Enjoy woodland walks and cycle rides in Cannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire. You can even find a “fairy tree” on the Route To Health Sculpture Trail. Details at forestry.gov.uk/birchesvalley.

East of England

32. Make the most of the Meadows

Ferry Meadows is a 500-acre country park at the heart of Nene Park, near Peterborough . Its lakes, meadows, woodlands and riverside make it perfect for exploring with energetic little people. Find out more at neneparktrust.org.uk .

33. Birds on the heath

Dunwich Heath near Southwold, Suffolk, is a patchwork of pink and purple heather beside the beach, and home to birds such as the Dartford warbler, nightjar and woodlark. Charge for parking. Full details at nationaltrust.org.uk .

34. Follow the play trail in the park

Explore a 1.2km play trail with giant seesaw, climbing forest, tyre swings and sandpits at Great Notley Country Park near Braintree in Essex. It’s a great spot to watch birds, cycle or fly a kite. Find out more at visitparks.co.uk.

South West

35. Meet the animals

Reconnect with farming, food and the countryside at Occombe Farm in Paignton, Devon. Meet the animals on this working farm then walk the nature trail. Find out more at countrysidetrust.org.uk/occombe.

36. Channel Jane Austen

Follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps with a trip around her favourite city, Bath. Download a free audio tour from visitbath.co.uk and make your way around this handsome Georgian city.

37. Step on the sculpture trail

The Royal Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail near Cinderford, Gloucestershire , features stunning artworks set in beautiful woodland. Open from dawn until dusk daily. Find out more at forestofdean-sculpture.org.uk.

38. Take in the view

Maiden Castle near Dorchester in Dorset is an enormous Iron Age hill fort with ditches and ramparts galore. If you take the steep(ish) climb to the top, you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views. More details at english-heritage.org.uk .

South East

39. Royally explore the park

There are more than 4,800 acres of parkland, woodlands and forest trails to explore at Windsor Great Park, which has a thousand years of Royal history. Open daily. Find out more at windsorgreatpark.co.uk .

40. Explore a nature reserve

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is a scenic site of special scientific interest, with sands to explore and birds to spot. Open daily. Details at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk.

41. Cycle the Viking coast

Cycle the Viking Coastal Trail in Kent and in Ramsgate to see Viking Ship Hugin, a replica of a ship which sailed from Denmark to Thanet in 1949 to mark the 1,500th anniversary of the invasion of Britain. Find out more at visitkent.co.uk .

Wales

42. Head to an unusual farm

Meet the animals and see the sea at Bodafon Farm Park in Llandudno, where the fields roll right to the North Wales coast. The usual farm residents live alongside more unusual creatures like llamas, owls and red deer. Open 10am-6pm daily. Visit bodafonfarmpark.com .

43. Explore a giant park

Kids will never get bored at Margam Country Park near Port Talbot. It has a castle, deer park, lake, narrow-gauge train, farm trail, fairytale village and adventure playground within its 1,000 acres, with regular free events and festivals too. Open 10am-5pm, parking charges apply. Details at www.margamcountrypark.co.uk.

44. Explore Welsh history

Take a walk around Wales from Celtic times to present day at St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff. The open-air museum has more than 40 original buildings from different historical periods, all re-erected in the grounds of a 16th century manor house. Open daily, 10am-5pm. More details at museum.wales/stfagans.

Scotland

45. Visit Edinburgh Fringe Festival

From August 1 -25 a free version of Edinburgh’s famous festival will take place, with a record-breaking 9237 performances across 402 shows. There is also a kids programme too with special events schedule in over the summer holidays – check full details by visiting www.freefestival.co.uk.

46. Get active with art

Admission to the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh is free all year round and they have special summer holiday activities for kids. Details at nationalgalleries.org.

47. Get football for free

Sign up for a Glasgow Kidz Card and hire football pitches for free at one of six locations. Available for an hour, Monday to Friday between 2pm and 5pm. More info at glasgowlife.org.uk/young-glasgow.

48. Hit the beach

West Sands in St Andrews is two miles of beautiful beach backed by dunes and is famous for featuring in Chariots of Fire. Its a popular swimming spot and lifeguards are on duty in summer. More details at visitscotland.com

49. Discover the skies

Fascinating astronomical and space displays await at Mills Observatory in Dundee, Britain’s first purpose-built public observatory. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12.30pm-4.30pm (on Saturdays there are free drop-in sessions from 2 – 3:30pm). Find out more at leisureandculturedundee.com.

Northern Ireland

50. Take a woodland walk

Hillsborough Forest, set within the historic landscape of Large Park, County Down, offers 150 acres of mixed woodland walks and wildlife spotting. Open from dawn until dusk daily. Find out more at discovernorthernireland.com .

51. Get mixed up in a maze

Carnfunnock Country Park in Larne, County Antrim, covers 191 hectares of mixed woodland and marked walking trails. Attractions include a maze in the shape of Northern Ireland, and mini golf. Some activities carry a charge. More info at carnfunnock.co.uk