Free and Cheap Days Out with the Kids

Written by Emily Ambler | 23 August 2024

Kids love to head out on adventures so they can have fun, learn something new and burn off some energy. The only thing is, lots of attractions, activities and entertainment venues are rather pricey. So, a visit to an amusement park or bowling alley can soon cause major damage to your bank balance, especially if you have a rapidly growing family.

 

The BBC reported that children are now at risk of missing out on important life experiences and attractionsdue to ever-increasing costs. For parents, this can be frustrating – but it doesn’t have to be.

Across Britain, there are plenty of free and cheap days out with the kids to be had. That means you can head out as a family and make memories together without worrying about what it’s doing to your budget.

In this guide, we’re going to explore how you can have great free days out with the kids and entertain them, educate them and – most importantly – tire them out! We’ve identified the top 10 cities to visit with free and cheap attractions, so you know exactly which of the cities closest to you to head to the next time you have a free weekend or you’re stuck for ideas during the school holidays.

 

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The common problems parents face when trying to find free and cheap days out with their kids

Searching for the perfect way to keep the kids entertained isn’t as easy as you might think. Most of the ideas that will pop into your head initially are likely to be anything but low-cost. A day at a theme park or zoo, an hour at the bowling alley and a trip to a trampoline park all cost a lot of money. Even a trip to the cinema becomes expensive when you consider the price of the tickets, sweets, popcorn, drinks, ice cream, 3D glasses…

 

We all face similar hurdles when looking for low-cost ways to keep the family busy and prevent them from saying, ‘I’m booored!’

 

Time is a major factor, especially when you have to balance work, childcare, cooking, travel, cleaning and general life admin. You may also be restricted to things to do that are close to home, which is even more important if you don’t have a car. 

 

If you have a big family, finding something that suits everyone’s tastes can be tricky – your 15-year-old isn’t likely to find an adventure playground quite as thrilling as your toddler, for example. Dad of two, Dinko Kolegov, says, ‘When my children were younger it was definitely challenging to find something that was entertaining for both of them. Especially when the younger one was around 3-4 and the older one was 7-8.’

 

Being in Britain, we always have to consider that the weather is very rarely on our side anyway – planning to do something outside, even in the middle of July, can be risky business.

 

There are also hidden costs to consider. We all know that plenty of kids’ catchphrase is, ‘I’m hungry,’ and attractions often charge premium prices for food. Transportation, such as the train, is often far from cheap.

 

Some attractions also have up-charge experiences, and it can be hard to say no when it means risking some potentially unhappy kiddos. Mum of two, Laura Brothers, says,  

‘I've found that even free activities can have hidden costs, such as having to pay for parking, buying snacks, and then also paying for certain 'free' activities at an 'additional cost' which all adds up.’

 

The cheapest cities for a family day out

To help families on their quest to find free days out with kids and other affordable activities, we’ve used data to identify the 10 cheapest cities across Britain for a fun family outing.

 

To do this, we looked at the most populated cities in the UK and found the top 20 highest-rated attractions of ‘Things to Do with Kids’ on Tripadvisor. We then looked at the cost for a family of four for each attraction. The cost of all attractions was then averaged for each city to indicate the general level of cost for a family day out.

 

For each city, ratings of the 20 attractions were averaged to approximate the ‘quality’ of experience, and the review counts were averaged to indicate the popularity and potential level of crowds across the top 20 attractions.

 

From this, we found that the top five cheapest cities are:

 

  1. Nottingham - Average cost for a family is £39.54
  2. Leeds - Average cost for a family is £39.67
  3. Glasgow - Average cost for a family is £40.82
  4. Birmingham - Average cost for a family is £44.03
  5. Liverpool - Average cost for a family is £48.82

 

 

Nottingham comes out on top as the best city for families to visit looking for a low-cost trip. The average cost for a family of four is just £39.54, which works out at less than £10 per person. On top of that, there are 11 free things to do out of the top 20 attractions in the city, with an average rating on Tripadvisor of 4.45 stars out of 5. And the icing on the cake is that Nottingham is also the quietest of the cities, so you shouldn’t have to fight through the crowds while you’re there.

 

Also with an average cost below £40 is Leeds, which is in a close second. The main difference between Nottingham and Leeds is that the North Yorkshire City is just a little bit busier.

 

In third place is Glasgow, with an average cost of £40.82. But, the average rating is higher than Nottingham, at 4.53 stars out of 5. There are also 13 free options among the top 20 attractions in the city, which means it offers more variety than any other top five city.

 

In fourth and fifth are Birmingham and Liverpool respectively. Birmingham has fewer free attractions, with there being just eight in the top 20 things to do in the city. However, Birmingham is considerably quieter than Liverpool. But, Liverpool attractions have the highest average Tripadvisor ratings, with an average of 4.58.

 

Way down in 10th position is London, with an average cost of £104.04, more than double the average cost of a day out in Nottingham. London is also around 40x busier than London, though the average rating of the top free attractions is marginally higher.

 

Unfortunately, no Welsh cities appear in the top 10, so those in Wales looking for a cheap family day out will have to cross the border.

The cities with the most free activities

If you’re looking to hit attractions and activities one after the other, we also ranked the top cities with the greatest number of free things to do.

 

Out of the top 20 attractions in the city, Sheffield offers the most free options with a whopping 15. In joint 2nd are Glasgow and Newcastle with 13, joint 4th are Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and London with 11, 9th is Edinburgh with 10, and in 10th is Birmingham with 8.

Free and cheap things to do with kids in each city

From our list of top cities with free and cheap days out with the kids, we’ve hand-picked some of our favourite low-cost activities to give you some ideas and inspiration for what you could get up to on your next family adventure.

 

For savings on days out with the kids, find voucher codes for Tiqets here. 

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Birmingham

Get up close and personal with dinosaur bones, minerals and other historic collections at the Lapworth Museum of Geology, which is one of the oldest of its kind in the UK. If you prefer to see animals that are a little more active (rather than just bones) Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Parkis home to primates, reptiles, red pandas, farm favourites and more. Or you might take a stroll around Birmingham’s canal network at the Gas Street Basin, which gives you a unique perspective on this fantastic city.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Edinburgh

What was once an enormous loch filled with all the city’s raw sewage, Princes Street Gardensis now a beautiful (and no longer smelly) park in the centre of Edinburgh which regularly home to special events. To learn all about ancient civilisations, the animal kingdom and the history of Scotland, the National Museum of Scotlandhas eight floors filled with interesting exhibitions. And the city may be famous for the iconic Edinburgh Castle, but Craigmillar Castleis also not one to be missed, which is famous for having once protected Mary Queen of Scots.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Glasgow

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museumis a hotspot for art and inspiration, which is jam-packed with items related to art and culture from throughout history, all located within the museum’s iconic architecture. Why not learn about the history of policing at The Glasgow Police Museumand discover all about law and order through the ages? Or to escape the drizzly Scottish weather, Glasgow Botanic Gardensis like stepping into an exotic world of flora, which even offers free guided tours.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Leeds

Dive into the dark and grisly past at the Royal Armouries Museumto learn about arms and armour, including what Henry VIII once wore. It even has free shows and combat demonstrations, and an entire room filled with swords. For something a little less gruesome, Tropical Worldlets you explore far-off tropical climates and meet some of their inhabitants, including birds, fish, reptiles and primates. Or to see some of North Yorkshire's most incredible wild birds, RSPB St Aidan’s Nature Parkis an enormous 355 hectares of natural beauty that was once an enormous coal mine.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Liverpool

Take a trip underground and explore Williamson’s Tunnels, a network of subterranean passages that were mysteriously created during the early 19th century. If you’d rather stay above ground, Royal Albert Dockis home to several museums and galleries, a wide range of food options and regularly hosts special events. For Beatles fans, Strawberry Fieldis now open to the public and lets you explore where the legendary John Lennon was inspired.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in London

The capital might generally be an expensive city, but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy free days out in London with kids. For a unique perspective over the city, IFS Cloud Cable Caroffers you a bird’s-eye journey between IFS Greenwich Peninsula and IFS Royal Docks, not too far from the o2 Arena. If the weather’s nice, Kensington Gardensis a stunning park with loads of things to see and explore, including 13 historic monuments and the pristine Italian Gardens. 

 

Lauren Cole, mum of three share her tips for free days out in London with kids. ‘My ultimate day out in London hack is free tickets to Natural History Museum / Science Museum, take a packed lunch and food so you don’t have to buy anything and if you go on a Sunday many areas of London have free on street parking. 

 

‘We drove and parked in South Kensington and then walked 10 mins to the museum. Whole day out in central London and we only paid for the petrol!’

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Manchester

Get lost among the endless aisles of books and collections at Manchester Central Library, a fantastic spot for kids with hungry minds (and bellies, thanks to the cafe on the ground floor). If you want to stretch your legs, take a stroll through gardens, meadows, woodlands and beside the river at the multi-award-winning Fletcher Moss Park and Botanical Gardens. Or you might want to take a (literal) journey through history at the Museum of Transportto see a huge collection of historic buses, trams, trolleys, coaches, trains, carts and more.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Newcastle

If your kids love to immerse themselves in a good book, Seven Stories - The National Centre for Children’s Booksis a fantastic spot to feed their imaginations and get them excited about storytelling. Learn all about farming and caring for animals and plant life at Ouseburn Farm, which you can find right beneath Byker Bridge. If you’d prefer to learn more about science, maritime history and industry, The Discovery Museumhas a huge collection of technology-related exhibits, including a real Challenger 2 tank.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Nottingham

For big fans of war games, the Games Workshop Warhammer Worldis a must-see, with a collection of massive displays and dioramas, a spot to get a bite to eat and, of course, a gift shop. Explore the world of farming at Stonebridge City Farm, where you can meet a variety of animals and stroll through the award-winning gardens. At the Nottingham Castle Wharf Canalside, you can experience everything the city has to offer while perhaps stopping for a cup of tea and a cake along the way.

Free and cheap things to do with the kids in Sheffield

Our Cow Molly Dairy Farm and Ice Cream Shophas been around for more than 70 years and produces some of the most incredible ice cream you’ve ever tasted. On busy days, there can be queues of over 30 minutes, so make sure you arrive early. The Sheffield Botanical Gardensis home to 18 different areas and several listed buildings, including the historic bear pit (which is thankfully no longer home to a bear). And why not see some of the best art in South Yorkshire at the Millennium Gallery? It’s a fantastic spot to take in some inspiration.

Tips for making days out with the kids cheaper

While cities can provide families with low-cost and free things to do, that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have to get your hand in your pocket occasionally. Food, transport and souvenirs still cost, but there are ways you can make sure you keep your spending down. Here are seven tips for making days out with kids cheaper from our team of money-saving experts here at Savoo.

 

  1. Plan ahead- Take time to research free activities and attractions, including special events. Community message boards and social media are a great place to keep up to date with upcoming activities.
  2. Pick up local leaflets- You know those displays filled with leaflets you see in hotels or services? Don’t just walk past! Bianca Mitchell, Charity Partnerships Director at Savoo, says, ‘If you're having a staycation, look out for a local tourist information centre where there'll be leaflets about local attractions and they tend to have 2 for 1 vouchers or family offers.’
  3. Check for discounts- Check Savoo for discounts on days out such as Go Apeor Thorpe Parkto make big savings and have a great time with the family.
  4. Eat out at specific times- You can often pay less if you choose specific dates and times to take the kids out for a meal. Emily Ambler, Sales Admin Assistant at Savoo, says, ‘Kids eat free at many restaurants across the UK during the summer holidays! Lots of big chain restaurants offer this deal including Bill's, Gordan Ramsey restaurants, Bella italia, TGI Fridays and more. But check each establishment's T&Cs as offers are usually based on a set menu or a minimum adult spend.’
  5. Travel smart - Book in advance or at off-peak times to save on travel costs. This can even save you fuel costs by meaning you spend less time on the road. Check out trainline discount codesfor ways to save money on train travel.
  6. Pack your own food- Attractions with on-site restaurants are usually expensive, so you can make significant savings by packing your own food. Celine Pastezeur, SEO & Content Executive, Savoo FR, says, ‘Make sure you pack good snacks in your bag before you leave the house: your kids will be excited about the day out and they usually just want to try and buy everything. So to avoid a meltdown in front of the ice cream truck, make sure you have something yummy or unusual to offer them instead.’
  7. Consider annual passes- Annual passes to attractions can be pricey, but you usually make your money back after two or three visits. A Merlin Annual Pass also gives you access to dozens of attractions across the UK and gives you 20% off merchandise and food. Browse Merlin Annual Pass discount codesto save even more.

Conclusion 

While many attractions charge a (sometimes extortionate) entrance fee, many of Britain’s top places to go are either low-cost or completely free. That means you don’t have to worry about money if you’re keen to make memories and entertain the kids at weekends and during the school holidays.

 

And even when attractions and activities do cost, there are still ways to save money in other ways so your family doesn’t miss out. It could be anything from a thermos flask filled with hot dog sausages to save you from buying an expensive lunch, to browsing discount codes for days out and experiencesto find a plethora of family days out offers.

 

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