: 02 August 2023

The school holidays have arrived, and you may be worrying about your costs increasing whilst your children are off school. We know filling six weeks with activities can be hard work to plan but also can cost a fortune, especially with the cost-of-living crisis only getting worse and buying your basic items can wipe out most of your budget. Keeping money left over for fun can seem like a hard task.

We’ve included a few suggestions below to help you save money and get some additional help over the summer holidays

Holiday food and activities programm

These free holidays clubs are run by your local council are designed to provide “healthy food and enriching activities to children and young people”. Councils are working with a wide range of organisations to give children free spots on this scheme. This can vary from a range of activities such as dance camp, sports clubs, play groups and much more

Local authorities may also run their own programme. We recommend getting in touch with your local council to see what holiday scheme you can register for.

Any child who is eligible for free school meals will be offered a place on the holiday activities and food programme.

Each year you need to re-register to access the Holiday Food and Activities Programme, if you are eligible for free school meals you should receive information about how to apply for the scheme from your local council.

Your child will be allocated a code to confirm your eligibility and allows you to book a place.

Where children can eat for free or for £1 over Summer

Going out for a meal can be a lovely family treat, however the prices soon add up. Budgets can be tight so we have included a few restaurants where parents, grandparents and carers can feed their children for free. (Please check T&C’s before going

Bills – Up to two kids can eat free ALL DAY from Monday 24th July – Friday 1st Sept (excluding Saturday & Sunday), if one adult orders any main dish (breakfast, lunch, & dinner). The children’s menu features family faves including our famous buttermilk pancakes, mac & cheese, and fish fingers & chips

Morrisons – Under-16s can eat for free at any of Morrisons’ 398 cafes across the UK when an adult spends £4.49 or more on a meal. Until 13 August, any adults or children who ‘Ask for Ellen’ can receive two toasted crumpets, with butter and jam for free

TGI Friday’s – Join the TGI Friday’s Stripes rewards programme and feed one child for free when you order an adult’s main meal. Youngsters can order a main and two sides from the “Little League” or “Major League” section of the kids’ menu

Sizzling Pubs – For every adult meal purchased, you can have a kid’s main for just £1. The offer is available Monday to Friday between 3-7pm

Bella Italia – Children can eat for £1 with every purchase of an adult main course from 4-6pm on Monday to Thursday. Kids can have three courses of Italian food, such as pizza and pasta, with meals suitable for two to 11-year-olds

OK Diners – Children under-10 can eat for free from the children’s menu when an adult purchases a main course from the a la carte menu. Available all day and week-long

Free and cheaper days out

Depending on the county you live in there are many free days out advertised for the holidays. We found a wonderful article on Money Magpie listing all the activities by area –check it out here. We love a freebie and there’s plenty of fun things to do for all ages here.

Have you visited a toy library before? With over 1000 across the UK there is sure to be one near you., contact your local council to find your closest. At each venue they offer toys to borrow for all ages and many run “stay and play” sessions.

Get your creative juices flowing and create a nature trail. Grab a map and plot a walk in your local area, see if your children can then identify flowers and leaves along the way. You can then draw what you spot or even have a go at flower pressing by placing them between two heavy objects and letting them dry out.

Visit a free museum – many museums are offering free exhibitions over the holidays. MoneySavingExpert has a full list of free museums in the UK