May half term: Best free and cheap activities for kids including cinema and eating out

Half term in May is often the best holiday: the weather is good but not too hot, it’s a week rather than two or more (so the kids don’t get too bored) and it falls on a Bank Holiday which means many parents get a day off work at the same time as other friends and family.

But school holidays can mean extra pressure on your bank account. So, we’ve rounded up the best things to do this half term for under £15, to keep the kids entertained and create memories for your family for many years to come.

Plenty of restaurant chains and franchises offer kids eat free or for £1 deals during school holidays. Some will require an adult to purchase a main meal to qualify – but that still keeps the bill under £15 if you’re savvy about where you go and what you order.

You could make going out to eat your activity for the day, spending time at a family friendly venue such as Hungry Horse, Brewers Fayre, or Sizzling Pubs. Or check out a restaurant chain such as TGI Fridays, Bella Italia, or even Yo! Sushi.

Or, combine your weekly grocery shop with a stop in a supermarket café, killing time without spending a fortune. Kids eat free at Morrisons with an adult meal purchase, while Asda cafes offer kids meals from £1 with no minimum purchase. Ikea is always a good bet, with a kids meal deal of pasta and a drink for 95p, while Dunelm Pausa cafes only require a £4 adult spend for a free kids meal of a main, drink, and two snacks.

There are so many cinema deals around these days, you should never pay full price! Groupon and Wowcher often have deals for large amounts of tickets, so you could organise a group outing on a discount.

Or, check out your local cinema for regular deals. Picturehouse cinemas are just £3.30 for kids tickets on a Saturday morning, while Odeon cinemas offer tickets for £2.75 for children aged 14 and under when you book via the free MyOdeon account.

Check your other providers for deals, too. For example, Sky customers can nab two free Vue tickets every month, while O2, Virgin Media and Three Mobile customers can take advantage of deals like two adult tickets for £9.

When was the last time you were a tourist in your own town? Put on your adventure clothes for the day and pretend you’ve never visited your local area before. Sign up to free walking tours, head to that strange little museum on the corner, or look for deals at a local attraction. If you live in a small area, gather the troops for a bus ride to your nearest main centre to take a look around.

Half term often means local events, too. There might be a food and drink festival, a summer fete, or hands-on crafting workshops at your community centre.

Libraries are about more than borrowing books – they let you borrow DVDs, board games, and some even have tool libraries to get stuck into some DIY!

More than that, they will often run half term events to keep your children informed, educated and occupied for a time, such as storytelling sessions, crafting events, or visiting author talks for older children.

If you’re heading to the library, why not set up your own book club? You can even get friends and family involved! Pick a book that can be read during the week, and work through it together. If you have a broad range of ages in the family, everyone can pick their own book – but have dedicated reading time together every day.

It’s a great way to connect with distant family too, as you can arrange storytime over video calls or for older children you can have them chat about the book when they’ve read it.

Spend time making dinner together but make it a challenge! Create your own Masterchef game at home, competing to make the best pizzas, most outlandish ice cream sundae, or the tastiest homemade pasta. Choose something that is cheap and easy to make, and it’s even better if you can offer something with customised ingredients like pizza, tacos, burritos, or desserts.

Getting stuck in with your kids to teach them how to cook is always a great thing to do, but making it competitive adds a fun element and keeps their attention focused because they’ll want to win!

The Royal Shakespeare Company runs a wide number of fun sessions during the May half term, to get kids stuck into Shakespeare and theatre.

Try a Family Storytelling session on Wednesday 28th May, or a Puppetry Workshop on Thursday 29th May, both costing £5 adult/£4 child, for ages 4-8. There are also drop off workshops (which are more than £15 but involve a whole day of activity without the need for you to be there).

You can also check out the free activities at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, like a costume quick change lesson, a sensory stay and play (0-4 years), a playful Shakespeare session for kids to practice scenes from a Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a costume accessories workshop.

During half term, many English Heritage sites across England and Wales offer family activities, such as How to Be a Pirate at Pendennis Castle. A Family Membership is £6.83 a month for one adult and up to six children, or £12 a month for two adults and up to 12 children.

Events may have an extra charge, but this is nominal for members (around £2.50), so a membership can be a moneysaving opportunity to keep the kids entertained for cheap all year around. Memberships are also valid at many places in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Those north of the border can take advantage of events run by Historic Environment Scotland, in Wales check out Cadw, and in Northern Ireland monuments and historical houses are the care of the Historic Environment Division.

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