The summer holidays are long, so it’s easy to feel as though you’re running out of ideas for things to keep the kids entertained! It can also be expensive to take the family out, so we’re here to help with our list of 10 low-cost things to do with the kids this summer.
1. Discover splendid National Trust properties
Exploring National Trust properties is a fantastic way to enjoy the summer holidays, offering access to stunning historic houses, sprawling gardens and wild natural spaces across the country. Best of all, if you are a National Trust member, entry to these incredible locations is completely free, making it an incredibly cost-effective option for regular family days out.
One spectacular example is Waddesdon Manor, which was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of art and to entertain his fashionable friends at weekends. Opened to the public in 1959, the manor is now managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust, which took over ownership in 1957. Today, it is home to the world-renowned Rothschild Collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.
Please note that if you are not a National Trust member, standard admission tickets are priced at £14.00 for adults (aged 18 and over) and £7.00 for children (aged 5 to 17).
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Further north in Wales, families can explore Penrhyn Castle in Gwynedd. This massive, nineteenth-century neo-Norman castle sits dramatically between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait. It offers sprawling grounds perfect for burning off energy, featuring a Victorian walled garden, a fascinating industrial railway museum inside the stable courtyard, and two dedicated adventure play areas, Rook Wood and Cwt Ogwen, designed specifically for kids to climb and explore.
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And in Cheshire, families can explore Lyme House, a magnificent estate nestled on the edge of the Peak District. This sprawling English property features a grand mansion surrounded by a 1,400-acre medieval deer park where red deer roam free. Kids can tackle the Crow Wood adventure playground, explore the Edwardian rose gardens, and embark on family-friendly walking trails through the rugged moorland that feel a world away from the city.
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2. Explore a city farm
A day out at a city farm is a classic summer holiday tradition, but entry tickets for premium attractions can quickly add up for a whole family. Thankfully, the UK is packed with fantastic, low-cost alternatives – including heavily subsidised community city farms and non-profit countryside parks. These budget-friendly gems offer the same magic: hands-on animal encounters and plenty of space for kids to play, all for a fraction of the price (or even completely free).
Gorse Hill City Farm, Leicester, is a beautiful 11-acre working community farm right in the heart of Leicester. It is home to over 100 animals, from fluffy rabbits to rare breed cows. Entry is incredibly cheap (typically just a couple of pounds per person), and you can buy bags of feed to hand-feed the goats and sheep.
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If you are in the capital, Vauxhall City Farm is an amazing educational charity that offers a complete escape from the urban bustle. It features a wonderful collection of animals, including alpacas, pigs, and sheep, alongside a peaceful community garden. Entry is entirely free (though small donations are warmly welcomed).
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And Stonebridge City Farm in Nottingham is another brilliant, free-to-enter community resource. Families can wander through the paddocks to meet the cows and ponies, explore the wildlife gardens, and burn off steam in the dedicated children’s play area without spending a single penny on admission.
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3. Discover the magic of Forestry England sites
If you are hunting for an active, screen-free day out that won’t break the bank, look no further than your nearest Forestry England site. While these woodlands are famous for hosting premium attractions like Go Ape, the forests themselves are entirely free to enter. All you need to cover is a small parking fee, which grants your family all-day access to miles of beautiful walking trails, safe off-road cycling tracks, and brilliant, custom-built wooden adventure play areas.
What makes Forestry England sites a big win for the summer holidays is their fantastic, immersive family trails. Combined with a packed lunch and a blanket for a scenic woodland picnic, it’s an effortless way to create lasting summer memories for just the cost of a parking ticket.
4. Pick-your-own!
The summer season means fields up and down the country will be bursting with yummy fresh fruits. Pick your own farms are popular with families wanting something unique and fun to do, and there’s nothing better than tucking into delicious fruit you’ve picked yourself.
Pick your fruit, vegetables and flowers from 45 acres of stunning Oxfordshire fields at Rectory Farm. With an abundance of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and seasonal veggies waiting to be gathered, it’s a spectacular place to enjoy the sunshine and stock up on fresh, healthy treats.
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Garson Farm Pick Your Own boasts one of the largest pick-your-own fields in the UK. Offering an incredible variety of crops, depending on the month, kids can hunt for strawberries, raspberries, sweetcorn and even bright, pick-your-own sunflowers to take home and brighten up the kitchen.
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5. Try fishing
An afternoon by the water is one of the most relaxing, mindful ways to spend a summer day with the family. Fishing teaches children patience and focus, and gives little ones a front-row seat to incredible lakeside wildlife, from dragonflies to kingfishers. Children under 13 don’t even need a rod license in the UK, making it a highly accessible hobby.
The Golden Pond Fishery, situated in the beautiful Test Valley amid rolling countryside, is rich in wildlife. This one-acre lake has 16 well-spaced swims, including a swim suitable for wheelchairs.
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Set in a stunning, peaceful Welsh landscape, Llyn Y Gors in Anglesey, Wales, features several dedicated lakes, including ‘Match Lake’ and ‘Pleasure Lake’, that are ideal for families. They offer tackle hire and coaching sessions on-site, making it the perfect stress-free spot for a holiday day out.
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While famous for its big-carp waters, Linear Fisheries in Oxfordshire, England, features brilliant day-ticket waters perfect for families and beginners. The staff are incredibly welcoming, the facilities are top-notch, and the lakes are surrounded by beautiful, well-maintained paths and grassy banks.
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5. Frolic in lavender fields
Visiting a lavender field is one of the most picture-perfect experiences of the British summer. Running from mid-to-late June until the August harvest, these sprawling farms transform the rolling countryside into a sea of purple landscapes.
Nestled in the heart of the stunning Gloucestershire countryside, Cotswold Lavender is a family-run farm that features miles of vibrant purple rows alongside gorgeous, colourful wildflower fields. Families can bring a picnic to enjoy overlooking the hills and visit the on-site distillery to see how the lavender is harvested and turned into essential oils.
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Located just 15 miles from central London, Mayfield Lavender Farm is a 25-acre organic farm that is a perfect summer day trip. Alongside the beautiful rows of blooms, they feature a fun Bee & Butterfly Exploration Trail and a brand-new Lavender Labyrinth designed as a calming, interactive space for visitors to wander through.
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Castle Farm in Kent, England, is known as the UK’s largest working lavender farm. This beautiful spot in the Darenth Valley offers dedicated family field walks, guided tours and special ‘Bring Your Own Picnic’ events right in the middle of the fragrant purple rows.
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7. Have a kick about at a kids’ football camp
One for the young football whizzes in the house! From just £15 per person, your child can learn new footie skills, make new friends and have enormous fun. These action-packed holiday camps are designed for kids of all abilities, running throughout the school breaks to provide a safe, high-energy environment where kids can burn off steam.
What to expect: Led by fully qualified, FA-accredited coaches, each day is packed with structured training drills, skill-building mini-challenges and plenty of tournament-style matches.
Convenience for parents: With safe, enclosed, all-weather 5G pitches at dozens of camps dotted throughout the UK, there’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved nearby. The camps offer flexible booking options – whether you need to cover a single day or a full week – making them an excellent, stress-free childcare solution for busy parents.
Visit Powerleague for more details on locations, dates, and how to book your child’s spot this summer.
8. Visit a tropical butterfly house
If a tropical holiday isn’t entirely on your list of things you have planned this summer, visiting a walk-through butterfly house is the next best thing. Heated to balmy, rainforest temperatures, these indoor biomes allow families to step into a completely different world. It’s an unforgettable sensory experience for children, who can watch hundreds of vibrant, exotic butterflies flitting overhead, landing on feeding stations, or even hitching a ride on a brightly colored t-shirt.
Run by a dedicated biodiversity charity in the heart of the Rheidol Valley, The Magic of Life Butterfly House in Aberystwyth, Wales, is a lovely indoor rainforest that features some of the largest and most colourful butterfly species from around the world. With cheap family tickets available, this tropical butterfly house is packed with interesting botanical plants, giant insects, and indoor ponds.
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Studley Grange Butterfly World, located just off the M4 in Wiltshire, lets families walk among stunning free-flying butterflies against a backdrop of lush plants and fish-filled ponds. It is reasonably priced, and the team regularly sets up hatching boxes where kids can watch brand-new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises in real time.
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9. Step behind the small screen
Does your little one have a favourite TV show? If so, you can step behind the scenes and see your favourite show filmed in front of your very eyes, for free!
Visit an actual television studio and see an array of stars in the flesh with performances for all ages, including Gladiators, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Britain’s Got Talent. Check out the Applause Store website for more info.
10. Visit a fascinating museum
From the weird and wacky to the fascinating and educational, a trip to a museum is guaranteed fun for everyone, and there are so many brilliant locations around the UK to choose from.
The Science Museum in London is home to endless informative exhibits on the science behind some of the world’s best inventions and engineering feats, from space exploration to environmental technology. You can easily fuel the kids’ imagination in Wonderlab, an interactive gallery that makes learning scientific wonders incredibly fun through hands-on live experiments. The museum is situated in South Kensington, a fantastic cultural hub which is also home to the V&A and the Natural History Museum, both of which offer plenty of family workshops, massive dinosaur exhibits, and creative displays to visit.
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