24 Mar 2024

11 cheap and free things to do over the Easter holidays

From where kids can eat for £1 to how to get the best value Easter eggs and theme park tickets – here’s our guide

If you’re looking for things to do over the Easter break to keep the kids egg-cited, you’ve come to the right place.

Which? has rounded up 11 ideas to help you fill a fun-packed calendar without breaking your budget, complete with special deals, money-saving hacks and free things to do.

1. Get a £1 meal

Lots of supermarket and store cafés offer ‘kids eat free’ deals or similar during the school holidays. Here are some of the best offers we’ve seen, where you won't have to spend more than a fiver.

Asda: Kids eat for £1 all day at Asda Cafés, with no adult spend required.
Ikea: Kids eat from 95p in Ikea restaurants. Available every day from 11am.
Morrisons: Kids eat free when an adult spends £4.50 or more on a meal.
Sainsbury’s: Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot meal from the café, from 11.30am every day.

...or a pub or restaurant deal

Lots of restaurants also have kids offers during the holidays if you purchase a main meal.

Bella Italia: Children eat free with the purchase of an adult main on Thursdays and for £1 with any adult main, 4pm-6pm, Sunday to Wednesday.
Beefeater: Two children under 16 can get a free breakfast every day with a paying adult during the school holidays.
Bill’s: Up to two kids can eat free all day from Monday 25 March to Friday 12 April (excluding Saturday and Sunday), if one adult orders any main dish (breakfast, lunch or dinner).
Dobbies Garden Centres: Kids eat free with an adult main meal at the garden centre restaurant. Available daily from noon.
Hungry Horse: Every Monday kids eat for £1 with every full paying adult.
TGI Fridays: Kids eat free with every adult main meal, available all day, every day for Stripes Rewards Members (sign up for free with the app).
Travelodge: Up to two children aged 15 or under eat free for every full-paying adult.
Premier Inn: Up to two under-16s eat breakfast for free with every full-paying adult.
Preto: Kids up to the age of 10 eat for free with a paying adult every weekday after 4pm and all weekend. You can download a voucher from its website.
Sizzling Pubs: One child can eat for £1 with every adult main meal, 3pm-7pm, Monday-Friday.
The Real Greek: Free under-12 kid's meal for every £10 spent by adults between Friday 29 March and Sunday 14 April.

You could also consider getting a dining card, which could save you up to 50% at thousands of restaurants across the UK.

2. Theme park thrills

Many theme parks are opening back up for spring and there are ways to save on the price of a ticket.

Buy in advance: you can save up to 48% by booking tickets in advance at some attractions. For example, an adult day pass bought on the day at Alton Towers will cost you £68; bought online, it will only cost you £35.
Consider an annual pass if you go more often: Merlin has a sale running until 7 April in which you can get a Discovery Merlin Annual Pass for £79 (usually £99).
Look for coupons: If you have a bottle of Carex sanitiser in your bathroom, check if it’s a promotional bottle. You can get half-price entry at Alton Towers Resort, Sea Life centres and sanctuaries or Chessington World of Adventures until 31 May 2024.
Convert loyalty points: Tesco Clubcard holders can convert points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers. These can often be used to buy tickets for theme parks, wildlife parks, and more.

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3. Enjoy the latest movies for less

Some family favourites are returning to the cinema this spring, from Kung Fu Panda 4 to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

If your kids want to see the latest blockbuster at the cinema, make sure you save on tickets. Most major cinema chains have offers during the school holidays.

Cineworld Movies for Juniors screenings offer children's tickets for £2.50.
Odeon Kids has a deal where adults pay the same price as a child every day during the school holidays, as well as every Saturday and Sunday.
Vue has Mini Mornings screenings from 10am during the school holidays. Tickets for adults and children cost £2.49 each.

You could also save money at the cinema with your dining card. For example, Gourmet Society offers 40% off at Odeon and Cineworld, and 30% off at Vue. Meanwhile, Tastecard offers a 25% discount at hundreds of cinemas across the UK.

And if you have an Amazon Prime account, you can get two Odeon standard tickets for £10, or two Odeon Luxe tickets for £15 Monday-Thursday.

Find out more: 11 ways to save on the cost of your subscriptions

4. Buy the best value Easter egg

Arguably one of the best parts about Easter is the chocolate, but we've found some popular chocolate eggs cost at least 50% more than a year ago, while others have shrunk in size.

To ensure you get the best value for money on your Easter chocolate, shop around and compare the price per gram across different pack sizes, retailers and brands. You can also find out which supermarket is consistently the cheapest in our monthly analysis.

And if you're looking for the best value chocolate mini eggs to enjoy, we've pitted Cadbury against Aldi and M&S in a blind taste test to see how they compare.

Find out more: can cheaper mini eggs compete on taste?

5. Discounted days out

If you fancy a day out in the city, your train ticket can unlock savings.

Not only do some rail companies let youngsters travel for £1 when you buy an adult ticket, but also National Rail offers two entry tickets for the price of one at a huge number of attractions nationwide, including the London Eye, Sea Life locations across Great Britain and several historic landmarks including Leeds Castle and Hampton Court Palace.

Before you book, check National Rail's Days Out Guide; this also explains which tickets are valid.

If you're a Tesco Clubcard holder, you can convert the points you earn on your loyalty card into vouchers to spend with its Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners. These can often be used at wildlife parks and other attractions.

Find out more: best days UK days out for free

6. Easter egg trails

One fun activity for youngsters around Easter is to hard-boil eggs, then decorate them with marker pens or any other craft materials you have.

Once they're decorated, you can hide them around the garden or outdoors in your local park to make an Easter egg trail.

If you don't fancy doing it yourself, you can buy chocolate eggs, or you could even get egg cases for as little as £2 and put your own chocolates inside.

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7. Family fun at the farm

Many cities have urban farms have free entry.

London has a number of city farms offering kids the chance to experience animals up close, including Mudchute Park and Farm, Spitalfields City Farm, Stepney City Farm, Belmont Children's Farm and Hackney City Farm.

If you live in the north or northwest of the UK, you could visit Ouseburn Farm, in Newcastle upon Tyne, or Rice Lane City Farm in Liverpool, which offers various free events.

Alternatively if you want some animal interaction but don't live near a farm, Pets at Home offer free animal workshops for four- to 11-year-olds.

During the Easter holidays, events will run at Pets at Home stores between 23 March until 14 April. You'll need to book a place in advance on the Pets at Home website.

8. Learn something new at museums

Not only are museums and galleries great for learning, but many are free.

Lots of museums have dedicated exhibitions for children, often featuring interactive displays, although you may have to pay to access some exhibitions.

During the school holidays and weekends, some museums also run activity sessions or days, when kids can get involved in crafts. Booking in advance is recommended.

Find out more: the best museums and galleries in the UK

9. Explore the great outdoors

Parkrun facilitates free weekly community running and walking events that take place all around the world.

The main 5k events take place on Saturday mornings, with Junior Parkrun for children aged four-14 on Sundays. There is no time limit and no one finishes last!

If you want something a bit slower in pace, how about a spring walk? Which? has rated the best UK walking routes in the countryside, and there might be one near you.

As it's bluebell season, you can also find details of bluebell walks near you via the National Trust and Woodland Trust.

Find out more: discover the best walks in the UK

10. Snap up cheap theatre tickets

Taking the whole family to the theatre can be pricey, but there are a few ways to save money:

Disney Day Seats: Every Monday at noon, a number of tickets for Disney shows (such as The Lion King and Frozen) are available for £29.50 through the Disney Tickets website (Disneytickets.co.uk) – but you'll have to be quick as they get snapped up.
Enter lotteries: Some shows, including Hamilton, have lotteries you can join to try to win cheap tickets. If you're successful, you'll be able to buy tickets for between £10 and £35 for a performance taking place that week.
Opt for cheaper seats: You may be able to get cheaper seats if you're willing to sit at the back, or in a seat with a restricted view. You can use SeatPlan (Seatplan.com) to check out the view beforehand.
Book direct: You can usually find cheaper deals by visiting the theatre's website directly, rather than buying tickets via third-party websites.