Budget Friendly Summer Holiday Activities for Kids (Free and Cheap Ideas)

Budget friendly summer holiday activities for kids can feel hard to find when the break is long and the budget is tight. The good news is that lots of UK businesses run free or low-cost workshops for children in the school holidays. I’ve rounded up the best ones below, with ages, costs and how to book.

P.S. I’ve also pulled together the best kids eat free schemes so you can sort lunch too.

Summer 2026 has finished, so I’ve marked what has ended and what you can still book for the October half term. Most of these schemes come back every school holiday. That makes this page a handy plan for next summer too.

 

Budget friendly summer holiday activities for kids at a glance

Here is the quick version. The details for each one follow.

 

Hobbycraft kids’ workshops: small classes, low prices

Hobbycraft are great for kids. This summer they ran a huge range of workshops at a very affordable price. The range included puppet making, painting and slime making, so there was something for most little ones.

Booking is easy and the classes stay small. I took my kids to a clay-making session and we loved it. It was calm, and it was a lovely way to spend a few hours. I wrote more about it in my Easter holiday activities guide.

Hobbycraft lists its in-store workshops on its ClassBento booking page. On 6 October 2026, kids’ Halloween workshops such as slime making, canvas decorating and mache pumpkins were listed at £8. The Christmas ones, such as snow globes and card making, were listed at the same price. The listings say the craft kit is provided. Dates vary by store, so search by your town or postcode.

 

 

Free kids workshops at Pets at Home: Pet Pals

Pet Pals is a free workshop for children aged 4 to 10 at Pets at Home stores. Pets at Home runs it every school holiday. Your child meets and greets animals, from guinea pigs and hamsters to rats and fish. A petcare advisor runs the session and teaches children how to look after pets, including handling and grooming.

Each workshop lasts up to 45 minutes. It mixes supervised play with creative activities such as colouring sheets and puzzles. Your child leaves with a sticker and a personalised certificate.

You reserve a place online by choosing your store and time. Pets at Home limits places to one adult per child, to leave enough room and avoid spooking the animals. The October half-term sessions have a Halloween and Bonfire Night theme.

You can reserve a free Pet Pals place on the Pets at Home website.

 

 

Dobbies Little Seedlings: free gardening workshops for ages 4 to 10

Little Seedlings is the kids’ club at Dobbies garden centres. Dobbies describes its workshops as free for children aged 4 to 10. They run on the first Sunday of every month, plus special school holiday clubs.

This summer’s holiday club had a Gabby’s Dollhouse theme. Children joined in with fairy stories and activities, plus a short lesson on how to be a nature guardian. You needed to book ahead, and the sessions ran at a range of stores through the holidays.

Each child gets a welcome pack with stickers and a folder for their activities. An attendance card tracks their visits. They get a certificate after their third, sixth and twelfth workshops.

Find the current details on the Dobbies Little Seedlings page.

 

Apple Summer Camp and Today at Apple sessions for kids

Apple Summer Camp is a free 90-minute workshop in Apple Stores for children aged 6 to 10. In 2026, children worked as a team to design superheroes on a shop iPad and send them on a mission to help others. They used Freeform and Apple Pencil Pro.

The 2026 camp has now finished. Apple says you can sign up to hear when Apple Summer Camp registration opens next time. Many 2026 sessions showed as full on Apple’s booking pages, so an early alert helps.

Apple also runs free sessions for kids and families every day at its stores. You can browse them on the Today at Apple page.

 

Free school holiday clubs with meals: the HAF programme

Some families can get free holiday club places, with food, through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The Department for Education funds it and your local council runs it. It covers England.

The guidance for councils expects them to run HAF over Easter, summer and Christmas. Councils can also choose to run it at half term. Clubs must give children a healthy meal each day, plus physical and enriching activities.

Eligibility changed in September 2026. Free school meals now cover every household on Universal Credit. HAF stays at the lower level, according to the HAF guidance on GOV.UK. That level covers Universal Credit households with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. So some children who get free school meals may not qualify for HAF.

Your council makes the final call, so check its HAF page for local rules and booking. You can also check free school meals on GOV.UK.

 

Kids eat free schemes to pair with your holiday activities

A free workshop plus a cheaper lunch makes a day out cost a lot less. Many UK restaurant chains run kids eat free offers in the school holidays.

The terms change from chain to chain. Bella Italia, for example, typically offers kids eat free from Sunday to Thursday with the purchase of an adult main. It opened the offer up to every day over this summer. Some chains also ask you to download their app or join a rewards scheme first.

I keep the current offers, ages and terms in my guide to kids eat free schemes in the UK. Always check the age limit and the small print before you book a table.

 

How to plan and book cheap school holiday activities

A simple plan is to book a free Pet Pals session, then use a kids eat free offer for lunch. Your only costs are your own meal and the travel. Add a Hobbycraft class on another day if your child likes crafts.

These checks help you get a place:

• Book early: Free sessions fill up. Many Apple Summer Camp dates showed as full this summer, and Pet Pals places are limited.
• Check your store: Hobbycraft dates vary by store, so search by your town or postcode.
• Check ages and adult rules: Pet Pals and Little Seedlings suit ages 4 to 10. Apple Summer Camp suits ages 6 to 10. Pet Pals allows one adult per child.
• Read the booking page before you pay: Prices, dates and themes change with each holiday.

 

Questions parents ask about cheap summer holiday activities

 

What are the best free summer holiday activities for kids in the UK?

Free options include Pets at Home Pet Pals, Dobbies Little Seedlings workshops and free Today at Apple sessions. Families who qualify can also use free HAF holiday clubs through their council in England.

Are the Pets at Home Pet Pals workshops free?

Yes. Pet Pals is free for children aged 4 to 10. Each session lasts up to 45 minutes, and you reserve a place online. Places are limited to one adult per child.

What age are Dobbies Little Seedlings workshops for?

They are for children aged 4 to 10. Dobbies runs free workshops on the first Sunday of each month, plus school holiday clubs.

Does Apple still run Summer Camp?

Apple Summer Camp for children aged 6 to 10 ran in summer 2026 and has finished. Apple lets you sign up for an alert when registration opens next time. Apple also runs free kids and family sessions every day at its stores.

How much do Hobbycraft kids’ workshops cost?

On 6 October 2026, many kids’ Halloween and Christmas workshops were listed at £8, with the craft kit provided. Prices vary by workshop, so check each listing.

Who can get a free HAF holiday club place?

HAF is for eligible children in England and runs through local councils. From September 2026, the GOV.UK guidance keeps eligibility at Universal Credit households with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. Check your council’s HAF page for local rules and booking.

 

If you want more ways to cut the cost of family life, browse my Save Money posts.

Have you tried any of these budget friendly summer holiday activities with your little one? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.