13 cheap and free things to do with kids during the Christmas holidays

This time of year is known for draining budgets almost as quickly as children tear into Christmas presents, but you don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy the festivities.

Here, Which? shares 13 cracking money-saving ideas – from £1 kids’ meals and cheap cinema tickets to discounted days out – to help keep your family entertained over the Christmas holidays.

1. Kids eat cheap and free deals

A range of supermarket chains offer discounted meals over the festive holidays, with some allowing kids to eat for free: 

• Asda is continuing its 'Kids Eat for £1' all-day offer, with no adult spend required.
• Morrisons has a deal where kids under 16 eat for free when an adult spends £5 or more on a meal at its cafés.

Find out more: best Christmas gifts for kids

Restaurant, pub and hotel food offers

These deals might be useful if you’re looking to save cash while treating your kids to an evening meal out.

• Angus Steakhouse Kids under eight eat free every day between 12pm and 5pm when you order at least one adult main course.
• Bella Italia Kids aged between two and 11 can eat free with the purchase of an adult main from Sunday through to Thursday. 
• Bill’s On Boxing Day (26 December) up to two children can eat a meal for free with every adult main dish.
• Dobbies Garden Centres You can get a children’s breakfast with any adult traditional or full breakfast, or a child’s hot meal, or a pick-and-mix lunch box with any adult main course for just £1. This is available every day and also includes a free child's drink. 
• Franco Manca Children under 12 can get a free kids' pizza with the purchase of an adult meal at selected restaurants from Monday to Thursday. 
• Holiday Inn Children under 12 get a free meal from the kids' menu at breakfast, lunch and dinner when dining with an adult guest who orders from the full-priced menu. The deal is limited to four kids per family. 
• Ikea From 11am, families can get a kids' meal of pasta and tomato sauce for just 95p at cafés across the UK. Other children's dishes cost between £1.95 and £2.50. 
• Premier Inn Up to two children under the age of 15 can eat for free with a full-paying adult who buys a Full Premier Inn Breakfast. 
• Sizzling Pub and Grill Children can dine for £1 with the purchase of an adult’s main meal. The offer is usually available on weekdays from 3pm, but during the holidays it’s available from 12pm.
• TGI Fridays Kids eat free all day, every day at TGI Fridays with the order of an adult’s main meal. The offer is only available to Stripes Rewards members, so you will need to join through the app, which is free to download.
• The Real Greek Children under 12 can get a free meal on Sundays at The Real Greek for every £15 spent by an adult. 
• Travelodge For every full-paying adult, up to two children under 15 years old get breakfast for £1 each at Travelodge hotels.  

Find out more: dine out for 50% less in top UK cities (even at Michelin restaurants)

2. Catch a film for less 

Most major chains offer cheaper prices over the holidays, so it’s a great time for you and the family to catch a film. With The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants landing on 20 December and Zootopia 2 continuing its festive run, you’ll have plenty to choose from. 

Cinema deals to look out for include:

• Cineworld runs its Movies for Juniors screenings, where children and accompanying adults can get tickets for £3.99. 
• Odeon offers its Odeon Kids scheme, letting adults pay kids’ prices of £2.75 during school holidays. 
• Vue has its Mighty Mornings sessions from 10am daily, with seats priced at £2.49 per person when booked online.

Find out more: best and worst TV streaming services

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3. Explore a museum or gallery for free

There are plenty of free museums dotted all over the UK, covering science, art, technology, and history, which are open over the festive period. 

In London, most major museums and galleries are free, such as Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, the Science Museum, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

Other cities also have free museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the Biscuit Factory Gallery in Newcastle, and the Industrial Museum in Bradford. 

Most also have temporary exhibitions to supplement the permanent collections, so there'll always be something new, even if you've visited before. As special exhibitions tend to be ticketed, do check beforehand. 

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

4. Book a free or low-cost holiday club

Local councils put on activities and provide healthy food for low-income households over the holidays through the government's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. 

The programme is available to school-aged children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals. These clubs usually start from December 20, and parents will need a special code to book. This code is usually issued alongside a free school meals code. 

What’s on offer varies by council. For example, Salford Council is running a range of activities and holiday clubs starting December 22, including craft and exercise groups, plus its Enchanting Christmas HAF at the Castle Youth and Community Centre in Manchester.

You can also use tax-free childcare accounts to pay for holiday clubs, childminders and sports activities. Providers are listed in your tax-free childcare account.

• Find out more: tax-free childcare and help with childcare costs

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5. Get outside for a winter walk

A winter walk in a local park or nature reserve is a perfect festive family activity. Task the kids with collecting pine cones, holly and other natural materials to make your own Christmas wreath or table decorations. 

You can make it extra special by bringing along festive treats, such as mince pies or hot chocolate, or planning a festive-themed scavenger hunt.

The Forestry Commission has a range of free walking and cycling trails, as well as play areas and designated picnic areas across its network, with free printable activity sheets to help you explore your local woods. 

It also offers a wide array of family-friendly activities, and many are low-cost or completely free. These include Stick Man trails, Gruffalo sculptures and wildlife spotting. Most of its trails will have parking fees. 

6. Visit a Christmas market

Christmas markets are always buzzing with festive cheer, and the best part is that many of them don't charge an entry fee. 

You don’t have to spend anything if you go, you can simply browse the stalls, enjoy the Christmas music, and soak up the atmosphere. 

Bringing your own hot chocolate in a flask and a few festive snacks can help keep costs down as you explore. It’s also worth looking out for the little extras – some markets include free or low-cost craft areas for kids or fun touches like bubble snow machines.

• Find out more: the best Christmas markets in the UK 2025

7. Watch a festive performance

Pantomimes are a festive favourite, but tickets for big productions can quickly add up. If a major show isn’t within your budget this year, it’s worth checking out performances by local theatre groups, schools or community venues instead. These smaller productions are usually far more affordable and still deliver all the fun and silliness of a traditional panto. 

If you’re set on seeing a larger show, you might save money by waiting until January, when ticket prices often drop after the peak Christmas period.

• Find out more: best UK days out for free

8. Spot wildlife on your doorstep 

You can often find fun, nature-themed events for kids run by The Wildlife Trust and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). While some events are ticketed, they frequently offer free or donation-based sessions across the country that teach children how to spot local wildlife such as birds, insects and pond creatures. 

Wildlife Trust activities available this Christmas include the Winter Stargazing, Meteors and Shooting Stars at Walthamstow Wetlands. 

• Find out more: the best UK walks for 2025

9. Visit Santa’s grotto

Visiting Santa can be pricey, but you can often find much cheaper options at garden centres, shopping centres, libraries, schools or community venues. 

These smaller spots frequently run low-cost or even free grotto experiences, so it’s worth browsing local listings to see what’s available near you.

For example, in South London, the Upper Norwood Library is hosting Santa’s Grotto from 14 to 22 December between 10am and 6pm. Child tickets cost £7 and include a gift and a festive drink, while adult tickets are £3. 

Meanwhile, the Central Community Centre in Scunthorpe is offering a free Santa’s Grotto on Saturday 20 December from 10am to 12pm, where children can meet Father Christmas and take home a free picture.

10. Join a Christmas trail

While National Trust outings usually come with an entry fee, they can be an affordable festive choice if you already have membership or access to a free pass. 

Many properties run Christmas activities throughout December, including crafting sessions, festive games and family trails through winter gardens, woodlands and historic houses. 

Some events require you to book ahead and certain activities may cost extra, so it’s worth checking your local site for details. 

11. Get creative with a free workshop

High street retailers often put on free or cheap workshops for children over the Christmas holidays. Here are just a few:

• Dobbie’s Garden Centres is running free holiday clubs and workshops called 'Little Seedlings' in January for children aged four to 10. The session is ‘Christmas Tree Recycling', which teaches kids how to give an old Christmas tree a new life.
• Ikea is hosting a range of fun workshops in stores nationwide this Christmas. This year, it includes Santa Lucia candle making, hand-made tree decorations, and a cosy Christmas corner storytelling event. Stores also have a supervised play area.
• Hobbycraft holds workshops from £10, including decorating your own bauble, decorating gingerbread houses, and making a Christmas wreath. All workshops need to be booked in advance.
• Apple offers free creative sessions in its stores throughout December such as photography, art and music creation for kids, available by signing up online.

12. Use your Blue Peter badge for free entry

A Blue Peter badge can be a brilliant money-saver, giving your child free entry to more than 200 UK attractions in 2025. 

The scheme covers big-name days out such as Stonehenge, Edinburgh Zoo and the British Motor Museum. Shakespeare’s Globe is included too, which is running a Ghosts & Ghouls Family Tour this month. You can see the full list of participating venues on the BBC website.

To get a badge, children can appear on the show, win a competition or send in a creative entry such as a drawing, photo or video by post or online. There are six badge types, including Blue, Green and Gold, each with its own criteria.

Badges can take up to 10 weeks to arrive, so if your child doesn’t have one yet, it’s worth applying now for future savings. If they already do, it’s a great time to make the most of it.

13. Make Christmas fun at home 

There are plenty of fun things you can do at home to celebrate Christmas and keep the kids entertained. Here are a few you could try out: 

• Baking: Roll up your sleeves and roll out the dough. Baking treats like cookies, mince pies, and Christmas pudding is a fun and inexpensive afternoon activity for you and the kids. 
• Christmas crafts: You can make loads of jazzy Christmas decorations with the kids, including popcorn garlands, glittery cards, paper snowflakes, Christmas tree ornaments, and orange pomanders.
• Check out your local Christmas lights: Outdoor Christmas decorating has recently become very popular, so wrap up warm to walk or drive around and see the displays across your local area. Garden centres are also worth a visit for their festive lights and decorations.
• Movie night: Create a cosy movie night at home with a selection of your kids' favourite films, popcorn and blankets. Choose some Christmas classics to get into the festive spirit. 

Find out more: best board games 2025

Top tip

'Do your research first' 

'Whatever you plan on doing this Christmas half term, you should always do a little bit of research and try to find offers beforehand online, as it could save you money,' says money writer Ruby Flanagan. 

'For example, Tesco Clubcard vouchers are worth double their value if exchanged at any of Tesco's 100 Reward Partners, which include Cadbury World, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Legoland, Pleasure Beach Resort and Leeds Castle. 

'National Rail's Days Out Guide also offers two-for-one deals on attractions such as The Shard, Big Bus Tours and Battersea Park Children's Zoo when you travel by train. 

'When planning your days out, you can also work out whether it's worth buying memberships or annual passes if you visit a few times a year.'

This article is updated regularly to feature new deals. It was last updated on 8 December.