15 BARGAINS to get kids off their screens this summer
9 JOIN IN WITH WILDLIFE WEEKS
SCHOOL holidays give us plenty of time to spend with our families, but keeping children or grandchildren entertained away from their computers and smartphones can come at quite a cost. So here, HOLLY THOMAS suggests 15 ways to keep the youngsters amused this summer — without spending a fortune.
1 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MEMBERSHIP PERKS
FAMILY membership with the National trust for Scotland allows free entry for up to six children accompanied by an adult. a one-adult family membership costs £72 for the year at
nts.org.uk/join/. Culzean Castle, in ayrshire, is just one of the sites that can be enjoyed by NTS members. it has two adventure playgrounds. Similarly, Weehailes at Newhailes House, in musselburgh, east Lothian, is designed to inspire children’s imaginations as they climb, crawl, swing and slide. there’s also a special area for younger children, with sand play and a mini flying fox.
2 MAKE THINGS GO SWIMMINGLY
CHILDREN of all ages can take part in swimming lessons held across the country as part of Scotland’s Learn to Swim programme. membership from april to august is available for £45, giving access to a great network of clubs including more than 150 affiliated centres offering a range of aquatic disciplines including swimming, disability swimming, diving, masters and water polo. it is open to all abilities, from beginners to experienced swimmers (learntoswim.scot).
3 INVEST IN THEME PARK PASSES
BUY an annual pass to save paying over the odds on individual visits to uk theme parks and attractions. at thorpe park, a season pass costs from £55, while day tickets start at £33. For this you get unlimited visits until November 3, but it excludes weekends in august. You can also sign in friends for £15 each on certain dates. Whatever you do, don’t buy your ticket at the gate — search online for ways to save at least a few days in advance.
4 REDEEM POINTS FOR DAYS OUT
SUPERMARKETS often partner with big uk theme parks so you can exchange reward points for tickets. tesco Clubcard holders can convert £5 in points to £15 towards an entrance ticket at Legoland or Chessington World of adventures, for example.
5 AUGUST TRIP TO THE THEATRE
more than 40 London theatre shows offer a free child’s ticket (16s and under) with a full-priced adult ticket on the kids Week website (officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week). the offer runs throughout the entire month of august for performances such as the Gruffalo and Wicked.
6 SERVE UP A HOLIDAY TREAT
Book free tennis sessions or coaching as part of Big tennis Weekends organised by the Lawn tennis association (Lta). there are more than 1,000 events across Britain. rackets and balls are provided. the Lta suggests booking in advance online, but in some cases you can turn up on the day. Visit clubspark.lta.org.uk/events
7 DINING OUT ON THE CHEAP
Look out for offers at restaurants such as prezzo and Brewers Fayre for children to eat free or for £1, with at least one paying adult.
at Sizzling pubs, a kids’ main meal is £1 with the purchase of every one adult main meal, from monday to Friday, 3pm to 7pm.
8 FAMILY CINEMA TICKETS FOR LESS
empire Cinemas offers cheap family tickets on weekend mornings for empire Jnrs screenings (from £1 to £1.75, group must include one child aged 15 or under, empirecinemas.co.uk).
You can get a ‘free’ cinema ticket on Sundays until august 25 at cinemas participating in Sweet Sundays. You’ll need to buy promotional packs of sweets and enter codes online. NATIONAL marine Week runs from July 27 to august 11 and offers events such as rockpool rambles, dolphin and whale watching and seashore safaris
(wildlifetrusts.org). play Day, a national celebration of play, takes place across the uk on august 7. there are street parties and play events in all corners of Britain. Visit playday.org.uk/playdays
10 FREE LEGO TO TAKE HOME
BUILD toys at official Lego stores on the first thursday of every month between 4pm and 6pm and take the model, worth around £5, home for free (four to 14-year-olds,
lego.com/en-gb/stores). 11 RAINY DAY FUN AT HOME
ON a wet day, choose one of the 100 or so free outdoor and indoor activities listed on the Woodland trust website (woodlandtrust.org.
uk). using downloadable guides, children can try their hands at making squirrel-proof bird feeders and crafting fun animal masks, for example.
12 VISIT A FARM TO PICK YOUR OWN
KIDS will love picking their own fruit and vegetables on a farm. You pay according to the weight you take home. Farms often provide containers, but to save on plastic, you could bring your own. Visit pickyourownfarms.org.uk
13 PETS AT HOME WORKSHOPS
FIND workshops for kids aged five to 11 at pets at Home stores. Children are shown how to keep pets happy and healthy and there are hands-on experiences with the animals. Book at community. petsathome.com/events/
14 TRAVEL BY TRAIN
take advantage of National rail’s two-for-one entry to more than 300 regional attractions, such as Legoland Discovery Centre and the edinburgh Dungeon. all you need to do is buy a train ticket to the attraction. even if you don’t want to travel by train, it could still be worth buying the cheapest single ticket to your attraction so you can claim the deal. Visit nationalrail.co.uk
15 PLENTY TO SEE AND DO
GLASGOW’S St enoch shopping centre hosts a free Brick Built LeGo exhibition, featuring models of well-known uk landmarks, until September 15. the V&a in Dundee is hosting a free Studio DISRUPT! workshop until august 11. Families are able to create videogame stories and then bring characters to life using green screen technology(vam.ac.uk/dundee).