15 School Holiday Discounts for UK Days Out with the Kids (2026)

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I’ve been hunting out UK attractions that are offering discounts over the 2026 school summer holidays – so that you can have some fun days out with the kids without breaking the bank. There are plenty of amazing UK attractions offering great discounts to make your days out with the kids more affordable – and if you come across any other places offering deals over the school summer holidays please share them in the comments.

Whether your little ones love theme parks, zoos, bowling, movies or castles there’s something for everyone. Here 15 of the best UK days out offering discounts for the 2026 school summer holidays:

1. 2 for 1 with Merlin theme parks

Merlin has launched a new 2 for 1 ticket offer for theme park visits over the school summer holidays. Book your first visit between 25th June and 27th July 2026, and you’ll get a FREE second day out at another Merlin theme park. That’s two theme parks for the price of one. I’ve included all the links you need below. Simply choose your main park, then select a second park to visit for free. Just make sure you check the terms and conditions when booking, and both visits must take place between 25th June and 25th September 2026. (T&Cs apply) What a great deal!

Click here for Chessington World of Adventures 2 for 1 tickets – you can pick Thorpe Park, Legoland, Alton Towers or a second trip to Chessington for your bonus visit.
Click here for Thorpe Park 2 for 1 tickets – you can pick Chessington, Legoland, Alton Towers or a second trip to Thorpe Park for your bonus visit.
Click here for Legoland Windsor 2 for 1 tickets – you can pick Chessington, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers or a second trip to Legoland for your bonus visit.
Click here for Alton Towers 2 for 1 tickets – you can pick Chessington, Thorpe Park, Legoland or a second trip to Alton Towers for your bonus visit.

2. Save 25% with English Heritage and kids eat free

If you’re going to be having lots of days out with the kids over the school summer holidays, then you might want to take advantage of the current offer the English Heritage are running – there’s a 25% discount and you can use your membership for a whole year at over 400 sites. With your membership, they’re offering free entry for kids and free kids’ meals! Here are the main perks, and click here to head to the English Heritage website to sign up or find out more:

Get 25% off annual memberships with discount code: EHSUM26.
Kids eat free: From 1 July to 31 August 2026, members can enjoy one free children’s lunch bag at participating English Heritage cafés when they spend £10 or more on food.

3. £2 family films with Cineworld

If you fancy a relaxing afternoon at the cinema, then you’ll be delighted to hear that Cineworld are offering discounted ‘Movies for Junior’ tickets at lots of venues daily through the summer holidays. You can enjoy some older releases including movies like Chicken Run, Flushed Away, The Pirates, Early Man, Shaun the Sheep and more! Book for one of these showings and tickets are just £2 per person.

4. Second day free with Chessington Short Breaks

If you’re planning a Chessington World of Adventures Short Break, now is a great time to book. For a limited time, Merlin is offering a free second day in the theme park when you book an eligible short break. Book between 25th June – 19th July 2026, for a stay between 26th June – 22nd October 2026, to take advantage of this offer. Click here to head to the Chessington website for more info and prices for your dates. (T&Cs apply) The hotels are amazing and it’s a brilliant theme park if you have kids of mixed ages – check out my Chessington Resort Guide for more info.

5. 50% off kids’ tickets at Howletts Animal Park, Kent

Howletts Wild Animal Park, located in Kent, is home to an incredible range of wildlife, including gorillas, elephants and big cats – this conservation-led zoo is dedicated to protecting endangered species. For the school summer holidays, they’re offering discounted kids’ tickets with 50% off – making it a fantastic opportunity to see some amazing animals without breaking the bank. This works out at £11.25 per child and the offer runs until the end of August 2026. For more info on Howletts Zoo – click here to check out my review.

6. Kids go free with Kids’ Theatre Week, London

If you fancy heading to the capital for some days out with the kids over the school summer holidays, then you might want to consider a theatre visit with the discounts that the Official London Theatre website is offering. A child aged 17 and under goes free when accompanied by an adult paying full price – plus an additional two children can attend for half price. You’ll have to see what’s available on their website as tickets for this do (understandably!) get snapped up. Kids’ Week performances run from Monday 20 July – Monday 31 August 2026. Make sure you check out my article on the 10 Best FREE Days Out in London with Kids if you’re heading to the city!

7. Second day free with LEGOLAND Windsor Short Breaks

If you fancy a LEGOLAND Windsor Short Break, you can also benefit from a free second day in the theme park when you book an eligible short break. Book between 25th June – 19th July 2026, for a stay between 26th June – 22nd October 2026, to take advantage of this offer. Click here to head to the LEGOLAND Windsor website for more info and prices for your dates. (T&Cs apply) The Woodland Village is brilliant and LEGOLAND is absolutely perfect for primary school age kids – check out my LEGOLAND Resort Review for more info.

8. Up to 50% off Hollywood Bowl before 11am

For a fun-filled indoor activity that’ll be perfect for a rainy day, Hollywood Bowl is offering discounts for the school summer holidays. Families can get up to 50% off bowling when they book before 11am. Just use discount code: SCHOOLSOUT50 at the checkout – a few venues are excluded so make sure you check the terms and conditions. It’s the perfect way to enjoy some friendly competition, especially if the British weather isn’t cooperating! Click here to find out more on the Hollywood Bowl website.

9. £12.50 tickets for Gulliver’s Theme Parks

Gulliver’s Theme Parks are offering fantastic value this summer, with tickets available from just £12.50 per person on selected dates. That’s almost 50% off the usual gate price, making it one of the cheapest ways to enjoy a family theme park day out. The offer is available across all four parks – Gulliver’s World, Gulliver’s Kingdom, Gulliver’s Valley and Gulliver’s Land – but you’ll need to book online in advance to secure the discounted price. Click here to find the discounted tickets via Wowcher.

10. Kids for £1 at Banham Zoo, Norwich

Banham Zoo is another fantastic choice for animal lovers. Located in Norfolk, this award-winning zoo is home to over 2000 animals, including tigers, giraffes and cheetahs. This school holiday they’re offering kids’ tickets for just £1 – making it an excellent choice for families looking for an affordable and educational day out. It’s an early bird offer so book by Friday 17th July for visits between Saturday 18th July – Wednesday 2nd September 2026. Click here to find out more on Banham Zoo website.

11. Second day free with Alton Towers Short Breaks

Yet another awesome theme park offer for the summer holidays – you can also get your second day free with an eligible short break stay at Alton Towers. Book between 25th June – 19th July 2026, for a stay between 26th June – 22nd October 2026, to take advantage of this offer. Click here to head to the Alton Towers website for more info and prices for your dates. (T&Cs apply) It’s a fantastic family day out – with something for big kids and little ones because as well as rollercoasters they’ve got Cbeebies Land for the tiny tots. Find out more about it in my Alton Towers Hotel Review.

12. £1 family films with Odeon

Odeon are also offering cheap kids’ movie screenings over the kids school summer holidays with £1 tickets on selected films. It’s valid on select days and times, so head to their website for more info. You’ll find movies like Goat and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on offer – perfect for a cheap activity if you get a rainy day or want to enjoy the air-conditioning!

13. Save 20% with Go Ape’s family discount

Available Sunday – Friday, families can save 20% on a Go Ape visit with discount code: FAMILY20 on bookings for between 3 and 6 people. One or more of the participants must be under 18, and at least one adult must participate too, so if you fancy a family high ropes adventure this is a great way to cut costs a little bit. Just enter the code at the checkout to benefit from the offer if you’re heading to Go Ape over the summer holidays. To find out more about it, and find a location near you, click here to head to the Go Ape website for all the details.

14. Second day free with Thorpe Park Short Breaks

These great theme park offers just keep on coming! For the summer holidays, you can also get your second day free with a short break stay at Thorpe Park. It’s such a great day out for older kids and teenagers – Finn and Lola love it there! (Just bring some spare clothes for the water rides!) Find out more about it in my Thorpe Park Review. Book between 25th June – 19th July 2026, for a stay between 26th June – 1st October 2026, to take advantage of this offer. Click here to head to the Thorpe Park website for more info and prices for your dates. (T&Cs apply)

15. Kids go free at Drayton Manor

Drayton Manor is running a fantastic Kids Go Free offer for the summer holidays. For a limited time, one child under 1.2 metres tall can visit free with every full-paying adult, making it a great option for families with younger children. Home to Thomas Land, more than 50 rides and attractions, and a 15-acre zoo, there’s something for all ages to enjoy. To take advantage of the offer, you’ll need to book online between 13 and 27 July, with visits valid from 18 July to 1 September 2026. Find more info on the Drayton Manor website.

How else can I save on the big attractions?

Never pay full price for your family adventures without having a good hunt around for the best offers! To save on days out with the kids all over the UK, have a look at the discounts and deals below that you can take advantage of all year round – these aren’t just offers that run during the school summer holidays! Here are some ways to save money on popular attractions when you’re out and about with the kids:

lovetovisit.co.uk: The ‘Love to Visit’ website offers discounted tickets for family-friendly days out with the kids all over the UK – so it’s worth checking their current prices for your favourite attractions before you book.
Tesco Clubcard points: Lots of popular attractions are part of the Tesco reward scheme so save your points and you could visit for free!
National Rail 2-for-1 offers: If you’re travelling by train you can get 1/3 off or 2 for 1 tickets on loads of attractions when booked through the National Rail 2 for 1 scheme.
English Heritage: English Heritage memberships can be a great investment; once you’ve signed up you can use them time and time again for free days out. Payments can be made monthly, so that they don’t seem too overwhelming, but annual memberships have the best discounts.

Kids Pass: You can sign up to a Kid’s Pass trial for just £1 to access discounts on days out and eating out all over the UK.
Supermarket promotions: Cereal brands like Kelloggs run promotions for discounted tickets (things like 2 for 1 tickets) for days out with the kids by purchasing specially-marked boxes.
Blue Peter Badges: Blue Peter Badges are awesome because the kids can get in for free at over 200 UK attractions – literally halving the cost of your family days out! You can use them at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, ZSL London Zoo, The Tower of London, the HMS Belfast, The Heights of Abraham, The Eden Project, The London Bridge Experience and loads of other places – read more about it in my Blue Peter Badge Guide.
Multi-attraction tickets: Look for combination tickets to get the best deals. For instance, Merlin have five main London attractions, with each typically priced at around £30pp, but book a multi-attraction ticket and it’s so much more affordable. You get 90 days to enjoy your chosen attractions so it’s worth buying in bulk – and it can cost as little £12 per attraction!

Merlin Annual Pass: With a Merlin Annual Pass you can access absolutely loads of attractions including: Alton Towers, Chessington, LEGOLAND Windsor and Thorpe Park; indoor fun like SEA LIFE centres, Shrek’s Adventure!, The London Eye and Madame Tussauds; and historical and immersive experiences like Warwick Castle, The Dungeons and even Cadbury World. Kids under 90cm go free and you can check out all of the pass options and what’s included here: Are Merlin Annual Passes worth it and which pass is best?

More Summer Savings

Prices should be a bit cheaper this summer across the board with the Government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme – helping families enjoy cheaper days out over the school holidays. From 25 June until 1 September 2026, VAT has been temporarily reduced from 20% to 5% on eligible family attractions across the UK, including many theme parks, zoos, museums, soft play centres and wildlife parks. The reduction also applies to many children’s meals and some family cinema, theatre and entertainment tickets, meaning the discount is usually reflected automatically in ticket prices.

Free Children’s Bus Travel

Families can also save on getting to attractions this summer thanks to a new Government initiative. From 1 August to 31 August 2026, all children aged 5 to 15 can travel free on participating local bus services across England. There’s no registration required for most participating operators, making it an easy way to cut the cost of summer days out, whether you’re heading to the beach, a museum or a nearby theme park.

Kids Eat Free

Fortunately, lots of restaurants and supermarkets offer cheap (or free) meals for the kids, or daytime saver menus. For instance: kids always eat for £1 at Asda and kids eat free at Morrisons with an adult meal purchase. Plenty of places offer ‘children eat free’ deals or £1 meals during school holiday times too – so plot meals out around the best prices! If you’d like to eat out on some of your days out with the kids this summer check out my article: Kids Eat Free (or for £1) During the School Summer Holidays 2026.

Final thoughts

The 2026 school summer holidays don’t have to be expensive – with so many great discounts available, you can treat the kids to some fantastic UK days out in a more budget friendly way. Be sure to book in advance where required and check the terms and conditions of each offer to make the most of these fantastic deals. Don’t forget to throw in some no spend days out too – to balance the books a little with the treat days. Think country parks, beaches, the woods, hikes, mountains, lakes, bike rides, playgrounds and even paddling in a stream! We have some many great FREE days out in the UK so make the most of the sunshine, pack up a picnic and have an awesome summer break! 😀