UK days out with the kids: School summer holidays 2025 discounts!

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I’ve been hunting out UK attractions that are offering discounts over the 2025 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 let me know in the comments so I can share it with others too. Whether your little ones love theme parks, zoos, bowling, movies or castles there’s something for everyone. Here 17 of the best UK days out offering discounts for the 2025 school holidays – I hope you and the kids have loads of fun this summer!

1. 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:

Annual memberships are 25% off in July and August with discount code: EHSUMMER2025.
English Heritage members get two kids’ lunch bags for free with £15 spend.
All English Heritage summer events are included in membership.
Adult membership now starts from £61.50 with free entry for up to six children.

2. £1 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 tickets – making it a much cheaper day out while the kids are off from school. This offer is running from July 25th to August 28th 2025, and it includes specific dates, movie theatres and movies so I’ve popped an image in below with the available options. Book for one of these showings and tickets are just £1 per person.

3. Second day free at Chessington World of Adventures

Until the 21st of August 2025, you can get your second day free when you book a short break at Chessington World of Adventures this summer. Prices start from £52pp and the hotels are fabulous – we stayed with them back in April and had an incredible time. It’s a brilliant theme park if you have kids of mixed ages, as there’s something for everyone, and the rides aren’t too scary if you’ve got little ones. Read more about our short break here: Chessington Resort Guide: Is the Safari or Azteca hotel better? And to find the terms and conditions, plus prices and availability for your chosen dates, click here to head to the Chessington World of Adventures website.

4. 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 and Kids’ Week performances run from Monday 21 July – Sunday 31 August 2025. Make sure you check out my article: The 10 best FREE days out in London with kids too if you’re heading to the city!

5. 40% of M&D’s Theme Park tickets, Scotland

If you’re Scotland based, or heading there for the summer, then you might want to take advantage of the 40% discount that Love to Visit are offering for M&D’s Theme Park. You can visit in July and August for just £15.95 per person (reduced from £25.95) which will save a family of four £40! So if you fancy a day of rides, tropical animals or even a game of crazy golf, then click here to head to the Love to Visit website to find out more about the M&D’s Theme Park discount.

6. Second day free at Legoland Windsor

Until the 31st of October 2025, you can get your second day free when you book a short break at Legoland Windsor – so it’s perfect if you fancy a mini-break over the summer holidays, or an October half-term getaway. Prices start from £79pp and if you’ve got little ones it’s a fabulous place to spend a few days – we took our two when they were small and they absolutely loved it! To find the terms and conditions, plus prices and availability for your chosen dates, click here to head to the Legoland Windsor website.

7. £10 kids’ tickets at Howletts Wild 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 (£10 each!) – making it a fantastic opportunity to see some amazing animals without breaking the bank. This offer runs from the 23rd July – 2nd September 2025. For more info on Howletts Zoo – click here to check out my review.

8. Pay once visit twice at Greenwood Family Park, North Wales

We have such fond memories of our day at Greenwood Family Park, so if you’re based in North Wales or heading there on holiday you’ll definitely want to make the most of their pay once visit twice offer. Book a visit between the 19th July and the 24th of August 2025, and you can come back again for free within 7 days – two days of fun for the price of one! Make sure you check out my Greenwood Family Park Review for a little glimpse into our day there. You’ll need to keep your original ticket to show for re-entry, and you can find all the details about the offer on the Greenwood Family Park website.

9. Up to 25% off Hollywood Bowl before 12pm

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 25% off bowling when they book before 12pm. Just use discount code: SCHOOLSOUT25 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.

10. Kids go free at Bodmin Jail, Cornwall

If you fancy a unique day out, and you’re heading to Cornwall with the kids for a UK staycation over the school holidays, then you might want to check out the kids go free offer that Bodmin Jail are running. It’s valid this summer for visits between the 1st July and the 31st August 2025 – perfect for school holiday entertainment. One child under 15 years old can enter for free per paying adult. Find out more by visiting the Bodmin Jail website.

11. Kids Go Free 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, up to 3 kids go free with a full-paying adult, making it an excellent choice for families looking for an affordable and educational day out. Just use discount code: KIDSGOFREE and book before 20th July – it’s valid for visits from the 23rd July to the 2nd September 2025. Click here to find out more on Banham Zoo website.

12. Second day free at Alton Towers theme park

Yet another awesome theme park offer for the summer holidays – you can also get your second day free with a short break stay at Alton Towers. 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 Review – we had such a great time there! Prices start from £57pp and the offer is valid until the 31st of August 2025. For all details, and to check prices and availability for your dates, click here to head to the Alton Towers website.

13. Save 15% on Go Ape with their Tree Top Challenge family discount

Available Sunday – Friday, families can save 15% on a Go Ape visit with discount code: FAMILY15 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. 2 for 1 at Drayton Manor and West Midlands Safari Park

This summer, you can get a 2 for 1 discounted ticket for Drayton Manor theme park and West Midlands Safari Park – perfect for thrill-seekers and animal lovers alike as you can have two family days out for the price of one. The offer includes 2 tickets for £45, making it £22.50 per attraction, but you must purchase your tickets by the 31st July for a visit on or before the 8th August 2025. For all the details, check out the Drayton Manor website.

15. £15 kids’ tickets at Port Lympne Safari Park, Kent

Port Lympne Safari Park is a very popular safari park located in Kent. This conservation-led zoo has a brilliant safari experience and over 900 animals including giraffes, rhinos, bears, monkeys and tigers. For the school summer holidays, they’re offering discounted kids’ tickets at £15 each for August visits. However, tickets must be booked before July 20th 2025, and there are a limited amount available for each day. Find out more on the Port Lympne Safari Park website.

16. Twice the fun – 2 for the price of 1 with Merlin theme parks

Merlin have added a new offer for theme parks visits over the school summer holidays. Book by the 17th of August 2025 to make the most of this deal, and you can visit two of their theme parks for the price of one! I’ve put all of the links you’ll need below – pick your primary place to visit using these and you can visit a second theme park of your choice too. Make sure you check out the terms and conditions whilst booking, and you’ve got until the 30th of September to redeem and enjoy your complimentary second theme park visit – what a great deal!

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

17. Second day free at Thorpe Park theme park

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. Prices start from £57pp and the offer is valid until the 31st of August 2025. For all details, and to check prices and availability for your dates, click here to head to the Thorpe Park 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! Lots of reward schemes and discount providers offer brilliant savings to make your family adventures more budget-friendly, so 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. (They have some awesome offers on there – I always check the website first before booking!)
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: As I mentioned above, 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 you can make the most of their offer at the moment if you pay annually.

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 so look out for these in the supermarket.
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 places like 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 here: How can my child get a Blue Peter Badge?
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?

Where can the kids eat for free this summer?

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; kids eat free at Morrisons with an adult meal purchase; Toby Carvery offer kids’ roast dinners from just a few pounds; and the IKEA Café offers meals from 95p. 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, here are loads of places offering discounts with kids eat free (or for £1) deals during the UK school holidays for 2025…

Final thoughts

The 2025 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. From thrilling theme parks to immersive experiences and wildlife adventures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 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! 😀