Theme parks aren't the only summer day out. Here are 20 UK family days out where everything costs under £20 per person — most of them under £15 — so you can do them several times across the holidays without flinching at the bank statement.
Under £10 per person
1. Local farm parks
Lambs, goats, tractor rides, soft play, sometimes a small zoo. Typically £8–14 per person. Most counties have several — start with a Google for "[your county] farm park".
Top picks: Cotswold Farm Park, Wroxham Barns (Norfolk), Mead Open Farm (Beds), Folly Farm (Pembrokeshire).
2. Soft play centres
Rainy-day rescue. £6–12 per child, adults usually free. Look for independents — chains can be more expensive.
3. Cinema kids' clubs
£2.50 to £3 per ticket for weekend morning family screenings. Vue's Mini Mornings, Cineworld's Movies for Juniors, Odeon's Kids' Club. Cheapest big-screen entertainment going.
4. Public outdoor swimming pools (lidos)
£4–8 per person on a hot day. Brockwell, Hampton, Hathersage Park, Stonehaven (Scotland). Brilliant value.
5. Free entry museums (you pay only travel + lunch)
Already covered in free list — but if a museum day costs you £15 in train fare and £20 on a meal, it still fits the under-£20 brief.
£10–£15 per person
6. Sea Life centres
£10–18 per person, free for under-3s, big discounts when booked online in advance. Reliable rainy-day option in most regions.
7. Cadbury World
£17 adults, £13 kids advance. Chocolate factory tour, play area, see-the-Cadbury-bunny stuff. Worth every penny if your kids love chocolate (they do).
8. National Sea Life Birmingham
£14–20 booked in advance. Penguins, sharks, jellyfish. Great rainy-day spot.
9. Trampoline parks
£10–15 per person per hour. Gravity, Oxygen, Flip Out. Kids exhausted afterwards = win.
🎁 FREE — WIN £50 EVERY MONTH
Get the £50 Inspire Travel Card every month
Subscribe to The Boarding Pass Club newsletter — get our hand-picked UK family day-out ideas + you're auto-entered to win a £50 travel card every month. Spend it at TUI, Jet2, Booking.com, Travelodge, Premier Inn + more.
10. Mini-golf / adventure golf
£8–14 per person. Junkyard Golf, Plonk, Putt Shack, plus thousands of indie courses. Great cross-age activity.
11. Crazy Mountain Mini Golf
Mini-golf with a Diggerland-style twist — sit-on diggers. Most kids 4–10 love it.
12. Bowling
Hollywood Bowl, Tenpin, Bowlplex. £10–15 per person per game (bumpers free for kids).
£15–£20 per person
13. Local steam railway day-rovers
£15–18 adults, £8 kids. North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Bluebell Railway, Watercress Line. Half-day on a real steam train — beats a theme park ride.
14. Karting
£15–25 per session at TeamSport, Capital Karts, Daytona. Kids' karts available from age 8.
15. Wildlife park entry
£15–18 typical. Smaller regional zoos and wildlife parks. Birdland (Cotswolds), Banham Zoo (Norfolk), Drusillas (East Sussex).
16. Aquarium combo deal
Many tourist towns sell £20 family combo tickets covering aquarium + nearby attraction. Check Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough.
17. Day at the races (kids free)
Most UK racecourses are free for under-18s with paying adult, and adult day tickets are £15–25 in advance. Great picnic day — bring blankets.
18. Treetop adventure / Go Ape
Treetop Adventure (the "junior" version) is around £20 per child. Older Go Ape course is £35+. Brilliant for adventurous 6+ kids.
19. Tank Museum, Bovington
£17 advance adults. Real tanks. Bovington has a Tank Park where you can sometimes get rides. Niche but kids who love military stuff lose their minds.
20. National Football Museum, Manchester
£15 adults, ~£8 kids. Brilliant for football-mad kids. Hands-on, interactive.
How we stayed under £20
- Always book online — sometimes saves 40%
- Pack a picnic. £20 saved instantly.
- Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers at Merlin attractions (3× value)
- Use cashback sites for any pre-bookable attraction (look at our cashback comparison)
- Get the Kids Pass or Days Out Guide app — 2-for-1 vouchers add up fast
More UK family day-out guides
- The big list: 50+ things to do with kids in the UK this summer
- 15 free things to do with kids this summer (UK)
- Best UK theme parks for families 2026
- Cheap days out with kids — every idea under £20
- Best UK beaches for families 2026
- Rainy day? 12 indoor things to do with kids around the UK
🎁 FREE — WIN £50 EVERY MONTH
Get the £50 Inspire Travel Card every month
Subscribe to The Boarding Pass Club newsletter — get our hand-picked UK family day-out ideas + you're auto-entered to win a £50 travel card every month. Spend it at TUI, Jet2, Booking.com, Travelodge, Premier Inn + more.
