Cheap and free things to do in February half term

This February half term, thousands of families will be looking for ways to entertain the kids while they're off school. But with rising living costs continuing to stretch household budgets, cheap options are a must.

Here, Which? has rounded up some ways to help you fill a fun-packed calendar without breaking the bank, complete with special half-term deals, money-saving hacks and free activities.

Get a cheap kids' meal

A lot of restaurants and supermarket cafés offer ‘kids eat free’ deals or similar during the school holidays.

Here are some of the best offers we’ve seen. Some require you to purchase an adult meal to qualify, but you won't need to spend more than £5:

• Asda café: Kids eat for £1 all day, every day with no adult spend required, available until 18 March 2023. During half term, children will be able to get a free bowl of Quaker porridge from 8am to 12pm every day in 205 Asda cafés. 
• Ikea: Kids eat from 95p in Ikea restaurants. Available every day from 11am. 
• Morrisons: Kids eat free when an adult spends £4.49 or more on a meal.

We'll keep adding to this if we see more.

• Find out more: what are supermarkets doing to help during the cost of living crisis?

Restaurant and pub deals 

Here are some restaurant/pub deals on offer during half term. Many of them will require you to purchase an adult meal to qualify for the free kids meal.

• Bella Italia: Children eat for £1 with any adult main between 4-6pm, Monday-Thursday.
• Beefeater: Two children under 16 can get a free breakfast every day with a paying adult.
• Preto: Kids up to 10 eat for free with a paying adult every weekday after 4pm and all weekend. 
• Hungry Horse: Two kids under 16 can get a free breakfast every day with a paying adult.
• The Real Greek: Free under-12s kids' meal for every £10 spent by adults.
• Whitbread Inns: Two kids under 16 can get a free breakfast every day with a paying adult.
• Yo! Sushi: Free kids' meal for every £10 spent by adults.  

Save money on days out (and your travel)

There are offers to be had when you ditch the car and by travel by train or bus.

National Rail (Nationalrail.co.uk) offers two entry tickets for the price of one at a huge number of attractions nationwide, including The London Dungeon and Sea Life locations across Great Britain and ZSL London Zoo. 

If you're a Tesco Clubcard holder you can convert the points you earn on your loyalty card into vouchers to spend with its Tesco Clubcard Reward Partners. These can often be used at wildlife parks, and other attractions.

Selected Kellogg's cereal packs and snacks are currently offering an 'adults go free' voucher for Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington World of Adventures, Sea Life aquariums and sanctuaries, Madame Tussauds and other Merlin attractions. The offer is valid until June 2023, but tickets must be booked in advance, and some theme parks aren’t open yet, so check the times in advance. 

We’ve also rounded up how you can save money on travel, where you can find out about bus fares being capped at £2 until next month, and how to save by splitting your train tickets. 

• Find out more: how to find cheap train tickets

Visit London Zoo for less

Those who receive universal credit, working tax credit, child tax credit, employment and support allowance, income support or jobseeker's allowance may be able to visit ZSL London Zoo for as little as £3 until the end of March 2023. The £3 ticket price is available for the whole family, and under-3s go free.

The offer is part of ZSL's Community Access Scheme, aiming to help more people visit who might otherwise be unable to due to cost constraints.

Tickets are available every day, but must be bought at the kiosk on the day, after 11am. You'll need to bring a proof of benefit letter with you. 

You can find out more on London Zoo's website. 

Which? Money Magazine

Find the best deals, avoid scams and grow your savings and investments with our expert advice. £4.99 a month, cancel anytime

Sign up now

Celebrate Valentine's Day at home 

Share the love and celebrate Valentine’s Day from the comfort of your home.

This year, supermarkets have rolled out an array of choices from heart-shaped lobster-filled pasta to a camembert heart wreath with cherry bell peppers, to get your taste buds tingling. Prices range from £7.27 up to £20. 

• Find out more: Valentine’s Day supermarket meal deals: how they compare and how to get the best value

Learn something new at the museum 

Most museums are free to visit (though some exhibitions might require you to buy tickets), and many have dedicated exhibitions for children, with things like interactive displays. 

For example, the London Transport Museum has a range of activities on to celebrate 160 years of the tube. You can trace the history of flight at the National Science Museum, or check out the 'Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder' exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. 

Booking in advance is recommended, especially during the school holidays.

•  Find out more: the best museums and galleries

Which? Money Podcast

Join us on our weekly audio show for the latest money news and personal finance hacks to help make you better off.

Listen now

Watch a film

It’s great to get out of the house to watch the latest blockbuster, whether it's new Marvel film Antman and the Wasp or catching up with Puss in Boots. Luckily, major cinema chains have offers for those wanting to watch a film with the family:

• Cineworld’s ‘Movies for Juniors’ screenings offer children's tickets for £2.50.
• Odeon Kids has a deal where the adults pay the same price as a child, with the deal running every day during the school holidays, as well as every Saturday and Sunday.
• Vue has Mini Mornings screenings from 10am during the school holidays. Tickets for both adults and children cost £2.49 each.

Save on your subscriptions

If you fancy staying in to watch a film, or stream a series, with the family, make sure you are getting the best value for money. 

For example, you might be able to change your Netflix plan to save money, or cancel and restart your memberships to alternate which subscription services you're signed up to each month, rather than paying for all of them all the time.

• Find out more: 11 tips to save money on the cost of your subscriptions 

Try a reading challenge

A visit to your local library means kids can borrow physical books for free, as well as ebooks and audiobooks. 

Some libraries even allow you to read digital magazines and newspapers from the comfort of your own home.

To find out what your nearby library offers, visit your local council website, where you should also be able to sign up for free. 

As an alternative, you could swap books with family and friends.

• Find out more: where to download cheap or free ebooks

Head to a city farm 

You don’t have to live in the countryside to see cows and sheep. There are city farms around the UK that offer children the chance to get close to animals, from goats and chickens to alpacas and ponies. 

Many farms offer ‘cuddle corners’ where kids can pet some of the smaller creatures. Entry is usually free, but some farms will ask for a small donation on entry, and you may want to pay a small amount to buy animal feed. 

Some city farms even run special activities during school holidays, so it’s worth visiting their websites to find out what's on before you go. 

In London, you could try Mudchute Farm, Spitalfields Farm or Hackney City Farm. Elsewhere, Bath City Farm in Bath, Rice Lane City Farm in Liverpool, Balsall Heath City Farm in Birmingham and Gorgie Farm in Edinburgh are worth a visit.  

Go for a walk

It might sound simple, but this time of year can be great for wrapping up warm and going for a winter stroll to stretch the legs. Which? has rated the best UK walking routes in the countryside, and there might be one near you. 

We've recently looked into some apps will ‘pay’ you to walk, so you could earn a free coffee or voucher by just by taking a stroll.

See a theatre show

Here are a few family theatre deals we spotted, to help cut the cost of a trip:  

• Disney Magical Mondays Every Monday at noon, a number of tickets for Disney shows (The Lion King/Frozen) will be available for £29.50 through the Disney Tickets website (Disneytickets.co.uk) – but be aware they get snapped up quickly.
• Enter lotteries Some shows, including Hamilton, have lotteries you can join to get cheap tickets. If you're successful, you'll be able to buy tickets for between £10 and £35 for a performance taking place that week.
• Opt for cheaper seats You may be able to get cheaper seats if you're willing to sit at the back, or in a seat with a restricted view. You can use SeatPlan (Seatplan.com) to check out the view beforehand.
• Book direct You can usually find cheaper deals by visiting the theatre's website directly, rather than buying tickets via third-party websites.
• Visit your local theatre It’s highly likely there'll be a show on in your local theatre, where tickets will usually be cheaper compared to the West End or in major cities –Y plus, by staying local you might also save money on travel.

Are you worried about your finances?

Answer a few questions and we'll give you a tailored list of expert advice that will help you manage your finances.

Get started

Find free local events

Local councils sometime run free half-term activities for kids, or sports workshops.  

To see if you can join any nearby events, search your local council's name followed by 'half term activities' to see what's going on in your area. 

If you're not sure which local council covers your area, you can search on Gov.uk using your postcode.

• Find out more: 21 money-saving tips for parents