Cheap and FREE family days out this winter

DON’T overpay to escape the cold with the kids this winter – we’ve listed all the cheap and free family days out you’ll need.

Keeping the kids entertained in winter can get expensive. But before you drop £30 each on tickets to indoor attractions, you’ll want to read this list as our ultimate family days out guide for winter is packed with cheap days out.

Our helpful list includes everything to keep the kids entertained, from inflatable obstacle courses, ice skating and trampolining.

There’s also half-price bowling, indoor tropical gardens and more.

Whether your budget is £15 or zero pounds, here are the best cheap and free family days out to book for winter.

Which means you’re saving some much-needed extra cash for Christmas presents…

Under £15pp

Clip ‘n Climb Toddler Sessions – multiple locations

If you’ve got kids aged 2-4, you can take them on a 60 minute mini climbing session at Clip ‘n’ Climbs across the UK from £13.50 per child.

You can also book in for a Mini Mountaineers session for ages 2-4 at certain locations, which includes a free snack pot, for £10.50 per child. The deal also includes free soft play use. Click here to see locations.

Legoland Discovery Centre – Manchester/Birmingham

The Legoland Discovery centres include indoor rides, massive Lego build zones, a 4D cinema, and a dedicated Duplo farm for the little ones.

During term-time weekdays, an adult and a toddler (under five) can get combined entry for £10.50, which is a massive saving on standard ticket prices (£19pp when booked online).

Bovington Tank Museum – Dorset

Explore massive indoor hangars packed with over 300 military vehicles at the brilliant Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset. There’s also a soft play area, a dress up zone and interactive activities, like building your own tank.

While individual tickets can be pricey, if you go for a family ticket for four it works out to a bargain £11.99pp. Plus under-fours go completely free.

Paradise Island Crazy Golf – multiple locations

Shelter from the rain and take on an indoor tropical crazy golf course. You can find these massive indoor courses in locations including Manchester, Sheffield, Cheshire Oaks, Glasgow, and Livingston.

Tickets cost £11.50 per adult, £9.25 per child aged five to 16 and £6 per child under five. Click here for all locations.

Zip World – multiple locations

While Zip World is known for its thrilling zipwires, climbing and cavern experiences, little ones can get in on the fun, too – all for under £15.

Mini thrill seekers can take on the Tiny Trek treetop adventure £12) and the Treetot Nets (£5), while the grown-ups with them can take on the Treetop Drop £15) – a terrifying freefall experience through the trees.

Indoor trampolining at Air Unlimited – multiple locations

This two-hour jump session is the perfect chance for kids to burn off that pent-up energy, with wall-to-wall trampolines, tumble tracks, giant slides plus a jump tower with a giant airbag to land on.

You can book via Groupon for a 32 per cent discount, taking the price down to £14.95pp.

Under £10pp

Ninja Warrior UK – multiple locations

Take on the TV-famous Ninja Warrior obstacle course from £9.95 for ages five plus, or take on the mini ‘Ninja Toddlers’ for £2.

You can visit in the following locations: Bristol, Chatham, Chelmsford, Guildford, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Teesside, Walsall and Watford.

Skating at Planet Ice

A family trip to the ice rink is perfect in the winter – and Planet Ice sessions start from £8 per adult or child, £3.20 per child under 4.

You can also book in for seasonal events like the Sub Zero Disco, Penguin Club skating classes for under fives and Stick and Puck ice hockey skill sessions. Click here to find your nearest rink.

Tenpin Half-Price Tuesdays

When the weather plays up this winter, head to Tenpin for a few rounds of bowling. The Tenpin Tuesdays offer gives you 50 per cent off bowling and selected drinks (from £4.98 per adult & £4.25 per child).

There’s also a family deal, where you can bag a game for a family of four from £8.75 – plus you can add on a burger meal for £3.80pp.

High Ropes Adventure – Birmingham

Another great indoor option for burning off some energy indoors is the Gravity High Ropes experience in Birmingham.

Tackle rope bridges, climb platforms and weave through webs high up in the air from only £8.76pp with this Groupon deal.

Under £5pp

Soft play at Everyone Active – multiple locations

Ditch the £15pp private indoor play centres and check out your local, council-run leisure centre.

Places like Everyone Active run dedicated toddler soft play sessions starting from just £2. Click here to find a location near you.

Cinema – multiple locations

Cinema trips are still a fantastic option for killing a couple hours indoors, where the kids are kept warm and entertained for only a few pounds.

Upcoming family-friendly movies include a new, animated The Cat in the Hat as well as The Angry Birds Movie. In fact, Sun Club members can even bag free Cineworld tickets on select dates this November. Click here to redeem yours.

Big Pit National Coal Museum – Blaenavon, Wales

Pop on your head torch and visit a real coal mine with its own museum for an adventurous family day out, with galleries where you can get up close to machinery and watch underground movies on mining history.

While the museum is free to visit, you can book an underground tour for only £5pp. The tour takes you 300 feet underground with a real miner, through tunnels stepped through for hundreds of years.

Swim for all – multiple locations

Ditch overpriced waterparks and simply visit your local leisure centre to enjoy a heated pool, inflatables for hire and more for a fraction of the cost.

Swim for All sessions cost around £5 per adult and £2.85 per child. Click here to find a pool near you.

Free

Tropical Winter Gardens

Warm up inside a giant, tropical indoor jungle in Sheffield or Sunderland. Stay sheltered with warm temperatures inside a giant glass dome, with plenty of lovely plants to look at.

Sheffield’s also has its own cafe and gift shop, while the Sunderland site hosts free weekly activities such as a forest school for kids.

Forestry England Character Trails

If your kids are fans of Room on the Broom, Stick Man or The Gruffalo, your next winter walk is about to get a lot more interesting.

Forestry England have themed trails across the UK, stretching from Northumberland to Cornwall. Click here to find a themed trail near you

Go Geocaching

Turn a boring winter walk into an exciting treasure hunt for free just by downloading the Geocaching app to your smartphone.

Work together as a family to track down the secret ‘caches’ hidden in local parks and woodlands. Just wrap up warm, pack a pen to sign the logbook, and let the GPS guide you.

Winter wildlife spotting

Wrap up warm and take the kids outdoors to get to know local wildlife this winter. Download Merlin Bird ID to track bird by their calls, or print out a free activity sheet from Wildlife Watch UK.

To spot adorable seal pups on the beach, head to Donna Nook in Lincolnshire or Blakeney in Norfolk. Watch wild deer roam in spots like Richmond, Holkham and Cheshire, or watch the incredible winter swan feeds at the WWT Wetland Centres across the UK.

National Railway Museum, York

You don’t have to pay a penny to walk into the biggest train museum on the planet.

Get up close to legendary locomotives like the Mallard and Flying Scotsman, before taking ta ride on the miniature railway and checking out the massive model train setups.

Discovery Museum, Newcastle

Dedicated to Tyneside’s maritime and industrial history, this free attraction is complete with a massive 34-metre ship (called The Turbina) right at the entrance.

Inside there’s a brilliant hands-on ‘Science Maze’ play area, with interactive screens, experiments and more.

Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds

This free-entry museum is stocked with unique armour including that of Henry VIII, samurai swords and even the world’s only remaining suit of elephant armour from India.

There are even historical live demonstrations, including knights duelling in medieval long sword fighting, as well as time for the kids to handle special objects and dress up.