May half term 2026 runs from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May. Monday is the Spring Bank Holiday, so most parents will be off work for the first day at least. That gives you five days (or nine if you count the weekends either side) to fill with things that don’t cost the earth. Here are 25 ideas sorted by budget.
Completely Free
1. National museums. The Science Museum, Natural History Museum, British Museum, V&A, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Imperial War Museum, National Museum of Scotland, and National Museum Cardiff are all free. Most run special half term activities for children too — check their websites for booking requirements.
2. Library events. Libraries across England and Wales run structured reading and craft sessions for children aged 3-16 during every school holiday. These are completely free and don’t require booking at most branches. Check your local library’s website or pop in and ask.
3. Park picnic and nature hunt. Late May gives you some of the longest daylight hours of the year — sunset in England is after 9pm. Average temperatures are 16-19°C. Pack a picnic, bring a nature identification book or use a free app like iNaturalist, and let the kids run wild.
4. Beach day. If you’re within driving distance of the coast, May half term is early enough in the season that beaches aren’t rammed. Brighton, Bournemouth, Whitby, Tenby, and Newquay are all popular family choices. Parking is the only real cost.
5. Geocaching. Download the free Geocaching app and go treasure hunting. There are over 400,000 geocaches hidden across the UK. It’s free, it gets kids walking, and the thrill of finding a hidden container never gets old.
6. Bike ride. Sustrans has mapped over 12,000 miles of traffic-free and quiet cycling routes across the UK. Their website shows family-friendly routes near you. If your kids don’t have bikes, many councils run free bike lending schemes during school holidays.
7. Baking day. Pick a recipe your kids have never tried — bread, pizza dough, scones, flapjacks — and let them run the kitchen. A bag of flour costs 80p. The mess is free.
8. Den building in the woods. Find your nearest woodland (the Woodland Trust has a map of free-access woods) and spend a morning building dens from fallen branches. Bring a flask of hot chocolate.
Under £10 Per Person
9. Swimming. Local council leisure centres typically charge £3-6 per person for a public swim session. Many run family splash sessions during half term with inflatables and water toys.
10. Cinema morning screenings. Many cinemas (Odeon, Vue, Cineworld) run discounted morning screenings during half term for around £2.50-4 per person. Check your local cinema’s website for their holiday schedule.
11. Bowling. Most bowling alleys offer family deals during half term. Hollywood Bowl typically runs a family of four offer for around £20-25. Tenpin often has similar deals.
12. Farm visit. Late May is peak baby animal season — lambs, chicks, calves, piglets. Many farm parks charge £5-8 per person and you can easily spend a full day there.
13. National Trust free sites. While most National Trust properties charge entry, they have over 150 sites with free access to grounds, gardens, or countryside. Check the National Trust website for free sites near you.
Bigger Days Out (But Worth It)
14. English Heritage sites. If you have an English Heritage family membership (from £7/month for a single parent + up to 6 kids free), every visit is included. Over 400 castles, ruins, and historic sites across England with free parking at most. They run special family events during May half term. Without membership, individual entry averages £21 for adults and £10.60 for children. See our full English Heritage review for the breakdown on whether membership is worth it.
15. Go Ape. Go Ape has 35 locations across the UK. Treetop Adventure (suitable for ages 6+ and anyone over 1m tall) starts from £20.95. The full Treetop Challenge (ages 10+, 1.4m+) starts from £34.95. Book Sunday to Friday for 20% off as a family of 3-6 people. It’s physical, it’s outdoors, and kids talk about it for weeks.
16. Alton Towers. Book online and pay £29 per person instead of the £68 walk-up price — that’s a 57% saving. Under-90cm children go free. New for 2026: the world’s first Bluey ride in CBeebies Land, which will be perfect for younger kids. Parking is £10. If you plan multiple theme park visits, a Merlin Annual Pass (from £99) covers Alton Towers plus LEGOLAND, Thorpe Park, Chessington, and more.
17. Treetop nets and adventure parks. Look for local treetop adventure parks that aren’t Go Ape — they’re often cheaper and less busy. Many charge £8-15 per child for a 2-hour session.
18. Kayaking or paddleboarding. Many lakes and rivers now have hire centres where you can rent kayaks or SUP boards for £10-20 per hour. Late May weather makes this much more appealing than February half term. Check for family discounts and under-12 deals.
Screen-Free Indoor Ideas (For the Rainy Days)
19. Board game marathon. Dust off the board games or invest in a new one. Waterstones has a surprisingly good games section alongside books — a new board game provides days of entertainment for the price of a single cinema ticket.
20. Art project. Pick a theme and spend a whole afternoon on it. Collage, painting, clay modelling, tie-dye old t-shirts. The Works is brilliant for cheap craft supplies if you need to stock up.
21. Cooking challenge. Give each child a budget (£5 from the supermarket) and challenge them to plan, shop for, and cook a meal for the family. It teaches budgeting, nutrition, and life skills in one go. Iceland is great for this — their frozen ingredients are cheap and easy for kids to work with.
22. Build something. Lego, Meccano, cardboard box engineering, a birdhouse from scrap wood. Structured building projects keep kids focused for hours and they get to keep what they make.
23. Language learning. If your kids aren’t already on Duolingo, half term is a perfect time to start. It’s free, takes 10 minutes a day, and by the end of the week they’ll know basic greetings in a new language.
24. Documentary day. Pick a topic your kids are curious about and watch documentaries together. BBC iPlayer, YouTube, and Channel 4’s streaming service all have excellent nature, science, and history documentaries for children. Follow up with related activities — if you watch a space documentary, build a solar system model from fruit.
25. Write a story together. Take turns writing a paragraph each. One person starts, the next person continues, and so on. You end up with the most ridiculous, creative stories that the kids will want to read back for months. Bind it into a little book with staples and a card cover.
How to Save Money on Half Term
Book everything online in advance — theme parks and attractions almost always charge less for pre-booked tickets than walk-up prices. Alton Towers charges £29 online versus £68 on the gate. That’s not a deal, it’s just how they price things now.
Check if your employer offers Merlin, English Heritage, or National Trust discounts through their benefits scheme. Many do and it’s often overlooked.
If you receive Universal Credit, your kids may now qualify for Free School Meals regardless of your income (the two-child limit was scrapped from 6 April 2026, and all UC households become eligible for FSM from September 2026). That’s money saved during term time that you can redirect to half term activities.
Child Benefit increased to £27.05 per week for the first child from April 2026 — use our Child Benefit Calculator to check exactly how much your family receives.
Most importantly: the best half term days are often the free ones. A flask of tea, a pack of sandwiches, and a wood to explore costs nothing and creates the memories your kids will actually remember.
Join the Conversation
Real talk from real UK mums. Ask questions, share advice, find local groups near you.
Join the Community →
