Deals
Affiliate links. Some links in this article earn us a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or what we say about it. How we choose what to feature.
Every code on this page was checked on 3 October 2026 and each one shows its own end date. They come from brands we have joined through the Awin affiliate network, which means we only list offers we can see the actual terms for. There are fewer than twenty, on purpose. An expired offer is removed rather than left sitting here looking useful.
Most discount pages are a wall of dead codes. This one is short because a code only goes on it when we can see its real terms and its real end date, and it comes off when it expires. The ones here lean towards the things home educating and SEND families actually spend money on: books, days out, craft kits, and the weekly shop.
What is worth knowing before you click
- Days out beat almost everything else on value. An English Heritage family membership for one adult is £84 a year, or £7 a month, and takes up to six children in free, with free parking at most sites. Checked on english-heritage.org.uk on 3 October 2026. If you visit more than a couple of times a year it stops being a discount and starts being a different way of paying.
- Books are the cheapest input in home education. The library is free and always will be the best value on this page. The Waterstones offers are here for the things the library cannot get you.
- Subscription craft kits are a want, not a need. They are genuinely good for a child who needs something hands-on each month, and genuinely a waste if the box sits unopened. Decide which one you have before subscribing.
Common questions
Are these discount codes actually live?
Yes, as at 3 October 2026. Every offer here carries the end date supplied by the brand, shown on its own card. Anything past its end date is marked expired, loses its link, and is taken off the page within a week.
How often is this page checked?
Expired offers are cleared automatically every morning. The codes themselves are reviewed when they are added and whenever the brand updates the offer, and the review date at the top of this page tells you when it was last done by hand.
Do you earn money from these links?
Yes, and it costs you nothing. If you buy after clicking, the brand pays us a small commission. It does not change the price you pay and it does not decide what goes on this page. Offers get listed because they are useful to the families who read this site, and plenty of offers we could list are not here.
Why are there so few codes?
Because the alternative is a page of things that do not work. We only list offers from brands whose programmes we have joined, where we can see the written terms and the expiry date. That rules out most of what is floating around on voucher sites.
What should I do if a code does not work?
Tell us at mellow@darlingmellow.co.uk and we will check it the same day and take it down if it has died early. Codes are sometimes pulled by a brand before their published end date, and we would rather hear about it from you than leave it up.
Which of these are actually useful for home educating families?
The days out and the books, in that order. English Heritage and Go Ape cover the trips that fill a home ed week, and Waterstones covers reading. The rest are household things that happen to be useful rather than anything to do with education, and they are labelled as such.
The current offers
Active Deals
Live affiliate discounts for Darling Mellow readers. Codes change regularly. Click through to claim.
Halloween Events at English Heritage
Halloween events are live across English Heritage sites. Midweek dates are usually quieter and work well for home educating families.
Iceland Foodhall Meal Deals From £9
Iceland Foodhall meal deals starting from £6. A genuinely good midweek-dinner shortcut. Ongoing offer.
15% Off English Heritage Gift & Annual Memberships (AFFEH1526)
15% off English Heritage gift and annual memberships with code AFFEH1526. New annual direct-debit memberships only. Cannot be combined with other offers. Runs through to the end of 2026.
AFFEH15266 for £10 Picky Bits at Iceland
Pick any 6 fresh picky-bits items for £10 at Iceland. Save up to £5. Ideal for buffet-style toddler lunches and easy weekend dinners. Ongoing.
Go Ape Treetop Challenge Family Discount: 20% Off
Make memories together for less. The Go Ape Treetop Challenge Family Discount gives you 20% off when you book for 3 to 6 people, including at least one adult and one child. Use code FAMILY20.
FAMILY20Go Ape Sunday Funday: 20% Off Groups of 4+
Groups of 4 or more save 20% on the Go Ape Treetop Challenge on Sundays. Zip wires, Tarzan Swings and sky-high crossings for less. Use code SUNFUN.
SUNFUN£15 Off Your Order at Zonky
Get £15 off your Zonky purchase with code ZONKY15. Limited-time offer.
ZONKY1515% Off Sitewide at Cosori UK
Get 15% off sitewide at Cosori UK with code cosoriawin15 at checkout. Exclusive affiliate discount, limited time.
cosoriawin155% Off Your Next Order at The Great British Yarn Company
Save 5% on your next order at The Great British Yarn Company with code SAVE5.
SAVE510% Off Your First 6 Craft Kits at Craftiosity
Get 10% off your first 6 craft kits when you subscribe at Craftiosity with code SUBSCRIBE10.
SUBSCRIBE10Save £10 When You Book Two Go Ape Adventures in One Day
Add a second activity on the same day, such as axe throwing, Forest Segway or Nets Adventure, and take £10 off.
Save1015% Off Your First Craftiosity Craft Kit
New subscribers get 15% off their first kit. A better rate than the 10% new subscriber code.
LOVECRAFTING1515% Off Craftiosity Gift Subscriptions of 3 Months or More
For gift subscriptions of three months and up. Worth knowing before Christmas.
CRAFTGIFT15Free Delivery on Great British Yarn Orders Over £35
Free delivery when you spend £35 or more. Stacks with the 5% next order code.
10% Off Your First Zonky Order
A 10% discount on a first order, with free UK mainland delivery on all orders.
Up to 20% Off Paperbacks at Waterstones
Up to 20% off selected paperbacks. Useful for home ed reading lists and the books school never got round to.
Free Delivery on Waterstones Orders Over £25
Free UK delivery when you spend £25 or more.
5% Off Your Next Order at Game Over
Welcome back offer for returning customers: get 5% off your next order at Game Over with code GAMEON5.
GAMEON510% Off Your First Order at Jimmy's Iced Coffee
Get 10% off your first order from Jimmy's Iced Coffee with code AF10.
AF10Looking for the free things first? Start with home education rules, cost and how to start, which covers what you can do without spending anything.