But with rising living costs continuing to stretch household budgets, cheap options are a must.
1. Get a £1 kids meal
Lots of supermarket and store cafés offer ‘kids eat free’ deals or similar during the school holidays. Here are some of the best offers we’ve seen, where you won't have to spend more than a fiver.
...Or a dining discount
Lots of restaurants also have kids offers during the holidays if you purchase a main meal.
You could also consider getting a dining card, which could save you up to 50% at thousands of restaurants across the UK.
2. Watch the latest blockbuster
Whether it’s Migration or Mean Girls, if your kids want to watch the latest blockbuster in the cinema, make sure you save on tickets.
Most major cinema chains have offers during the school holidays.
You could also save money at the cinema with your dining card. For example, Gourmet Society offers 40% off at Odeon and Cineworld, and 30% off Vue. Meanwhile, Tastecard offers 25% off at hundreds of cinemas across the UK.
And if you have an Amazon Prime account, you can get two Odeon standard tickets for £10, or two Odeon Luxe tickets for £15 Monday - Thursday.
Find out more:3. Celebrate Chinese New Year
This year, Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 10 February and there will be plenty of parades across the country to ring in the Year of the Dragon.
In London, the festivities will take place across the West End, from Shaftesbury Avenue down to Trafalgar Square.
If you can’t head out, you can decorate your home with red and gold, and you could even make Chinese lanterns with recycled materials.
One Which? Money Facebook member suggested: ‘Make a Chinese New Year menu and have a quiz about it.’
4. Plan a board game session
Our experts have reviewed hundreds of board games to bring you the very best, from classics like Monopoly and Articulate to newer games like Herd Mentality and Taco Cat Goa, Cheese Pizza.
But rather than buying them all yourself, you could invite friends over and ask everyone to bring a game of their choice.
You could then have a board game marathon, with prizes for the winner. Attach string or ribbon to chocolate coins to make edible medals for the winners.
Find out more:5. Take advantage of discounted days out
If you fancy a day out in the city, your train ticket can unlock savings.
Not only do some rail companies let youngsters travel for £1 when you buy an adult ticket, but National Rail offers two entry tickets for the price of one at a huge number of attractions nationwide, including the London Eye, Sea Life locations across Great Britain and several historic landmarks including Leeds Castle and Hampton Court Palace.
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.
Find out more6. Try a free animal workshop
Pets at Home offers free animal workshops for 4-11-year-olds. You’ll receive free activity sheets, get to meet the animals and get a certificate too.
During half term, events will run at Pets at Home stores between 10 and 25 February, and you can learn how to take care of small animals and birds in the garden.
7. Celebrate Valentine's Day at home
Share the love and celebrate Valentine’s Day from the comfort of your home.
You can make Valentine’s cards using recyclable materials from around your house. Turn a cardboard tube into a heart stamp and use newspapers and magazines to help decorate your creation.
We’ve also worked out how much money you could save by opting for a Valentine’s Day meal deal at the supermarket. This year, supermarkets have rolled out an array of heart-shaped choices – from chicken nuggets to lobster pasta.
Find out more:
8. Enjoy the outdoors
It might sound simple, but this time of year can be great for wrapping up warm and going for a winter stroll to stretch your legs.
Which? has rated the best UK walking routes in the countryside, and there might be one near you.
And if you want to make your walk more entertaining, one Which? member suggested going to a different play park every day of the week.
Find out more:9. Find a free festival
From winter light sculptures around Battersea Power Station to the Imagine Children’s Festival on London's Southbank, there’s plenty of free fun to enjoy.
Imagine Children’s Festival takes place over 11 days in the February half-term, with theatre, comedy, music, literature, poetry, dance designed for children aged up to 11. Plenty of events are free.
You can spot seven light art installations around Battersea until 25 February and enjoy live ‘glow shows’ from LED performers at weekends.
10. Organise a pancake race
One of the best parts about pancake day, besides eating them, is taking part in a pancake race.
Give each contestant a frying pan and a pancake and make sure you establish how many times the pancakes will need to be flipped before crossing the finish line.
11. Learn something new
Not only are museums and galleries great for learning, but many are free. Lots of museums have dedicated exhibitions for children, often featuring interactive displays, although you may have to pay to access some exhibitions.
During the school holidays and weekends, some museums also run activity sessions or days where kids can get involved in crafts. Booking in advance is recommended.
For example, fans of the BBC show Horrible Histories can learn about 'Rotten Rome' at the British Museum.
Find out more12. Take part in a reading challenge
A visit to your local library means your 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's website and sign up for free.
As an alternative, you could also swap books with family and friends.
Find out more13. Find free local events
Local councils sometimes 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.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/cheap-and-free-things-to-do-over-february-half-term-apge88F4iDcZ