Get up to £758 of fun kids’ activities completely FREE before the end of the school holidays – with 10 top picks

WITH the school summer holidays nearly over, you might be struggling to keep the kids entertained – and running out of cash. But savvy parents can still bag theatre tickets, Lego, meals out and much more for FREE. We list the top ten free activities and goodies you can still do with the little ones – and save you HUNDREDS of pounds. There’s still time to bag a summer bargain before school starts Savvy parents can still bag dozens of freebies before the school summer holidays end Credit: Alamy Parents shell out more than £1,000 per child on childcare and holiday clubs alone over the six-week summer break, according to confused.com. And the total cost of summer rises to a whopping £1,662 per child once food, transport and activities are included. So it’s no wonder that 88% of UK parents say the school summer holidays place financial and emotional pressure on families, research from Save the Children shows. Luckily, there is a treasure trove of free family fun and goodies to get your hands on — if you know where to look. The kids go back to school in early September – making this the final full week of summer holidays left to enjoy. Here’s exactly how you can make the most of your week left on a budget… Free Lego worth £30 Lego fans can get creative at free ‘make and take’ events held across all Lego stores Credit: Alamy Lego-mad youngsters can get building for free at special events held across the toy giant’s 25 UK shops. The retailer is advertising a free Pokémon Go Trainers experience, where children can tackle Pokémon-themed activities in store. Dates and availability may differ between branches, so check the Lego website or contact your nearest shop before setting off. Meanwhile, Smyths Toys is due to give away a free Lego model of Dumbledore’s Office, complete with a Harry Potter figure, at its superstores on Saturday, August 29. The giveaway starts when shops open at 9am and is suitable for children aged six and over. You do not need to buy anything, but it is limited to one model per customer and is only available while stocks last. That means parents may want to arrive early to avoid leaving with disappointed little builders. Smyths Toys and The Entertainer also occasionally run free Make and Take sessions, where children can build a small model in store and bring it home. These events normally take place on selected dates and are often first come, first served. Keep an eye on retailers’ websites and social media pages, or call your local branch, before making a special journey. Previous events have handed out toys worth up to £5. Parents of children aged five to nine can also sign up for a free Lego Life Magazine subscription. It is delivered four times a year and includes Lego news, games, puzzles, comics, posters and sneak peeks at new sets. With children’s magazines often costing £4 to £6 each, the free subscription could save families up to £24 a year. Swimming worth £25 a session If a leisure centre near you isn’t offering free sessions, then a trip to a free splashpark or lido could be just the ticket Credit: Alamy Many leisure centres run free swimming sessions for children during the school holidays. Schemes vary by area, but councils including Liverpool, Merton in London, and County Durham offer free swimming for children and young people at selected leisure centres. Always check if you need to book in advance and whether children must be accompanied by an adult. A paid family swim can easily cost £15 to £25, so if you crammed one swimming session in before the kids go back to school, that’s a saving of up to £25. If a leisure centre near you isn’t offering free sessions, then a trip to a free splashpark or lido could be just the ticket. Free lidos include Swansea’s Blackpill Park, while Shoalstone in Devon has a free seawater pool. Free splashpads include Splashlands in Welwyn Garden City, and many city council websites have details of local offers. Bag baby treats worth £15.50 or more Get some fantastic freebies for your little one from shampoo to nappies and wipes Credit: Alamy Looking after a baby as well as a school-aged child can stretch your summer budget even further. But parenting clubs are a brilliant place to bag handy freebies simply by signing up. For example, parents can currently get a free bottle of Aveeno baby shampoo, worth about £7, by joining the Boots Parenting Club. You could also claim a bundle of goodies by signing up to Emma’s Diary for free and collecting its Bump 2 Baby gift pack. The pack includes a full pack of Pampers nappies, worth around £5, and Pampers New Baby Wipes, worth approximately £3.50. It may also be worth joining M&S’s parenthood club. Perks can include a free slice of cake at parent-and-baby mornings, as well as exclusive deals such as 10% off baby grows. Always check the latest terms and availability before signing up or travelling. Take the kids out to eat for free worth £18 Take advantage of kids eat free deals this summer Credit: Alamy Feeding the family on a day out can leave a huge hole in your wallet — but kids-eat-free deals can take some of the sting out of the bill. Chains including ASK Italian, Bill’s, BrewDog, Las Iguanas and Pizza Hut have offered free children’s meals during the summer. Most require an adult to buy a main meal or hit a minimum spend. Supermarket and high-street cafés also get in on the act, with deals available at the likes of Morrisons, Tesco, Dunelm and John Lewis. Age limits, dates and rules vary, while some offers require an app, loyalty membership or advance booking. Always check the terms and conditions before ordering to make sure you qualify. A family with two adults and two children could typically save around £14 to £18 if both youngsters eat free. For example, two children’s meals at ASK Italian would normally cost about £13.90, while two Pizza Hut kids’ meal deals could cost at least £15.98. Drinks, sides and extras may not be included, so check before promising the kids a bumper feast. Free tent worth £250 You could bag a tent for free at Decathlon – we explain how Credit: Alamy Planning a festival or a family camping adventure? You could effectively borrow a tent without paying a penny — as long as you are happy to receive your refund as store credit. Under Decathlon’s No Tent Left Behind scheme, customers can buy an eligible Quechua tent and return it by September 6. If it meets the return conditions, Decathlon will give you its full value back as store credit. Alternatively, you can choose to receive 50% of its value as a bank transfer. Prices vary, but the Quechua three-person instant camping tent costs £249.99 and pops up in seconds. It also comes with the retailer’s Fresh & Black technology, designed to keep the inside cooler and darker. There is a catch, though — the tent must be returned in good condition, with no stains, tears or missing parts. You also need to be a Decathlon member to make the return and get the reward, but this is free to sign up to. Check that your chosen model is eligible and read the full terms before buying. Government-funded clubs worth £190 The Government’s Holiday Activities Fund (HAF) provides free holiday clubs across the UK Credit: Getty The Government’s Holiday Activities Fund (HAF) provides completely free holiday clubs across the UK, run by local authorities. The clubs are targeted at children who have ever been eligible for free school meals in their schools. Councils are expected to provide a minimum of 16 days of provision, and you may need a code or letter from your child’s school to get a place. If you are eligible, have your code, and haven’t your full provision yet there are still plenty of places with clubs on offer. In Nottingham, kids could get to experience climbing at Boatyard Boulders or coding at Nottingham Girls’ High School – both completely free. Derbyshire Cricket Foundation is offering HAF-funded places this summer for children between the ages of eight and 13. In Gravesend, kids between the ages of five and 11 can join the Tigers Gymnastics club. Summer holiday clubs to cover the six-week holidays now cost parents an average of £1,145, according to children’s charity Coram. So if you’re eligible for HAF summer clubs, you could save around £190 a week. Free shopping centre activities Westfield London is hosting a free Toy Story 5 experience Credit: PA A trip to the shops does not have to mean spending a fortune, as shopping centres across the country are laying on free summer entertainment. At Midsummer Place in Milton Keynes, families can follow a Safari in the City trail. Its Safari Live event will also feature animal puppets, sensory workshops and face painting. Westfield in Stratford City, London is hosting a free Toy Story 5: Bonnie’s Playtime experience, complete with an obstacle course, Lego mural, dance hall and claw-machine activity. You will need to book free tickets in advance through the Westfield website. Meanwhile, Manchester’s Trafford Centre has free Cosmic Carnival performances and circus workshops. The Victoria Centre in Nottingham is also planning free drop-in activities, including crafts, games, face painting, live performances and mascot appearances. Check your local shopping centre’s website or ask at its information desk to see what is happening near you.. Free petting zoo tickets worth £19 If your kids love animals, you can bag free petting zoo tickets if you eat at Pizza Hut Get free petting zoo tickets for the whole family when you take the family out to eat at Pizza Hut. Up to four free tickets are on offer if you make the most of the “kids eat free” deal, running until September 2. You have to spend £9.99 to unlock a free kids meal, and go to one of Pizza Hut’s restaurants – the deal isn’t available via delivery. To claim, have the code “KEF” to hand when paying. For a family of four, two adults would have to spend £18.99 on their meals for two kids to eat for free. Five petting zoo and sanctuaries are participating in the offer, they are: Blandford Animal Sanctuary (Dorset) – Tue & Thu, 10.30am–4.30pm Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats (Kent) – Thu–Tue, 11am–4pm Mayfields Animal Sanctuary (Sheffield) – Wed–Sun, 10am–6pm Cherry Tree Farm (Norfolk) – Daily, 10.30am–4pm Waulkmill Menagerie (Aberdeenshire) – Weekends, 10am–3pm For example, a visit to Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats would normally cost £19 for a family with two children aged between four and 13. There are plenty of other ways to meet furry friends for free too. Many city farms are free all year round, while some animal sanctuaries hold bookable open days where youngsters can feed and pet the animals. Check local websites, visit TreeHub.co.uk to hunt for free farms near you, or try attractions such as The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, which is free to visit. Cinema trips worth £60 Check out some family favourite films for free this summer Credit: FG Trade Latin Fancy a trip to the pictures without the eye-watering ticket prices? Free pop-up screenings are taking place in towns and cities across the country. Canary Wharf in London is hosting a free open air cinema in its Canada Square Park until 1 September. Films include Barbie, Grease, and Monsters Inc. Screen on the Green runs a similar outdoor event in the centre of Newcastle, showing family favourites such as Wicked and Chicken Run. There is no single website listing every free screening, so check your council’s website, local Facebook groups and community pages. A cinema trip for a family of four can cost up to £60. And if you subscribe to Sky Cinema, don’t forget that you may be able to claim two free Vue tickets each month through the My Sky app, valid from Sunday to Thursday. Theatre tickets worth £150 Kids Theatre Week is back and you can save a small fortune on theatre tickets Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Fancy treating the kids to a West End show without paying West End prices? The Kids Week theatre promotion is back, giving families the chance to see some of London’s biggest productions for less. You can get a free ticket for a child aged 17 or under when you buy a full-price adult ticket through the Official London Theatre’s Kids Week website. The offer applies to selected performances during the summer holidays and runs until August 31. Dozens of West End productions take part, with previous line-ups including huge hits such as Wicked, Disney’s The Lion King, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Matilda. The most popular shows and best seats can disappear quickly, so don’t hang about if you spot something you fancy. Children’s West End tickets can cost between £25 and £75, meaning families could save up to £75 per child — or as much as £150 for two children attending with paying adults.