School holidays Fun days out for the family on the cheap

From festivals to museums to the great outdoors, there's plenty on offer in the half-term break for those on a budget, writes Jess Clark

Family days out can be expensive but it’s possible to stick to a budget during the February half-term school holidays by taking advantage of cheap and free activities – everything from robot coding sessions to “sword school” classes and hip-hop dance workshops.

The week-long break begins on 13 February for many schools in England, Scotland and Wales, although some schools break up the following week.

For some of the free events you will still need to book; for others you just turn up on the day.

Outdoor activities 

The National Trust is holding events at many of its sites for free or for a small charge. At Brimham Rocks, the giant rock formations a few miles from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, there is a one-hour rock explorer activity on 14 February, and a session on 19 February where you can plant up your own crab apple seed to take home. The activities are free, although car parking charges apply for non-National Trust members. Check the website for timings and booking details.

English Heritage has special events running at its properties across the country, as do Historic Scotland and Wales’s Cadw. Members can usually access these events for free but non-members typically have to pay the normal entry fee. For example, at Dover Castle in Kent from 11-19 February there are storytelling events, and over-fives can take part in “sword school” classes to learn how to be a medieval knight.