Trying to find things to do with your kids – when you’re on a tight budget – is really tough.
Over the summer, not only do you have to balance using the precious annual leave you get from work to cover childcare, but you actually want to do something as a family and have a bit of fun.
Theme parks can be out of the question as they are SO EXPENSIVE (although there are a few tips to get cheap theme park deals and tickets from time to time).
Going to the park down the road every day is free, but can be a bit boring. So what can you do instead?
With a bit of forward planning, there is a fair bit you can do to have fun each summer, without breaking the bank.
Theatre tickets in London
We love the theatre – all of us really enjoy going.
There is something really special about seeing a live performance and the kids get captivated by it all.
We’ve been lucky enough to see Les Mis (obvs got cheap theatre tickets) and we’ve taken the kids to see Wicked and The Play That Goes Wrong – they LOVED it!
When we used to live in Kent, our local theatres charged an arm and a leg for tickets, so it could sometimes work out cheaper to head to London (even with travel, as we can blag some amazingly good priced – or even free – tickets).
Kids Week free theatre tickets
This summer, you’re able to get free theatre tickets in London for your children.
If your child is aged 17 and under, and there is a full paying adult, you can get a set of adult’s and kid’s tickets at half-price (similar to a free ticket as before) to a huge range of different shows.
There are also no booking or postage fees to pay, which is usually quite rare when booking theatre tickets.
You can use the tickets during August, but they go on sale from 10 am on Tuesday 14 June 2021 (add that date and time to your phone alarm!).
This means you’ll need to plan in advance to get your savings. As this is such an awesome deal, the tickets don’t stay around for long. They are obviously subject to availability.
On top of the one freebie ticket, you can buy an additional two extra kids’ tickets for half price.
What shows can we see during Kids Week?
There are over 30 different shows to pick from including Disney’s Frozen, Mary Poppins and The Play That Goes Wrong. (For a full list of shows, scroll down to the bottom).
Kids Week is all about getting young people interested in the theatre, and if you can take them for free, it really helps.
However, it’s not just a weekly event anymore. As it’s such a popular thing, they’ve now expanded it, and you can pick selected performances taking place between 1 – 31 August.
You won’t be able to get a free child ticket for every single performance. They are available on selected shows and you can only book them through the Kids Week booking line.
It’s usually best to have a few different dates and times, just in case your preferred choice has already sold out.
Full list of free child ticket London shows
Here is a full list of the free child ticket London shows on this summer.
There is a real mix. Some will be suitable for under 5s, 5 years+, 8 years+, while some need parental guidance which may be more suitable for teens:
- & Juliet
- Anything Goes
- Attenborough And His Animals
- Blippi The Musical
- Come From Away
- Dear Evan Hansen
- The Drifters Girl
- Disney’s Frozen
- Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marlet Musical
- FGrease The Musical
- The Great Gatsby
- Heathers The Musical
- Horrible Histories – Terrible Tudors
- Jersey Boys
- Kinky Boots In Concert
- Life Of Pi
- The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
- Mamma Mia!
- Mary Poppins
- Les Misérables
- The Mousetrap
- My Fair Lady
- Only Fools And Horses
- The Phantom Of The Opera
- The Pirate, The Princess And The Platypus
- The Play That Goes Wrong
- Room On The Broom
- Sarah & Duck’s Big Top Birthday
- Sister Act
- South Pacific
- Tiddler And Other Terrific Tales
- The Tiger Who Came To Tea
- Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
- Tom, Dick & Harry
- Treason In Concert
- Twirlywoos Live!
- Wicked
- The Woman In Black
Currently unavailable in Kids Week (although some have been available in previous years, so watch out as they might pop back on):
- 101 Dalmations
- Back To The Future
- Matilda The Musical
- Midsummer Mechanicals
- Six
- Disney’s Beauty And The Beast
- Disney’s The Lion King
- The Paper Dolls
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
- Witness For The Presecution
If you’re heading up to London midweek, you can take advantage of cheap meals too using Meerkat Meals (we got it for just £1). Or, why not get Kids Pass and have some mega cheap days out.
There are also a number of places that run kids eat free offers.
Read next: Save £100s on Days Out with a Free Blue Peter Badge
Naomi knows the burden of living on very little and became debt free by following her own money saving tips and tricks. She is an expert on saving money at the supermarket and side hustles.
