Easter 2026 – cheap family days out to entertain the kids during the school holidays

The Easter school holidays are starting soon, and for most parents, that means finding ways to entertain the kids for two weeks straight.

If you’re not going away, there’s still days out, meals and travel to cover for day trips. All that can really add up, especially with kids in tow.

But there are ways to cut your spend by using loyalty points, supermarket schemes and if you’re a thinkmoney SmartPlus customer, your PlusSave^ discounted gift cards.

Here are the best ways to save money on days out during the Easter school holidays, plus a few ideas you might not have considered to keep the kids entertained.

A cinema day out with a cheap meal to follow

A day out at the cinema and a family meal after is a classic day out with the kids. But, tickets, snacks, and eating out can rack up quick these days. That said, with the right offers, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Here’s how to keep costs low without compromising.

Check out the special offers at Cineworld

Cineworld runs all sorts of offers to make a day out at the cinema cheaper for families. A couple of options to consider include:

• Cineworld Family Ticket - Valid for 1 adult + 3 children or 2 adults + 2 children (aged 14 and under); adults pay kids prices.

• Movies for Juniors from £3.99 a Ticket - weekly discounted screening perfect for younger kids or first-time cinema goers.

• Cinebabies – perfect if you have a baby, as it’s a screening designed for parents with babies; under-18-month-olds go free, and the staff will even store your pram for you.

Get 10% off at Cineworld with PlusSave

If you use PlusSave to buy a Cineworld gift card, you’ll get 10% off your spend. Because it works like a discounted gift card, you can often stack this saving with Cineworld’s own deals too, giving you an even bigger saving.

There's lots to see during the school holidays as well. Films landing on or around  the Easter holidays include the Super Mario Galaxy Movie (which releases on the 1st of April), Hoppers, and The Land of Sometimes which are both currently showing.

Stack with Tesco Clubcard too

Tesco Clubcard gives you 2x the value of your vouchers at Cineworld.  There’s also a £5 Tuesday offer for Clubcard members on 2D films. So between PlusSave + Tesco vouchers + Cineworld’s own offers, you can save a chunk on a family cinema day.

Eat out for less with Easter holiday offers

There are tons of places where kids eat free or for £1 during the Easter holidays. We’ve rounded them all up in our Easter 2026 kids eat free article, and we’ll keep adding to it as and when new deals crop up.

To save even more when you eat out, see if your supermarket loyalty points can be used as currency. Tesco Clubcard, for example, lets you triple the value of your Clubcard vouchers in lots of chain restaurants. Just make sure you can use them with other offers.

You can also use PlusSave gift cards to save extra cash at the many chains running kids eat free offers. 

Try out Virgin Experience Days for a unique family day out

If you want a day out that feels a bit different, Virgin Experience Days has options for all ages. With PlusSave, you get 20% off gift cards. Here are just a few examples of experiences we found that could suit your kids. 

For younger children

Storybook-Themed Steam Train Day Out is perfect for parents with younger children. The steam train ride includes interactions with your kids’ favourite storybook characters during the 50 to 75 minute journey. Kids also get free goodies including a juice box and biscuit, as well as a themed storybook, activity sheet and crayon.

The activity is available at 10 UK locations and costs £65 normally, but just £52 with PlusSave.

For school-aged kids

Head to Diggerland and experience a full day or rides and drives in full-sized diggers and other construction equipment. Kids from as young as three years old (at least 90cm tall) can participate, and you don’t need a driver’s licence to take part. Other activities include digging holes, searching for treasure, and taking part in lots of themed games.

The activity is available at 4 UK locations and costs £131.50 for two adults and two children. With PlusSave, you only pay around £105 for the full day.

Or, if your kids enjoy outdoor activities, why not head to Go Ape for a Junior Treetop Adventure for Two. Perfect for children aged 6-16 years old, the trail covers 3 loops of tree to tree crossings, wobbly bridges and zip wires over a canopy-based trail. With 23 locations in the UK, it’s easy to find one near you. This one normally costs £46, but just under £37 for two children with PlusSave.

For teens (and big kids!)

Junior Supercar Driving lets your little ones experience luxury car driving for the first time. The activity is available to kids aged 11 or older. They can drive cars like Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche. This one normally costs £70, but it’s discounted to £56 with PlusSave. It’s a fun “big kid” activity for Easter with around 41 locations in the UK, so easy to get to as well.

For families with older teens

Murder Mystery with Dining on a steam train is a great way to channel your inner Murder on the Orient Express with your kids in tow. This one’s perfect for families with older kids, as the minimum age is £16.

Set on the Embassy & Bolton Abbey Railway, it costs £100 for two normally, but with PlusSave, you get it for £80.

Save on theme parks and family attractions

Want a bigger day out? You can save on some of the UK’s most popular attractions through loyalty points and PlusSave as well.

Boost your savings with Tesco Clubcard

If you prefer using points, Tesco lets you swap Clubcard vouchers for Merlin tickets. Every 50p of vouchers becomes £1 at attractions like Thorpe Park which is a nice way to stretch your points further.

5% off your Merlin Gift Card with PlusSave

Merlin gives you access to 30+ attractions across the UK, with some sites located in major cities like London, Edinburgh, and York to name a few.

• Alton Towers

• Thorpe Park

• Chessington World of Adventures

• SEA LIFE

• The Dungeons

• Madame Tussauds London

• LEGOLAND Windsor resort

To save on your day out, buy a Merlin gift card through PlusSave to get 5% off, then use it to pay for your tickets online; you can't pay with the Merlin gift cards on site, so book your tickets online and in advance.

Don’t forget supermarket loyalty points

It’s easy to just use your loyalty points to knock a bit off the weekly shop – or forget about them entirely – but they can go much further.

Many supermarkets let you swap your points for rewards like restaurant vouchers, theme park entry, cinema tickets or even travel deals, and these often give you better value than spending them in‑store.

Tesco Clubcard points, for example, can stretch further when redeemed with partner brands. Plus, if you use PlusSave, you can get 4% off your Tesco spend while still collecting points.

Sainsbury’s Nectar points can also go a long way when used with partners such as Eurostar, and PlusSave offers 3.25% off your Sainsbury’s spend on top.

Stack these savings over the year and you could make a real dent in the cost of school holiday outings – all from buying your usual groceries.

^Offers are subject to change and may vary. Check the thinkmoney app for the latest offers.