Moneywise tips: Summer holiday fun on a budget

Our Moneywise team has put together a round up of local ideas of how to entertain children on a budget this summer.

If you have a great idea to add, let us know by emailing raven@ravenht.org.uk.

Redhill and Merstham

• Redhill Memorial Park – the café has re-opened here and there’s even more fun to be had with the water play through the summer in the playground.
• Gatton Park has forest fun and trails and tales sessions throughout the summer, as well as an open day. Find out more and pricing here.
• Merstham Library has plenty of activities on throughout the summer including crafts and quizzes. Find out more here.
• Merstham Community Hub runs a community cinema, Merstham Movies. They’ll be showing ‘Migration’ on Saturday 10th August and ‘The Little Mermaid’ on Thursday 22nd August. Find out more and how to book here.

Reigate

• Priory Park – set yourself up with a group of friends and a picnic and let the children have fun in the playground. Remember towels and swimsuits for the splash pad, which will keep them cool on hot days. There’s a café and toilets available too.
• Reigate Caves – there are monthly open days to explore the caves. Tickets can be booked online for £4 per adult and £3 per child. Visit reigatecaves.org.uk to check opening times and book tickets.
• Reigate Mystery Treasure Trail – this detective mystery themed walking treasure trail around Reigate is ideal for exploring more about the town. It takes around 2 hours to complete and ideal for ages 6+. You can buy the trail booklet online for £9.99 here and enjoy it at your own pace.
• Reigate Library – there’s lots of special activities going on over the summer here, like puppet making and other crafts. You can see the schedule here.
• Woodhatch Community Centre has stay and play, messy play and craft sessions taking place, which you can book here.

Tadworth

• Preston children’s park has lots of fun play equipment for the little ones.
• Just down the road at Box Hill, the National Trust have their ‘Summer of Play’, with free games and events throughout the holidays. No booking necessary but parking charges apply if you’re not a member. Find out more here.
• Tattenham Community Library – there are fun summer activities at the library including a drama workshop and teddy bear’s picnic. Tickets are bookable online here.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council run R&Be active school holiday activities for children aged 6 months- 15 years. If you receive benefits, you may be eligible for 50% discount. Full Information on Reigate and Banstead website.

Staying at home

Don’t forget, there’s always plenty of fun to be had at home. Here’s a list of 50 fun things to do at home, make your way through and see how many you can do over the summer.

Eating out

There are some deals to be had when eating out over the summer, with lots of restaurants and pubs offering kids eat for free or for cheaper than usual.

Here’s a round-up of deals by Money Saving Central: