Whilst it’s lovely for everyone to have a break from school, many weeks stretching ahead can seem like a long and potentially expensive time to fill.If you’re looking for ideas of free things to do in York in summer, look no further! It is possible to have plenty of fun out and about in the summer holidays in York without spending lots of money.
We’ve pulled together a list of ideas that are free (or very cheap) to keep everyone entertained over the summer holidays.
York Mumbler is the place to come to find out everything going on in York for families. This summer our website is packed full of information to help make your life easier. If you are looking for holiday clubs & childcare or inspiration for a fantastic day out in the summer holidays, then you’ve come to the right place.
Fun days out are just a bus ride away!
Summer has landed, and it’s time to plan exciting activities for the kids. Whatever your plans, hop on a 100% electric First Bus with plenty of tickets to choose from.
Grab an All York Family Day ticket discounted to £5.50, allowing up to 2 adults and three children to travel throughout York all day. Young solo travellers 18 and under can enjoy single fares for £1 available to buy on bus or the First Bus app. Additionally, up to 3 children aged 5-16 can travel for free in York when they’re accompanied by a paying adult. To find out more about discounted fares click here.
This summer, we’re running extra Park & Ride services, perfect for all your summer adventures. An adult return is just £3.80, and up to three kids (16 and under) can ride for free. Click here to learn more and join the 93% of our happy customers who love our services.
Don’t forget to download the First Bus app from the App Store or Google Play to buy your tickets, plan your journey and track your bus in real-time on a map for a stress-free trip with the family.
Enjoy some FREE family fun at York Designer Outlet this summer! With loads of outdoor seating, you can relax and watch the kids play a round of mini golf on the 9-hole course, play table tennis or enjoy one of the many other games! You can also join in the fun too!
Open daily, admission to The Great Summer Social and all its games are FREE!
Golf clubs, table tennis bats and balls can be borrowed from The Great Summer Social entrance.
ℹ️ See York Designer outlet for more information
💷 Free (dogs not allowed)
📅 Now until Sun 8 September – open Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 8pm, Sunday 10am – 6pm
📍 South Entrance of York Designer Outlet, just off the A19/A64 interchange
York Trailblazers is an exciting new sculpture trail by York Civic Trust and Make It York, co-curated with organisations, community groups, schools and universities and celebrates York’s unsung heroes! There are 17 sculptures throughout the city, each reflecting a different trailblazer designed to capture the legacy of these inspirational people.
ℹ️ See our blog for more information
💷 Free
📅 Thursday 1 August until Monday 30 September 2024
📍Various locations around the city centre – download a map here
Children aged 4-11 can visit their local library to participate in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge and read six or more library books over the summer! There are stickers and other rewards for every book read, plus a medal and certification when your child completes the challenge!
As well as the challenge there will be some children’s activities in libraries – find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge and the summer programme of events here!
ℹ️ See York Mumbler for more information
💷 Cost: Free
📅 When: Anytime!
📍Sign up at your local library
Brand new exhibition, Monet’s ‘The Water-Lily Pond’ will be the central feature of a major new exhibition at York Art Gallery to mark the 200th anniversary of the National Gallery. Monet will be joined by works from our collection, key loans from national and regional museums, and a vibrant new commission by contemporary artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan.
ℹ️ Find out more about the exhibition here
💷 Entrance to the Art Gallery & the Monet Exhibition is £7 per adult, £4.20 per child (5 -1 5), under 5s free. Children 16 and under with YO postcodes within City of York Council) are FREE
📅 Open Wednesday – Sunday, from 11am to 5pm. The exhibition runs until 8 September 2024.
📍 Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW
We’ve got loads of great places listed in York where kids eat free or for just £1 – you can read all the details here.
There are some great independent businesses too, including:
🍳 The Blue Barbakan, York City Centre – kids eat breakfast for free!
🍟 Mr Chippy, York City Centre – kids eat for £1
🍔 Kennedy’s, York City Centre – kids eat for FREE
🥘 Sotano, York City Centre – kids eat for FREE
🧁 Plush York City Centre – kids eat for £1
🥟 YUZU Street Food, York City Centre – kids eat for FREE
For more information see the blog here!
Terms & conditions apply – see our blog for full details of each offer
When? Dates for each venue are listed on our blog
📍 Where? Various locations in York
A Journey through Viking York free audio trail The audio tour has been created as part of JORVIK Viking Centre’s 40th anniversary celebrations and it will take you on a walk through York’s city centre, exploring key locations in the city’s history. A different Viking tells their story at each location, adding colour and depth to the stories of the Norse settlers who settled, farmed, crafted and traded in the capital of the North, from AD 867 until AD 1080.
ℹ️ See Mumbler for more information
💷 The trail is available free of charge until the end of March 2025 from jorvikthing.com/vikingtrail.
📅 When: Anytime!
Go paddling or swimming outside 💦
When the weather is warm it’s the perfect excuse to go paddling, splashing or swimming outside to cool off.
From streams to stepping stones and splash areas to outside swimming pools, we’ve rounded up all the places near York that you can cool down this summer.
ℹ️ See Mumbler for more information
💷 Cost: Charges apply at some venues, some are in nature so obviously free!
📅 When: Anytime!
Enjoy a relaxed stroll around one of the Nature Reserves we are lucky enough to have in York. The Woodland Trust has some great ideas for summer activities you can do together or why not enjoy one of our scavenger hunts!
Here are two of our favourites:
🌳 Askham Bog – the boardwalk is a short loop so perfect for little legs and pushchairs
🌳 Moorlands Woodland – with a trail for children to follow this safely enclosed woodland, makes it perfect for young explorers of nature
ℹ️ See Mumbler for more information
💷 Cost: Free
📅 When: Open daily
Another summer holiday essential is a trip (or twenty trips) to your local park. Why not ring the changes and visit a park in York you might not have been to before? We’ve listed over 25 brilliant parks with play areas in York guaranteed to keep everyone happy.
If the sun is shining, it is the perfect time to go on a family picnic! We’ve rounded up some great picnic spots in York for you to discover!
Plus if you are all out of ideas as to what to pack for your picnic and fed up with sandwiches, then we’ve got some great food ideas too!
ℹ️ See York Mumbler for more information and here for picnic ideas
💷 Cost: Free
📅 When: All parks & play areas are open daily
Going on a trail or treasure hunt is a great way to get together on a family walk. In and around York there are lots of free trails, so many in fact we have written a whole guide about them which you can read here!
🗺 Of course, there is our very own Mythical Creature Quest – collect your free trail sheet for Visit York or download it here!
🗺 We also love the Squirrel Trail in the Museum Gardens!
🗺 Plus there are lots of indoor trails if the weather isn’t great!
ℹ️ For more information see York Mumbler
💷 The majority of the trails in our guide are free
📅 Year-round
📍 Various locations in and around York
FREE drop-in sessions throughout the summer, various venues 9am – 12pm:
Arts, crafts and play, plus free hot drinks and family information.
ℹ️ Activities programme here
💷 Free
📅 Various dates (see programme) from 9am – 12pm
📍 Clifton Children’s Centre, Clifton, York YO30 6JA | Hob Moor Children’s Centre, Green Lane, Acomb, York, YO24 4RF | The Avenues Children’s Centre Sixth Avenue, Tang Hall, York, YO31 0TX
Explore the new exhibition ‘Out of the Ashes’
Discover the story behind the 1984 fire that threatened to destroy York Minster in our new commemorative exhibition ‘Out of the Ashes’. See fire damaged furniture, interviews with those who remember the fire, and shocking photographs taken during and after the fire.
Follow the new photo trail ‘On This Spot’
Use a mobile phone to scan QR codes in and around the cathedral to unlock dramatic photos of the fire. Each stop on the trail will include chance for reflection and prayer.
Take a family-friendly discovery tour
Saturdays at 11am. Learn about the roof bosses designed by children who won a Blue Peter competition following the fire, as well as discovering the answers to fun questions including ‘How many blue whales can fit inside the Minster?’ and ‘Which room has a special whispering trick?’.
ℹ️ Find out more on the York Minster website.
💷 Free if York resident with proof of address
📅 Mon to Sat: 9.30am – 4pm & Sun: 12.45pm – 3.15pm
📍 York Minster, Deangate, York, YO1 7HH
Take a trip to the National Railway MuseumDiscover the history of the railways with star objects like Stephenson’s Rocket and the world’s fastest steam locomotive, Mallard.
Admire the splendour of royal travel including Queen Victoria’s ‘palace on wheels’, and marvel at the power and innovation of the Japanese Bullet Train.
Don’t forget the Flying Scotsman is at the museum. See the much-loved locomotive for FREE, with access to the footplate and entry to the cab. Book free museum admission tickets here.
ℹ️ Find out more on the National Railway Museum website
💷 Entry to the museum is free (charges apply for Wonderlab). Booking ahead is recommended and can be done on the day of arrival.
📅 Open 7 days a week
📍 Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
We’ve listed over 10 family-friendly circular walks in York, so hopefully there will be no (less?) moaning about having to walk all the way back!
Ideas include:
ℹ️ See our full list here for more information
💷 Cost: Free
📍Various locations in York
Make Space for Girls FREE Summer Programme 🌳ℹ️ FInd out more information here
💷 Cost: Free
📅When: Dates & time shown above
📍Near Millenium Bridge, York
Children’s Activity Sessions at Haxby Memorial HallVarious activities over the summer including:
💷 Donation or free for low incomes/on free school meaks/attend the foodshare
📅 Dates shown above
ℹ️ For more details email [email protected]
📍 Haxby Memorial Hall, 16 The Village, Haxby, York, YO32 3HT
Free activities at Waterstones York 📚Waterstones York is running a variety of free summer activities throughout the summer holidays in its children’s section.
Activities include:
💷 FREE
📅 Dates shown above – treasure hunt available every day
📍 Where: Waterstones, 15 Coney Street, York
ℹ️ For more information, check the Waterstones York instagram page.
Based in Sanderson Community House, The Place provides activities for children, young people and adults who live locally (Westfield area of York).
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 Free
📅 Various times over the summer holidays
📍 All activities at Sanderson House, Bramham Road, Acomb, York, YO26 5AR unless stated otherwise above.
Join North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre for a free family friendly interactive concert featuring The Giocoso Wind Quartet and friends! There’s even free ice cream for everyone afterwards!
ℹ️ Find out more here or call 01653 628 725 to get your tickets!
💷 Free! Although, donations welcome (donations will go towards North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre, a music therapy charity working within York, Ryedale and Scarborough).
📅 Saturday 31st August 2024, 2.30pm onwards
📍 St Chads Church, Campelshon Road, South Bank, York YO23 1EY
Join us for our regular playgroup, but with extra activities and entertainment in the holidays for older siblings too! Crafts, workshops by Circus Skills York, Next Door but One Theatre & Generate Theatre depending on date (note: limited spaces on these workshops). Also available: clothes/toy/book bank and food parcels. Free activities, entertainment, refreshments, lunch for all ages.
Date and time: Every other Tuesday in the holidays – 27th August; 9.30am-12.30pm.
Venues: St James the Deacon Church, Sherringham Drive, YO24 2SE
Cost: FREE!
Further Info: Contact: Nicola, 07843881152 or email [email protected]. More information also on our facebook page here.
Last updated 22 August 2024
