Free and cheap family activities to enjoy in the UK this half-term

theguardian.com:

F amily days out can be expensive but it is 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, while for others you just turn up on the day.

The National Trust is holding events at many of its sites for free or a 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 to 19 February there are storytelling events, and over-fives can take part in “sword school” classes to learn how to be a medieval knight.

What about going to see a waterfall? Often these will be free to visit but in some cases there may be a parking charge or entry fee. Wikipedia has a list of waterfalls across the UK.

While getting out in nature has lots of benefits, sometimes you need an extra activity to keep things interesting. For example, the Woodland Trust is hosting a