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Days out can be expensive, especially when you have six weeks to fill. So here's our handy guide of things to do in and around Southend this summer that will hopefully save you a few pennies! We also have a full A3 planner you can download for FREE to help you get organised.
As well as the below, don't forget to check out our 'What's on guide' calendar for hundreds of other events throughout the summer. We've handpicked a few of the free events below but there are many more on our calendar and more being added regularly.
Remember that although the events or activities may be free, there may be parking costs to consider. For any activities in Southend, the monthly Southend Parking Permit at £12.50 per month could save you a huge amount of money on parking and you could even just sign up for the summer and cancel in September if you think you may benefit.
☀️1.My Pet Pals workshops - FREE - Running everyday from 17th July - 28th August, pop into Pets at Home Southend to take part in their FREE workshops. Learn all about how to care for animals while also getting involved in some crafts and colouring! Kids will receive activity sheets, a My Pet Pals certificate, and there is a chance to meet some of our amazing animals…all for FREE! (Recommended 4+)
☀️2. Animal Feeding at The Green Barn Farm Shop - FREE - A working farm and shop in Benfleet, the Green Barn are back with free animal feeding for shop customers. 11.30 and 1.30pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Just spend £5 in the farm shop and you're welcome to join in animal feeding activities including animal talks and worksheets.
☀️3.Classic Cars on the beach- FREE - 26th July and 23rd August - The much-loved motoring event Classic Cars on the Beach is set to return to Southend's City Beach
☀️4.The Victoria Kids Club activities - FREE- 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th August - The Victoria have a summer of fun planned with the theme of around the world. Each week will bring a new theme, with arts and crafts, interactive activities, face painting, music, performance elements and surprise guests for children and families to enjoy. Completely free of charge and no booking required.
☀️5. Visit a local library and join the Summer Reading Challenge- FREE- Running from 20 July to 31 August for children aged 4 to 12. There will also be an Early Years Challenge for children under four as part of the fun
☀️6. Castle Point Transport Museum - FREE (Donations welcome) - Open to public on their Open days- 19th July, 2nd and 16th August
☀️7. Kite Festival - FREE - 25th July - Taking place on Eastern Esplanade. There will be five professional kite flyers - Make sure to bring along your own kite or you can purchase for a donation of £2 whilst stocks last.
☀️8. Summer activities at Hadleigh Hub - FREE - Family activities every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the holidays. No need to book! More details coming soon.
☀️9. Just Ride Southend - Use the track and borrow any bikes of your choice for just £2.50 donation per rider - carers and parents of children riding are free and welcome to ride
☀️10. Summer Family disco - FREE - Every Saturday in August - The Palace theatre are hosting FREE family discos for the whole family every Saturday evening in August. Just turn up!
☀️11.Family fun festival at Rayleigh Methodist Church - FREE - 24th July - Bouncy castle, games, arts and crafts, local support services and more!
☀️12. Leigh Community Centre events-£2 per child - BOOKING FAST -Join the community centre for lots of fun events on selected dates including Sublime science party and Beach explorers.
☀️13. Pokemon swap at Rayleigh Megacentre - FREE - Every Wednesday, the Megacentre Rayleigh are holding a Pokemon swap event for children of all ages. Pop along for a few hours, grab a cuppa and let the kids trade and meet other Pokemon fans.
☀️14. Hadleigh bike park - FREE- With bike tracks for all ages, play areas and walking trails, you can easily spend a full day at Hadleigh Park
☀️15. Feel Good Festival 2026 - FREE- 8th Aug - A free community event including inflatables, live music and more!
☀️16.Big screen outdoor summer cinema - FREE- Just turn up, no need to book. Showing films every Saturday from 25th July - 15th August at The Forum in Elmer Square from 3pm. Showing Wicked, Coco, Matilda the Musical and Sing.
☀️17.Belfairs Woods events - £3pp - This summer from 26th - 9th, you can join in the self-led fossil trail at Belfairs. On 7th Aug, the are holding a fossil crafts event, involving discovering a dinousaur egg!
☀️18.Fruit Picking at Hilltop Farm, Benfleet - A local hidden gem! A bit of a different activity if you want to get out for a walk - Pick your own fruits from this lovely local farm. Check their Facebook before you visit for updated opening times and what fruit is ripe and ready!
☀️19. Trust Links Summer Fayre - FREE - 29th July - A free event in the community. Enjoy live music, explore the garden, bouncy castle, a variety of stalls, tasty food and much more
☀️20. Walk Southend Pier - £3.10 adults, £1.84 children (ages 3-16) - They also have a puppet festival event running from 1st-3rd Aug which is FREE (admission charges apply)
☀️21. LRBC Summer fun day- 12th Aug - Just £2 per child. A summer Fun day with arts and crafts, games and planting - All ages welcome but please book online.
☀️22. Garon Park Enchanted Fairy trail - More details coming soon!
☀️23. The Ironworks crafty kids club - £5 - Join The Ironworks every Wednesday and Friday between 10-11 and 1.30-2.30 for arts and crafts. No booking required. Adults can enjoy the cafe whilst the kids are creating!
☀️24.Bugs and butterflies summer trail- FREE- From Sat 18th July - Mon 31st August, head to Hadleigh Park and pick up a FREE summer trail booklet (or download the trail or print at home) and help your children find the animals hiding in the park. Have fun with the selfie boards and see what else you can find!
☀️25. Summer Magic Trail at Thorndon Country Park - FREE - Can you find the magical creatures hiding in Thorndon Country Park this summer? Pick up* or download a FREE Summer Magic Trail sheet from Saturday 18 July until Monday 31 August.
☀️26. Superhero and Princess summer trail- FREE - 21st July - 31st Aug - This year there's a fun, FREE activity for you all to take part in around The Village at Barleylands. Find all of the Superheros and Princesses that have been dotted around the Craft Village to claim your prize. It's completely free to take part and no need to pre-book!
☀️27.Hadleigh Farm Rare Breeds Centre- Adults £6.20, Child 3-16 £5.00 Under 3's FREE. Animal feed is available to purchase on arrival for 50p per bag or 3 bags for £1.25. With animals, a play area and sand pit, you can certainly get a few hours of entertainment at the most local farm. Make sure to take a picnic as there is no cafe or refreshments on site besides ice-lollies/ice-cream! The tearoom next door is open at selected times but its currently bookings only
☀️28.Families growing together summer events - £5 per child, additional children £2.50, under 1's £1 - Every Monday in Shoebury and Wednesday in Westcliff. Join Trustlinks for some forest school nature drop-in sessions suitable for 0-11 years. Activities include den building, crafts, bug hotels and fire-lighting.
☀️29. Summer Community event at Garon Park - 21st Aug - Held at the beautiful Wellbeing Park within Garon Park, with activities for all ages, food stalls, entertainment, and much more. More details and booking link coming soon
☀️30 .Activities at Southend Libraries - FREE/£1- 29th July - As well as the Summer Reading Challenge, Southend Libraries often have a variety of free events running on selected dates. So far, the Create and Make event has been announced but more will be coming soon!
☀️31. Summer evenings at The Hive- £2 per child - Every Monday - Drinks and snacks are available for a small fee, you can also bring your own picnic. We will have lots of fun activities alternating for the children, and adults too. Including Artery, toasting marshmallows, music and dancing, Stay and play toys, Swings & slides, Small soft play and more!
☀️32.The Destination @lakeside summer beach - FREE - Open daily 12-late - Summer Beach is back at The Destination @ Lakeside from 17th July along with a brand new Splash Landing Pool & Tipping Bucket! 💦☀️
☀️33.Canvey Miniature Railway- Just £1 for a single ride or 6 rides for £5.00. Open every Sunday
☀️34.Essex Fire Museum family days - FREE- 26th July, 18th & 30st Aug - Essex Fire Museum in Grays are holding a host of free family open days throughout summer. With museum trails, arts and crafts, fire safety room, old fire engines and water squirting. The museum is free entry but visits must be pre-booked as they are on the site of a working fire station.
☀️35. A day at the beach - FREE - We couldn't have a list of free activities in Southend without including a beach day! Check out our beach category for ideas on where to set yourself up for the day!
☀️36.Lego club sessions- £2 - 23rd July, 1st Aug, 7th Aug (SEND), 14th August, 27th Aug - Lots of events including Pokemon, Our Planet and The Wizard of Oz.
☀️37. Cineworld £2 family films- £2 - Cineworld are offering tickets at £2 for selected shows throughout the summer. Our closest Cineworld is Festival Leisure in Basildon but definitely worth the travel for multiple ticket savings!
☀️38.Go Swimming at one of the Freedom Leisure Centres - £6 for adults, £3.40 3-15, under 3's free - They are holding summer fun sessions including float fiestas and family swims.
☀️39.Go Crabbing at Chalkwell Beach - FREE - If you don't fancy a full on beach day (or if the weather isn't suitable) why not go Crabbing instead? There's lots of spots perfect for it along Southend beaches.
☀️40. St Clements Church activity days - FREE- More details coming soon
☀️41.Music in the park at Priory Park - FREE- Running every Saturday and Sunday from 11th April until 27th Sept from 3.00-4.30pm. Bring a picnic and a blanket. Have a wonder around the flower gardens, feed the ducks or head over to the play area.
☀️42. Open top bus ride- 18th July - 6th Sept -Be a tourist in your own town and sit on the top deck of the open top bus. £3.70 return for adults and £3 for children or get a day ticket £7 adults and £6 children ages 5-15 and hop on and off as much as you like. (If you get on/off outside Lemon Witch on the Broadway, show them your bus ticket for 10% off all shakes)
☀️43. Yoga4all park yoga adults & kids - £5 donation - Yoga 4 all are holding kids and adult sessions across Rayleigh, Leigh, Southend and Shoeburyness for a donation of £5
☀️44. Clements Hall Leisure Centre family activities - £2 - Everyone Active are holding family activities including Swimming, Badminton and Table tennis for just £2. Activities vary depending on centre. Clements Hall will be offering Table Tennis every Monday and Friday.
☀️45.Toys 'n' Tuck activities - FREE - Various dates throughout July and August - Free activities in store! Plus free Pokemon trading sessions and Lego demo's. No need to book, just turn up.
☀️46. Feed the ducks at Southchurch Park - FREE - Remember bread is harmful to ducks so you could always take along some oats or cereal or pay £1.50 to buy some food from the eco-friendly duck feeder that was installed a few years back
☀️47.Take a picnic and head to a local spot from our Out and About Category- FREE - From parks, playgrounds, woods and nature reserves. Take your pick!
☀️48. Meadowcroft Garden Centre Crazy Golf - £3pp or £10 for 4 - Lovely garden centre with cafe and snack hut. They also have a small play area at picnic benches by the crazy golf.
☀️49. Spend the day at Shoebury Common Parkand the beach - FREE - Our favourite park in Southend and perfectly situated close enough to the beach to get a change of scenery after lunch and grab an ice cream at Uncle Tom's on the way past. Great for all ages!
☀️50. Southend Family centre family activities - FREE - Click the link to see the full schedule. All siblings welcome except specific 0-2 classes.
☀️51.Visit Two Tree Island Nature Reserve - FREE - Two Tree Island is an ideal location for bug spotting and bird watching! Grab the kids a cheap bug hunting kit or make them a scavenger hunt and see what they can find!
☀️52.Ride the cliff lift - FREE - The shortest funicular railway, run by volunteers. Ok so this is a very short activity and isn't enough to fill the day but can be a good focus to get out of the house during the long six weeks holidays when you're desperately trying to find something different to do! Make sure you check opening times beforehand.
☀️53.ATF Scarecrow trail - £5 - 19th and 25th July. Join The Hive at Wellbeing Garon Park for a magical Summer Scarecrow Hunt filled with adventure, creativity and family fun! Suitable for all ages
☀️54. Hockley Woods - FREE - Hockley Woods is always guaranteed to be a good day out. As well as the woods, you have the large play area and sand pits for before or after your walk!
☀️55.Trustlinks Theatre workshop - FREE - 17th Aug - Platform Theatre Arts has partnered with Trust Links to offer a free youth theatre taster workshop this summer. Ages 13-19 years only
☀️56.Visit Hadleigh Castle - FREE- A perfect spot for the kids to let off steam and have a picnic.
☀️57.Superhero weekend at Adventure Island - FREE- This weekend all of your favourite superheroes, and villains, come down to Adventure Island and Sealife Adventure. Grab your dancing shoes and superhero powers and join on the greatest mission of all, the superhero treasure hunt around the park!
☀️58.Southend Fire Station Open Day - 22nd Aug - FREE- A fantastic opportunity to meet the crew, explore the station, and learn more about the work we do to keep our community safe. Perfect for all ages.
☀️59.Visit a museum - FREE Most museums are free or ask for a small donation. We have lots of local museums with some offering events such as Anglo-Saxon weekend at Prittlewell Priory.
☀️60. Southend Splash Fountains- FREE - Don't forget to take a towel and why not have a play in Poodles Park, directly opposite on the beach whilst you're there
☀️61. St Mary's horse refuge Rochford - 9th Aug - Admission by small donation. All welcome including Tombola, games, stalls, cake sale, vintage tractors and cars
☀️62. Hyland's Estate - FREE - Spend the day at Hyland's in their award winning castle themed adventure playground and with 574 acres of parkland, there's lots of space for walks/picnics and ball games. They also have an open day on 21st July.
☀️63.Hanningfield Reservoir - FREE - Hanningfield have a number of events taking place across summer. Or you could grab a map and follow the Wind in the Willow trail. At the Discovery Nature Centre, there is a cafe on site and a good sized play area near the car park.
☀️64.Maldon Promenade - FREE - The Promenade has everything you could want for a day out whether or not you choose to spend any money. With an impressive play area, sand pits, crabbing pool, skateboard park and BMX track. You can also pay for the splash park, which is a reasonable £3.00 per child and £1.15 for an adult for a 25 minute session for one adult and one child or you could visit Maldon Petting Zoo or the Adventure Golf.
☀️65.Stubbers Adventure Centre - For the admission entry fee of £5 adults and £1 for children aged 3-5 (FREE for under 3's), you get access to Adventure play areas with a young adventurers area and a bigger play area for the older ones, woodland discovery trail and sand play and paddle beach. All other activities have extra charges however you can certainly get away with not paying for activities with the amount of activities already included in the entry fee.
☀️66.Lathcoats Farm - PYO fruit (£2.20 entry or weekend £3.50 (under 3's free) or £10 for a family ticket (£14 weekends) or use the cafe or farm shop and customers get FREE entry to see the farm animals and ride on tractors. A really lovely morning or afternoon - If you want to pick you own fruit, make sure you book online!
☀️67. The Peter Rabbit trail at Langdon Hills Nature Reserve - FREE - You can complete the trail for free or grab a map for £1 from the Visitor Centre. There's woodland, meadows, lakes and a museum of Plotland Life. No play area unfortunately but a great cafe!
☀️68. Thames Chase - FREE- Follow the Gruffalo Party Trail completely free, by following the markers. You can buy an activity bag for £3 to complete some activities or take your own paper and crayons for the rubbing activities. Read our review here. They also have a newly fitted playground!
☀️69. The Gruffalo Trail at Thorndon Country Park - FREE- A firm favourite and you can follow the sculpture trail for free or pay £1 for a map. Cafe and picnic areas available!
☀️70. The Stick Man Trail at Weald Country Park - FREE - With over 520 acres of woodland, lakes, hay and wildflower meadows, deer park, kid's play areas, open grassland as well as the Stickman Trail, Weald Park is a great place for a day out.
If you have any free or low cost ideas you'd like to share with out parents, let us know here! Feel free to tag us in anything you do over the summer!
