Free and cheap things to do with kids in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is good for families on a budget if you know where to look. This page gathers the free and cheap things to do with children: the free national museums, playparks, Bookbug rhyme sessions at local libraries, kids-eat-free and kids-go-free deals, and what’s on in the school holidays.
Some listings are made for children. Others are for everyone but work well with them, like a free museum or the Botanics. Fomo checks the prices on every listing and updates the list daily. If an offer has ended or a price has changed, tell us and we’ll fix it.
This weekend
Kid-friendly things on Saturday and Sunday.
Scotland's First Warriors Free Exhibition
A free long-running exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland exploring the origins a…
Monsters and Myths at Dynamic Earth
Halloween trail exploring the science behind dragons, kelpies and werewolves, plus spooky…
Pumpkins After Dark Edinburgh
A walk-through Halloween experience at the Royal Highland Centre featuring over 10,000 ha…
Haunting Halloween Hunt at Camera Obscura
Family-friendly Halloween hunt around Camera Obscura & World of Illusions with a sweet tr…
Parkrun
Edinburgh's original parkrun is a free, volunteer-run 5k out-and-back along the Cramond/S…
Holyrood parkrun around Arthur's Seat
Free weekly volunteer-run 5k around Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park, open to runners, jogg…
Witches and Wizards - Lauriston Castle Family Workshops
An event at 2a Cramond Road South, Davidson's Mains, EH4 5QD Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Kids Blues LIVE with Jed Potts and Nicole Smit
Join Kind And Queen of Scottish blues, Jed Potts and Nicole Cassandra Smit with harmonica…
Kids go free & kids eat free
Offers for families. Check each one's dates and conditions.
2 for 1 Tuesdays at Splash and Glow
Splash and Glow offers 2 for 1 on Tuesdays at its neon paint-splatter experience.
Free any time
Museums, parks and playparks with £0 admission.
National Museum of Scotland Free Entry
FREEThe National Museum of Scotland has free entry to its permanent galleries, with charges o…
Old Town
Bruntsfield Links
FREEpark
Melville Dr, Edinburgh EH9 1DY · Open 24 hours
Blackford Pond
FREEpark
Blackford Pond, Edinburgh
Talbot Rice Gallery
FREEgallery
Old College, South Bridge, EH8 9YL
Museum of Edinburgh
FREEmuseum
142-146 Canongate, EH8 8DD
The Writers' Museum
FREEmuseum
Lawnmarket, Lady Stair's Cl, Edinburgh EH1 2PA
St Cecilia's Hall Concert Room and Music Museum
FREEmuseum
50 Niddry St, Edinburgh EH1 1LGStockbridge Library
FREElibrary
Hamilton Place, Edinburgh
Portobello Community Garden
FREEgarden
Portobello · UnknownCorstorphine Public Library
FREElibrary
CorstorphineRosefield Park
FREEpark
Portobello · Open 24 hoursCorstorphine Hill
FREEpark
Corstorphine · Open any timeComing up
Kid-friendly dates over the next month, including school-holiday activities.
Family Fridays at the National Galleries
Free weekly drop-in family sessions at the Scottish National Gallery: sensory play for un…
Family Halloween Party with The Shiverin’ Sheiks Band (Rock ’n’ Roll)
The Jazz Bar
An event at The Jazz Bar
Kids Halloween Party
Friday 30th October, 2pm to 4pm.
Relaxed Curiosity Club
Relaxed, reduced-capacity family sessions at the National Museum of Scotland designed for…
Magic Carpet
The National Museum of Scotland's Magic Carpet sessions introduce little ones to museum o…
Edinburgh's Christmas 2026/27
The city's flagship winter celebration returns across East and West Princes Street Garden…
Christmas at the Botanics 2026
An illuminated festive outdoor trail at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, described as…
Santa's Stories
A 20-minute festive experience in West Princes Street Gardens where children meet Santa a…
Questions parents ask
What's free to do with kids in Edinburgh?
The National Museum of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the Museum of Childhood are all free to enter. The grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden are free, and there are free playparks at Inverleith Park and West Princes Street Gardens.
Where do kids eat free in Edinburgh?
Some Edinburgh restaurants and cafes run kids-eat-free and kids-go-free offers. Any we have found are listed in the Kids go free and kids eat free section on this page, each with its own dates and conditions. Offers change, so check the dates before you go.
Do under-5s travel free on trains?
Yes. On ScotRail, children under 5 travel free. Kids for a Quid lets up to four children aged 5 to 15 travel for £1 return each with a paying adult.
What's on in the school holidays?
The next Edinburgh school holidays are: Christmas holidays, 21 December 2026 to 5 January 2027; February mid-term break, 15 to 19 February 2027. Events and activities for those weeks appear in the Coming up section on this page as they are added.
Is Bookbug free?
Yes. Bookbug is a free programme of rhyme and story sessions for children aged 0 to 4 at Edinburgh libraries. Times differ by branch, so check your local library.