Up to four more five- to 15-year-olds can travel for £1 each. Consider giving children a set sum to spend on ice cream or in the gift shop, rather than running the risk of being held to ransom. Taking packed lunches will enable you to avoid expensive food outlets.* The obvious way to get to attractions is by car, but public transport may prove cheaper. Contact your local train company to find out whether it is running any special offers over the summer.* Group Save is a scheme operating in the South-east that enables groups of three or four – any combination of adults and children – to travel for the price of two adults. It has ideas for days out but also carries a wide variety of vouchers that you can print out and use to save money on entrance fees. A deal offering £5 off for up to five people at Legoland, for example, is typical.* Remember that theme parks and attractions go on making money out of you once you’re inside.

It markets itself as a “days out club” and, for a £14.95 annual fee, you get access to discount vouchers for attractions around the country.* Alternatively, see www.whattodowiththekids.co.uk, a site that does not require you to subscribe or pay a joining fee. It features everything from art camp and IT programmes to football and horseriding.How to cut the cost of more expensive days outWhile there are plenty of affordable ways to entertain the kids this summer, it’s inevitable that you’ll also end up on some more expensive outings. But even here, it may be possible to save money by planning ahead.* Days Out UK ( www.daysoutuk ) is one possibility. www.inlinespeed.co.uk.Summer campNot strictly a day out, but if your children would like to escape from you for a few days, or even longer, www.summerfun4kids.co.uk has a complete directory of camps all over the country. You can check out the mummified cat or, for children brought up on violent video games, there is the African weapons section Free.

01865 270927, www.prm.ox.ac.uk.British InlineSkating Championships, Birmingham.Encourage your kids to get into sport, by taking them to see the British championships of what is currently one of the fastest-growing participation sports in the country. 0161 833 0027, www.msim .uk.London Kids Week.Free entrance for one child with a paying adult to many of the best West End shows 18 August to 1 September. See www.kidsweek.co.uk.Tour Old Trafford, Manchester.If your kids’ sporting tastes are more conventional, Manchester United offers tours of the club’s ground. Get an inside look at the dressing rooms, stand on the famous pitch and walk up the tunnel Just don’t mention Cristiano Ronaldo too loudly Many other clubs offer similar tours Family ticket £27 (including entrance to the museum).

0870 442 1994, www.manutd .Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford.Home of the renowned shrunken heads, the Pitt Rivers features a weird and wonderful collection of artefacts from around the world. But its main attraction survived the storm – possibly due to the supernatural powers of the largest collection of witchcraft items in Britain? Adults £2.50, children £1.50. 01840 250111, www.museumofwitchcraft .Fruitstock Music Festival, London.There will be a variety of bands for the parents plus loads of activities for the kids, including face painting and a mini fair There’s a farmers’ market too, so you can buy picnic food Free Regent’s Park, 5-6 August, midday to 9pm. 01495 790311, www.museumwales.ac.uk.Tall Ship, Glasgow. Moored in Glasgow harbour, the Glenlee, built locally, travelled round the world four times between 1896 and 1969 Now it serves as a museum and is open to the public Family ticket £9.95.

0141 222 2513, www.thetallship .Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle.Boscastle, Cornwall, was at the centre of national attention when flash flooding hit the town in 2004. 01494 672919, www.bekonscot .10 CHEAP DAYS OUT FOR OLDER KIDSBig Pit National Mining Museum, Wales.Don a helmet and lamp before taking the lift 300ft down the disused mine, with a former miner Free. 01904 621261.Bekonscot Model Village, Buckinghamshire.ºFeel like Gulliver at the oldest model village in the world, founded in 1929 Adults £5.80, children £3.50. 0191 243 8210, www.life .uk.National Railway Museum, York.Great fun with opportunities for hands-on play and even a miniature train to ride Turn them into a trainspotter early Free.