The little-known kid passes that can get you free entry to UK attractions – I saved £100
IF YOU'VE never heard of the Children's University, you're not alone.
But you could be missing out on free kids' entry to attractions in a holiday hotspot, if your child's school is taking part in the scheme.
I saved almost £100 on days out over Easter, just by maximising the use of the passes we have available to us.
So if you're looking for ways to save while having some brilliant days out this summer, then it's well worth thinking outside the box, as there are some surprising options that you might not have considered.
That's what happened to me when I discovered that my boys’ Children's University passports give free entry with a paying adult at several attractions in Norfolk, where we spent a week at Easter.
We enjoyed a fun afternoon at the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth, which only cost £7.80 for me because the boys got in free.
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Heading to a museum on your holidays might seem a bit boring, but this one is very hands-on, with a boat playground in the entrance courtyard and a simulator where you can be the captain of your own fishing trawler.
In the holidays, there's often extra activities included in your entry fee and we spent ages playing Roman games with a reenactor and then making our own ancient coins.
As well as permanent exhibitions about the fishing trade, the rise of British seaside resorts and the impact of the Second World War on Great Yarmouth, there's also a temporary dinosaur exhibition running until September where budding archaeologists can dig up bones in the sandpit.
We all know the great British weather can play havoc with plans to spend your week away on the beach in the sunshine, so this is a great wet weather option.
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There's also the Elizabethan Museum and Tolhouse Gaol within walking distance and they are both covered by the Children’s University passport too.
The scheme, which has been running for 15 years, is a way for kids to earn stamps for extracurricular activities like sports clubs or museum visits, which are recorded in the passport.
Then there's a ceremony to celebrate the youngsters’ achievements.
While the passports are issued through schools with more than 110,000 children at 1,000 schools already taking part, there's now an online option for parents to sign their kids up, although it does cost £3.50 a month.
When my boys got their passports a few years ago at the age of five, we only paid a one-off fee of £5, so we've more than made our money back just from this one visit to Time and Tide, which would have cost £6.60 per child.
Using our Children's University passports wasn't the only way we saved money over the Easter holidays.
We also made the most of better-known schemes like Blue Peter badges while we were up in Northumberland, saving us £50 at various attractions that gave the boys free entry.
Some of these, like Lilidorei at the Alnwick Gardens, don't seem to be listed on the Blue Peter site, while others, like Vindolanda, displayed big Blue Peter badge posters at the ticket desk, so it's a bit hit and miss as to how well publicised their inclusion in the scheme is.
Lots of places along Hadrian's Wall are run by English Heritage, so if you have membership, you can use it to full effect there.
Adult members can take in up to six children under the age of 18 within the family group free, so if you're visiting with a relative who is a member, they might be able to take your children in under their membership, depending on the relationship between them.
And some English Heritage and National Trust sites have reciprocal arrangements, so if you're a member of one organisation, but visiting a place run by the other, it's worth checking if your membership works there.
Stonehenge is one such site, as is Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
So if you're planning a staycay this year, there's some holiday hacks that could help you save on your Brit break days out.
Where can I use a Children's University pass?
Families who are thinking about nabbing themselves a Children's University Pass can search the Children's University website to see what attractions are in their local area.
There are plenty of attractions to choose from, including discounted every to Leisure Centres, Bontanical Gardens, Children's festivals and museums.
Head to the Children's University website to find out more, .
Last month, we revealed some of the best free kids' attractions in London for families to visit.
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