Do you start the summer holidays by packing the days with treats and adventures and then run out of steam by week two as the cost gets overwhelming? Keep the fun running for longer with these summer savers.
CARNIVALS & FETES
Ormesby, Scratby & California Community Summer Fete (FREE)
All Saints Parish Hall & Grounds, Scratby NR29 3AJ – 22nd July 2023 11am-10.30pm
AB Enchanted, Free donkey rides, Norwich Star Wars UK, Mini Funfair Rides, RUFF Dog Agility & Show, Phoenix Birds of Prey Rescue, Vikings plus Archery range, Kev’s Puppets & Pipes, fun, games and Music with Carrie
Tribe Norfolk: Family Fun Music & Market (LOW COST)
July 25th 2023
Not to be missed, an event fit for all ages and all in support of an amazing much needed local charity Little Discoverers 05. Food trucks, family yoga, market stalls, live music, kids rave, raffle and more.Tickets £5 per person, £1 from every ticket will be donated to Little Discoverers.
Wells Carnival (FREE)
Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk – 28th July 2023 to 6th August 2023
A week of family fun and events including a Carnival Day procession around the town featuring floats, fancy-dress, pull-and push-along vehicles and much more. Traditional seaside activities include a sand-castle competition, town crier competition, gillying on the quay and the crowning of the Carnival Royals.
Cley Harbour Day (FREE)
1st August 2023 3-9pm
Family fun day: live music, family entertainment, bar & delicious food, have-a-go canoe racing, best dressed pirate (under 12), walking the plank and much more.
Sprowston Summer Fair (FREE)
Sprowston Community Academy, Cannerby Ln, Norwich NR7 8NE – Saturday 12th August 2023 11am-3pm
Over 60 indoor and outdoor stalls – Summer crafts, Plants, Home decor, Ice Cream, Cakes & more! – Kids Activities – Food & Refreshments
Abbey Days Summer Fair
12th August 2023 11am – 9pm
Our summer fair this year is going to be better than ever with music, street food and a licensed bar until 9pm.
Cromer Carnival 2023 (FREE)
Carnival Field, Runton Road, Cromer, NR27 9AU – 12th-18th August 2023
Featuring a Red Arrows display as well as plenty of kid-friendly games and entertainment.
Beccles Carnival Weekend (LOW COST)
Beccles Quay NR34 9BB – 19th and 20th August 2023
We are delighted to welcome you to this year’s Beccles Carnival weekend including stalls, displays, dog shows, music and more. Entry is £2.
Great Ormesby Fete (FREE)
Ormesby St Margaret, Great Yarmouth NR29 3PZ – 26th August 2023
Live music, Crazy Carrie from Sunset Disco hosting all day and night, AB Enchanted hosting our Kings and Queens fancy dress parade and best dressed competition as well as story time and singalongs, a fun dog show, live wood carving throughout the day and various performing arts performances from dancers to live bands and much more!
Corton House Summer Fete
Brakendon Close, Corton Road, Norwich NR13 3BX – 26th August 2023 12-4pm
Fundraising for our not-for-profit care home. Family fun day with plenty of games, stalls, music, alpacas, refreshments, raffle. Free entry and we’re keeping everything as low cost as possible.
Glen Lodge Family Fun Day (FREE)
Bawburgh NR9 3LU – Monday 28th August 2023 12-4pm
Family fun day including BBQ, Bouncy Castle, ice-cream, lawn games and face paint.
Haddiscoe’s Summer Carnival (FREE)
Haddiscoe Village Hall & Playing Field, Haddiscoe, Norwich NR14 6PG – 28th August 2023 12-6pm
Featuring stalls, bouncy castles, fairground games, face-painting and entertainment.
Swaffham Food & Family Fun Festival (FREE)
Swaffham Rugby Club, N Pickenham Rd, Swaffham PE37 7QX – 29th August 2023 4pm-10pm
A fun day out including local food & drink, kids corner with bouncy castles, soft play & fun fair and music.
The Cottage: Family Fun Day (FREE)
148 Thunder Lane, Norwich NR7 0JD – 19th August 2023 12-4pm
Free entry and storytelling from Bookbugs & Dragon Tales, try petanque, bouncy castle, face painting, raffle, cake stall, games, local independent craft businesses plus a BBQ.
Summer Fun at The Gallow (FREE)
The Gallow Fakenham Sports Centre, Hempton Rd, Fakenham NR21 7NY – Monday 28th August 2023 12-4pm
Lots of fun for all the family: free coached introduction to golf, tennis, squash, archer and indoor bowls plus free bouncy castle, fun games, music by the Fakenham Ukes and lots of yummy food available.
OUTDOOR FUN
Summerfest at Waterloo Park (LOW COST)
Waterloo Park, NR3 3HX. 22 – 27th July 2023
Lots of events over the summer including fun days with inflatables & face painting, Secret Agents Academy Holiday Club, Parents Cafe & Summerfest nights.
Summer of Play at Blickling Estate (LOW COST)
Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norwich NR11 6NF – 22nd July to 5th September 2023, 10am – 5pm.
Enjoy a summer of play at Blickling Estate during the summer holidays. Bursting with energy, we have an activity packed day suitable for the whole family. Booking is not required, activities free but normal admission to the house and garden applies.
Ha Ha Farm Sunflower Pop-Up (LOW COST)
Hemblington Rd, Blofield, Norwich NR13 4AH – 31st July – 14th August 2023
Pick your own sunflowers for £2 per stem plus children’s crafting, teas, coffees and cakes.
Outdoor Cinema at Eaton Park (LOW COST)
Eaton Park, Norwich NR4 7AU – 25th August 2023 12-5pm
Kids movie club showing Matilda The Musical & The Greatest Showman also featuring kids fun zone (extra charge), global street food market and a licensed bar (with kids mocktails). Tickets from £9, kids 0-15 years old go free with a paying adult.
Redwings Horse Sanctuary Summer 2023 (FREE)
Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Spa Lane, Aylsham, Norfolk, NR11 6UE
Visitors welcome open every day, 10am till 4pm (paddocks close at 3.30pm), including Bank Holidays. Play area, Café and gift shop on site. Free to enter but donations are welcome, please book a time slot in advance.
Ludham Dragon Trail (FREE/DONATIONS)
NR29 5QE
24th July – 28th August 2023 – Come and find our dragons! Lots of dragons to find around the village, once you have found them all & worked out the word/s enter our prize draw for some great prizes.
Holt Garden Centre Family Fun Day (FREE)
Holgate Hill, Kelling, Holt NR25 7ER Saturday 29th July 2023 10am
Bring family & friends along to enjoy a range of activities, BBQ and pizzas (from 11.30am and extra cost). Free & no booking required
Norfolk Day ideas:
Norfolk Day may have passed but we put together a post to help you get the best from our beautiful county on any day of the year. There are 10 ideas for family fun – mostly free! Have a look here.
ACTIVITIES IN AND AROUND THE CITY
Castle Quarter Summer Holiday (FREE)
100 Castle Meadow, Norwich NR1 3DD – 24th July – 1st September 2023
Lots of family events planned including jungle trail, meet Norfolk’s emergency services, meet Barbie and BugzUK.
Cecil Gowing Infant School: Summer BBQ (FREE)
Falcon Rd W, Norwich NR7 8NZ – Tuesday 11th July 2023 3.15-5.30pm
Live music by Sons of Mark, Bouncy Castle, burgers & hot dogs, face painting, games, raffle, refreshments & ice-cream. Free admission, no need to book
Chantry Place Summer Events (FREE)
40-46 St Stephens St, Norwich NR1 3SH – Saturday 22nd July – Sunday 3rd September 2023
Safari Summer to find 10 animal sculptures, including a giant hippo, lion, giraffe, elephant, panda and more and wild Wednesdays with free animal themed arts and crafts sessions with Schoodoodle.
Free Family Sundays at Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (FREE)
University of East Anglia, Norfolk Road, Norwich NR4 7TJ – On 1st Sunday of each month 10.30am-12.30pm
Look, explore, draw and more with a different Sainsbury Centre artist and theme each month. Our Outdoor Explore sessions take place in the Sculpture Park. Come dressed for the weather.
Norwich Summer Sessions (FREE)
Norwich city centre – Every Sunday, July 30th until September 3rd 2023
Bringing Norwich to life with fantastic music and street entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, Norwich Summer Sessions returns in 2023 for its 10th year.
Norwich Millennium Library Summer 2023 (FREE)
A great mix of family friendly events & activities including summer reading challenge, bounce & rhyme, story explorers, lego clubs and board games for families.
Norwich Cathedral Summer 2023 (FREE)
Norwich Cathedral, 65 The Cl, Norwich NR1 4DH – 27th July 2023 10-12.15pm and 12.45-3pm
Children’s activity afternoon aimed at primary-aged children with a theme of ‘Come on a journey with us’. A afternoon of fun here at the Cathedral which includes a special Labyrinth workshop and workshops for dance and for storytelling.
Family Fest at Norwich Cathedral (LOW COST)
65 The Cl, Norwich NR1 4DH – 16th August 2023 10-2pm
A drop in event for children and families, a festival themed day of fun at the Cathedral. £2.50 per child
Norwich Museums (FREE)
Exclusively for people aged 25 and under who have children. A series of free visits to the Norwich Museums for you and your family. A relaxed and friendly environment with creative activities for all ages.
Strangers Hall – Thursday 20th July 2023 10.30-12.30
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery – Thursday 17th August 2023 10.30-12.30
Museum of Norwich – Thursday 7th September 2023 10.30-12.30
Dotty Pottery: Baby Handprint Event (FREE)
Dotty Pottery White House Farm, Wroxham Rd, Norwich NR13 6LB – Wednesday 26th July 2023 10am
Come and see us for a free baby handprint tile worth £5 for children up to 1 year old. There’s no obligation to buy, just come and see what we do!
Magic Summer: Free Creative Play Sessions (FREE)
2 Stonecutters Way, Great Yarmouth NR30 1HF
PlayGarden!
24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th July 10-11.30am
Explore a wonder filled sensory play space full of sounds and textures.
Colours!
7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th August 1-2.30pm
Come and play with colours! Through light and sound, each day we will explore different colours with instruments, projections and materials.
Squiggle & Bounce!
21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th August 10.30-11.30am
Fancy some space to move? Come along to wriggle, jump, stretch, bounce.
The Creation Station at Smyths Toys (FREE)
Longwater Retail Park, Units E1 & E2, Alex Moorhouse Way, Norwich NR5 0JT – Sunday 20th August 2023
Enjoy a free creative Play-Doh fun session delivered by your local team of Creation Station inspires. Plus on the day, enjoy a free tub of Play-Doh whilst the special giveaway lasts.
No booking necessary
KIDS EAT FREE / CHEAP
Here’s where you can dine out and save this summer with free and cheap meals for children:
ASDA – Kids eat for £1 all day every day with no adult spend required. The offer is ongoing with no end date set yet. ASDA also provides FREE Ella’s Baby Food pouches for children under 18 months with a purchase.
Marks & Spencer – Free kids munch menu meal (main snack & drink, usually £4) when you spend over £5 in a single transaction on non kids food or drink in M&S cafes. 2023 Summer TBC
Tesco – Kids eat free with any purchase over 60p by an adult in the café. Clubcard / App required. 2023 Summer TBC
Sainsbury’s – Offer one child hot meal or lunch bag for £1 with any adult hot meal, every day from 11.30am.
Morrisons – Children up to the age of 16 can eat a free lunch or dinner when you spend £4.49 in store, with one free kids’ meal redeemed per adult.
Hungry Horse Pubs – Children can get a free breakfast every day at Hungry Horse restaurants, if one adult breakfast is bought. Two children’s breakfasts can be claimed per one adult. Kids eat for £1 on Mondays.
Beefeater and Brewer Fayre – At Brewers Fayre, up to two children can receive a free breakfast with one paying adult. The All-You-Can-Eat buffet costs £9.50, with two kids under 16 eligible to fuel up with every adult breakfast purchased. 2023 Summer TBC
Bella Italia – Children can eat for £1 with every adult main, Monday-Thursday 4-6pm
The Real Greek – Kids eat free every Sunday for every £10 spent by an adult.
Yo! Sushi – Kids eat free all day with a full paying adult, minimum spend £10. 2023 Summer TBC
Pausa Cafe at Dunelm – Kids get 1 mini main, 2 snacks and a drink FREE with every £4 spend.
Bill’s – 2 Kids eat free with every adult having a main meal.
Rishi – Kids eat free for the whole summer, Sunday-Thursday until 31st August 2023. One free kids menu (under age 12) with a purchase of an adult main
BrewDog – Make us your first stop on any family days out, as kids eat for free with a paying adult when you book a table with us. From Wednesday 28th June 2023
Ciscoes – Kids can eat for £5 this July & August on Thursday, Sunday & Monday. Availble when dining in from our children’s menu. Quote KIDS£5 upon booking or show the instagram post to server.
Blakeney House – Kids eat free for the whole of August, one free children’s meal with every paying adult from the tasting menu or Sunday roast menu
LOW COST SUMMER SAVERS
Twilight Hours: Visit Norfolk Museums one hour before closing and you can get yourself a Twilight Ticket. Norwich Castle is reduced to £2.50, Museum of Norwich £2.50, Strangers’ Hall £2, Time and Tide £2.50, Cromer Museum £2.
Explore the Outdoors
We live in such a beautiful city and are spoilt for choice when it comes to parks, gardens & nature reserves. Lots are free to enjoy or have a small entry fee. Have a walk, bike ride or take a picnic…Make it more exciting with nature bingo, a hunt or doing some leaf rubbings – Lots of free ideas available with a quick internet search.
Here’s just a few places to explore:
The Broads – Ranworth and Salhouse have all been recommended by Mumblers
Strumpshaw Fen
Whitlingham Country Park
Thetford Forest
Holt Country Park
Taverham Mill
Here are some of our posts with outdoors suggestions:
Go Outdoors
Norwich Walks
Norwich Play areas with Cafes
Walks and the Great Outdoors
Where to feed ducks
Geocaching
Playgrounds
We have so many parks and playgrounds to visit in Norwich. There is a list and interactive map HERE, if you visit any then take a snap and send it to norwich@mumbler.co.uk I’ll post it on the listing for that park so other Mumblers can see what is there before they visit.
Walking Trails & Treasure hunting
Geocaching
The worlds largest outdoor treasure hunt – visit the website or download the free app.
Mumbler tip:
“Be prepared that the app locations aren’t always bang on so you may have to do a bit of hunting when you get within the General area of a cache”
Here is the info Mumbler Rachel put together for us on Geocaching.
The Walking in Norfolk page has LOADS of suggested walking trails. Each one has a PDF with details, including suitability and length.
Home based Activities
Free Fun Further Afield – the Norfolk Coast!
Hopefully the weather will be nice enough for plenty of trips to the beach- Winterton, Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Happisburgh, Hemsby – take your pick! See the Beaches in Norfolk page for more info or our post about Just Beaches (no arcades).
Don’t forget there’s a Mumbler free activity ideas sheet:
Let us know if we’ve missed anything HERE and we can add it on!
Don’t forget you can join the Norwich Mumbler Chat Group on FB for advice and recommendations, or follow on Instagram where we post in real time what’s going on for families and Mumbler!