Summer Holidays 2025 – Free Family Activities in Edinburgh

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Summer Holidays 2025 – Free Family Activities in Edinburgh

It’s back! My big, bumper issue of what’s on for families for FREE (or at very low cost) in Edinburgh over the school summer holidays. We’ve got festivals, museums, libraries, outdoor events and activities, and more! As always, it has been a real labour of love pulling all this together, and I hope you all find something to enjoy.

Usual disclaimer, all info correct at the time of writing, but please do double check before travelling! And please also check whether pre-booking is required, even though events and activities are free, some of them are ticketed as space is limited.

You can also follow The Bear & The Fox on Facebook for more weekly new and updates.

FESTIVALS

Edinburgh is known for its summer festivals. There’s plenty on offer for families, but the costs can add up, so here are a few free suggestions:

Edinburgh Climate Festival

Sat 28 June, 12pm – 7pm in The Meadows; Free entry
Music and dance performances, art installations, workshops, kids area and more.
Full programme here >> Edinburgh Climate Festival 2025

Edinburgh Festival Carnival

The Edinburgh Festival Carnival is managed and delivered by the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival:

>> Edinburgh Festival Carnival, Princes Street Gardens, Sun 13 July from 1pm

Edinburgh International Book Festival

This year’s Book Festival runs from 9 – 24 August. The Children’s Programme has daily free events, some require booking and others are on a drop-in basis. Check out my overview of what’s on for free each day in my previous round-up (come see me with the Maths Week Scotland team on the morning of Sat 9 & Sun 10 Aug in the Children’s Tent!)

>> Edinburgh Book Festival 2025 Children’s Programme

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe always takes over the city in Summer. This year’s Fringe runs from 1 – 25 August, and there’s several free shows in the children’s programme as well as some family friendly shows in the main programme to choose from. More details in my previous Fringe 2025 blog post.

>> Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025: Free Family Friendly Events

Fringe by the Sea

Fringe by the Sea takes place 1 – 10 August in North Berwick, so not actually in Edinburgh, but as it’s easily reachable by public transport for the day so including it here for anyone who fancies a day out.

Includes daily free drop-in activities for families in the Kids Zone, Lodge Grounds, including:

Circus Skills (Fri 1st, Sun 3rd & Mon 4th August; 10m – 1pm)
Facepainting (Sat 2nd August, 3pm – 5pm & Sat 9th August, 10:30am – 1pm)
Clay Play (Sat 2nd August, 11:15am – 2pm & Sun 10th August, 11am – 1pm)
Natural Art Sculptures (Sun 3rd August, 10:30am – 12:30pm)
Story Play Tray (Mon 4th, Weds 6th, Thurs 7th Aug, 2pm – 5pm & Tues 5th, Fri 8th Aug, 10am – 1pm)
Seaside Science (Tues 5th August, 2pm – 5pm)
NSPCC – Build & Be Safe (Tues 5th August, 10:30am – 4:30pm)
Lego Fun (Thurs 7th August, 11am – 1pm)
Creative Soup: Bad Art Club (Sat 9th August, 2pm – 4pm)

View all details plus the rest of the festival programme on the Fringe by the Sea website.

MUSEUMS

Edinburgh has a fantastic choice of family friendly museums, most of which offer free entry. Many of them also host free events during schools holidays. See below for our favourite museums and some of the special events taking place over the Summer holidays.

National Museum of Scotland

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. The museum has several interactive galleries aimed at families, and a host of free trails to choose from. Check out the online Family Hub for more details.

Special Events:

Monkey Business
Sat 28 & Sun 29 June, Sat 19 July, and Sat 26 July, 10:30am – 3:30pm
Free, drop-in

Summer Family Fun
Mondays & Fridays from 14 July to 1 August, 10:30am – 3:30pm
Free, drop-in

(I will be at the Monkey Business weekend in June, and Summer Family Fun on 14 & 18 July, with the Maths Week Scotland team. Come and say hello! Also, the usual disclaimer applies that this is a personal post and not affiliated to my day job.)

National Galleries Scotland

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Free family trails, art trolley and sensory bags at the National; Free family trails, sensory walks and ‘Art Space 2’ activity room at the Modern; Free family trail and art trolley at the Portrait. Find out more on the Galleries website or read our Art Space 2 review and The National with Kids review.

Special Events at Modern One:

Family Art Basket
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2 July to 8 August, 2pm – 4pm
Free; Booking advised to guarantee a basket, but some spares available on the day.

Artist Weekends
Saturdays & Sundays from 5 July to 10 August, 2pm – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Sensory Art Club
Tues 29 July, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Free; booking essential (profound disability friendly)

Relaxed Morning for Families
Tues 5 August, 10:30am – 12noon
Free; booking essential (autism and learning disability friendly)

Museum on the Mound

Open 10-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, and 1-5pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays. Learn about the (hi)story of banking and money, with lots of hands-on activities scattered throughout the galleries. Indoor family trails, sensory bags, and sensory garden trail available, and the museum has confirmed (via email) that over the summer holidays they will be opening up their education room for families to use as a space to take a break and complete a few activity sheets.

Find out more on the Museum on the Mound website or read our Museum on the Mound review.

Special Events

Coin Striking
From 1st July to 9th August, 2:30pm – 4pm, you can strike your own replica medieval coin to take home.

City Art Centre

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Family ArtSpace available daily, packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the relevant exhibitions, and they now also have two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the City Art Centre website or read our City Art Centre review.

Special Events

Rip & Repair
Thurs 31 July and Tues 12 August, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Free, drop-in

Zoom In/ Cropped Out
Sat 2 August and Weds 13 August, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Free, drop-in

Tracing Time
Tues 5 August, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Free, drop-in

Messy Masterpieces
Weds 6 August, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Free, drop-in

Museum of Edinburgh

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Free family activity area packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the galleries, as well as a reading corner and some replica objects you can explore. They now also have a new Sensory Room, and two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the Museum of Edinburgh website or read our Museum of Edinburgh review.

Special Events

Characters from Nature
Sat 26 July, 10:30am – 12:30am and 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Free, drop-in

Doodling for Wellbeing
Weds 30 July, 3pm – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Dandelions and other Lost Words: Family Storytelling
Sat 9 August at 2pm and at 3pm
Free, pre-booking essential

Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

Fantastic wee museum open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm. It tells the story of Scottish firefighting from its inception to the present day. Very family friendly, with interactive displays, dressing up, reading nook, and ‘search and explore’ bags to borrow. Find out more in our Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage review.

Special Events:

Friday Lego Club
Fridays on 27 June & 25 July2:45pm – 3:45pm
Free, drop-in

Tuesday Bookbug
Tuesdays on 1 July, 15th July, 29th July and 12th August, 9:30am – 10am
Free, drop-in

Summer Holiday Crafternoons
Tuesdays on 8th July, 15th July, 22nd July and 29th July, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Free, drop-in

Meet the Fire Dogs
Wed 6 August, 11am – 3pm
Free, drop-in

Details of all events available on the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage website.

St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum

St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm (last entry at 4:30pm). Admission is free. It’s a wee gem of a museum to explore, with a year round family trail and interactive discovery drawers in the Wolfson Gallery that are particularly fun for children. Find out more on the St Cecilia’s Hall website or in our St Cecilia’s Hall review.

Special Events:

Summer Family Trail
Thurs 26 June until Sat 30 August; various time slots during opening hours
Free, pre-booking recommended

Ukulele Group Children’s Concert
Tues 1 July, 2pm – 2:45pm
Free, booking required

Lauriston Castle

Entrance to Lauriston Castle itself is by pre-booked guided tour only, but the grounds are free to access daily from 8am to 7:30pm and are a popular spot for walks and pics. Lauriston Castle now also has a sensory backpack, which families can borrow for free. Keep your eye on the Lauriston Castle Facebook page for any closures to the grounds due to weather warnings. Mimi’s cafe is open daily 9am – 5pm; toilets are open 10am – 4pm.

Special Events

RSPB at Lauriston Castle
Sun 29 June & Sat 19 July, 10am – 4pm
Free, drop-in

The Woodland Trust at Lauriston Castle
Sun 13 July, 10am – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Music Encounters
Sat 26 July, 1pm – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Museum of Childhood

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids busy, including games, dressing up and a story corner. They now also have two sensory backpacks which families can borrow for free. Can be combined with a visit to the Scottish Storytelling Centre across from it, which has a nice cafe including an interactive story wall with lots of cubby holes to open and explore. Find out more on the Museum of Childhood website.

LIBRARIES

Library Summer Reading Challenge

Ready, Set, Read! Sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge at your local Edinburgh City Library. Children will need a library card to take part, but it’s free to join. The theme this year is Story Garden. The challenge is to read 6 different books over the Summer. On sign up, you get a booklet to keep track of your reading. For every couple of books you read, you receive stickers to put in your booklet. Once you’ve completed the challenge, you’ll get a special reward.

The Summer Reading Challenge kicks off with a launch event at Edinburgh Central Children’s Library on Sat 28 June at 1:30pm. Come along for free stories and songs followed by the chance to plant a lovely sunflower to take home. They also have some additional special events listed on Ticketsource.

Library Events

Many of the Edinburgh city libraries run both regular free events and/ or are putting on free events for the school summer holidays – too many to mention them all here! Unfortunately, there’s not a central page that lists them all, you need to check out each library individually. We have found the best place to do that is on Facebook, as that’s where they all seem to post about their events. Activities include Bookbug sessions, board game meet-ups, arts & crafts, Lego clubs, story time, and more!

Why not go and bookmark your nearest library on Facebook now, via the links below! The ones marked with (*) have shared a whole special programme for their Summer holidays, so I have linked to those. But do check out the other libraries too if they are near you, some of them have one off events and/ or have their regular events running.

OTHER INDOOR ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Prewired Summer Make-a-Thon

Prewired, the Edinburgh programming club for young people, is hosting its third annual Summer Make-a-Thon! A full weekend of coding and problem solving. The 2-day event takes place on Sat 19 & Sun 20, 10am – 5pm. Free, but booking required. Age 11+ only.

Their free weekly Wednesday sessions also continue over the summer, 5:30pm – 7:30pm. These are for anyone under age 19, though children under 11 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Summer of Stories (Craigmillar Literacy Trust)

Join Craigmillar Literacy Trust for a series of and creative events throughout the summer, for families with children aged 4-12 and younger siblings. All events are free, include a drink, snack and a book gift, and the majority of them take place in Craigmillar Library Hub. Events run on selected dates between Weds 16 July and Fri 8 Aug, times vary. Some are drop-in, others required pre-booking. Check out the full programme on the Craigmillar Stories for Sharing Facebook page.

Ikea Edinburgh Workshops

Various free events happening at IKEA Edinburgh over the Summer holidays. Some are for Ikea Family members only and required booking, whilst others are open to all and don’t require any registration. Free Summer drop-in events include:

Daily Events

Funland Kids Summer Saviours Quest, daily from 27 June to 12 August; all day
Funland Kids Little Designers Drawing, daily from 27 June to 12 August; all day

Weekly Events

Kids Cardboard Creations, Mondays from 7 July to 11 August, 2pm – 4pm
Make Mess Matter, Tuesdays from 1 July to 22 July, Monday 28 July & Tuesday12 August, 11am – 12pm
Board Game Fika, Tuesdays from 1 July to 12 August; 2pm – 5pm
Wee One Wednesdays, Wednesdays from 2 July to 27 August, 9:30am – 11:30am
IKEA Funland Crafternoons, Wednesdays & Thursdays from 2 July to 7 August, 2pm – 4pm

One-off Events

Summer Kids Creations, Fri 27 June, 10:30am – 12:30pm; Thurs 17 July, 10am – 12pm & 12:30pm – 3pm
Board Game Breakfast, Monday 7 July & 21 July, 4 August & 11 August; 9:30am – 12pm
Kids Crafts with Pregnancy Counselling and Care, Mon 14 & Tues 29 July, 10am – 1pm

Plus the Småland creche is offering some extra activities over the summer holidays, including Rhyme Time on Wednesdays, Stories in the Småland Forest on Thursdays, and Fitness with Småland on Fridays. Free creche booking required; first come, first served.

Details of all events can be found on the Ikea Edinburgh website.

The Edinburgh Bookshop

Fab wee independent bookshop in Bruntsfield (at 176 Bruntsfield Place), that hosts regular storytime for under 5s. Read our review of the bookshop to find out more.

Special Events:

Storytime for under 5s; Free, drop-in
Thursdays & Fridays, 9:30am – 10:30am

Rainbow Cookies Storytime Special with Maggie Byrd
Fri 4 July, 9:30am – 10:15am; Free, booking requested

The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament might not be the first place to spring to mind, to visit with kids, but we had quite a fun filled afternoon there (and that was before the introduced their regular craft sessions). Find out more about it in our review of visiting the Scottish Parliament with Kids. Opening hours vary, depending on whether Parliament is in recess or not. During the Summer holidays, opening times are 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; and 9am to 6:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Special Events:

Crafternoons at the Scottish Parliament
Sat 28 June to Sun 31 August (not Sundays), 2pm – 4:30pm.
Free, drop-in

Water of Leith Visitor Centre

Open daily, 10am – 4pm. Cafe and interactive exhibition about nature and waterways, with including water play activities. Find out more on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust website or read our Water of Leith Visitor Centre review.

The Wee Play Hub at Ocean Terminal

The Wee Play Hub on the first floor of Ocean Terminal is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 11am – 3pm. As well as free play, they also have a weekly programme of free drop-in events including art classes, crafts, story time and Lego club. Check out their Facebook page for details.

Hub@531 Community Space

Community space in the heart of Juniper Green village, offering regular community groups and events. Their regular Monday afternoon (1.30pm – 2.45pm) BookBug and Baby group will be running throughout the summer holidays except on 7th and 14th July. Free, no booking required. More details on the Hub@531 website.

Special Events:

Introduction to Shibori (age 14+)
Sat 19th July, 1pm – 4pm; Free
Japanese textile dye workshop with Dianne Spottiswood Miller.

Kids Climate Action Bunting Workshop (age 7-12)
Sat 7th August, 1pm – 3:30pm; Free
Develop basic sewing skills and design your own flag to add to our climate action bunting for the Hub!

(many thanks to Annette from Hub@531 for sending through the special events details by email)

Miscellaneous Indoor Events

Latin Dance Inclusive at Queensferry Sports & Community Hub
Sat 28th June, Sat 5th July & Sat 12th July, 10:15am – 11:40am; Free, booking required
Gentle and fun blend of Latin American dance choreographies designed for disabled young dancers and their parents or carers.

Balance and Play for Neurodivergents & Pals
Sat 28th June, Sat 26th July & Sat 16th August, 10am – 12pm; Pre-booking required, by donation
Balance and games will be used as a substitute for meditation to improve focus, presence and a trust in the body. For adults and children age 7+

Free Summer Craft Events at Queensferry Parish Church & Dalmeny Kirk Cafe
1st & 4th July, 5th & 8th August at Dalmeny Kirk Cafe
7th, 9th, 28th and 30th July at Queensferry Parish Church
10am – 12pm; Free, drop-in

Summer Children’s Activities at LifeCare Edinburgh
Every Tuesday in July, 11am – 12pm; Free
Includes crafts (drop-in), Young Engineers (booking required), and Dance & Storytelling (booking required)

Free Summer Fun Days at Gyle Shopping Centre
Every Thursday from 3rd July to 7th August; Free, drop-in
Face painting, toddler sand pit, and a different fun activity each week.

Holiday Club at Tron Kirk Moredun
Tues 8th to Thurs 10th July, 10am – 2:30pm
Free, booking required; bring a packed lunch (for P4 to P7)

Family Crafts at Gilmerton Community Centre
Mondays from 14 July to 11 August, 10am – 12:30pm
Free, drop-in; for P1 to P7 age group

Family Fun Day at Currie Bowling Club
Sat 19 July, 12pm – 5pm; Free entry
Bouncy castle, target bowls, petanque, face painting and more.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Hopefully we’ll have some nice weather over the Summer. But as we say in Scotland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. So get yourselves out there whatever the weather! Here are some outdoor events, plus some of our of other places favourite places to head for some fresh air over the holidays. Why not take along a picnic and make a day of it!

Murder Mystery Trails around the Hermitage & the Meadows

All day, any day!

I wrote these trails for my sons, but you can download free copies for personal use, along with answer sheets, maps and certificates. I offer them for free as I want them to be accessible to all, but you are welcome to make a small donation if you are able.

>> Download Hermitage of Braid Trail
>> Download The Meadows Trail

Holyrood Park

Did you know Holyrood Park is managed by Historic Environment Scotland, and the park’s Ranger Service runs guided walks, group tours and events for visitors. Check out these free family drop-in events happening in the Summer holidays:

Holyrood Family Adventure
Weds 9 July, Fri 25 July and Mon 4 August, 1pm – 3pm.
Free guided walk, suitable for age 5+ (booking required).

Children’s Art and Stories Day
Fri 8 August, 1pm – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Edinburgh Parks & Playgrounds

Edinburgh has no shortage of parks and playgrounds across the city, for when you want to go out with the kids to burn off some energy over the holidays. Tip: Bring a towel to wipe down any wet play equipment!

Check out our A to Z map of playgrounds in Edinburgh for inspiration on which ones to visit next. Our favourites include East Meadows Playpark, Saughton Park, Leith Links Playpark, Victoria Park, Seven Acre Park, and the (fairly) newly refurbished Princes Street Gardens.

Or grab a bag of bird seed and visit one of the many spots across the city where you can feed ducks, swans and other birds. Our favourite spots include Blackford Pond, Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, Inverleith Park, and Duddingston Loch & St Margaret’s Loch in Holyrood Park.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

We love the ‘Botanics’ in all seasons. Opening times in July and August are 10am – 5pm. Admission to the Botanics is free.

Collective on Calton Hill

Calton Hill is an exciting place to explore with kids. The Collective Play Shelter provides an outdoor covered space for picnic lunches, and there’s a choice of three self-led family trails to guide you round the hillside. More info on the Collective website.

Family Walks

We like to get out for a good family walk over the holidays. Some of our favourite walks are:

Trees & Seas Outdoor Adventures

This isn’t something we’ve been to ourselves, but I wanted to include it for those living in the area. Trees & Seas provides inclusive outdoor play-based learning for children and families, with both weekly/ monthly sessions, and additional holidays sessions, with free participation for families living in postcodes EH16 and EH17 (with an option to donate, if you are able). Sessions take place in various places, including Craigmillar Castle Park and Forest, Gracemount Walled Garden, Bridgend Farmhouse, and Musselburgh Beach.

Check out the Trees & Seas website for sessions that still have spaces available.

Miscellaneous Outdoor Events

Meadows Junior Parkrun
Every Sunday at 9:30am. Free, but registration required.

Fungi MycoKids Fun at Granton Walled Garden
Fri 27 June, 2pm – 3pm; Free, booking required
Fungi fun activities for children and guardians alike.

Bridgend Farmhouse Family Fun Summer Garden Fair
Sat 28 June, 11am – 2pm; Kids go free, entry for adults by donation; pre-booking required
Stalls, music, activities, hill race, facepainting, silent disco , food and more!

Inch House Community Centre Summer Fair
Sat 12th July, 10:30am – 3pm; Free entry
Bouncy castle, market stalls, cafe, kids activities

Picnic in the Park at Bingham Park
Thurs 24 July, 12pm – 2pm; Free entry
Bring your own picnic, family fun and kids games available.

Family Festival at Craigmillar Castle Park
Sat 26 July, 1pm – 3pm; Free entry
Music making, stories, and fun family activities

Gracemount Summer Lunches
Mon 28 July to Fri 1 August & Mon 4 to Fri 8 August, 12pm – 2pm; Free, drop-in
“There will be free lunches on the old Gracemount Church Land (38 Gracemount Drive), along with games and we usually do a slip ‘n’ slide one/two days if the weather is good.” (Many thanks to Alison for sending this in via Facebook)

Gilmerton Community Centre Summer Fair
Sat 2 August, 12pm – 3pm; Free entry
Stalls, games, soft play, crafts, face painting, fire engine, live animals and more!

Broomhouse Street Party
Thurs 7 August, 12pm – 4pm; Free Community Day
Food, music, community info stalls, Edinburgh Fringe acts, kids entertainment.

DAY TRIPS

Head to the Beach

We love a good trip to the beach, whether for sunbathing, sandcastle and paddling in the sea, or just for a good beach walk with stone skimming and shell collecting when the weather isn’t quite playing along. Or download our free Beach Scavenger Hunt to take along.

We love our local Cramond and Portobello beaches, which you can visit by bus within Edinburgh, and there’s also plenty other beaches within reach that you get to within 30 – 45 minutes by train. Our favourites include Dunbar, North Berwick and Longniddry in East Lothian; and Aberdour and Kinghorn in Fife. And with Kids for a Quid, up to four children can travel for just £1 return each with an adult on Scotrail train journeys.

Go on an Adventure

If you want to venture a bit further afield for a little adventure during the holidays, there are some options available without breaking the bank. We don’t have a car, but have travelled to lots of places within 1.5 hours of Edinburgh by train. Here are some reviews of a few of our favourite low cost trips:

Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Coatbridge (free entry).
Callandar House & Park, Falkirk (free entry).
Riverside Museum, Glasgow (free entry)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (free entry)
Weehailes Adventure Playpark, East Lothian (£4 for kids age 3+, £1 per adult) – with additional summer fun across five play zones, 28 June to 25 August, all included in the same entry price.

Don’t forget to claim your Kids for a Quid rail ticket, to keep travel costs down too. Only available from station ticket counters (or on the train if no ticket counter available).

Kids for a Quid Scotrail Offers

I’ve already mentioned the Kids for a Quid rail tickets above, but did you know you can also get free entry for one child per full paying adult at selected visitor attractions in their Kids Go Free Deals! Maybe there’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but admission costs have prevented you from going. The special Kids Go Free deals can help take the sting out of things a little. Current offers in Edinburgh include Deep Sea World, Camera Obscura, and Edinburgh Zoo. For further afield we can recommend Abbotsford, the Great Tapestry of Scotland, the National Mining Museum, and Discovery Point (Dundee), which are all do-able as day trips from Edinburgh.

This isn’t a complete list, I’m sure there’s probably more great free events that are missing – if you know of any other free events in Edinburgh this Summer, just leave a comment or send me a message and I’ll add them in!

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