February Half Term in Edinburgh Without Breaking the Bank – 2026

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February Half Term in Edinburgh Without Breaking the Bank – 2026

The February half-term school holidays are coming up here in Edinburgh, so I’m back with my annual round up of free and low-cost activities to do with kids that won’t break the bank. Plus some of our other favourite indoor and outdoor places we like to frequent when we want to get out the house, as well a couple of day trip recommendations, to give you my ultimate holidays guide!

Museums, galleries and libraries are always our saviour at any time of year, but especially in the darker and colder months. There’s a couple of free events happening too, but mostly they offer offer a warm space to hang out, to play or make, to discover, or even just to have a coffee.

Please note: The information is to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing, but please double check details with the venues directly before travelling! Also, if you know of any other great free events in Edinburgh during the February Half Term, just leave a comment or send me a message and I’ll add them in.

MUSEUMS

National Museum of Scotland

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. The museum hs several hands-on galleries aimed at families (Imagine, Level 1 / Explore, Level 1/ Adventure Planet, Level 5) plus lots of interactive elements throughout other galleries, and free family trails. Check out the online Family Hub for more details.

Special Events:

Giants: Half Term
Sat 14 to Sun 22 February, 10:30am – 4pm; Free, drop-in

The Amazing Mathemagic Show
Sat 21 February, 10:30am – 1pm & 1:30pm – 4pm; Free, drop-in

National Galleries of 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 the Portrait:

Sounds & Stories From the Clouds
Mon 16 to Fri 20 February, 2pm – 4pm; Free, drop-in

Relaxed Morning for Children (Autism and Learning-disability friendly)
Tues 17 February, 10:30am – 12 noon; Free, booking essential

Museum on the Mound

Open 10-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, and 1-5pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays.

What’s On? 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, just ask at reception. Find out more on the Museum on the Mound website or read our Museum on the Mound review.

Special Events:

February Half-Term Activities
Tues 17 to Fri 20th February, 2pm – 4pm; Free, drop-in

Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

Open Tues to Sat, 10am – 4pm; Closed Sundays & Mondays (PLEASE NOTE: The museum is closed over the winter until Mon 16 February, it reopens on Tues 17 February). The museum 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:

Fire Finders – Sleuthing Fun for All Ages
Tues 17 to Sat 21 February, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in

City Art Centre

Open daily, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm). 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.

Museum of Edinburgh

Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm); closed Mondays & Tuesdays. 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.

Museum of Childhood

Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm); closed Mondays & Tuesdays. 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.

St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum

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.

Physician’s Gallery

Open Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 4:30pm (closed on Fri 20 February). This is one we haven’t been to yet, as it only opened fairly recently, but we are planning a trip here over the half term! The Physician’s Gallery at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh includes the Joyce Grainger Learning Centre – a permanent exhibition exploring our relationship with health, medicine and our bodies. Over 50 objects, illustrations and books are on display, sharing stories from medieval medicine to modern day treatments, with some family-friendly activities.

Speciel Events:

Drop-in Activity: What Do Animals Eat?
Tues 17 February, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in

Drop-in Activity: Make a Pomander
Thurs 19 February, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in

Alphabet Hunt at any museum or gallery

All day, any day! (during museum/ gallery opening hours)

We have this at both the National Museum of Scotland and the National Gallery of Scotland, though would work at most museums or galleries.The idea is simple – find something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. All you need is paper and something to write with and keep track of what you find. Optionally you can take photos if the museum/ gallery allows. A small clipboard is also useful but optional.

It’s a great way to see a place you’ve visited many times before through new eyes, and to get the kids to engage more with what they are seeing. Find out more about our Alphabet Hunt in my previous posts, where you can also download a free printable Alphabet Hunt activity sheet.

>> Museum Alphabet Hunt Blog Post (info, photos + free printable)

>> National Gallery Alphabet Hunt Facebook Album (photos only)

LIBRARIES

Opening times vary by library, mostly Mondays to Saturdays. The Central Library has a dedicated Children’s Library with reading rooms and an art room. Most of the other Edinburgh City Libraries also have children’s sections, as well as regular family events and activities. Find out more about each library on the Edinburgh Libraries map or on their Facebook pages via the links below:

Special Events

There are too many regular events (Bookbug, crafternoons, Lego clubs, book groups etc) across the various libraries to list them all. But here are a few special events happening over the half term that I picked out:

Zoo Tails at Newington Library
Tues 17 February at 11am; Free, drop-in

Maisie Chan: Half Term Family Fun at Muirhouse Library
Weds 18 February at 2pm; Free, booking essential

Book Cover Redesign Craft at Stockbridge Library
Weds 18 February, 2pm – 3:15pm; Free, drop-in

OTHER INDOOR VENUES & EVENTS

Water of Leith Visitor Centre

Open daily, 10am – 4pm (temporary closure from 26th Jan – 7th Feb). 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 Hub

Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 11am to 3pm. The Wee Hub is a community centre in Leith’s Ocean Terminal, run by The Living Memory Association charity in partnership with Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. As well as the general play area, they also offer regular free drop-in events including arts and crafts classes, and a Lego club. (Full disclosure: This is one we haven’t been to ourselves yet as it’s on the other side of town from us, but we’ve been following them on Facebook for a while and it looks like a great place).

Special Events:

Ukraine Kids Club (open to all)
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 4pm – 6pm; Free, drop-in

Arts & Crafts Activities for Kids
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, 12pm – 1pm; Free, drop-in

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 February, opening times are 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; and 9am to 6:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Special Events

Crafternoon: Valentine’s Origami
Sat 14 February, 11am – 4pm; Free, drop-in

Pets at Home February Half-Term Workshops

Sat 14 to Sun 22 February, 2pm – 2:45pm; Free, booking required

“Join the Pet Pals in-store for some fun this half-term with our free workshops on all things pet behaviour (…) By the end of the workshop, they’ll learn why play is so important for an animal’s wellbeing, building their confidence and setting them up for responsible pet ownership, whenever the time comes.” Available in Edinburgh at the Corstorphine, Craigleith, Pentland and Fort Kinnaird Stores.

>> Book your free place via the Pets at Home website (for aged 4 – 10 yrs)

Visit an Independent Bookshop

Independent bookshops we love to visit, that have children’s sections and reading nooks, include The Edinburgh Bookshop (Bruntsfield), Till’s Bookshop (Newington), Lighthouse Bookshop (Newington), Golden Hare Books (Stockbridge), Ginger and Pickles (Stockbridge), Topping & Company Booksellers (New Town), Argonaut Books (Leith) and Portobello Bookshop (Portobello). While it’s not free, going together to browse a bookshop and pick out a new book together for the holidays is still a relatively low cost activity compared to other visitor attractions and event with big price tags.

Find our more about all these bookshops in my previous post >> Our Top Indie Bookshops in Edinburgh to Visit with Kids

IKEA Edinburgh Events

Various free events happening at IKEA Edinburgh over the half term holiday week, including:

GREJSIMOJS Colour Trail
Sat 14 to Sun 22 February during opening hours; Free, drop-in

Make Mess Matter
Mon 16 February, 11am – 12 noon; Free, drop-in

Board Game Fika
Mon 16 February, 2pm – 5pm; Free, drop-in

Kids Colourful Crafts (IKEA Family Account required)
Weds 18 February, half hour slots between 10am and 3pm; Free, booking essential

Stay & Play Sensory Sessions (IKEA Family Account required)
Thurs 18 February, half slots between 10am and 2:45pm; Free, booking essential

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

Miscellaneous Indoor Events

Valentine’s Crafts at Drylaw Neighbour Centre
Sat 14 February, 11am – 1pm; Free, booking essential

Prewired Programming Club for under 19s at CodeBase

Weds 18 February, 5:30pm – 7:30pm; Free, booking required

Storytime for under 5s at The Edinburgh Bookshop
Thursdays & Fridays, 9:30am – 10am

Lunar New Year Lion Dancers at the St James Quarter
Sat 21 February at 12pm & 1pm; Free, drop-in

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

As they say in Scotland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. While that might not actually be true, and there are plenty of days with storm warnings or lashings of horizontal rain where it’s better to stay indoors even with the best of clothing, here are some suggestions of places to head for some fresh air over the holidays. Don’t forget to bring a flask of something hot (hot chocolate, tea, soup) to have along the way.

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

Fun Bike Ride with Porty Bike Library

Friday 20 February, starting at 10am. Register via Eventbrite.

Join Porty Community Energy for a family friendly led bike ride from Portobello Active Travel Hub to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

We love the ‘Botanics’ in all seasons. Open daily 10am – 5pm during February. Cafe available. Keep your eye on their website and social media channels for additional closures due to severe weather warnings.

Lauriston Castle Grounds

The grounds are open to the public between 8am-4.30pm daily, and are a popular spot for walks. Keep your eye on the Lauriston Castle Facebook page for closures to the grounds due to severe weather warnings.

Mimi’s Bakehouse, located on site, is open Monday – Sunday 10am – 4pm. Check Mimi’s Bakehouse Facebook page for further details. Toilets are also open 10am-4pm.

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.

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.

Family Walks

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

Some other walks I haven’t written up yet, that we enjoy doing, include:

going up Arthur’s Seat (via Dunsapie Loch);
walking along the Innocent Railway to Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston;
the circular route up and around Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, starting from the duck pond at Lockharton Crescent.

Winter Beach Trip

We love a good trip to the beach, even in Winter. While it’s not the weather for sunbathing and paddling, there’s always time for a good beach walk with stone skimming and shell collecting – why not download our 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.

Junior Parkrun

Head out in to the fresh air and get some exercise in the process, by joining a Junior Parkrun – a free, fun, and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors (4 to 14 year olds). Junior Parkruns in Edinburgh Include:

Pilrig Park Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
Inverleith Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
The Meadows Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
Hailes Quarry Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am

Low Cost Day Trips

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 (please check with venues for opening hours before travelling):

Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Coatbridge (free entry) | Summerlee Review | Summerlee Website
Callendar House & Park, Falkirk (free entry) | Callendar House Review | Callendar House Website
Riverside Museum, Glasgow (free entry) | Riverside Review | Riverside Website
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (free entry) | Kelvingrove Review | Kelvingrove Website
Weehailes Adventure Playpark, East Lothian (£4 for kids age 3+, £1 per adult) | Weehailes Review | Weehailes Website

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).

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