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You are here: Things To Do > Activities > Free Family Summer Activities
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We know the school holidays can be an expensive time, so we have put together our top 10 ideas for things to do in Exeter this summer, completely free! Whatever the weather (although we're hoping for plenty of Devon sunshine), there is plenty going on to keep everyone entertained. Plus there are some great free family events in Exeter over the summer holidays.
1. Visit Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and go on a voyage of discovery from pre-history to the present day through 16 galleries of displays. With free entry & summer holiday activities, workshops and drop-in sessions, there is something for all ages.
2. Visit the library... Exeter Central Library runs regular family activities for all ages and is easily accessible from the city centre.
3. Join the famous Red Coat Guides on a walking tour of Exeter, to discover more about the fascinating and turbulent history of the city. Tours run daily throughout the year, with a wide range to choose from. There is no need to book – just turn up, tours last approx. 90 minutes.
4. ...Or if you prefer to do things at your own pace, follow one of Exeter’s self-guided heritage trails – kids can solve puzzles and quizzes along the way.
5. On warm days, pack your swimming stuff and head to Heavitree Park, which has paddling pools in which to play and cool down, or St Thomas Splash Pad, with water fountains, tipping buckets and cannons for plenty of water fun!
6. Visit the Custom House Visitor Centre on Exeter’s Quayside to learn more about the history of the Quayside through fascinating displays, exhibits and a short film - ‘Exeter, 2,000 years of history’.
7. Attend a milling day on the second Friday of every month or look for wildlife in the garden of Cricklepit Mill.
8. Film fans, head to the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum for interactive exhibits for children, or see a favourite film as part of the Odeon Kid’s Club – whilst not strictly free, tickets are just £1 per person! Plus you can book online in advance with no booking fees. There are kids screenings every Saturday and Sunday morning, plus every day during the school holidays.
9. Find space to run free! Head out of the city to Haldon Forest Park, where themed walking and cycling routes are well-signposted, or follow special trails aimed at families with small children. You will also find family-friendly marked trails at Stoke Woods, an old forest dating back to the Roman times on the edge of Exeter, or visit one of five Valley Parks in the city, all great for walking, kicking a football around or enjoying a family picnic.
10. Take a family bike ride following the route of the Exeter Canal... this flat, traffic-free route is great for families, plus you can stop off at the Double Locks pub for refreshments in the large, waterside beer garden with an outdoor play area!
Number of results: 76
, currently showing 1 to 21.
Sidmouth
With adventures for all the family, make memories that last a lifetime at The Donkey Sanctuary. Meet hundreds of friendly rescue donkeys for FREE and discover so much more besides.
Prince of Wales Road, Exeter
A museum dedicated to the audience's experience of the moving image. Explore the visual culture from magic lanterns to Marilyn Monroe.
Exeter
Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum reopened after a multi-million pound refurbishment with the galleries & facilities of a modern museum.
Dawlish Warren
Dawlish Warren's most valuable ecological asset appears outside of the summer months - the descent of thousands of wildfowl and wading birds who use the mudflats to feed.
Newton Abbot
Decoy Country Park provides an opportunity to enjoy exciting wildlife and beautiful countryside. Decoy was once a clay quarry but now supports a wealth of wildlife, with the main habitats found here.
Exeter
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Exeter city centre then this is a great place to come and walk your dog and explore the woods following the two way-marked trails.
Budleigh Salterton beach is a long pebble beach extending for 2.5 miles along the Jurassic Coast, from Littleham Cove to the west, to Otterhead in the east, where the River Otter meets the sea. Bathing is safe and the water clear, families can relax...
Exeter
Popular family park with a wide range of recreational facilities including paddling pools, six tennis courts, basketball court, skate park, bmx track, bowling green and kick about area.
Exeter
Open May - September, the St Thomas Splash Pad has water fountains, tipping buckets and cannons on a brightly coloured surface. There is also a large children's playground, public toilets and parkland nearby.
The playground is suitable for...
The Old Library, Exeter
Developed in 2015 – 16, to celebrate the University of Exeter’s Diamond Jubilee, the self-guided Jubilee Water Walk takes the visitor on a tour of the wonderful water features, both natural and man-made, on the Streatham Campus. Whilst following...
Exeter
The Custom House Visitor Centre is in the centre of Exeter's historic quayside & occupies one of the most historic buildings on the waterfront.
Yelverton
Dartmoor National Park is one of the last great wildernesses in the UK with an inspirational landscape of heatherclad moors and rugged tors.
Everything you need for a great day out in Devon is here. Lotstodo.co.uk is the website of the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (DATA), an organisation that represents the top attractions in Devon.
Exeter
Popular with birdwatchers, walkers and picnickers, Belle Isle Park is a quiet riverside park easily accessible by foot or bicycle from Topsham Road or the Exeter Quay.
SEATON
Running 155km from Exmouth in Devon to Studland in Dorset is the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, selected by UNESCO because of its outstanding earth science interest.
Exmouth
Sandy Bay in Exmouth is a half-mile long privately owned beach which is sheltered and ideal for families. The beach is good for swimming and water sports, and there is a lifeguard during the summer months.
Exeter
One of Exeter’s most distinguished parks, the annual blossoming of Pinces Garden’s 45 metre wisteria arch is an unmissable spring event. Home to the Exeter Croquet Club and the Pinces Gardens’ Bowls club.
Exeter
This attractive 'island' of farmland within the City is located between Wonford and Rydon Lane and has marvellous views of the City and Estuary.
The park is a working farm on the edge of the busy city of Exeter. Many of the fields provide free...
Exeter
This reserve, part of the Exe Estuary SSSI, is sandwiched between the river Exe and the Exeter ship canal.
Exeter
The rich meadows and woodland are host to a wide range of wildlife which thrives in the quiet valleys. Most of the land is in private ownership but there is access to Belvedere Meadows Local Nature Reserve.
All the roads and tracks within the...
Axmouth
If you're thinking of walking parts of the coastal path then the route from Axmouth to Lyme Regis is a good starting point with great views
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