what cheap free things are there to do in edinburgh over the holidays??

[kerryk]

can we swap some tips?

i usually do

chamber street museum

museum of childhood

meadows for a scoot about/ play in park

inverleith park

take the car to queensferry and play on the beach then walk over the road bridge

portabello beach

kids club movies at the odeon at the weekend (£2.50 per child and adults get in free)

vogrie country park

can anyone give me any other ideas?

Loads of street entertainment on Royal Mile and stuff on in Princes Street Gardens during Festival.

the art galleries, free entry and free tickets to special exhibitions for children under 12

princes street gardens can fill half a day, picnic, playground, run about

Arthur's Seat & Salisbury Crags

North Berwick - not free but a train trip out there and back would be fun?

Clambers at the Commonwealth pool - only £1.45 for half an hour

The Festival cavalcade on Sunday 3rd August on Princes Street - totally free!

Ikea

childrens cinema at the film house is only a quid!

swimming is pretty cheap.

I go to Dobbies sometimes - the cafe is good, there's a play area, loads of fish and rabbits etc in the pet bit.

On a day like today the bit between the parliament and Arthurs seat has a garden with a big shallow pool and lots of kids were splashing around in it today.

If you have a train spotter, then the bridge in Princes Street gardens behind the Ross Bandstand is great. It has perspex sides on it so you get a great view of the trains, and the drivers even toot when they go under if you wave to them!

Going places on the bus is quite an adventure for a lot of children. My DS loves it and would probably sit on the bus all day!

Gorgie city farm is donation for entry.

The soft play at Dynamic Earth (it's called the Ocean Commotion) is only £1.50. I believe that some people just go in without paying (it's free if you have already paid for dynamic earth). You can stay as long as you like, or even go away and come back.

The Botanic Gardens at Inverleith are lovely for a picnic, you can get in some of the glasshouses for free and at the weekends they often have kids' activities.

There are a couple of free kids shows on the Fringe; check out the brochure (one is at the Laughing Horse in Leith and another one is a circus troupe who perform in the Botanics; there may well be more).

We often bike or walk along the Water of Leith and stop at various parks along the way (eg Warriston) for a play and food.

Gorgie Farm is by donation only and without being cynical about it, there's nobody watching how much you give, so if you really can only afford a pound or two you can drop it in the pot without feeling embarrassed.

If you have a car Dalkeith country park can easily fill a whole day and you only pay a minimal parking fee - a couple of quid - there's a huge fort with giant slides and hundreds of acres to explore with woods and streams etc. Take a picnic or there's a cafe on site. Also plenty of room to take your own ball games.

Gorgie Farm is great, I always give a donation but if you really can't afford it then don't. It has a picnic area so a very cheap day out.

Museums and art galleries are great.

Gullane has a great beach.

We have days out at Gifford - it has a lovely play park which is near a wood and stream so great for exploring. There is also a nice pub with a beer garden - Ok, that bit is not cheap but a beer garden is such a treat somedays.

edinburgh council have made swimming free for all children over the holidays

thanks for all the great ideas!

we are just back from vogrie country park. it was excellent. the kids were ficking for frogs in the pond and spend ages in the park. only thing missing was that the mini-train was not running but i dont think the children even noticed.

Where are all the little girls? We've just moved to the West End (Randolph Crescent) and although I see lots of little boys playing nearby, I can't see any girls! My girls are nearly 3 and nearly 5 and we'd love to meet other similar-aged children to play in our neighbourhood, have picnics, ride scooters, or just come over and play dressing up...anyone out there?

Vogrie is great, isn't it kerryk. I think the train just runs on a Sunday.

Just a ds here sofiele, sorry, can't help on the girls front!

I was at Vogrie yesterday. Dalkeith Coutry Pakr is charged per person I think it is about £12 for a family of 4. Well worth it though. Excellent day out. What is at Gorgie Farm, I went there as a child and just vividly remember the smell.

yes gorgie farm does stink

there is pigs, sheep, a horse, rabbits, chickens, guinea pigs.....

there is a small play park as well.

not a full day out but it puts in a afternoon.

They charge for Dalkeith now ?
Is that for the adventure playground?

Big favourite of mine since childhood is the Hermitage of Braid. It has an icehouse set into the hill which is straight out of Harry Potter, a wonderful Georgian House, a Doocot and access onto Blackford Hill and the Duck Pond. Its gloriously overgrown nature reserve and quite magical looking I always think. You can go off the main path (which runs alongside the Braid Burn) and pick berries.

They charge you to get into the car park. As you drive up the main gate they stop you and charge you., Even if you park outside the main gates they stop you as you are walking in. I personally dont mind as it is a well maintained park and they have to pay for it somehow and it is a whole day out.