IT’S BACK – I’m showing you how to take advantage of the best kids eat free (or cheap) offers for the February half term and my updated route map will show you how to feed your child 3 meals a day for just £1.55! I can’t believe it’s actually cheaper than last time and if you read the full article you’ll see that if you visit on the right day, it could actually cost you even LESS! Don’t worry if a particular store or deal doesn’t suit you as I’ve listed a few extra options on the bottom. So, let’s get on with it: Here is your roadmap of how to feed your child 3 meals a day for JUST £1.55 (with no cooking or washing up involved).
BREAKFAST
We’re going to Asda this time because they’ve teamed up with Quaker to offer completely FREE porridge to all! That’s right, it’s not just for kids, between 8 am and 12 midday anyone can claim a completely free hot breakfast of Quaker porridge oats. It doesn’t stop there though because you can also claim a free hot drink as part of the deal. This offer started on the 7th February and will run until 20th March.
That’s not the only great offer at Asda as it seems they are still offering their kids eat for £1 deal and this is noteworthy because there is NO adult spend required. I haven’t been able to find a confirmation on the official Asda website that this deal is still live but it’s being widely reported on so it seems it may well be, do check in store signage to confirm.
I tested this offer out back in 2023 and it’s pretty generous but there is a ‘BUT’ and that is that I have found the availability of the hot meals to be more limited than the menu items so if you’re looking for a hot lunch, I’d personally recommend asking what’s available at the till before asking the kids to choose. I have never had an issue getting a sandwich box though but again, it’s worth noting that my local stores don’t put the sandwiches on display so you will need to ask for one to be made up (don’t just assume they’re out of stock as I did once!).
Asda have previously specified that children must be 16 or under and that they can access a hot or cold meal at their locations in England in Wales as part of this offer.
Wait, there’s more because as a little bonus freebie, baby food is also available as part of the initiative, with little ones under the age of 18 months able to enjoy a free 70g pouch of Ella’s Kitchen baby food in their local store with ANY purchase.
LUNCH
Tesco has made this list time after time because their offer is SO good. As per the previous promotions back in 2023, kids can still eat FREE with ANY purchase by an adult. One of the cheapest menu items has previously been fresh fruit which means for around 60p you can get a FREE kid’s meal or breakfast. This deal is running from 12th – 23rd February meaning it should cover whichever week your child is off school!
The hot meals available include beans, eggs or avocado on toast along with pancakes and crumpets for breakfast. If you’re stopping by later in the day, little ones can also pick up a hot lunch or sandwich pick n mix deal instead which includes a piece of fresh fruit and two snacks so this is substantial offering for as little as 60p.
It is important to note that you do need to show your Tesco Clubcard at the till to bag this amazing offer so make sure you have the Tesco grocery app on your phone to make sure you’re never caught short without it. Just be aware that its one meal per purchase, this offer excludes weekends and there may be some limited exclusions with menu items.
DINNER
Ikea has previously made my list and it’s back again with a couple of twists – Firstly, kids can enjoy mac and cheese, a drink and a piece of fruit for just 95p after 11am in most of its locations during half term between Sunday – Thursday. Other kids’ meals are also on offer for just £1.50.
BUT, if you visit during Ikea’s SWE-DISH Fridays children can get a kid’s tomato pasta, a drink and piece of fruit for JUST 45p! There are also a whole host of cheap Friday deals for adults including a small cooked breakfast for £1.35 (veggie option available for £1.25) amongst other budget meals.
You will need an Ikea Family membership to take advantage of these offers but this is FREE to obtain. Exclusions apply, not applicable at IKEA Hammersmith, check T&Cs for individual store offers.
If you don’t have an IKEA nearby or this deal doesn’t suit you, let’s move on to the best of the rest…
KIDS EAT FREE FEB HALF TERM 2024 – RUNNERS UP
If these offers don’t suit there are also many other promotions taking place that didn’t make the top three so here are a few of the best of the rest from the shortlist:
MORRISONS
Morrisons did not make the shortlist this time but it’s worth knowing that they are also running a ‘Kids Eat Free’ promotion. This one will cost you a little extra than the others I’ve included in the day of deals because there is an adult spend required. During the February half term you can claim a free kids meal from the Café children’s menu or a chilled kids snack pack with the purchase of any adult meal over the value of £4.50 (exclusions apply, see T&Cs for full details). This is for children aged under 16 and they DO need to be present at the time of purchase. The good news is that there are no restrictions on the day for this one as it’s valid all day every day.
SAINSBURYS
If you’re lucky enough to have an actual Sainsburys café (instead of a Starbucks concession like me), you can also claim a £1 kids meals from 11:30am until close. There is a required purchase of an adult hot main meal which are available from £5.20 which is why this one didn’t make the main list.
HUNGRY HORSE
I recently worked with Hungry Horse on their Epic January £5 deal and I’m pleased to say they haven’t disappointed with their half term offer. Between 10th and 25th February they are offering a ‘Feed the family for £15’ deal for two adults and two children so perfect for a low cost half term meal out.
With this offer you can choose any two adult mains from the Pub Classics menu plus two kids meal deals (which includes desserts and drinks) for just £15. Whilst the value isn’t quite as good, they also offer a £10 one adult/one child deal too or low cost upgrades for larger numbers of children.
SUMMARY
Hopefully my route map will help you find the very best and most accessible offers to feed the little people in your life this half term, even on a tight budget. If none of these options float your boat there are many other restaurants with similar offers for kids to eat free of cheap over the summer including Bella Italia, Yo! Sushi and Dunelm’s Pausa cafes so there’s no doubt that from the pickiest of eaters to the youngest of palettes, there’s a great value offer for everyone.
Happy Budgeting!
Leigh
*I’ve done my research to provide the best information available at the time of writing on these offers. Please note that T&Cs and exclusions apply to all offers at participating venues only and offers can be amended or ended at any time so do check with your local stores before making a special journey.