While kids are always excited for the Easter holidays to roll around, the time off school often leaves parents with a profound sense of dread.
The prospect of running out of money, ideas or patience is all too real, especially when a couple of school friends end up coming over to hang out last minute.
But rather than stressing out as you count down the days, why not take all the help you can get?
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That includes feeding the angry mob - and doing it for free, if you know where to go.
Yep, a number of restaurants and cafes are offering complimentary meals for kids over the school holidays, which should hopefully ease the strain on your bank account while also giving you a bit of respite from cooking.
Here's everywhere offering free meals for kids over the Easter holidays:
Subway
Parents will be able to get one free Kids Meal at participating Subway branches when buying any full-price Footlong Sub from Monday 25 March to Sunday 14 April, with the freebie including a 4-inch Subway sandwich, snack and a drink.
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Kirstey Elston, marketing director at Subway UK, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing back our Kids Eat Free offer – the deal is all about supporting families and helping them save money, whilst they enjoy quality time out together during the school holidays.”
Ikea
A trip to Ikea in the holidays is always on the cards, let's face it, so why not kill two birds with one stone and get the kids some scran while you pick out a new bookcase?
They'll be able to enjoy pasta with tomato sauce, a soft drink and a piece of fruit for just 95p - of you can opt for any of the other kids’ meals for £1.50.
Asda Cafes
Okay, this one's not quite free, but at just £1 it's arguably as good as.
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For just a quid, kids under 16 can get a hot meal and a free piece of fruit at any of the 205 Asda cafés across the country, with options including penne pasta with meatballs, vegan pasta meals, fish fingers, chicken nuggets and an all-day breakfasts.
Kris Comerford, Asda’s chief commercial officer, commented: “We know that families are preparing for the Easter school holidays and for many households, this can put additional strain on already tight budgets.
“Our kids eat for £1 initiative is designed to help families manage this juggle and since we launched the initiative in June 2022 we’ve been able to serve over 3 million meals.”
Best of all, there's no minimum adult spend to redeem the deal.
Sainsbury’s Cafes
A similar £1 meal offer is also available at Sainsbury's Cafes nationwide, applicable to every adult main meal costing £5.20 or more.
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What's on the menu for the little ones? Hot dishes including fish fingers, sausages, chicken nuggets, and cheese and tomato pizza - yum!
Bella Italia
On Thursdays, children can eat for free all day at Italian chain Bella Italia, with the offer - which applies to one child per adult main meal purchased - including three courses and a drink, and suitable for those aged two to 11.
From Sunday to Wednesday, they can also dine for just £1 between 4pm and 6pm.
Yo! Sushi
It's never too boujie to treat the kids to some sushi... especially when it's actually free.
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That's exactly what's going down at Yo! Sushi from Monday 25 March to Friday 12 April, when children under 12 can enjoy a Kiddo Bento Box on the house when dining with an adult who spends a minimum of £10.
Valid all day Monday to Friday at participating outlets, the deal applies for up to three kids per booking.
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
Got children aged eight or under? They can get a complimentary meal from the kids' menu for every adult meal ordered, with participating restaurants including Heddon Street Kitchen, all Bread Street Kitchen & Bars, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, and Pizza East.
Just bear in mind that, at some branches, the offer is on weekdays only.
Oh, and you can also add dessert for an extra £3.50, if there's space!
Cafe Rouge
With the likes of fish goujons, chicken crispies and macaroni cheese to choose from, Cafe Rouge is opening up its kids' menu for free from Monday 1 to Friday 12 April.
Children aged 12 and under can enjoy two or three lunch or dinner courses whenever any adult main meal is also purchased.
Bill’s Restaurants
Up to two kids can dine for free all day when one adult orders any main dish, with the menu offering up buttermilk pancakes, mac and cheese, fish fingers and chips and more.
The offer for this one's available from Monday 25 March to Friday 12 April.
The Real Greek
Finally, from Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April, children under 12 can enjoy a free kids' meal at The Real Greek for every £10 or more spend by an accompanying adult (with an optional 10 percent service charge added to the bill).
While the offer is not valid with the lunch menu, it DOES include a drink and ice cream or sorbet, which sounds like a win-win.
McDonald's Happy Meal deal
While we've got you, don't forget McDonald's has also launched an incredible 40 percent discount on Happy Meals, making them just £1.99 each throughout the holidays.
This offer can be redeemed exclusively through the McDonald's app between 28 March and 14 April, before you're able to enjoy the meals in the restaurant, collected, or delivered.
Each meal includes all of the classic options - hamburger, cheeseburger, fish fingers or McNuggets, alongside fries or a fruit bag - and one of six mini Uno card packs, from the classic style to themed designs like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, Trolls and Megamind.
Featured Image Credit: Westend61/Michael Berman/Getty ImagesTopics: Parenting, Food and Drink, Money