Free Things to do in Skegness with Kids

Free Things to do in Skegness with Kids

Skegness is a popular holiday destination for families in the North East of England. The seaside town is located on the east coast of England in the county of Lincolnshire. There’s lots of fun to be had in Skegness whether you’re visiting just for the day or are staying longer – perhaps in a caravan or on a Skegness camp site. It’s especially suitable for families with children as there are plenty of things to do that kids love, many of which are free. In this article we’ll explore some fun and free things to do in Skegness with kids. 

Visit Skegness Beach 

Skegness beach is long and has beautiful sand. It’s a nice beach to visit when the weather is good to play in the sand, have a picnic, or to simply relax for a bit. When the weather is colder, it’s still a nice beach to walk on, along the shore. It’s a great place for looking for seashells and cool rocks too which my kids love doing no matter the weather. 

Some people go swimming here too in the summer but we never have. The water often has a brown colour but this is due to suspended sediment and silt – not pollution. The water in Skegness is usually rated excellent, clean and safe for swimming, but always check on the day no matter where you are intending to swim. 

Visit the Gardens & Parks 

There are plenty of green spaces available in Skegness such as the Tower Gardens right in the heart of the town centre. There you can enjoy green lawns, plenty of shade from the trees, lots of seating, a pond, paths to explore, and play areas for children. It’s the perfect spot for parents to enjoy a bit of calm while the children play. There’s also Compass Gardens near the promenade and another, bigger playground on this side of the promenade too.

Check out the Fun Fair

It’s free to enter the fun fairs at Skegness and fun to walk around checking out the rides even if you’re not going on them, especially for younger kids who will find this exciting too.

Visit Skegness Pier

Skegness Pier is one of the town’s most iconic landmarks. It first opened on June the 4th 1881. It was originally a whopping 562 metres long but after a storm damaged it in the late 1970’s, it was shortened to its current length of 118 metres.

It’s nice to walk out to the end of the pier, feeling the breeze on your skin while you watch the waves. Skegness Pier is the perfect place for getting great views of both the North Sea and Skegness Beach to both sides of the pier. I always stop for a moment to get my dose of Vitamin Sea…

Closer to land, there are food vendors (that sometimes play music that you can hear outside), sometimes some seating and artwork, and of course the Skegness Pier Arcade that you can walk through to get back to the promenade. 

Take a Walk Along the Promenade

Skegness promenade stretches along the seafront with pathways that are ideal for a stroll whilst enjoying the coastal views and the fresh sea air. It’s a great way to soak up the seaside atmosphere around you. It’s also a great spot for enjoying an evening walk while the sun sets. 

Check Out the Boating Lake

Near the seafront, you’ll find the Skegness Boating Lake. You can wander around this for free and watch the boats that go by or simply enjoy the scenery. 

Visit Fairy Dell Paddling Pool

By the boating lake, you’ll also find Fairy Dell Paddling Pool which is completely free to use. It’s lots of fun for little ones and a great way to cool down when the weather is hot.

Visit the Arcades

There are many, many arcades to visit in Skegness and the good thing about arcades is that you can spend as little or as much money as you want. You can walk in without any money at all and your kids will soon spot plenty of 2p coins that have fallen out while no one’s been playing that can be used to enjoy playing on the 2p machines for free and maybe even get a prize!

Visit Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve

I’ve written about Gibraltar Point Nature Reserve, Skegness, here on this blog before. It’s just a short distance from the town and a beautiful place to visit. 

It’s ideal for nature lovers and great for families with young children and pram-friendly too. Here you can enjoy a stretch of unspoilt coastline and enjoy spending time in nature. There are walking trails to explore where you can spot wildlife and some farm animals too. There’s also a visitors centre with excellent facilities.

Walk Through the Town Centre

Skegness town centre offers a mix of shops (independent and chains), food establishments, and more arcades! There are some lovely sweet shops and a small shopping centre too. It’s nice to walk through the town centre to check out the shops on the high street and do a bit of window shopping. We always visit The Works while we’re there as the kids love a browse in there no matter where we are.

Conclusion: Free Things to do in Skegness with Kids

As you can see, there are plenty of fun things to do in Skegness with kids that don’t cost a penny. You can often park for free in Skegness too if you choose street parking.

There are plenty of paid things to do in Skegness too such as bowling, visiting one of the arcade play centres, going on fun fair rides, or visiting Jump Warriors Trampoline Park nearby in Ingoldmells, for example.

When we visit Skegness as a family we mainly do some of the free things above, spending most of our time on the beach or in the arcades. In the arcades, we sometimes spend a few pounds, sometimes we spend nothing at all. When it comes to paid activities in Skegness, bowling is one of our favourite things to do. Always look out for deals on certain days of the week to save money when doing things like that.