The Kids are Alright

Cinema is becoming an increasingly expensive hobby. Add kids to the mix and it can become prohibitively costly. As the summer holidays approach we thought it would be helpful to look at how families can make significant savings on trips to the cinema, as well as highlighting special kids’ screenings both locally and elsewhere.

Let’s look at the latest kids films. Say a family of four wanted to see Monsters University in 3D this weekend at the Swiss Cottage Odeon at 3pm. A family ticket (either 2 adults and 2 under 12s, or 1 adult and 3 under 12s) would cost you £42.50. If you didn’t know about the family ticket then the damage would be worse with adult tickets £14.45 and children’s at £10.60.

Cineworld has a special offer running all summer that provides a 20% discount on family tickets for the big family films of the month (July’s is Monsters University). There are also significant savings to be made at the concession stand. It also has a ‘Movies for juniors’ stand with prices starting from just £1. The closest cinemas to NW6 are at Staples Corner and Shaftesbury Avenue.

Closer to home
The Vue on Finchley Road has a dedicated ‘Kids AM’ slot on weekend mornings (and every day during the summer holidays). Films tend to be recent but not the latest releases. Recent examples include Oz: The Great & Powerful and Brave. The cost: just £1.75 for everybody (or £3 for 3D films).

Down the road at the Odeon Swiss Cottage, the deal is similar though there are fewer films.
All tickets are £3 and screenings are on weekend mornings (usually at 11am). As with the Vue, the films tend not to be the latest releases.

The Everyman chain puts on kids’ screenings on Saturday morning in at least one of their three local cinemas. The films tend to be a bit more educational and highbrow than the multiplexes (although not always). The price is £5 for an adult and child together, but realistically you also need to factor in the additional cost of the food and drink.

Wherever you’re taking the kids this summer, make sure you check out these special offers and save yourself enough money for a well-earned cold drink after a day of herding children.

Brought to you in association with Cineworld