Save the Children's Big Summer Survey, July 2026
Summer should feel like freedom. But for most UK parents, the six-week school holiday brings a very different set of feelings.
Save the Children's Big Summer Survey, conducted by Opinium between 22 June and 3 July 2026, polled 2,000 parents with at least one child aged 16 or under across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What they told us is striking - and it cuts across income levels in ways that might surprise you.
The key findings
- 88% of UK parents say the school summer holidays place financial and emotional pressure on families - 37% said "a great deal" and 51% said "a fair amount."
- Three in five parents (59%) say summer is the most challenging time of year for families - ahead of Christmas, which came second at 32%.
- Only 16% of parents said they can definitely give their child a similar summer to the one they had growing up. A quarter (26%) said they felt unable to do so at all.
- One in eight families (14%) said they would struggle to afford basic summer essentials like suncream and sunhats for their children.
- One in five parents (20%) worry specifically about childcare and holiday club costs - a concern that appears consistently across all income levels.
One in five parents (20%) worry about struggling to feed the whole family over the break.
These pressures were felt across all income brackets - including families earning over £100,000 a year.
The emotional cost
Parents described a complicated mix of feelings about the summer holidays. Excitement (44%) and joy (36%) were present - but so were stress (40%), feeling overwhelmed (31%), anxiety (29%), and worry (25%). One in five parents (18%) said they feel guilty as the holidays approach.
Financial worry makes all of this significantly worse. Parents who described themselves as financially worried were nearly twice as likely to associate the holidays with stress (45% vs 26%), more than twice as likely to feel anxious (35% vs 14%), and more likely to feel overwhelmed (35% vs 21%) compared to parents who were not financially worried.
"Summer automatically brings that extra financial and mental stress. I know I feel the strain of it for months in advance. As a parent you do your best to give your kids the summer experiences and memories they deserve, but it's so much pressure on my shoulders." - Louise, mum, East Belfast
"With summer holidays being so long, us parents are stressing about food, about activities to do to keep our kids occupied. There are a few free things going on, but most things are cost affected which affects us parents, and some of us are really struggling, which gets us feeling stressed and frustrated and it's really hard." - Chloe, mum, Glasgow
Sophie, nine & mum Mary hug one another, in their garden in Cardiff Anna Sass / Save the Children
What families are going without
When asked what they expected to struggle with most this summer, holidays (47%) and family days out (42%) topped the list. 15% of parents said they worried they wouldn't be able to spend quality time together as a family at all. Parents are most worried their children will spend too much time on screens (54%) or on their own (27%) during the break.
To cope with the costs, parents said they reduce their own spending (36%), save throughout the year (29%), use their savings (28%) - or borrow money or use credit ahead of the holidays (19%).
"The child care costs over the six weeks of school holidays are very expensive - easily a whole month's take home income if not more. After pay and direct debits I'm left with a small amount of disposable income. Well actually there is no longer a disposable income, it's all counted for - and that's despite working in the NHS as a nurse for 30 hours a week." - Anne, parent of two, Aberdeenshire
"As a lone parent, the summer holidays highlight pressures that are there all year round. The cost of food, days out and keeping them occupied is constant. I also can't work as much as I'd like because they're with me so my earning is lower than usual, while childcare continues to be too expensive. Summer can feel especially hard because there's this expectation that children should be having exciting experiences, but even small things like filling up a paddling pool, dairy-free ice creams, accessible public travel or low cost activities become purchases I have to really justify." - Lucy, lone parent of three, Gloucestershire
"The holiday programmes available are either booked way in advance, too far away, or I'm unable to access by public transport. The cost of which is crippling. A trip to the beach 30 minutes away is £28 in travel alone. Everything is prohibitively expensive." - Rebecca, mother of one, Norfolk
"My biggest stress is making sure there are enough snacks and food my daughter likes to eat. She is almost 15 and I'm on edge the whole time she is out with friends, as although she is a good child, not everyone is - so I worry about something happening to her when I'm not there. Money is always tight but I don't want her to feel that she is missing out on anything. So stressful being a single, working mum during the summer holidays." - Pippa, mother of one, Birmingham
Hallie, two, and dad Anson play together at Dads' Club in Cardiff.
The childcare gap nobody talks about
One of the clearest themes from parents was the cost and complexity of childcare during the holidays - particularly for working parents and solo parents who don't qualify for subsidised support.
"For me, the six-week break creates a financial and logistical pressure that feels almost impossible to manage. Because I'm not on Universal Credit, I'm not eligible for the childcare support that many families rely on. This means that for the entire six weeks, I have to cover childcare costs entirely on my own. As a solo parent, there's no second income, no ability to split the cost, and no flexibility to reduce working hours. Holiday clubs and childcare providers in my area are excellent, but they are expensive. Even choosing the most affordable options still results in hundreds of pounds per week. For many solo parents who are working but not eligible for UC, the system leaves a gap where we are penalised for being employed." - Laura, solo parent
What communities are doing
Families and communities are finding ways to help each other - and those local connections matter enormously.
"For many families, summer isn't just about six weeks off school - it's six weeks of trying to make stretched budgets go further while making sure children don't miss out. We hear from parents who avoid trips to the park because they can't afford an ice cream, or worry about saying no to the small things that make childhood special. Through our Summer Together programme, we're creating days where children can play, families can connect and make memories together, and every child feels they belong, regardless of their family's circumstances." - Julie Wilson, Children's Community, Tameside
You, Me & Us members Dawn, Jane, Beth, Amy T & Amy W, outside the food pantry they've set up in Sheffield Matt Grayson / Save the Children
What Save the Children is doing
Dan Paskins, Save the Children's Executive Director for UK Impact, said: "No parent should be facing a summer of stress and worry, and no child should dread holidays. But sadly our survey has shown cost of living pressures are whittling down family budgets and aspirations, even for high earners. And for those on the very lowest incomes, it is clear there is no summer break from poverty. Save the Children is playing its part by providing cash grants, advice, support and holiday activities and food for kids. But there is a chance now with the incoming Prime Minister to keep children's needs front and centre of any new plans for the UK and commit to further reducing poverty levels."
We've been working directly with families and communities across the UK since 2021. Through our grants programme, we've delivered more than 10,500 grants reaching over 21,000 children, working alongside more than 120 trusted local partner organisations in 30 communities across the UK.
Akieal, three, Leanna and Ivan, two, look through photos from STC trips together, Sheffield Matt Grayson / Save the Children
Find support this summer
If you're feeling the pressure this school holiday, there is help available.
- Help with costs during the school holidays - uniform grants, food banks, energy bills, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and more
- Free things to do with kids during the school holidays - ideas that cost nothing
- How to talk to your child about money and not having enough - honest, practical advice for parents
About the survey
Save the Children's Big Summer Survey was conducted by Opinium between 22 June and 3 July 2026. 2,000 UK parents with at least one child under the age of 16 were polled. Data was weighted to be representative of parents across the UK by age, gender, working status and social grade.
