Going to the cinema to see a film is always a treat for kids, and there are plenty of cinemas all over the United Kingdom. There are usually several children’s films to choose from, especially during the school holidays when the latest blockbusters are often released.

There are large chains of cinemas in the UK and their websites will tell you where your nearest cinema is and what time the films are showing. There are also a number of independent cinemas in the UK showing independent and foreign films. 

You can book tickets online or over the telephone, but there is sometimes a booking fee. You can also buy tickets at the cinema but there may be a queue, and if the film has only just been released you might not get in if it’s very crowded. 

Tickets usually cost from around £3 to £7 depending on which cinema you go to and the time of day. Most cinemas offer student discount so if you’re a student, remember to take your student card!

Special Offers

Some cinemas have offers for children. For example, some have screenings on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The films shown have been chosen especially for children and tickets are cheaper than usual. Plus, with every child ticket you get a free adult ticket.

If you have a mobile phone with one of the UK’s mobile phone network providers, you will be able to get one cinema ticket free for every ticket you buy on a Wednesday. You can to text the word ‘film’ to a designated number if you are a customer of this network to get your ticket. For more information and a list of providers have a look at the "Find a.." tab. 

Certificates

Films shown in Britain are given a certificate from Uc to R18, to indicate how old children must be to see them. Here is our guide to film certificates:

Uc/U – Suitable for children aged four years and older. Uc films are generally intended for very young children.

PG (Parental Guidance) – General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch a PG-certificate film, but parents should consider whether the film may upset younger or more sensitive children.

12A/12 – Suitable for children 12 years and older. No one younger than 12 may see a 12A-certificate film unless accompanied by an adult. No one younger than 12 may buy or rent a 12-certificate video or DVD – but a supervising adult may let under 12s watch a 12 film.

 15 – Only suitable for people over 15 years old. No one younger than 15 may see a 15-certificate film in a cinema, or buy or rent a 15-certificate video or DVD.

 18 – Only suitable for adults. No one younger than 18 may see an 18-certificate film in a cinema, or buy or rent an 18-certificate video or DVD.

R18 – These films are only shown in specially licensed cinemas, or sold in licensed sex shops. People under 18 may not watch these films.

By Jennie Musgrove

USEFUL WORDS

premiere = the first public performance of a film
screenplay = the words that are written for a film, together with the instructions for how it is to be acted and filmed
scenery = the background that is used to represent natural features or buildings on a film set
soundtrack = the music, speech and sounds that are recorded for a film
scene = a part of a film in which the action happens in one place or is of one particular type
picture = another word for a film
trailer = a series of short scenes from a film, shown in advance to advertise it
character = a person in a film
subtitles = words that show what is said in a film and appear on the screen at the bottom (may be in English or another language)
screen = the large flat surface that films are shown on
cast = all the people who act in a film
plot = a series of events which form the story of a film
role = an actor’s part in a film

GRAMMAR SPOT

The suffix –ever can be combined with question words to create:

whichever
whatever
whenever
wherever
whoever
however

In the film, the main character just does whatever he wants, whenever he wants to and doesn’t care about anybody else.
Wherever you go to see the film, remember to take your student ID with you.
Whoever wins the Oscar for best actor, will be really happy.
However the film turns out, everyone will be happy it’s finally completed.
Whichever film you choose to see, make sure you get good seats in the cinema.

Words formed with –ever can also be used to finished an open-ended list:

I don’t really mind what we do.  Go to the cinema, go out for a meal, stay in and watch a video, whatever.
Come round anytime, tomorrow morning, this evening, whenever.