FREE Summer Holiday Activities 2023: Week 6

It’s the final countdown! This newsletter has plenty of ideas to make the last week of the holidays count.

First, let me catch you up on our North England holiday. After a stopover to see family and play knights at Kenilworth Castle, we caught the sunset over the Mersey with a night in Liverpool. London take note - the learning studio at Tate’s northern outpost is bigger, brighter, with more creative activities, river views, and cheery, chatty staff. Then the rain kindly stopped for Antony Gormley’s Another Place at Crosby Beach, which, after years of waiting to visit, did not disappoint.

We returned to the Lake District for one of our favourite combinations - family-friendly walks and heritage. We painted and planted on Wild Wednesday at Brantwood, the historic home of John Ruskin, then walked the stunning Tarn Hows circular walk. We found the lost castle - one of the UK’s largest adventure playgrounds - at Lowther Castle. And the historic Coffin Route took us from Grasmere’s famous gingerbread shop to an unexpected sheepdog competition in Ambleside, via a four mile route with impressive Rydal views.

In Manchester, we played football themed games and enjoyed pop anthems, brass band style at the National Football Museum family day. Museum Girl and I journeyed through the bowels in Operation Ouch: Food, poo and you at the Science and Industry Museum. The timelessness of YHA Ilam Hall made for a great one night stopover, and was only 20 minutes away from our finale - Alton Towers.

This week I’ve been getting Museum Boy secondary school ready. Our light relief was stand up comedy training at Woolwich Works and an afternoon samosa tasting in Southall - shout out to Shahanshah on North Road for topping our samosa chart!

Let me know how your week has been - hit reply, post in my Facebook group or DM me on Instagram.

FREE Summer Holiday Activities: Week 6

Here's my pick of completely FREE family activities this week in London! For times and any booking information, click the link.

I’ve shared up to 5 suggestions a day and indicated if they run on other dates.

Don’t forget - there’s plenty of paid ideas in my ultimate guide to the Summer Holidays blog post.

Tuesday 29 August 2023

1. The final Time Travel Craft Club at the National Archives brings together all their summer activities. Book/drop in, TW9.

2. It’s rockets and robots galore in Clever kids - family-friendly STEM workshop at Tramshed Community Hub, E2. Book.

3. Make self-propelled transport crafts with Barkingside Arts at Exchange Ilford, IG1. Book.

4. Use foraged nature to create back to school pencil cases and bags in Printing with nature at Stoneford Community Garden, RM1. Book.

5. Loki draw along with Louie Stowell plus Q&A and book signing at Waterstones Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1. Book.

Wednesday 30 August 2023

1. The last Family day of the Summer at Westminster Abbey is Covert and Classified themed. WC1, book.

2. Create your own Animal keyrings plus storytelling at Museum of the Order of St John, EC1. Drop in.

3. Join Mole, Ratty and Badger on their mad-cap adventures in The Wind in the Willows at Staines Memorial Garden, TW18. Book.

4. Have a go at Tudor dance with live music at The Charterhouse, EC1. Book.

5. Storytelling and historical costume in The Wandle wardrobe: Getting dressed with STEAM at Little Holland House, SM5. Book, ages 7+.

Thursday 31 August 2023

1. Bartholomew Fair in the City of London features over 250 free events, live performances, and unique spectacles. Don’t miss Resurgam, when St Paul’s Cathedral walls become a vertical dancing stage. Drop in, EC4. Resurgam runs 31 August-2 September.

2. Head to The Garden, Bartholomew fair family hub on Thursdays and Fridays for storytelling, crafts and singalongs and on Saturdays for workshops curated by Tootles + Nibs. The City, drop in. Until 15 September.

3. Enjoy a feel-good fusion of hip hop moves and contemporary circus in Roll Model at GDIF: On your doorstep in Abbey Wood Playground, SE2. Drop in.

4. Comedy Club 4 Kids show at Crystal Palace Park, SE20. Book. Ages 6+.

5. Learn the DIY art of Zine making with Lucy McDonald at Royals Youth Centre, RM13. Book, best ages 5+.

Friday 1 September 2023

1. Play with patterns using water and paint mixtures, stencils and spray bottles at Spray painting at National Maritime Museum, SE10. Drop in.

2. Take an Eye Spy Tour of the National Army Museum, SW3. Drop in, ages 5+. Runs 29 August-1 September.

3. Make decorations and props for the upcoming Woolwich Carnival in craft workshops at Woolwich Works, SE18. Book. Runs 29 August-1 September.

4. Twelve life-sized robotic swans perform a poetic ballet on Royal Victoria Dock in Cygnus. E16, drop in. Runs 31 August-3 September.

Daily drop in

1. Play studio at Tate Britain, SW1. Daily throughout the school holidays.

2. LEGO® build the change: Helping today’s dinosaurs at Natural History Museum. SW7, drop in. Until 1 September, Mondays-Fridays.

3. Growing curiosities: The science of gardens at the Garden Museum, SE1. Until 14 September.

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FREE bank holiday weekend activities: 26-28 August 2023

Here’s plenty of inspiration for the long Bank Holiday weekend. All are free to attend and are either drop in or still have spaces left to book. Click the link for timings and any booking info before heading out.

Don’t forget to tag me in your posts if you go!

Multiple dates

1. Leap Then Look at Summer on the Square, WC2. Runs until 28 August.

2. Season of Play workshop at National Maritime Museum, SE10. 26 and 27 August 2023.

3. Assemble Play at Pitzhanger, W5. Until 27 August 2023.

4. Ancient futures contemporary circus at the Moorings, Thamesmead. 27-28 August 2023.

Saturday 26 August 2023

1. Family-friendly street arts, theatre, circus, installations and dance at Greenwich Fair, SE10.

2. Follow a trail around Londinium with the Roman London family quest, City.

3. Covert and Classified themed Story Saturdays at Westminster Abbey, SW1.

4. Make a strawberry puppet with Little Angel Theatre at Angel Central, N1.

5. Design a personalised tote bag or wooden coaster in Summer at Strand Aldwych, WC2.

6. Paper mache your own mini giraffe at Centrale Shopping Centre, CR0.

7. How not to be a fashion victim workshop at Art in the Docks, E16.

8. Circus acts, sweet treats, vintage games and funfair at Victorian Vauxhall in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, SE11.

9. Circus performances, magic shows, family arts and crafts, garden games and mini golf at Greenford Canal Festival, UB6.

10. Free training session with football coach Carla Recover in artist designed Against the run of play at Bridgehouse Gardens, SE15. Ages 7-13.

Sunday 27 August 2023

1. Create sculptures from familiar, recycled and found materials in Open Sundays at Pitzhanger, W5.

2. Get upclose with extraordinary robotic creatures in GDIF: On your doorstep at Passey Place Eltham, SE9.

3. Circus skills at Crystal Palace Park, SE20.

4. Live music for little ones in Boppin Bunnies at Woolwich Works, SE18.

5. Make a bug hotel in Sunday Spot at South London Gallery, SE5.

Monday 28 August 2023

1. Of All the People in All the World: UK opens today at Southbank Centre, SE1. Runs until 2 September.

2. Calligraphy, dressing up and more in Children’s Summer Fair at Fulham Palace, SW6.

3. Family Day: Design and dance at William Morris Gallery, E17.

4. Acrobatics with revolving walls and a sculptural playground in GDIF: On your doorstep at Twinkle Park, SE8.

Have a fantastic long weekend, and here’s to a happy last week of the holidays! I’ll be back next week with a bumper guide to what’s on in September before taking a mini-break from the newsletters.

Until next time,

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