Kirkstall Abbey: FREE ENTRY to Leeds residents – proof of address will be required. Explore the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, take a picnic and enjoy it in the surrounding areas, try out the mud kitchen and enjoy their Birds, Bees, Bats, and Bugs trail and activities. Kirkstall Abbey, Kirkstall Road LS5 3EH Leeds, UK
Ilkley Manor House: FREE ENTRY to the house, the heritage display, exhibitions and family fun activities. Visit the Solar Gallery where artists explore the ways in which margins influence their individual practices or check out the 25 SUMMERS exhibition of original photographs taken at the famous Yorkshire Ballet Seminars, which took place in Ilkley every year between 1973 and 1998. Castle Yard, Ilkley LS29 9DT
The Royal Armouries, Leeds: FREE ENTRY to the Royal Armouries including the free River taxi outside (7 am – 7 pm Monday – Friday, 10 am – 6 pm Weekends)! Special Action packed Summer activities running. Book tickets online.
Bradford Museums: FREE ENTRY & ACTIVITIES. Are you almost ready for summer? Make sure you don’t miss out on all the fun FREE activities at Bradford Museums & Galleries.
Enjoy National Play Day – in partnership with Play Bradford, 50 Things and Bradford Libraries, JUMP and HAF
Mind the Gap presents Birdie – Bring a picnic and enjoy Birdie, a free show that explores climate change in a fun and engaging way.
Tinkering with Toys – Free drop-in sessions in partnership with the National Science and Media Museum, suitable for families with young people aged 4-11.
Find something to enjoy for everyone by exploring the collections at Cartwright Hall, Cliffe Castle Museum, Bolling Hall, and Bradford Industrial Museum.
Leeds Art Gallery: FREE ENTRY to the Museum. Leeds Art Gallery in Leeds, is a gallery, part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries group, whose collection of 20th-century British Art was designated by the British government in 1997 as a collection “of national importance”. Its collection also includes 19th-century and earlier artworks. Enjoy their new exhibition celebrating the richness and diversity of artistic talent in Leeds during the Leeds 2023 Year of Culture. The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA
Leeds City Museum: FREE ENTRY. FREE Teddy Bear Trail running through the holiday with exciting Teddy activities running on certain days. Full details here. Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, Leeds, LS2 8BH
The Tetley: FREE ENTRY. Throughout the summer, visit us with your family to see our new exhibition by artist Afra Eisma: splashdown tender. Entry is completely free! In the Atrium, take off your shoes, venture onto the tapestry and cuddle the aliens. Then, make your way through Galleries 1–8, to see slowly twirling dresses, beautiful watercolours and playful installations.
Tiny Tetley Studio: Open Wednesdays-Sundays, the Tiny Tetley Studio sits on the second floor of the Tetley and is an artist-designed play space with a slide, den and tactile activities inside. Children can get creative as they spend time in this immersive environment, where they can touch, climb and slide! Head to the Tetley website to sign up for a Free Family pass. Full details here
Henry Moore Institute: FREE ENTRY TO THE WEIGHT OF WORDS EXHIBITION & ACTIVITIES. This new group exhibition features an international and intergenerational selection of contemporary artists and writers who explore the overlap between sculpture and poetry.
Discover work ranging in tone from the humorous to the haunting, expressing everything from direct quotations to the unsayable.
Over the summer, bring your family to the Institute to join in our free activities and workshops which get everyone looking, thinking and making. Younger visitors to the exhibition can borrow an Explorer Bag, filled with objects and activities that respond to The Weight of Words exhibition Full details here.
National Coal Mining Museum: FREE ENTRY. Expect six fun-filled weeks of special events and activities this summer. From 22 July – 3 September 23 the museum is hosting a special programme of events to celebrate its latest exhibition Rescue! which tells the fascinating stories of men and women who worked in extraordinary conditions to save lives in the mines. Open 10am to 5pm from Wednesday to Sunday. Car Parking – £5 per car. National Coal Mining Museum for England, Caphouse Colliery, Wakefield, WF4 4RH
Otley BIDKids ‘Free’ Summer Funzone is back! Join us Wednesdays throughout the school holidays: The fun starts at 11am until 3pm. We’ve collaborated again with our friends at Breeze Leeds to bring you a wide range of fun activities for children aged 2 – 13 years.
Back by popular demand is the Climbing Wall, Lego, Music, Dance, Arts and Crafts with Puffin Pottery and more!
Storytime and craft reading at The Bookshop on the Square: Wednesdays at 10:45 am. Storytime and craft-reading starting with the fabulous ‘I Want My Hat Back’ and making paper hats. These sessions are FREE and suitable for children aged 4 and up (children must be supervised at all times). Find out more
Leeds Bear Hunt: July 1 – September 9 Leeds we’re going on a bear hunt! The city will be welcoming 35 giant, colourful bear sculptures. Follow the large-scale public art trail set to splosh its way across Leeds. Decorated by local, national and international artists, designers and illustrators, 35 giant Bear sculptures will hide in plain sight on the streets of Leeds. The Bears will form a family-friendly trail of discovery, bringing Michael Rosen’s iconic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt story to life, and taking visitors and local people on adventures around the city and surrounding open spaces. Full details here.
Teddy Bear’s Tea Party at John Lewis, Leeds: Between the 16th of July and the 3rd of September, each Thursday and Sunday in celebration of Leeds Bear Hunt, John Lewis will be hosting a Teddy Bear’s Tea Party. At set times throughout the day, customers can enjoy a drink, snack and ‘Leeds Bear Hunt’ activity. Tickets are £5 for adults and children and are bookable at the customer services department on the fourth floor, with 60% of the sales going to Leeds Hospitals Charity. Find out more here
Play in the Park: Play in the Park is back in the Riverside Gardens from Monday 24th July. Please come along and enjoy these free events. Includes inflatables, swingball, kwik cricket, rounders, frisbee, mini football, giant games, space hoppers, hula hoops, skipping & more. Full details here
BRICKLIVE Fantasy Kingdom: July 22 – August 6. The BrickLive trail comes to Bradford with the theme of Fantasy Kingdom. 15 large installations of mystical and fantasy figures including unicorns, dragons, and warriors will be placed around the city centre for visitors to find.
Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival 2023: August 12 – August 20. At just £3 for a car parking space, and £1 for a trail sheet, it’s the cheapest Day Out around! Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival is back in business. We’ll have amazing scarecrows, amazing cakes and probably some amazingly erratic weather!
Burley Summer Festival: Scarecrow Trail: August 19 – August 27. This year’s theme is Myths and Legends. Find out more
Free Kids Activities at Yeadon Methodist Church: Yeadon Methodist Church have got three workshops available over summer for kids aged 5- 11 years. The concept is to have fun, make friends and try something new.
Music workshop 3rd August 10.30am – 12pm
Drama workshop 17th August 10.30am – 12pm
Sports workshop 24th August 10.30am- 12pm.
Dino Discovery Trail at The White Rose Shopping Centre: 31st July – 3rd September. Experience the FREE Dino Discovery Trail, a centre-wide installation designed to inspire dino fans of all ages. Collect your map, before setting out on a quest to find all 11 beasts. From fan favourites like the diplodocus and stegosaurus to the king of the lizards itself, the tyrannosaurus rex, there are plenty of impressive models to spot and snap a selfie with. Full details here.
Bradford Community Play In Parks Events: 57 FREE FAMILY EVENTS THIS SUMMER!!! The ever-popular “Play In Parks” events are returning this summer! With two inflatables, sports and play equipment accompanied by our resident DJ, these events are great for all the family! In addition to this, you can also enjoy 6 “Mini Bounce Planet” events on 6 Saturdays throughout the summer. Running in Shipley, Ilkley, Wrose, Cullingworth, Wilsden, Sandy Lane, Baildon, Oxenhope, Harden, Bingley, Denholme & Keighley. Read More here.
Harewood House: Looking for an exciting summer adventure that the whole family can enjoy? Look no further than Harewood, the ultimate destination for a sunny or rainy day out. Create lasting memories while exploring the wonders of nature, learning about the estate’s heritage, and immersing yourself in lots of brand-new activities. Daily Summer Activities – all included in your ticket. Full details here.
Get ready for a summer of fun at Harewood with £5 kid’s tickets when you pre-book using code ‘KIDSHALFPRICE’ from 26 Jul–3 Sep.
Bolton Abbey:
Pop Up Beach & Pirate Ship – The magnificent pirate ship will be returning from the high seas this summer and will be moored on the ‘pop-up’ beach on the bank of the River Wharfe, outside the Cavendish Pavilion. Let your little ones imagine they have taken to the high seas by captaining our wooden galleon. Once on deck little pirates can enjoy the ship’s slide, climbing net, climbing wall, pirates’ pole and ship’s wheel! And of course there is space to build sandcastles galore!
Family Cycle Zone – Grow your little one’s confidence on two wheels with our safe area for children to cycle, away from the hazards of traffic and pedestrians. With “roads” cut through the grass and signs to mark the way, children can enjoy endless fun manoeuvring the roundabout and junctions!
Welly Walk –Embrace the outdoors and get ready for a muddy adventure! The Welly Walk leads you from the stepping stones to the Cavendish Pavilion cafe, whilst coming across lots of fun obstacles along the way. Pack a picnic and enjoy a family fun day out.This is a challenging adventure and some obstacles are not suitable for all age groups. Children must be supervised at all times.
FREE but estate admission charges apply.
Tropical World Leeds: Embark on an unforgettable journey through our newly refurbished Rainforest Canopy and meet our NEW animals in their NEW home. Tropical World is open seven days a week all year round, excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and is the ideal day out for both adults and children, with FREE ENTRY for under 5s. Adults £7.60, Children 5 to 15 £3.80. Full details here.
Lotherton: Visit Lotherton for their brand new summer event, A Lotherton Summer Holiday. It takes inspiration from traditional seaside holidays in the UK – bringing the Yorkshire coast to Lotherton all summer long. Jump into our super sand pit, hop on a tractor tour, have a go at our giant garden games and wash it all down with a trip to the beach hut café. Pre-booking essential. FREE EVENT but Normal estate admission applies.
RHS Harlow Carr: FREE ACTIVITIES. This summer holidays at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, visit a resort with a difference: The Grand Bug & Pest Hotel! Lloyd the housefly and friends have booked a stay at the hotel, but Lloyd has lost the map. Can you help them reach their fabulous vacation destination? Have fun on the Grand Bug & Pest Hotel Hunt trail, download Aardman’s new interactive app, and enjoy fun, family-friendly activities all summer long! All activities are included with garden admission. Free to RHS members and children under 5.
Abbey House Museum: This summer, find the stories hidden around the streets of Abbey House Museum, from famous Victorian tales like Alice in Wonderland and the Owl and the Pussycat, through to modern classics. There will be trails and activities plus crafts in our education room. Inspired by Leeds 2023. FREE ACTIVITIES. Normal admission applies.
East Riddlesden Hall: A Summer of Play – create, explore, move, wonder and make-believe this summer at East Riddlesden Hall. From picnicking and playing games on the lawn to making mud pies, feeding the resident ducks and charging around in the open fields, there is lots for families to enjoy at East Riddlesden Hall this summer. Normal admission charges apply. FREE ENTRY for National Trust Members and under 5s
Temple Newsham: During the school holidays enjoy trails and activities celebrating the animals of Temple Newsam from the rare breed animals at Home Farm to pet portraits in the house. FREE ACTIVITIES. FREE ESTATE ENTRY, Normal admission applies for Farm & House, tickets can be bought online or in the shop.
Ilkley Cinema: Every Saturday morning at 10.30 am we have a special Kids Club film which is suitable for our younger audience and accompanying grown-ups alike. All tickets are £7.80.
The Picture House at the National Science & Media Museum:
FREE Summer Holiday Family Activities at Bradford Cathedral
Tuesday 25 July 2023, 10:00 – 15:00 & Tuesday 29 Aug 2023, 10:00 – 15:00. Celebrate the British summer with free family activities at Bradford Cathedral. There will be summer crafts and colouring for younger children, as well as quizzes, information, colouring, sketching and crafts for older children. Parents, grandparents and carers are welcome to join in with the fun…
FREE Smoothie and Soup making workshops from Multiply
Smoothie and Soup making workshops This time, we are out and about across the Dales with our smoothie and soup workshops. We have some fantastic Morphy Richards and Salter soup/smoothie makers to give away too along with some other great prizes. The Coop are also, very kindly, providing all the yummy ingredients for…
Shakespeare’s First Folio: Craven’s National Treasure at Skipton Town Hall
Craven Museum Make & Take: Shakespeare at Skipton Town Hall
Wed 26th July 2023 10:00am & 1:00pm FREE Drop-In Join us for a relaxed, Shakespeare themed family craft session in the Concert Hall, suitable for children of all ages. Choose from a selection of Shakespeare characters and create your own mask and bookmark using quotes from a play as inspiration. There’s no need to know…
Scott Walker Interactive Art Bradford
28 July 2023 – 29 July 2023 Friday 17:00 – 19:30 Saturday 11:15 – 18:00 Join celebrated illustrator and artist Scott Walker at BD:Festival in an interactive hands on colouring installation, using non- toxic water based paint pens on a hung canvas. Art creation adds a bespoke, participatory, vibrant legacy to any event and encourages…
Craven Museum Store Tour August
National Day For Play At Cartwright Hall
Craven Museum Make & Take: Puppets at Skipton Town Hall
2 Aug 2023 10 Aug 2023 16 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 Join us at Bradford Industrial Museum on selected dates in August as we partner with our friends at the National Science and Media Museum and tinker with toys! Free drop-in sessions, suitable for families with young people aged 4-11. Have you ever wondered…
Breeze Presents ‘Child Friendly Leeds Live’
Story-opoly at Otley Community Hub and Library
Thu 3rd August 2023 2:00PM FREE Team up to create your very own gigantic boardgame, inspired by your favourite books! Will you fly across the board on a Nimbus 2000, or become trapped in a sticky river of chocolate? Make your fortune in Emerald City, or be…
Discovery Days are back! Come and join us for a fabulous day of activity for all the family this school summer holiday. To get your family’s tickets visit www.nellbank.org/fundraising Thursday 3rd August, Friday 4th August, Thursday 10th August & Friday 11th August 10 am – 3 pm £5 per person, under 2s go free.
July & August – in parks across Leeds Get caught up in sun, fun, chills and thrills with Breeze In The Park this Summer. Coming to a park near you! Get involved with our interactive play system, arts zone, fun fair, food and, of course, our classic inflatables. Just 50p per child. Fun for all the family, with something…
Teach Rex: Dinosaurs on the Loose!
Fri 4th August 2023 11:00am FREE Beware… the Teach Rex Dinosaurs will be left to run loose around Skipton on Friday 4th August! Get ready for a thrilling adventure as these life-sized creatures roam the streets. Witness their incredible presence and learn fascinating facts about dinosaurs. The dinosaurs will be causing havok around Skipton from approximately…
Dogs’ Dales Musical Song Making Workshop with Rich Huxley at Skipton Town Hall
Canal Basin Puppet Extravaganza
Saturday 5th August 11am – 4.30pm Book TicketsFREE Among the highlights of this year’s Puppet Festival is a special day of free puppet shows at Skipton Canal Basin on Saturday 5th August, kindly supported by Skipton BID. Families and puppet enthusiasts alike can gather at this picturesque location to enjoy a range of puppetry performances. Performances…
Rooster Puppet Workshop with Swallow’s Wings Puppetry at Skipton Town Hall
Sun 6th August 2023 11:00am Book Tickets online – £3 Join Swallow’s Wings Puppetry for a workship to create a Rooster puppet! Swallow’s Wings Puppetry are London based Black Creatives empowering children with a reverence for and love of African-Caribbean culture and history. They work with children, neurodiverse & hearing impaired communities as well as elders…
Story-opoly at Yeadon Community Hub and Library
Tue 8th August 2023 2:00PM FREE Team up to create your very own gigantic boardgame, inspired by your favourite books! Will you fly across the board on a Nimbus 2000, or become trapped in a sticky river of chocolate? Make your fortune in Emerald City, or be…
Bradford Council teams will be out and about every weekday over the summer holidays visiting different local parks and green spaces providing FREE fun activities for children and young people. Activities will run from 11am to 3pm and will include sports inflatables, sports games and coaching, climbing tower, dance sessions, arts and crafts, adventure play, giant…
Craven Museum Make & Take: Nature
Wed 9th August 2023 10:00am & 1:00pm FREE Drop-In Join us for a relaxed, nature themed family craft session in the Concert Hall, suitable for children of all ages. Make a leaf collage using different techniques – rubbing, moulding pipe cleaners, folding and cutting, embossing, drawing… and decorate a leaf with scratch art! Donations towards…
Fri 11th August 2023 11 am & 2 pm Book Tickets – Free Craven is full of interesting type of flora and fauna. From butterflies to orchids, there’s lots of interesting plants and creature to discover! Join us for a short nature tour around Craven Museum, followed by the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see…
Story-opoly at Guiseley Library
Fri 11th August 2023 2:00PM FREE Team up to create your very own gigantic boardgame, inspired by your favourite books! Will you fly across the board on a Nimbus 2000, or become trapped in a sticky river of chocolate? Make your fortune in Emerald City, or be tricked into a…
Friends of Ilkley Moor Wildlife Explorers Walk: suitable for push chairs and wheelchairs
August 14, 2023- 2pm – 4pm A summer school holiday activity for children and young people to discover the landscape of the moor and the animals, insects and plants which live there. Wildlife identification, animal tracking, pond dipping and planting wildflower seeds (in pots to take home) will form part of this activity walk. Binoculars…
Micro:bit – Ready, Set, REACTION! at Otley Library
Tue 15th August 2023 10:30AM FREE Join us for this super-speedy coding session, to celebrate the Summer Reading Challenge 2023! You’ll be designing a game controller, before coding a Micro:bit to measure the speed of your reactions. You’ll be able to challenge each other to a competition…
Friends of Ilkley Moor Wildlife Explorers Walk
August 15, 2023- 2pm – 4pm A summer school holiday activity for children and young people to discover the landscape of the moor and the animals, insects and plants which live there. Wildlife identification, animal tracking, pond dipping and planting wildflower seeds (in pots to take home) will form part of this activity walk….
Fairy Festival at Cliffe Castle Museum
Wednesday 16th August 11:00 – 15:00 Join Cliffe Castle Museum and Park, Keighley Library and Keighley Healthy Living for a magical family day with fairies and dragons. Bring your picnics, dress up and take part in: -A fairy door hunt around the park -Arts and crafts -Summer reading challenge -Music and more Wings and wands welcome!
Craven Museum Make & Take: Artists
Wed 16th August 2023 10:00am & 1:00pm FREE Drop-In Join us for a relaxed, artist themed family craft session in the Concert Hall, suitable for children of all ages. We’re making paper lanterns inspired by local scenery and buildings, based on the work of Kate Lycett, and hanging birds, based on the work of Mark…
Curator for the Day! at Skipton Town Hall
Thu 17th August 2023 10:00am Book Tickets online – Free What does it take to curate a new museum display? In this interactive workshop, you’ll get the chance to go behind the scenes at Craven Museum and create your own exhibition for the day! From archaeology to historic costume, there’s plenty to choose from. Our curators…
Slow Looking Trail at Skipton Town Hall
Fri 18th August 2023 Free Join us on this self-guided slow looking tour! Estimates suggest that visitors to museum and galleries only look at each piece of artwork on display for 8-30 seconds. How much more could you spot if you paused and stayed with the art for a little while longer? Slow looking is all…
Grimms Fairy Tales at Denso Marston Nature Reserve
Donations Welcome: Saturday 19 Aug 2023 @ 13:00 Denso Marston Nature Reserve, Otley Road, Baildon, BD17 7JR Another first for the reserve as we walk around the reserve come and listen to a collection of readings of the classic Grimm fairy tales – these are read from the original works some of the stories will be different to the ones…
Aireborough Children’s Centre Fun Day in the Park
Due to the success of last year’s fun day in the park, we are going to be running it again this year this will be a free event for all the family held in Kirk Lane Park on Wednesday 23rd August, from 1-3pm, there is no need to book just turn up and have some…
Craven Museum Make & Take: Science
Wed 23rd August 2023 10:00am & 1:00pm FREE Drop-In Join us for a relaxed, science themed family craft session in the Concert Hall, suitable for children of all ages. Make some optical toys… a kaleidoscope and a flick book, and learn about William Oldfield, a local 19th century optician, mechanic and photographer, whose homemade microscope is…
Craven Museum Make & Take: Local History
Wed 30th August 2023 10:00am & 1:00pm FREE Drop-In Join us for a relaxed, local history themed family craft session in the Concert Hall, suitable for children of all ages. Learn about how transport in Craven changed during the Industrial Revolution and make a train and a canal boat. Donations towards the running of this…
Thanks to Money Saving Central for this epic list!
The White Swan Yeadon: We’re bringing back our KIDS EAT FREE for the whole six weeks from Monday 24th July to 1st September. Bring your little bundles of joy in on a weekday and they can choose a free meal from our kids menu when you order a meal from our main menu. One adult meal = One free kids meal
Book in advance online and we will give a second kids meal 1/2 price. Full details and how to book here.
We live in such a beautiful area and are spoilt for choice when it comes to parks, gardens & nature reserves. All are free to enjoy. Have a walk or a bike ride…
Make it more exciting with nature bingo, a scavenger hunt or doing some leaf rubbings – Lots of free ideas available with a quick internet search.
If you visit any of our beautiful parks and playgrounds take a snap and send it to wharfedale@mumbler.co.uk I’ll post it on the listing for that park so other Mumblers can see what is there before they visit!
Try out one of the below trails and let us know your thoughts! wharfedale@mumbler.co.uk
The Chevin Geology Trail, Otley
The Chevin Sculpture Trail, Otley
The Aire Valley Sculpture Trail, Saltaire
Board Games /Jigsaws – Dig out some board games or jigsaws and enjoy some old-fashioned fun.
DIY Pamper/Spa Day – Foot soak, face masks, nail painting, cucumbers on the eyes, hand massage, what a treat!!
Corn Flour and Water Slime- it’s so easy, just use twice as much cornflour as water and add a bit of food colouring! Hours of fun!
Scrap Booking – With so much going on in and around Wharfedale & Craven, there will be plenty for your little ones to put in a School Holiday Scrapbook. Keep leaflets/tickets etc for them to stick in, photos, maps & drawings, should keep them busy a while!
Olympics – Set up a mini Olympics. Obstacle courses, egg and spoon races, balls in buckets, the list goes on.
Pizza Making – Fun and gets a meal sorted at the same time. Either make your own base or buy ready-made/pitta bread for a quick option.
Origami – Lots of patterns/instructions available online for free. Patience required!
Junk Modelling – Empty the recycling box and get creative. Space rockets, robots, wherever your imagination takes you!
Make dough – Use the recipe from The Imagination Tree to make some quick and easy dough.
For even more ideas read our Rainy Day blog
