School’s out – let the family fun begin

Each of these council venues have got a jam-packed schedule of events and activities throughout the summer holidays that are guaranteed to keep the kids entertained.

North Lincolnshire Museum

On Saturday July 25 from 10.30am to 3.30pm the Museum is holding a Family Garden Fete. Meet special guests the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor dinosaur. There will be lots of family fun including craft stalls, mini reptile zoo, Hornby’s vintage bus and entertainment from Rock Academy, Dramarama, Tatterfoals Morris and Ruby Twirl Stars.

The weekly activities include:

Mondays to Fridays – Mayhem from 10am to 3.30pm: themed activities, crafts and object handling.

Tuesdays – Story time from 1.30pm to 3pm: join Dudley bear and friends in a fun and interactive story time session. Suitable for two to five year-olds.

Wednesdays – Awesome Ancestors at 11am or 1.30pm: themed role play and handle artefacts.

Thursdays – Fun and games from 1pm to 3pm; get involved with creative play, drama and play fun themed games. Suitable for six to 11 year-olds.

Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Monday – Artyfact time from 10.30am to 3.30pm (Saturdays and Monday) and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm (Sundays).

The Mayhem themes will change each week, they include archaeology, Roman, Viking, Tudor, Victorians and steel town.

All activities are free. There is no need to book, just turn up on the day.

The Museum opens from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 4pm on Sundays. The Courtyard Café opens 11am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday offering a range of drinks and snacks.

For more information call the Museum on 01724 843533 or visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/museums.

20-21 Visual Arts Centre

On Wednesday August 5 from 10am to 4pm 20-21 is holding a National Playday event. Playday sees thousands of children and their families go out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK. Go along and take part in creative fun. It is free entry and is suitable for everyone. Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult.

Other free artivities that children can take part in between 10am and 4pm include:

21 and 23 July – Lantern Bunting

24 and 25 July – Doodle Biro Drawings

30 and 31 July – Finger Puppets

6 and 7 August – Butterfly Mural

13 and 14 August – Ogre Spells

27 and 28 August – Summer Pinata

1 and 2 September – Fairy Tale Masks

There are even more artivities taking place, to find out pop in to 20-21 or contact them on 01724 297070 or visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/20-21.

20-21 Visual Arts Centre opens Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. All activities are free. There is no need to book, just drop-in. The café and customer toilets will be closed due to building works being carried out.

Normanby Hall Country Park

The Hall and Farming Museum is open for the summer season until 27 September. Catch a ride on the land train daily, go on the Miniature Railway that runs on Sundays and bank holiday Monday afternoons, take part in daily children activities in the Farming Museum and follow trail sheets that can be bought from the Gift Shop.

Discovery workshops taking place throughout the summer include:

22 July and 19 August at 1pm – Pond Dipping: investigate pond habitats by using nets and recording mini-beasts.

29 July and 26 August at 1pm – Bug Hunting: collect and observe a variety of mini-beasts in grassland of the Park.

5 August at 1pm – Storytelling in the woodland: stimulate the senses and use the artistic creations to create your own magical story to share in the story telling chair.

12 August at 1pm – Victorian Washday: use dolly tubs, mangles and irons to discover more about Victorian washday.

Advanced booking is required for all of these activities. Call 01724 720588 to book. It costs £2.50 per child and it suitable for five to 11 year-olds.

Children’s Day is also taking place on 31 August from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. There will be lots of family fun with workshops, games, quizzes and trails.

The splashpad is open daily at Normanby Hall from 11am to 5pm. Please wear aqua socks or shoes suitable for water play.

A petting farm will be at Normanby Hall during the summer holidays between 10.30am and 5pm.

There is no extra charge to visit the splashpad or animals - making the annual pass even better value.

For more information, contact Normanby Hall on 01724 720588 or visit www.normanbyhall.co.uk.

Waters’ Edge Country Park and Visitor Centre

Wildlife Day returns on Waters’ Edge on Sunday July 26 from 10am to 5pm. It is a fun, education and free day out for all the family. There will be displays, exhibitions and craft workshops inside and activities around the park including pond dipping and nature trails. Willow Falconry will be attending with their stunning birds of prey and Lion Learners with exotic beastie bugs from around the world. Some of the activities and workshops may carry a small charge.

Further activities that children can get involved in include:

27 July at 10.30am or 1pm – Fairy/hobbit doors, children’s pottery workshop. It costs £10 and booking is essential.

29 July from 11am to 3pm – Junk modelling: paper plate animal craft. Children’s enviro-art activity. This is a free drop-in workshop.

3 August at 10.30am or 1pm – Fairy House, children’s pottery workshop. It costs £10 and booking is essential.

12 August from 11am to 3pm – Junk Modelling: Bugs. Children’s enviro-art activity.

19 August at 10.30am or 1pm – Spiral Mobiles, craft activity. It costs £3.95 and booking is essential.

26 August at 10.30am or 1pm – Funky Seahorse or Bird decoration, craft activity. It costs £3.95 and booking is essential.

To book a place on the activities call Waters’ Edge on 01652 631500. Even more activities are planned throughout the summer, including the Classic Car Show on 30 August. Pop in to the Visitor Centre, call 01652 631500 or visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/watersedge for more details.

Waters’ Edge opens seven days a week and is free admission. The gift shop sells a great range of gifts and the Honey Pot Café serves delicious homemade food.

Councillor John Briggs, cabinet member for Assets, Culture and Housing, said: “There won’t be a moment spare for children to get bored with all these wonderful and activities planned throughout the school summer holidays. It is set to be a fun-filled summer for all the family. Our venues are fantastic and they offer something different whether your children are interested in history or showing off their artistic side, there is something for everyone.

“New for this year in North Lincolnshire are the splashpads at Normanby Hall Country Park and Central Park. They are already proving very popular with children flocking to play around in the water. I’m sure they’re going to be a hit throughout the holidays.”