Welcome to a summer of fun
SO school’s out for another year and you’ve found yourself with six weeks of summer holidays to fill. Before you start shaking in a darkened room wondering what on earth you’ll do to fill the time – don’t worry, we’ve got it sorted. We know how expensive
ParkLives
Hundreds of FREE fun activity sessions will be available for families again as ParkLives returns for a third summer.
The ParkLives programme first launched in 2015 offering everything from family zumba and fishing to den building and giant Connect 4.
Sessions take place daily in 12 parks and green spaces across Manchester, including Heaton Park, Alexandra Park and Wythenshawe Park. Two new locations added to this year’s list are Collyhurst Park and Whitworth Park.
The programme is planned in partnership between Coca Cola and Manchester council and activities are group-based, with everyone able to go at their own pace.
Sessions last for around one hour and are hosted by trained, friendly and passionate leaders and volunteers from the local area. Timetabled sessions, which can be booked online, are an hour long and are led by a trained activity leader from the local area.
A full timetable, including a postcode-led local park finder, can be found at parklives.com.
Mega Mela, Platt Fields Park
There will be arts and crafts galore at this two-day event in Platt Fields Park this July.
In the past, the programme has included traditional crafts such as rangoli, henna painting, face painting, block printing and more.
It gives emerging artists of South Asian origin the opportunity to display their talents and for the mela goers to participate in the various workshops.
Activities range from jewellery making, Indian ceramics, badge making and kite making, to paper crafts and henna and nail art.
The event runs from 1pm to 6pm on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23. It is a free drop-in event so there is no need to book.
Platt Fields Park, Fallowfield, M14 6LA.
GMP Museum open days
The Greater Manchester Police Museum is hosting open days every Tuesday and Thursday between July 25 and August 31 .
The events, from 10.30am to 3.30pm, focus on different units within the police force from the north west underwater search and recovery unit to the tactical dog unit and the North West Ambulance Service.
57A Newton Street, Manchester, M1 1ET.
National Football Museum
The National Football Museum has lots of fun activities for kids.
There are interactive objects, games and displays that will appeal to a wide range of ages and a Discovery Zone designed especially for ages five and under.
For more information about events, visit www.nationalfootballmuseum.com .
National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Todd St, City Centre, Manchester, M4 3BG.
Create a mobile phone case, Piccadilly Gardens
A design studio is coming to Piccadilly Gardens in August, giving kids and adults the chance to create their own customised phone case for free.
The HSBC Mobile Studio will be in Manchester for three days, from 10am to 6pm on Friday, August 25, and Saturday, August 26, and then 12pm to 6pm on Sunday, August 27 .
Illustrator Marylou Faure, one of five designers chosen to work with HSBC on the designs, will be onhand to impart her design expertise.
From a selection of different digital designs, visitors get to create a completely new customised case to take home for free, with cases available for the UK’s top 25 phones.
Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester
Museum of Science and Industry
There is plenty of free fun at the museum over the school holidays.
From cheering your team on at the Science Showdown, to getting your game face on at Power Up!, to tinkerering and creating at MakeFest, there’s loads happening for a fun-filled, family day out.
Imagine It, Make It, Move It runs from July 22 to September 4, with special hands-on workshops, shows and demonstrations.
Youngsters can be part of the latest kids’ craze and make their own fidget spinners to take home, ride the first ever passenger railway on the 1830 Express and experience the smells, sounds and stories of the Power Hall and the Textiles Gallery.
Younger ones can help invent a brand new bike.
Entry is free but charges apply to some activities. Other events include Pi: Platform for Investigation, which
runs from July 15 to August 12 and is the museum’s monthly, handson science event.
Then, on August 19 and 20, it’s the third year of the museum’s MakeFest family-friendly celebration of making, coding, tinkering, arts and craft.
Join makers and creators for a two-day, hands-on frenzy of activities.
Museum of Science and Industry, Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4FP.
BookBench Trail, Manchester
Families are being encouraged to download a map and follow a trail of new BookBenches around Manchester.
Almost 60 colourful bookshaped benches designed by children have gone on display at various venues in the city centre and elsewhere as part of the Read Manchester campaign from Manchester council and the National Literacy Trust.
Activities will be taking place over the summer at the venues where the BookBenches are on display, including literacy-themed events, storytelling sessions and book swaps.
A cluster of venues in the city centre are playing host to the benches, including Manchester Cathedral, the Manchester Arndale, the Royal Exchange Theatre and the National Football Museum.
Outside of the city centre, other venues taking part include the National Cycling Centre, the Lowry
Outlet and Manchester Museum.
● For a full list of venues hosting BookBenches and to download a trail map, visit readmanchester.org. uk.
Free summer cinema, Spinningfields
A number of family films will be shown at the free summer cinema in Spinningfields.
Situated in the Oast House courtyard this year, the big screen will show classic films every Tuesday evening from July 18 .
The programme includes 80s kids favourites The Goonies and E.T. as well as more recent hits like Beauty and the Beast and Mean Girls.
The viewing area can host up to 350 people and no tickets are necessary
- just turn up from 6pm to watch your favourite film.
The full schedule includes: July 18 - The Goonies (12); July 25 - The Wedding Singer (12); August 1 – Jurassic Park (PG); August 8 – Inception (12); August 15 – Beauty and the Beast (2017) (PG); August 22 – E.T. (U); August 29 – Mean Girls (12); September 5 – Dirty Dancing (12);
Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3AY.
The Whitworth
Visitors can pick up an art hamper at any time during gallery opening hours. This is filled with art materials, ideas and a picnic blanket.
These can be collected and returned from the welcome desks at either entrance from 10am.
The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6ER.
Mini beast hunt, scavenger hunts and more, RSPB
There are lots of fun, free, family activities around various sites in Manchester this summer, organised by the RSPB. There is something on most days in August starting with events in Alexandra Park and Heaton Park.
Have a go at mini beast hunting, wild bingo and scavenger hunts from 12pm to 5pm on August 1 at Alexandra Park.
On the same day you can make some kebabs for garden birds between 10am and 6pm at Heaton Park.
Other sites include Chorlton Water Park, Fletcher Moss in Didsbury, Debdale Park in Gorton and more.
A family fun day is planned at Boggart Hole Clough in Blackley on Saturday, August 12. Have a go at making butterfly feeders between 11.30am and 4pm.
Glow in The Dark Park, Manchester Art Gallery
Children are invited along to make glow in the dark artworks inspired by the park at night.
Drop-in sessions are running from 1pm to 3pm every Wednesday to Saturday throughout August and are suitable for all ages. Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL.