Arboretum plans for busy family summer
ACTIVITIES ARE INSPIRED BY THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
A MAJOR tourist attraction near Burton has launched a new Commonwealth Games-inspired adventure experience ideal for fun family days out.
The National Memorial Arboretum has created a host of new family activities launched in time for the May half-term holidays.
Among them are an outdoor escape challenge, top-of-the-range play areas, a Stick Man activity trail and an interactive art exhibition.
The all-new reality experience art installations “highlight the camaraderie of communities from across the Commonwealth” who have served alongside each other – and the important role of sport in the Armed Forces.
The new activities, presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 games, promises something for families of all ages. The other free exhibitions, trails and play areas already available to family visitors this summer will remain open as usual.
Here is a breakdown of what is new at the National Memorial Arboretum, and what to look forward to this summer.
■ Stick Man Activity Trail – Younger visitors can join BBC cartoon character Stick Man on his journey back to the family tree on this outdoor trail around the Arboretum. Visitors can collect a free copy of the self-led trail map from the welcome desk on arrival.
■ Play areas – Children can run, jump and climb in two separate play areas at the Arboretum, including a sensory play garden full of tactile elements, scented foliage and traditional play activities. These play areas are a permanent feature of the Arboretum.
■ Commonwealth Outdoor Escape Challenge – Now in its third year, this year’s version of the popular outdoor escape challenge invites groups of families and friends on a mission to identify the crook who has stolen the Commonwealth Games medals and discover which Midlands’ city the medals have been hidden in.
Choosing from either a familyfriendly mission with a suggested age of eight and above, or a more challenging adult version, participants will solve cryptic puzzles and discover the stories behind some of the memorials dedicated to communities from across the Commonwealth.
The Escape Challenge can be bought from the welcome desk on arrival at the Arboretum. Prices start from £12 per group, and this exhibition is open until October 30.
■ Queen’s Baton Relay sticker trail – Inspired by the Queen’s Baton Relay, the sticker trail invites families to find eight batons linked to memorials at the Arboretum. At each of the batons spread across the 150-acre site, families will discover a fact about a Commonwealth community that has helped build the world today.
Once people have placed each flag sticker in the right place on the map, they return to the restaurant to collect a homemade shortbread biscuit.
The Queen’s Baton Relay sticker trail costs £2.50 and can be purchased from the welcome desk on arrival at the Arboretum, with the event running up until September 4. ■ Commonwealth Arboretum – Young families can join reality tour guides for a new 30-minute visual and interactive experience in the ‘Landscapes of Life’ exhibition that will take people on a journey to learn about the diverse communities and friendships between the countries that take part in the Commonwealth Games.
Using tablet devices provided by the Arboretum, people will be able to activate the experience and be encouraged to complete fun tasks relating to the Commonwealth.
These tasks will include exploring the globe to collect medals and taking part in a rescue mission to save the characters. This exhibition is open until September 4.
■ Greetings from... – Visitors are invited to design a postcard in memory of those who have travelled to serve their nation in this new exhibition, as in times gone by people may have had to rely on letters and postcards to stay in touch with distant loved ones and friends. The activity will be facilitated between 11am and 3.30pm on May 8 until June 5; 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and June 26; July 2 to July 3 and July 9 until September 4.
The designs will be added to a new art installation in the grounds of the Arboretum. This brand new exhibition is free until November 13. ■ The Queen’s Commonwealth exhibition – Linked to the Queen’s Baton Relay sticker trail, families can find out more about the Commonwealth in this free exhibition in the remembrance centre, exploring the Queen’s role as the head of this global network. This celebration of the countries that make up a third of the world’s population examines how the Commonwealth fosters collaboration and friendship through a shared spirit of service.
This event is also free of charge and running up until September 4. Entry to the National Memorial Arboretum and some of the exhibitions is free of charge, and the on-site restaurant offers a range of homemade family-friendly food. Advance booking via the arboretum website is recommended to guarantee entry to paid exhibitions. The National Memorial Arboretum is in the National Forest in Staffordshire. It is described as “the nation’s year-round place to remember”.
A spokesman said: “It helps people to reflect and to be inspired, providing a space to celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost in service.
“Since it opened to the public twenty years ago in 2001, it has grown into an inspirational living landscape, freely open to all.” The 150-acre Arboretum is part of the Royal British Legion and has around 25,000 maturing trees and more than 400 memorials.
The garden and woodland site sits at the south-western corner of the 200-square-mile National Forest, and was named Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2018 at the Visitengland awards.
It helps people to reflect and to be inspired, providing a space to celebrate lives lived and commemorate lives lost in service.