Summer Holiday Activities

Take a look at some of the fantastic events we have lined up for you over the summer holiday!

Drop In Family Fun: Outdoor Toys and Games

Sunday 21 July - Monday 27 August | Free

If the weather is fine, enjoy hula hooping, quoits and dominoes and more – look out for our ‘old fashioned’ toys and games outside. Or maybe your Granny can teach you some skipping games?

Drop in Family Fun: Busy Bee Trail

Sunday 21 July - Monday 27 August | Free

Can you spot all our ‘busy bees’ hiding around the Secret Garden? Our fun I Spy trail is back for the summer holidays! Keep a look out for real butterflies, bumble bees and honey bees too as you hunt for clues.

Drop In Family Fun: Museum Butterfly Hunt

Sunday 21 July - Monday 27 August | Free

Can you find all the giant butterflies hidden inside the Museum? Our summer I Spy hunt is back, perfect for families with young children to enjoy together. Each butterfly is decorated with pictures of Museum objects – can you spot these too?

Drop In Family Fun: Fossil Art Rubbings 

Sunday 21 July - Monday 27 August | Free

When you visit the Geology gallery, stop and create your own piece of ‘fossil art’ using wax crayons, paper and our fabulous fossil and dinosaur tiles. Take a look at dinosaur bones and woolly mammoths tusks too – what’s the oldest thing you can spot?

Drop In Family Fun: Garden Printing Party

Wednesday 25 July | 11:30am - 3:30pm | Free

Join printmaker Arthur Penn for creative, hands-on fun! Get marvellously messy and make some colourful nature prints, inspired by Arthur’s designs and the plants and flowers in the glorious Walled Garden. Make a print to take home, and one to display in our pop up exhibition!

All ages welcome.

Family Drop In Workshop: Bugs, Bees and Butterflies

Tuesday 31 July - Thursday 2 August | 10:30am - 3:30pm | £2

Take a look at the wonderful world of insects and create your own creepy crawly creatures using simple block printing techniques. Creative, hands on activities devised by artist Alison Cockcroft.

Recommended for families with children aged five and above.

Family Drop In Workshop: The Magical Forest

Tuesday 7 August - Thursday 9 August | 10:30am - 3:30pm | £2

Taking inspiration from Hannah Dyson's wonderful exhibition use drawing, paper cut-outs and collage to help create a large scale enchanted landscape inhabited with quirky characters and magical beings. What adventures will your character have and who will they meet on their journey through the forest?

Led by artist Alison Cockcroft, recommended for families with children aged five and above.

Family Drop In Workshop: The World in a Box

Tuesday 14 August - Thursday 16 August | 10:30am - 3:30pm | £2

Using ideas and techniques from fabulous illustrator Hannah Dyson's exhibition create your own magical mini-world with colourful pens and paper cut-outs.

This creative drop in workshop will be led by artist Alison Cockcroft and is recommended for families with children aged five and above.

Family Drop In Workshop: Holiday Adventures

Tuesday 21 August - Thursday 23 August | 10:30am - 3:30pm | £2

Join Elisabet Prieto on a creative journey into printmaking! We’ll pack our imaginary suitcases, go off on incredible journeys by boat, train, bike or plane, and then make some marvellous monoprints as mementos of our adventures.

Recommended for families with children aged five and above.