Free entry for kids at WWT London Wetland Centre 18–22 and 26–29 August 2014 inclusive. A 105 acre wetland visitor centre in Barnes, southwest London Keep your children entertained during the holidays with wildlife-themed fun – bug hunts, reptile walks, bird watching walks and pond dipping. Or watch adorable otters feed, play and swim at 11.00 and 14.00 each day. 15.00 daily the wardens feed the water birds. Plus adventure playground. To take advantage of the offer simply enter your details in the online form at www.wwt.org.uk/london/august-offer Photo credit Stephen Morris
Explore Bridport’s Dorset Vibrant Art Scene over the August Bank Holiday Weekend For the three days of this coming Bank Holiday weekend 23 – 25 August, Bridport and West Dorset Open Studios are celebrating their 16th Annual Open Event with 80 artists taking place in 40 venues. A Free 44-page Guide of the event is available in all South West based TIC’s, Galleries and Arts Centres and includes seven beautifully designed Art Trail Maps of the area. www.bridportopenstudios.co.uk Marion Taylor
The 10th annual Wings & Wheels will be held over the August Bank holiday weekend; Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th August 2014, at Dunsfold Park near Guildford, Surrey, and is open to spectators from 09:00 until 21:00. The last airworthy Avro Vulcan will be putting on a powerful display as she returns to Wings & Wheels on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August. She won’t be alone though as on Saturday the Show has another special formation planned with the Vulcan and three Gnats of the Red Gnat Display Team performing a flypast. www.wingsandwheels.net
Exeter’s Unexpected 2014 Festival, running 29-31 Aug, brings some of the UK’s most explosive street theatre and circus shows to the open-air streets, cultural venues and public spaces of Exeter in an extraordinary three days of family Festival fun to end the summer holidays. Best of all, almost the entire programme is free and unticketed – meaning families can enjoy all the fun at their leisure, on what promises to be the most exciting Exeter weekend of the summer. www.foolsparadise.co.uk www.bikeshed.co.uk www.foolsparadise.co.uk www.unexpectedexeter.co.uk
Weyfest’s great music line-up at the Rural Life Centre The bands are booked, the banners are up – Weyfest is on its way to the Rural Life Centre, Tilford. The weekend of August 29-31 will see the museum of country life playing host to rockers young and old, enjoying acts as diverse as Jethro Tull, 10CC, The Feeling, Squeeze, Big Country and Chas & Dave. Countless more singers and musicians will be entertaining the crowds on the four stages and in the museum’s old buildings –take a look at the Weyfest website www.weyfest.co.uk to see the complete line-up. There will be food stalls and bars a-plenty with local traders and buskers and activities for children.
Peter Pan Week at the Story Museum, Oxford. Come on down from 26 – 31 August to explore JM Barrie’s classic story. There’s outdoor play in the courtyard, with the chance to sail away in the museum’s boat, and make pirate flags and Peter Pan’s naughty escaping shadow (crafting materials are £1). Every day at 15.00, there will be a reading of Peter and Wendy, completely free.
For swashbucklers aged 3 and under, the ABC…Story! interactive story sessions will feature two watery tales at 10.30am: The Ugly Duckling (Tuesday 26 August) and The Night Pirates (Saturday 31 August). Tickets are £2.50 on the door. Saturday 31 there will be a stage combat skills demonstration in the courtyard: drop in between 11.00 and 14.00 to learn how to fight like a pirate. Then at 14.00, there will be a screening of the much-loved classic Disney animated film Peter Pan, followed by an optional discussion on the differences between book and adaptation. Tickets are £2 on the door, or free with 26 Characters exhibition entry. www.storymuseum.org.uk
Wimbledon Park to host its first ‘Fantastic British Food Festival’ August 23rd to 25th this summer – and it’s only a £1 admission and free for kids! The park will host a wide range of food and drink producers, including cheeses, preserves, crepes, American style bbq, Indian street food, local beers and ciders plus many more will be on offer. A food & drink theatre will feature a range of cookery demonstrations, children’s cupcake workshops and talks from a variety of food and drinks experts. For Indian food lovers The Urban Rjah will be demonstrating how to make the perfect curry, and Honey & Thyme’s Antonia Morosi will be showcasing Seabass and Steak. www.fantasticbritishfoodfestivals.com.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Bostall Heath Saturday 23 August Bostall Hill, Abbey Wood, London, SE2 OGB: 1:30pm – 4:30pm £3 per child (includes a picnic lunch and entertainment), 50p per accompanying adult The annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic, organised by Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, will take place on Bostall Heath, Abbey Wood this year. With fun entertainment, a selection of stalls and teddy bears galore this is an event not to be missed! www.communityhospice.org.uk/fundraising-events_163_4663.aspx
Summer fun at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo Animal Story Time at the zoo…A chance to hear an animal story, make a picture from the story and meet the real life characters.Tuesday 26th August – Animal Story Time – Guinea Pig Story times are at 11.45am & 2.00pm Thursday 28th August – Meerkat Day Come and meet entertaining meerkats. Listen to a Meerkat Story at 12 + 2pm Help the keeper to make Meerkat Enrichment feeds @ 11am and 2.30pm Meerkat Badge Making. Cost £1.00*. Drop in sessions: 11-12.30 and 1.30-3.30pm www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk
New Oliver Twist themed weekend at Blists Hill Victorian Town 23 – 25 August: Dress in character and join in street games Dress in character and join the residents of Blists Hill Victorian Town at a new Oliver Twist themed event over the bank holiday weekend of 23 – 25 August based on Charles Dickens’ famous novel. Costumed characters from the Sundial Theatre Company will re-enact scenes from the popular book, while children can take part in street games and activities with the Artful Dodger and his gang. The townsfolk have also been busy making scarecrows based on the book characters, which visitors will be asked to find and identify. Everyone who is dressed-up can take part in a competition to find the best Oliver or Olivia costume, and the best other character from the book, with the winners receiving a prize portrait taken by the Town’s photographer in their outfits. www.ironbridge.org.uk Bank Holiday Coracle Regatta on the River Severn, Shropshire Monday 25th August Ironbridge Coracle Regatta, held between 12noon and 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August attracts coracle makers and paddlers from all over Britain to participate in an array of madcap races. Featuring team games, coracle polo matches and other fiercely contended competitions, free to watch it takes place along the picturesque stretch of the River Severn at the Ironbridge Rowing Club, Buildwas Road, Ironbridge (TF8 7BJ for those with SatNav). Novice paddlers can have a go in the water for free using traditional coracles handmade at the Green Wood Centre, or anyone with their own coracle can bring it along and join in the races (life jackets provided). www.visitironbridge.co.uk
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