Free family fun with favourite characters at Westgate Oxford this summer
Westgate Oxford is hosting a series of meet and greets with some of your favourite characters this summer including Gabby’s Dollhouse, Hey Duggee and even the centre’s very first appearances of Peppa Pig’s little sister, baby pig Evie.
The events take place every Thursday from 24th July until 28th August, and guests must book free tickets in advance to secure admittance to the events. To receive ticket information and links, guests can sign up to PLUS+ for free at
There will be five sessions each day, all fully accessible, with one daily slot designed to be suitable for Special Educational Needs.
The full schedule of events includes:
- Peppa Pig, Mummy Pig, and baby pig Evie – 7th August
- PAW Patrol’s Chase & Skye – 14th August
- Gabby’s Dollhouse – 21st August
- Hey Duggee – 28th August
Prezzo Italian kids eat free
Unlock the magic of mealtimes: ‘spec’tacular 3D adventures, secret password pasta & as many peas as you can eat!
Serious summer savings for parents too – kids eat free runs from 29th July – 5th September
Plus – Prezzo Italian are giving away £10k worth of gift vouchers, 1000 vouchers to be won
Get ready for giggles, games, and plenty of greens: Prezzo Italian is launching its very first Prezzo Kids Club, and it’s bursting with fun for foodies of all ages!
Tiny (0–2), Little (2–8), and Big (8–12) eaters all have their own special menus, and they’re not just any menus…
They’re 3D! Every child gets a pair of awesome 3D glasses to bring their menu to life, plus access to an exciting new digital game – just scan the QR code.
Snap a pic of the kids rocking their 3D specs and post it to Instagram – @prezzoitalian – and you could win a £10 Prezzo gift voucher. We’re giving away £10,000 worth of vouchers in total – let’s get snapping! Nothing goes better with a pizza than a smile. Say cheese……
Inside Out festival
Leicester Square will come alive in August with live theatre and cinema experiences for families, as part of Inside Out festival. Taking place on 9-10 August, Inside Out festival presented by Discover Leicester Square will feature free, all-ages entertainment including a silent disco with film soundtracks, West End theatre storytelling by the theatre casts, and arts and crafts.
Discover Leicester Square presents a weekend of magical moments, including:
- West End cast appearances from The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Horrible Histories, and more
- Wand combat workshops with Harry Potter wand choreographer Paul Harris
- Silent disco set in the gardens, featuring top movie and musical soundtracks
- Crafts, face painting, and a variety of interactive games
- ‘Scenes in the Square’ statue trail celebrating icons like Paddington, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, and Bugs Bunny
Fee tickets live via Eventbrite now!
Portland and Weymouth Free Art Friday
Local artist Charlotte Pascoe will bring creativity, community, and a sense of adventure to Portland & Weymouth this summer with Free Art Friday – a free weekly art treasure hunt designed to celebrate the area’s culture as a seaside holiday destination.
Running throughout July and August 2025, the project will see unique pieces of artwork hidden in 13 iconic beauty spots and play areas, including Portland Bill, Greenhill Gardens, Tout Quarry, and Radipole Nature Reserve. Each week, clues will be released on social media channels inviting families and individuals to search for the hidden treasures.
Every week, 51 art prizes will be hidden in accessible, well-maintained public spaces:
- 25 full-colour glossy postcards
- 25 waterproof vinyl stickers or black-and-white ‘colour your own’ postcards
- and an original, signed, mounted artwork.
The project invites people not only to collect the pieces but also to share their own drawings, photos, and memories on social media, further connecting the community through creativity.
All printed materials will use recycled paper and recyclable wallets, and leftover or unfound items will be distributed to local schools and preschools – ensuring the project is environmentally thoughtful as well as culturally enriching.
Children go free at Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex
Family highlights at Wakehurst
Nature Heroes: Globe Trotter | 21 July to 5 September | All day | Mission and badge: £4
Join Wakehurst in celebrating 25 years of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, with nearly 2.5 billion seeds from 40,000 wild plant species safely stored. Families can set off on a Nature Heroes mission across the globe, from Asia to Australia, South America to the Caribbean and beyond – walking the world, all without leaving the gardens! A beautiful, embroidered badge is up for grabs at the end of the trail, for those that successfully complete the mission.
A secret garden tucked behind the Elizabethan Mansion, the Children’s & Community Garden has been newly expanded and now hosts new vegetable beds, accessed by wide buggy-friendly pathways, and specially planted wildlife habitats. The family-favourite Mud Kitchen beckons for messy play, with all the pots and pans that children could need for nature-inspired culinary creations. The Garden is a haven for wildlife, with a specially planted bug bed to draw in critters such as caterpillars, while a stumpery offers a rustic refuge for insects. Nearby, children can spot pollinators checking into the many bee hotels or the an experimental bee bank, after stopping off at the mini meadows, which are now in full bloom. Bringing together gardening inspiration, a riot of colour and engaging science, the Children’s & Community Garden is a space to learn, play and grow.
Outdoor play spaces
In the heart of shady Coates Wood, Tree Trunk Trek is an adventurous play space for those ready to take on new heights. Children of all ages can get to know Wakehurst’s trees on this playful log trail as they crawl, climb, jump and balance their way across the course. In a nearby sheltered woodland glade, picnic tables create the perfect base for your little ones to bounce back to after hours of exploring. Around the corner, families can discover hand-woven rabbits, owls, dormice and more, in the Wild Wood sculpture trail. The hazel-coppiced woodland is transformed into an inspiring natural gallery of hand-woven structures, with plenty of sculptures to climb through, over and under.
Free family fun with favourite characters at Bluewater this summer
Bluewater is hosting a series of meet and greets with some of your favourite characters this summer including Bluey, Paddington™, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and even the centre’s very first appearances of Peppa Pig’s little sister, baby pig Evie.
The events take place every Thursday from 24th July until 28th August, and guests must book free tickets in advance to secure admittance to the events. To receive ticket information and links, guests can sign up to PLUS+ for free at
There will be five sessions each day, all fully accessible, with one daily slot designed to be suitable for Special Educational Needs.
The full schedule of events includes:
- Papa Smurf and Clumsy Smurf – 24th July
- Peppa Pig, Mummy Pig, and baby pig Evie – 31st July
- Bluey & Bingo– 7th August
- Gabby’s Dollhouse– 14th August
- Hey Duggee – 21st August
- Paddington™ – 28th August
James Waugh, Centre Director of Bluewater said: “We know families in and around Kent are looking for fun events to keep the little ones entertained through the summer holidays, so we’re pleased to offer a free, all-weather option here at Bluewater. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of smiling faces at the centre this summer.”
There’s even more fun to keep the little ones busy at Bluewater through the holidays including thrill-seeking activities at Hangloose Adventure and dinosaur-themed fun at Dinotropolis as well as Bluewater’s Nature Trail and Showcase Cinema de Lux cinema showing all the latest releases. With plenty of family-friendly restaurants including Wagamama, Pho, Wingstop, and more, Bluewater is the perfect day-out destination this summer.