Summer holiday fun in Dudley
Young ones can be kept busy this summer with a range of activities on offer from Dudley Council.
There will be sessions in leisure centres, libraries, parks, the Red House Glass Cone and Stourbridge Town Hall with full details online.
Dudley Council has today (18 July) opened an impressive brand-new woodland play area at Himley Park is now open, following a £500,000 investment.
And the holidays will get off to a fabulous start with Dudley’s first ever outdoor Pride event, offering fun and entertainment in the town centre on Saturday (20 July) with details online at www.dudleypride.org.uk
Councillor David Stanley, cabinet member for children’s services, said:
“It’s great to be offering such a wide range of activities to keep children busy over the summer holidays, including free swimming at our leisure centres.
“As we continue to develop our Child Friendly Dudley initiative, we are excited to be making the final preparations to our Himley Park play area, with plenty of equipment for children to enjoy.
“Many of the sessions pre-bookable or run on a first come first served basis so we’re reminding parents to check the details and availability of an activity before setting out.”
Located near the former tennis courts and pavilion at the rear lefthand side of the hall, the Himley play area has lots of fun features for children and young people to enjoy. There’s a large wooden play tower, including a spiral slide, rotating carousels, zip line, seesaws, rocking horses, and several swings.
The popular dinosaur and princess and pirate themed trails will return to Himley Park from 22 July. There’s also the year-round fairy 50 activity, where children follow coordinates on a map in the search for 50 hidden fairy doors.
More information about activities at Himley Hall and Park is online at www.himleyhallandpark.co.uk
Duncan Edwards, Crystal, Halesowen leisure centres and The Dell Stadium will be offering free-swimming during the holidays at set times. Other chargeable activities include Waikiki Waves family water disco, under 5s splash time, under 5s stay and play, badminton, table-tennis, £1 football sessions, soft play, and activities for children with SEN. Terms and conditions apply, activities vary between facilities and may be subject to change. More information at www.dbleisure.co.uk/school-holiday-activities or by calling 01384 812800.
At the Red House Glass Cone is running glass fusing sessions from age 7+, summer crafts from age 5+ and a Grimwood Adventures free museum trail for all ages. Booking details available at www.ticketsource.co.uk/red-house-glass-cone
Red House Glass Cone and Dudley Museum at The Archives will have free seasonal trails and craft sessions with full details at https://www.facebook.com/dudleymuseum and https://www.facebook.com/redhousecone
The Glass Quarter will host the International Festival of Glass over August bank holiday with attractions across the glass quarter offer lots of fantastic workshops, exhibitions, activities and events. People can find out more at https://ifg.org.uk/
At Stourbridge Town Hall on Sunday 11 August families can enjoy ‘Wonders of our Universe’, an afternoon of exploration, looking at stars, planets, galaxies, black holes, the search for life beyond Earth with astrophysicist Ian Hall. Families with younger children can enjoy seeing a Tribute show to the popular children’s entertainer and YouTube sensation Ms Rachel at Dudley Town Hall. The ‘Miss Rachel UK Tribute Show’ is visiting on Saturday 31 August from 12pm and includes interactive screen content, animation and scenery, puppetry and voices on screen with Bertie and friends. Tickets and information online at www.boroughhalls.co.uk
Brookes Bistro at Dudley Town Hall is also offering £1 meals for children, with full details of the offer available on their website.
There are lots of activities to enjoy in Dudley borough libraries this summer holiday including The Summer Reading Challenge, Rattle and Rhyme, Lego, craft sessions, teddy bear’s picnic, story sessions and much more with full details available online.
The Pack Active programme will continue to offer free outdoor exercise sessions for children and families to enjoy over the summer holiday. There will be led free walks, park yoga, Dudley Park Run, Junior Park Run and activities at the five healthy hubs. People can find out more online.
At Steven’s Park in Quarry Bank there will also be an Olympic Fun Day on 27 July and 1 August and a Play Day on 7 August. Both events are free and run from 10am to 2pm.
HAF will continue to offer holiday activities for children eligible for benefit related free school meals and other vulnerable groups. Full details are available online.