FREE and Low Cost Creative Workshops and Activities for Young People in Plymouth this Summer
Family Learning are running FREE summer holiday Family workshops! This July and August we are offering a huge range of creative activities for families to enjoy together. These are FREE Summer Holiday Family Workshops, aimed at children aged 6+. The workshops include summer bug hunt, bird box making, fairy house making and many more! Parents/carers can bring up to two children per adult, and children must be a minimum of 6 years old and a maximum of 18 years old.
Bird Box Building, 14th August 11:00-13:00 at Plymouth Central Library. Build a beautiful bird box for your garden in this fun, family-friendly workshop!
Cyanotype Printing for Families, 31st July 10:00-13:00 at Tothill Community Centre. Unleash your creativity and explore the magic of photography with your child in this fun, one-day Cyanotype Printing Workshop!
Fairy House Making, 7th August 11:00-13:00 at Plymouth Central Library. Craft a magical miniature dwelling for fairies in this fun and creative workshop for parents and children.
Fairy Jar Creations, 31st July 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. Craft a whimsical miniature world within a jar, perfect for imaginative play or a unique home décor piece.
Family Mask Making, 13th August 13:30-15:30 at Hyde Park House. Unleash your inner artist and create a fantastical 3D mask together as a family, inspired by your favourite characters!
Make Your Own Board Games, 21st August 11:00-13:00 at Plymouth Central Library. Unleash your creativity and family fun! This workshop equips parents and children to design, build, and play their own board games.
No Sew Summer Flowers for Families, 14th August 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. This fun, one-week course gets families crafting vibrant summer flowers together – no sewing required!
Parent and Child Upcycle Your Bags, 21st August 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. Learn how to transform old bags into something new and fantastic in this fun, creative workshop designed for parents and children to enjoy together.
Pebble Painting, 6th August 10:00-12:30 at Southway Library. Transform pebbles into works of art! This fun, one-day workshop is perfect for parents and children to explore their creativity together.
Shell Painting for Families, 23rd August 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. Unleash your family's creativity in this fun and engaging workshop, transforming ordinary seashells into vibrant works of art!
Stitch and Stuff Animals, 30th August 13:30-15:30 at Hyde Park House. Create adorable cuddly companions in this fun, 1-day workshop for parents and children.
Summer Silk Screen Printing for Families, 25th July 13:00-16:00 at Hyde Park House. 1st August 13:00-16:00 at Hyde Park House. Unleash your creativity as a family and learn the art of silk screen printing in this fun, one-day workshop!
Tie Dye for Families, 13th August 10:00-12:00 at Tothill Community Centre. Create vibrant, one-of-a-kind tie-dye masterpieces in this fun and creative workshop for parents and children.
Upcycled Sea Creature Making, 13th August 10:00-12:30 at Southway Library. Dive into the world of upcycling and craft adorable sea creatures from everyday household items!
Watercolour Bookmarks, 20th August 10:00-12:30 at Southway Library. Design and paint beautiful watercolour bookmarks in a fun, family-friendly workshop – perfect for parents and children to create together.
Watercolour for Families, 7th August 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. Unleash your inner artist alongside your child in this relaxing watercolour workshop for families. Learn core techniques and create beautiful paintings to take home.
Wet Felt Crafting for Families. 30th July 13:00-16:00 at Hyde Park House. Unleash family creativity and craft beautiful felt together in this fun, 1-day workshop exploring wet felting techniques.
Wild Flowers on Canvas. 30th August 10:00-12:00 at Hyde Park House. Capture the beauty of wildflowers in a vibrant acrylic painting during this fun, family-friendly workshop.
From 23 July until the 29th August each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, inspired by the phenomenal 'The Time Is Always Now' exhibition, come and celebrate the special people in your life and get creative through portraiture. Join others for a range of brilliant FREE arts and crafts sessions this summer, plus special family walking tours with our team! See full details of our programme below. Sessions are particularly ideal for children aged 4 to 11 years old and their adults. Last entries at 12.15pm and 3.15pm. If it's busy why not try one of the family trails or an activity on the 'Explore More' tables next to our shop? Free admission. No need to book.
23 Jul 2024 - 14 Aug 2024 Calling all families! Come and explore the blockbuster summer exhibition with a special tour led by our art curator or learning officer. Meet in St Luke's gallery before heading to spaces in the main building. Free spaces are limited to 20 per tour, just sign up on the day at our Welcome Desk. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
26 Jul 2024 - 30 Aug 2024 Join others every Friday morning for half an hour of storytelling underneath the figureheads - perfect for under 5s and their grown ups and a great way to end the week with your little ones. Don't worry; you'll still have time to say 'hello' to Mildred the Mammoth afterwards!
Fit and Fed goes into the community with free activities for all the family including inflatable fun, mini golf, arts and crafts and a healthy lunch. You can find them in the following parks between 10am and 2pm. Victoria Park on Tuesday 6th August, Ernesettle Green Tuesday 13 August, Tothill Park Tuesday 20 August and Central Park on Tuesday 27th August.
Families can head to Plymouth’s waterfront this summer for a series of free activities every Saturday and Sunday in August at Royal William Yard. Something for everyone, children can get creative with craft sessions, puppet making and open-air children's theatre, and they can get active with mini-golf, mini-tennis, zorbing and soft play on the Green.
Saturday 3rd August, 10am-2pm: Children’s Craft Zone on the Green. This activity is free - but book a place here to ensure there is enough material for everyone wanting to take part
Sunday 4th August, 10am-3pm: Head to the Good Food & Craft Market for dozens of family-friendly stalls. Have a blast from the past on our Geo Trail – an immersive and interactive walking trail around Royal William Yard, created for families and developed with the University of Plymouth, find out more here
Saturday 10th August, 11am-2pm: Mini Tennis on the Green. Join High 5 – winner of the Best Children’s Activity Company Award – for a day of open-air tennis
Sunday 11th August, 10am-3pm: RNLI Open Day. Join the crew from Plymouth Lifeboat Station and other amazing RNLI volunteers for a day of demonstrations, activity and awareness
Saturday 17th August, 11am-3pm: Zorbs, Soft Play and Soft Archery on the Green. High 5 are back with a whole host of exciting activities to try
Sunday 18th August, 11am-3pm: Circus Skills with Higher Beings on the Green. Learn how to balance on a tightrope, walk on stilts and all sorts of other sensational skills
Saturday 24th August, 2-5pm: Puppet Making on the Green. Join Above Bounds theatre collective to make your very own under-the-sea puppet to take home with you. We'll provide all you need to create your own sea creature. Perfect for ages 3+. This is a free activity, but places must be booked in advance – sign up here
Sunday 25th August, 11am-2pm: Mini Golf. Portable Putts will have a pitch and putt course will be laid out on the lawn, so come along for a tee-rific time
Saturday 31st August: Silly Squirrel children’s theatre show. Pull up a picnic blanket and join Above Bounds for this playful and award-winning pop-up show, with puppets, gentle interaction and lots of laughs! Perfect for ages 0-7. This is a free activity, but places must be booked in advance. 11am – 12pm session: sign up here. 2pm – 3pm session – sign up here.
RAMP at Ocean Studios, is running a free Community Print every Saturday in July and August. This year, the print is a celebration of the fascinating world of “Sharks & Rays” as part of a partnership with the Shark Trust. Each Saturday, participants will be guided by RAMP’s skilled facilitator and a knowledgeable Shark Trust volunteer, who will share exciting facts and stories about these incredible marine creatures. Find out more here
If you’re a family that’s interested in heritage then take a stroll along the Geo Trail, winding around Royal William Yard and along the South West Coast Path at Devil’s Point to uncover more about the past, and the amazing 380 million years of geological history that can be discovered here! To get involved, collect one of the Geo Trail leaflets from the visitor office at the entrance to Royal William Yard and scan the QR codes you discover.
West End Carnival
The West End Carnival Parade will be taking place on Saturday 24 August 2024. If you would like to join in, there will be workshops leading up to the event so you can learn to make parade props and learn the dances and movement!
Parade craft & prop making workshops at Central Library
- Tuesday 30 July, 10.30am to 1pm
- Tuesday 6 August, 1.30pm to 4pm
- Tuesday 13 August, 10.30am to 1pm
- Tuesday 20 August, 1.30pm to 4pm
- Parade dance/movement workshops at The Box
- Friday 26 July, 11.30am to 1pm
- Friday 2 August, 11.30am to 1pm
- Friday 9 August, 11.30am to 1pm
- Friday 16 August, 11.30am to 1pm
If you would like to book nto the workshops, please sign up via the Google Form.
For more information, please contact westendcarnivalparade@gmail.com
LOW Cost Family events, activities and workshops
This summer, Plymouth Arts Cinema is hosting Summer Holiday Cinema: a season of family friendly films, creative workshops and talks. A mix of blockbusters, arthouse hidden gems, and a nostalgic classic have been announced, and tickets are £4 each. The local independent cinema is working with The Box, Fotonow and Arts University Plymouth to provide extra activities around the events. Care is taken to make sure that the cinema is friendly and welcoming to young audiences, with a relaxed, accessible and neurodiverse friendly environment.
The Little Mermaid
Wednesday 31 July, 11am | Wednesday 7 August, 2.30pm
Both screenings will begin with an introduction from The Box about their current exhibition "The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe The Black Figure"
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Wednesday 31 July, 2.30pm | Wednesday 14 August, 11am
A hidden gem – this is a heartwarming stop-motion animation about Marcel, a walking, talking shell who is looking for his long-lost family. On Wednesday 31 July, Fotonow will run a Family Cyanotype Workshop before the film. (1pm- 2pm, £5 per child, booking essential).
Inside Out 2
Wednesday 7 August, 11am | Wednesday 21 August, 2.30pm
In this summer’s big blockbuster, Riley explores new emotions in this exuberant sequel to Inside Out, Pixar's Oscar-winning masterpiece from 2015. That means her old emotional cohorts including Joy and Sadness must brace themselves for a series of disturbances at Emotion HQ within Riley's head. There will be a FREE drop-in session before each screening with Inside Out 2 activities and colouring sheets.
The NeverEnding Story
Wednesday 14 August, 2.30pm | Wednesday 21 August, 11am
A magical journey about the power of a young boy's imagination to save a dying fantasy land, The NeverEnding Story remains a much-loved kids adventure, and this 40th Anniversary reissue is bound to evoke some nostalgia amongst parents!
Artist Kathy Wray will be running a Mythical Creatures Creative Workshop before each of the screenings. The workshops are £3.50 per child, booking essential.
Plymouth Immersive Dome at The Market Hall
Immersive experiences have the power to create positive, lasting change. From co-created sensory content to awe-inspiring interactive experiences, our productions strive to use tech for good. Prices vary - and a family ticket to include three children is £15
Legend of the Enchanted Reef: When their reef is destroyed by a fishing trawler, 3 fish set out on a quest to find a new home.
Get a view of the fascinating universe of insects magnified up to 250,000 times their normal size in Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure.
Become immersed in a miniature world, where a leaf weighs as much as a car and a single raindrop can quench the largest thirst.
DINOSAURS: A Story of Survival
Like almost all children, Celeste is fascinated with dinosaurs. She is preparing a talk for her class about how they went extinct when Moon, a very wise and magical character, poses a tantalising question: what if I told you that there are still dinosaurs among us?
Celeste will join Moon in a journey through time. An exciting adventure that will show them the Earth as it was in the very, very distant past.
Out of the Toybox - Sensory Screening
Blocks, numbers, and letters tumble and fall from a huge open toybox! An experience to encourage creativity for your little ones. What will they build? Created by IVAR Studios
Funded by The Rank Foundation. Venue: Market Hall, Sunday 11th Aug 11:00 am - 12:00 pm