Family Fun 28th & 29th June 2014

by Nisbah · Published June 25, 2014 · Updated June 25, 2014

This weekend it appears that our Indian Summer may be replaced with the typical UK summer weather of rain and clouds but here at Fiveadveturers we will not let this deter us from having a fab weekend! There are loads of family orientated events on over the weekend throughout the north-west so I hope you have a lovely time whatever you decide to do!

Saturday

Lancashire Science Festival (Preston) Lancashire Science Festival is running from (26-28th June 2014). The event is held on the UCLAN, Preston Campus and Saturday is the day aimed at the general public. The University have tons of activities running throughout the day and my picks are “Joe Blows Stuff up”, I think the title is pretty self explanatory and the shows are held at 11,1 and 3pm, meeting Titan the 8ft robot, and the zoo bus, which is a bus turned into a sanctuary for loads of different creepy crawlies and critters. What a fantastic free event to take the children too and the lovely people at UCLAN have also provided free parking for all visitors on all UCLAN car parks. It looks like a fantastic day out which should be a fab experience for all the budding scientists out there.

Eureka The National Children’s Museum (Halifax)

Visiting the museum is really high on my wish list but we haven’t managed to make it yet. We have realised that if you book online your tickets for the day are also annual passes so you can return as many times as you would like throughout the year for free. I have heard fabulous things about the museum so an annual pass for the price of a single entry seems very worthwhile. For the bargain hunters out there, here’s a code for an extra 10% off code: 125.

However, this weekend the museum have opened the gardens (not the museum) to allow free entry so people can take part in the Halifax Family Festival. There are a number of things that have been planned including silly street shows by Bell and Bullock and Maynard Flip Flap, pop-up story tent where you can create stories through live animation and a whole host of other activities. Full details are here.

Eureka have also organised another event in the evening which is a drive in movie, a sing along version of the Lion King. I have always wanted to go to these events, it is £25 per car, but for a maximum of 4 people, additional passengers or on foot viewers are charged at £6 per person. If you are walking in, remember to bring your chairs and blankets. Full details of the event are here.

Brockholes Nature Reserve (Junction 31 M6)

Brockholes is a fantastic day out, any time of the year. We went last weekend to do a mini beast hunt. At the moment, there are tiny baby frogs near the visitor centre which alone deserve a visit. Our children were mesmerised by them, and they were very cool. Throughout the Summer months, Brockholes have scheduled pond dipping sessions for all every Saturday. The sessions are at 11am, 11:30am and 12pm. The cost is £1 per person. Having taken the kids to these sessions last year, they are definitely worth it, if for nothing else to let them have a go at a net and try and catch some creatures from the water. The sessions last for approximately 20 minutes. I would suggest you pack a picnic, and go for a walk around the fantastic reserve. There are also three lovely playgrounds for the children to burn off some energy. Car parking costs are £2 for the first two hours and then 35p for every additional 30 mins. You should note that the Reserve have a car registration detection system so you will need to know your car registration number in order to pay the money at the machine. Another thing to note is that the machines only accept coins or cards, no notes.

Parachuting Picnic Teddies (Wigan)

I always like to try out new parks and if this is coupled with an event then its even better. Haigh Park in Wigan are asking children to bring along their favourite teddies and let the teddies have a go at parachuting. After this there are a number of additional activities for the children to participate in including party games and a teddy trail. Bring along a picnic and a blanket it should be a good day. There is a cost of £2.50 for each child and booking is essential.

Lytham Club Day and Rose Queen Festival

This year marks the 120 years since the crowning of the first queen. There will be a parade through the town and then the Rose Queens will the process down to Lytham Hall for the crowning and entertainment. The committee behind the event have this year decided to change their focus as there will now be a number of activities which have all the family in mind, here is further information about the day. There will be sports events for children, donkey rides and traditional games such as coconut shy’s. It should be a great day out.

Medieval Festival Weekend (Bolton)

Come along and meet a real life settlement from 1311 in the Last Drop Village in Bromley Cross. There will be knights to tell you tales and even knights having a war or two. Activities include archery, display of arms and cooking demonstration. Perfect if any children are studying about knights, medieval times at school. The event is free to attend and there is plenty of free parking on site.

Teen Rangers (Thornton)

A lot of the things featured on this round up are aimed at families with younger children but I spotted this event for teens. Young people aged 13-18 years old can help to manage the country and Wrye coast. No experience is required and its an opportunity to gain new skills.

Horse Riding Lesson (Warrington)

Bring your children along and meet the wonderful ponies at Croft Riding Centre. Each child aged over 4 years old will be given a free riding lesson with the qualified instructors from the centre. Booking is essential and the contact information is here. The horse riding session could be coupled with a pick your own fruit side trip to Kenyon Hall Farm (https://fiveadventurers.com/family-fun-things-to-do-this-weekend-2122-june-2014/)

Manchester Armed Forces Day (Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester)

There is a full day of activities planned to pay tribute to current members of the armed forces and Veterans. There are many activities that will interest families including a display of military vehicles including a Jet Provost cockpit, a climbing wall and face painting. There will also be a picnic style eating area.

Sunday

Children’s Book Festival

The festival is running for a fortnight and two events which look great and are free are the following:

Ordsall Hall Museum

Ordsall Hall, Salford have an event in which the children will learn to make a book, hear stories from times gone by and if they are really lucky to meet some of the characters who used to live in the hall. The event is on between 1:30-3:30 and is free to enter and no booking is required.

The Great Story theft (Royal Exchange)

A staged adventure aimed at 2-7 year olds. The show is meant to captivate the watchers imagination, navigate over wonderful landscapes and discover strange creatures. There is good availability and the shows are scheduled for 11:30 am and 2pm. It is free to attend but booking is essential, further details of the show are here.

Omskirk Tennis Festival

As tennis fever grips the nation, there is a one day family tennis event in Omskirk. The event lets families have a try at the game, fun competitions including testing your cardio tennis but also making things such as a bird feeder from a tennis ball. There are lots of activities planned so would make a great day out for any budding Andy Murrays out there. Whilst on the Tennis theme, there is again the Great British Tennis weekend as featured on our round up last weekend. Click here for further details

Carribean Carnival (Preston)

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Caribbean Carnival and the parade will start and finish at Moor Park in Preston. The Parade starts at 12 and there are lots of activities planned including arts and crafts and a children’s funfair. More details are here.