17 things for families at Tafwyl 2017

*Paid collaboration with Cymraeg i Blant

Tafwyl, Cardiff’s annual celebration of Welsh arts and culture, returns this weekend, with a two-day event at the city’s Llandaff Fields.

The family-friendly festival has been running since 2006 and is a lively mix of live music, literature, drama, comedy, art, sports, food and drink.

Tafwyl Fringe has been running all week, with events being held in museums, libraries, cafes, bars and art centres, culminating in the main event this Saturday and Sunday.

Tafwyl is free and open to all, whether you speak Welsh or not. The evenings feature live Welsh language music, food and drink, while the day times are filled with more live music, plus plenty of family-friendly events and activities.

Tafwyl has grown tremendously since it was established in 2006 by Menter Caerdydd, when 1,500 attended the Mochyn Du, to over 36,000 at least year’s event at Cardiff Castle.

There is so much going on for families, from storytime sessions and performances from local schools, to sports activities and even a family rave.

Here’s 17 activities to look out for if you’re planning on visiting with your family this weekend.

Tafwyl takes place at Llandaff Fields, Cardiff on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July, from 11am-9pm.

You can see the full timetable here and follow Tafwyl on Facebook or Twitter.

Are you going to Tafwyl this year? Do let me know in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy

Welsh Rhymetime / Stori a Chan

Cymraeg i Blant will be running story and song sessions for pre-schoolers at 12pm at 12pm on both Saturday and Sunday in the Learners’ Tent. The interactive session of Welsh rhymes and a story will also include useful advice on bilingual resources to use at home.

Singing and dancing with Cwy

Welsh children’s TV service Cyw will be leading the fun and games with sessions throughout the day on Sunday. 11.30am sees Cyw a’i Ffrindiau (Cyw and Friends) with singing and dancing on the main stage; Singing and dancing with Huw and Ben Dant in the schools tent at 4.15pm; and a chance to meet and get your photo taken with them at 4.45pm at the Bwrlwm area.

Performances from local children

Schools from across Cardiff will be singing, dancing and performing on Y Llwyfan, Tafwyl’s stage, on both days, from the pre-schoolers at local cylchoedd meithrin and primary school children to those at secondary.

Welsh history brought to life with Barti Ddu and Yr Arglwydd Rhys

Learn more about Wales’s most famous pirate in Sioe Barti Ddu, a lively interactive show about Black Bart and a pirate’s life at sea, Saturday 11.30am-12.30pm. Sioe Yr Arglwydd Rhys is about the brave warrior hated by the Normans because he burnt their castles and tool their land, Saturday 4.30pm-5.30pm. Suitable for ages 6-11, both in the Cardiff Life Area.

Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave

The award-winning family rave sensation will be at the acoustic stage on Saturday from 12pm-3pm. Expect glitter cannons, bubbles, giant balloons and the legendary parachute dance. DJ Gareth Potter will be on the desks, along with free face painting, glowsticks and transfer tattoos.

Pre-school messy play and singing sessions in The Baby Yurt

Sessions run by The Green Giraffe Nursery, a bilingual and organic nursery for 0-5 year olds, will include body painting, gloop making, squirt gun painting sessions, healthy snack making workshops, storytime and song sessions. There’s also a chilled out area with feeding station and baby changing unit.

Creative play at Bwrlwm

The creative play zone is offering activities such as wildlife clay painting, RSPB workshops, head dress workshop, den building, gardening, circus skills, Green Magic Wands workshop, scrap material arts and crafts, plus huge bubble making with Dr Zigs.

Cardiff Libraries Tipi

Storytime and craft sessions from Cardiff Libraries in their tipi, as well as the chance to hear more about their Summer Reading Challenge.

Wales Millennium Centre Yurt

Cardiff’s landmark arts venue will have its own tent at this year’s Tafwyl, with arts and crafts, and a packed programme of activities for the whole family.

Get sporty!

There’s a full timetable of football, rugby, golf, athletics and hockey sessions thanks to the Urdd Sports Department, with activities from Cymdeithas Bêl-Droed Cymru / FAW; Cardiff City Foundation; Go Air; Athletau Cymru; Badminton Cymru; Golff Cymru; Hoci Cymru and Coleg Caerdydd a’r Fro. Head to the dedicated sports area.

Meet the new Welsh children’s poet

Wales’s new children’s poet laureate Casia Wiliam wil go head to head with her predecessor Anni Llŷn to host a fun-filled rhyming battle called Talwrn Y Beirdd Bach, with the children in the audience deciding who wins. Saturday 11am-12pm in the Lolfa Lên.

Create your own card games

Join cartoonist Huw Aaron, creator of Battle Cards – Legends of Wales (Atebol) for card games and an opportunity to create your own cards! Saturday 1.30pm-2.30pm in the Lolfa Lên.

Eco-activities

Helping children to learn more about the world around us, Green City will be running family-friendly eco activities from 11am-5.30pm on both days.

Science fun

Cardiff University have a full programme of fun and informative events. Highlights include Death, Destruction and Dinosaurs: Rocks from Space (Saturday, 12pm) where you can find out what killed the dinosaurs and the consequences meteorites could have on the earth; Studying at the School of Welsh (Saturday 1pm and Sunday 12pm) featuring a limerick comptition and a design a crown activity; Brain Games (Saturday 2.30pm, Sunday 1pm) where you can take part in fun activities about the brain and find out about the progress and benefits of the university’s brain research; Doctor Doctor (Saturday 3.30pm) where you can find out if you the steady hand of a surgeon; Footprints In Time (Sunday 2.30pm) to discover more about the work of archaeologists.

Cardiff University will be in the Science Pavillion, alongside stall from the Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry and Cardiff Welsh Scientific Society.

The food

Milgi, Fritter Shack, El Chilango Cocina Mexicana, Bodlon, Grazing Shed, Meat and Greek, and Brother Tie are among the pop up Welsh foodie stalls at the festival. Family favourites are sure to be Ffwrnes wood-fired pizzas, the Weslh Creperie Company, Fablas artisan ice cream and Science Cream, famous for using liquid nitrogen to freeze their ice cream while you wait.

Yurt T

Especially for teenagers, with a chill out area and a full timetable of activities including jewellery making hula hooping, ukulele music workshop, a glitter parlour and graffiti workshops.