19 family-friendly events in and around Cardiff this weekend – 9-10 June

What are you up to this weekend? If you don’t yet have plans then here’s plenty of inspiration for Friday, Saturday and Sunday plus the month ahead. Do let me know if I’ve missed anything either in the comments below or on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page.

Main photo – Beyond the Border by Jennie Caldwell

If you’ve found these listings useful then perhaps you’d consider sponsoring us as we attempt to raise £1,000 for Ty Hafan this summer by taking part in a number of running events as a family. Every pound makes a real difference in helping Ty Hafan reach the £4m it needs every year to support the life-limited children and their families who use the hospice in Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan.

You can visit our Just Giving fundraising page here. Thank you so much! If everyone who reads these listings donated just £1 we’d smash our target in no time.

Toddler Day – Marvellous Minibeasts

Techniquest, Cardiff Bay

Friday 8 June, 9.30am-4.30pm

(Plus Friday 6 July – A Day At The Seaside)

Marvellous Mini Beasts is the theme this month as Cardiff Bay’s hands-on science centre opens its doors to the pre-schoolers of Cardiff and beyond. As well as more than 100 exhibits, you can expect mini beast-themed drawing, colouring and crafts, as well as story time and music sessions. Under 4s are free, with accompanying adults paying £5.50 entry. Read our review of a previous toddler day here.

FREE Dinky Dragons

Cardiff Story Museum, The Hayes, Cardiff

Friday 8 June, 10am-3pm

The Cardiff Story is a fascinating hands-on exhibition exploring the history of Cardiff. You can read our review here. The monthly Dinky Dragons free family days are great fun, taking place usually on the second Friday of each month, between 10am and 3pm. As well as the usual exhibits and dressing up clothes, there will be toys to play with, detective trails, crafts, messy play and rhyme time and story time at 11am and 1pm.

FREE Toddler Time

National Museum Cardiff

Every Friday during term-time, 1.30pm-4pm

The museum welcomes pre-schoolers every Friday afternoon, with special boxes of toys, games and books hidden in different galleries to help parents and children explore the museum through play. Read our review of a previous  Toddler Time here.

FREE Volvo Ocean Race Cardiff Stopover Free Festival

Alexandra Head, Cardiff Bay

Sunday 27 May-Sunday 10 June

The Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate ocean marathon as 66 men and women race around the world’s toughest oceans, covering a distance of 46,000 nautical miles over eight months. For the first time in its history the race will stop in Cardiff, as well as all the racing action the Volvo Ocean Race festival site, called the Race Village, will be located on Cardiff Bay Barrage hosting a variety of entertainment. Highlights include the Globe Cinema, providing an insight into the race and its participants; the Race Boat Experience where you can take a selfie behind the wheel of a replica Volvo Ocean-65 racing yacht; live lunchtime music; National Marine Aquarium Workshops; circus performances and workshops; water sports activities. Man Engine Cymru will also be making an appearance at the festival on Saturday at 6.15pm.

Lexicon – No Fit State Circus

Big Top Volvo Ocean Stopover, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 26 May-Saturday 9 June

Cardiff’s contemporary circus company presents a daring, seductive and utterly contemporary take on circus for a seated audience in the round. Drawing inspiration from circus history, heritage and traditions the performance excavates underground memories and celebrates the past, present and future of circus. Read our review here – we loved it!

Alternative Routes

The Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Thursday 7-Saturday 9 June; 7.30pm

Tickets from £12

National Dance Company Wales anad designers from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama come together to create four fresh dance works in which design is the beating heart, made by artists who have their finger on the pulse of Cardiff’s creative and collaborative culture.

FREE Roar-some Dinosaurs

The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June

Celebrate the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom by meeting some dinosaurs at The Red Dragon Centre. Rex and his baby dinosaur friends will be making appearances over the weekend with T-REX at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm; and Baby Dinos at 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm & 3.30pm.

FREE Armed Forces Day Parade and Festival 

Barry Island

Saturday 9 June 11am-6pm

Celebrate and support the Armed Forces Community, past, present, and future with a day of exciting events and activities for the whole family including a marching parade led by the Royal Marine Band; military displays and vehicle; and an opportunity to meet serving personnel and veterans. Military displays and vehicles will be showcased throughout the day and stalls will be hosted by military charities and community groups who provide support services to the armed forces community.

FREE Barry Festival of Transport

Barry Island

Sunday 10 June 10am-5pm

Barry Island’s annual Transport Festival returns with vintage buses and coaches at Nells Point car park, classic and specialist cars along the promenade and gardens plus bikes on the Eastern shelter.  Free return Heritage bus trips run during the Festival from Barry Island to the Depot on Broad Street.

Beyond The Border Festival 2018 

St Donats Castle

Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June 9.30am-10pm

Weekend tickets – adult £75; children £55; family £210

Saturday or Sunday only – adult £45; children £30; family £125.

Daytime family ticket 11am-6pm £55

Open air ticket (limited access) adult £10; children £5

Celebrating 25 years of the international storytelling festival expect fables and myths, music and magic, love stories and laughter, fun and games for children and fairy tales for grown-ups, all in the beautiful grounds of the castle by the sea. Plus world food stalls; craft market; workshops for all ages; story walks; open mic stages.

FREE Ffiliffest

Caerphilly Castle

Saturday 9 June 11am-7pm

A Welsh language festival of arts, language and music, in partnership with Menter Iaith Caerffili.

The day will feature Dawnsio Gwerin, arts and crafts activities, sports Urdd activities, food and local stalls.

FREE Bobath Wales Summer Fete

Bobath Children’s Therapy Centre, 19 Park Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 7BP

Saturday 9 June 1pm-3pm

A charity summer fete including cake and food stalls; face painting and colouring; traditional fete games; The Nearly Wild Animal Show which will give you the opportunity to get up close and personal with a whole range of small animals and creatures; fancy dress competition with a prize for the best dressed girl and boy; treasure hunt; raffle; tombola and more. All proceeds go towards providing specialist therapy to children in Wales who have cerebral palsy.

FREE Clore Explorers

National Museum Cardiff

Saturdays and Sundays during term time, 2pm

Free workshops give families the chance to find out more about objects from the museum and take part in a crafty activity. Read our review of a previous session here.

FREE Family Saturday

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 

Saturdays, 11am-4pm

Drop in to enjoy some family-friendly arts and crafts in Wales Millennium Centre’s foyer, with a different theme every week.

FREE Super Saturdays

National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon

Saturdays from, 11am-4pm

Every Saturday, visitors can discover what life was like for a soldier in the Roman army. Visit the reconstructed barrack room and learn more about the weapons and armour, as well as try on some replica armour. Families can also dress up and play games in the Capricorn Centre, a relaxed hands-on area of the museum. Both areas are closed on Sundays but are open during some school holidays. Read our review of the National Roman Legion Museum  plus other Roman sites in Caerleon here.

FREE Processions Cardiff

Cardiff City Football Stadium to Bute Park

Sunday 10 June, 12.15pm-2pm

Taking place simultaneously across the UK’s four capitals (Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London) Processions celebrates 100 years since the first British women gained the right to vote. Hundreds of women will walk through the streets of Cardiff, wearing the suffragette colours of green, white and violet. Choreographed to appear as flowing rivers of colour, they will create a living portrait of Welsh women today. Joining them on the walk will be Welsh Processions ambassadors leading sportswoman and academic Laura McAllister CBE; the oldest female skydiver in the world, Dilys Price; Welsh actress and singer Carys Eleri; award-winning author / journalist, Carolyn Hitt; musician Lisa Jên; Assistant General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Wales, Sahar Al-Faifi; and women from community organisation Waulah Cymru. Free event but you need to register in advance.

FREE Welsh National Opera Family Day

National Museum Cardiff

Sunday 10 June 1pm-4pm

Find out what happens behind the scenes at Welsh National Opera and take part in a family-friendly musical day with a difference. Free activities include: drumming workshops, operatic wig demonstrations, face painting, a design challenge, pop up performances, an opera-themed treasure hunt and a rousing finale with WNO’s world famous soloists and orchestra. Activities will be themed on WNO’s current production Rhondda Rips It Up! celebrating the life of Wales’ most famous suffragette Margaret Haig Thomas, Lady Rhondda. Children will hear stories of Lady Rhondda and other heroic women throughout history. Full list of workshops and demonstrations on the website.

Open air swimming

Lido Ponty, Ynys Angharad Park, Pontypridd

Open daily from Saturday 26 May until the end of September

£2.50 for adults; children under 16 free

With three pools including a main pool, an activity pool and a splash pool, Lido Ponty offers fantastic swimming opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. For just £2.50 per adult and free for children, visitors can also enjoy everything from fun inflatables to Aqua Scooterz, Aqua Peddlerz and Water Walker. Read our review of Lido Ponty from last year here.

FREE Victoria Park Splash Pad

Victoria Park, Canton, Cardiff

Open daily from Saturday 26 May

Three zones designed for toddlers, juniors and families, with 33 exciting features for children to enjoy including sprays, jets, a tipping water bucket and a tunnel.

LOOKING AHEAD…

Sherman Storytime

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Mondays 11, 18 and 25 June; 2 and 9 July 10.30am-12pm

£3.50 per child

Traditional storytelling, engaging games and activities combine in the Sherman’s weekly activity for under 5s. The cost includes a healthy snack and drink for the youngsters.

Baby and Toddler Tuesdays

Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran

Every Tuesday from 6 February until 27 November; 10am-5pm

£6.50 adults; £5.40 children 2-16; under 2s free; family 2+3 £23.50

As well as all the usual farm attractions there’s a range of music, craft and outdoor sessions for pre-schoolers (see website for timetable) all included in the regular admission cost. Read our review of what else to expect at Greenmeadow here.

Ty Hafan Bubble Rush

Coopers Field, Cardiff 

Saturday 16 June

Single entry £15; group entry (minimum of 5) £15

Bubble Rush is a 5k fun run with a difference. Four bubble stations with four large foam cannons will be pumping out coloured bubbles. All ages are welcome and the event is very family orientated– you can run, skip, walk or jog through the course. The fun will also not end at the finish line participants are invited to join Ty Hafan at the “bubble village” for music, games, children’s entertainment and food and drink. Suggested sponsorship amounts for participants are £50 for adults and £20 for under 16s.

MamaMarket

Ararat Community Centre, Whitchurch, Cardiff

Saturday 16 June, 11am-2pm

£2 entry

Pre-loved baby and toddler clothes for sale plus local businesses selling new clothes toys and other goods. Softplay and refreshments available.

FREE Woolly Weekend

St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June, 11am-4pm

Call into Llwyn yr Eos farm to see our flock getting their annual haircut and learn about the journey from fleece to fibre. Meet the sheep, see some expert spinning in action and have a go at some simple family friendly activities. Plus pop to Esgair Moel Woollen Mill to meet the museum’s resident weaver.

FREE Gŵyl Fach Y Fro 2018

Barry Island

Saturday 16 June, 11am-7.30pm

An annual festival celebrating the Welsh language and culture with live music, street entertainment, craft stalls, food and drink, circus workshops, arts and crafts, sports, activities for Welsh learners.

Tickledom: Basil and the Ice Witch

New Theatre Cardiff

Tuesday 19-Saturday 23 June

Tuesday-Thursday 10am & 1.00pm; Friday 10am; Saturday 4.00pm

Running Time: 75mins; ages 3+; tickets frpm £15

Following the success of the previous Tickledom adventures this show is created by Welsh duo, John Manders (Book and Lyrics) and award winning composer Matthew Brind (Music and lyrics). It follows Princess Violet as she loses her knowledge of flowers, plants and herbs, Basil sets off on a perilous journey to discover the truth and find the mysterious Evergreen who he hopes can break the spell.

FREE Tafwyl

Cardiff Castle

Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July

A family-friendly festival showcasing the Welsh language but open to all whether you speak Welsh or not – last year more than 36,500 people attended. Expect a lively mix of live music, literature, drama, comedy, art, sports, food and drink. The event is 9 days in total: a fringe event held all around the city in museums, libraries, cafés, bars and art centres for 7 days, ending with the main event over this weekend.

FREE Toddler Time at the Play Lab

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

Wednesday 20 June and 18 July, 1.30pm-2.45pm

A new monthly session in the museum’s Play Lab will see plenty of themed activities and toys for little ones to enjoy as well as a story and rhyme time.

FREE Toddler Time

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Fridays 22 June; 20 July; 14 September, 11am-2.30pm

Singing dancing playing and creating for pre-schoolers with a special programme of activities for little ones and their parents.

Joust!

Cardiff Castle

Saturday 23-Sunday 24 June, 10am-5pm

Early bird tickets (book by 18 June) £13 adults, £8.50 child, under 5s free, £37 family

Full price tickets £15.50; £10; £43

The Knights of Royal England return to Cardiff Castle with a dazzling show and an epic display of jousting. See some spectacular horseback stunts as the knights stop at nothing as they charge full tilt in an attempt to strike their opponent’s shield and knock them out of their saddle. Storytelling, strolling musicians, combat displays and a village encampment makes for a magical medieval day out. Come in costume and be part of the spectacle, jeer or cheer for your favourite knight and join in the children’s parade and dragon parade.

kINDIEgarten – Indie Music for Indie Kids’ Kids

Tramshed, Clare Road, Cardiff, CF11 6QP

Saturday 23 June; 2pm-5pm

£9.50 per person; pre-walking infants are free

An family disco for children age 0-8 and their Indie loving parents.

Get ready for the biggest family disco for indie lovers! Propaganda legend DJ Dan (Oasis afterparty DJ) will get the whole family on the dance floor with the best indie floor fillers from Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, Oasis, The Strokes, New Order, Green Day, Blur and much more. Expect bouncy castle, soft play, crafts, baby area, cartoon cinema, face painting, photo booth, street food and family fun.

 Unicorn Day 

Cantref Adventure Farm, Brecon

Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July; Wednesday 1st August; Thursday 2nd August; Tuesday 14th August; Wednesday 15th August

£9.95 per person; family of 4 £38.70; children under 93cm free

A fun filled day of unicorns and glitter, including unicorn rides, pamper my pony sessions, meet Spirit The Magical Unicorn, craft and lots more.

CINEMA

I’m focusing on special film events and cheap family screenings at holidays and weekends here, rather than regular cinema screenings.

Odeon Kids

Odeon Cinema, The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay

The 10am weekend and school holiday showings are £2.50 per person. Films to be announced; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Movies for Juniors 

Cineworld, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Mini Mornings

Vue Cinema, Millennium Plaza, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2.49 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff

A different family film every week

£4/£3 booked in advance; see website for full listings.

Memo Arts Centre Barry

A selection of family-friendly films at weekends and during school holidays.

Adults £6; concessions £4; under 16s £3 when booked in advance. £6.50/£4.50/£3.50 on the door.