Summer holidays 2017: family-friendly events in and around Cardiff for August
Just over a week into the school holidays and we’ve got still the whole of August left to go. If you are looking for ideas on how to entertain the little ones, here’s what’s going on in and around Cardiff this month.
Events are broken down into eight different categories – Family fun days and festivals; Theatre, culture and performance; Museums and historical; Arts and crafts; The Great Outdoors and nature based; Science-based; Fun and Games; and Cinema.
All events are subject to change and cancellation so do check ahead with organisers to avoid disappointment.
If you’ve found this guide useful, please do share with other local families – it helps me massively if you like, comment, or share on any of my social media channels. Thanks so much.
Do let me know anything I’ve missed, either in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy
This guide has once again been produced in association with the lovely people who run the restaurants at House of Fraser Cardiff, House of Fraser Cwmbran and the Café at Wilko in Swansea.
During the summer holidays, they will be running their brilliant offer where you can buy a child’s meal for just £1 with every adult meal purchased, from now until Sunday 3rd September 2017. See in store for full-details.
All the restaurants and cafés are family-friendly – and House of Fraser in Cardiff has a great kids’ corner, packed full of toys to entertain your little ones, including building bricks, easels, abacuses and even a slide.
FAMILY FUN DAYS AND FESTIVALS
Llancaiach Fawr
Tuesdays 1st, 8th, 15th August – Children’s soft play and bouncy castle. 10am to 12.30pm, £3 per child, first adult free, extra adults £1 on top of entrance fee
Thursday 3rd August – Children’s activity day Frozen theme – 11am to 4pm, £5 per child, first adult free, extra adults £1 on top of entrance fee
Thursday 10th August – Children’s activity day sea theme – 11am to 4pm, £5 per child, first adult free, extra adults £1 on top of entrance fee
Thursday 17th August – Children’s activity day Roald Dahl theme – 11am to 4pm, £5 per child, first adult free, extra adults £1 on top of entrance fee
Saturday 19th August – Bedwellty Show – £7 per adult, £4 per child (under 5s free), £20 family ticket (2 adults and 3 children) on top of entrance fee
Monday 28th August – Barking Mad Dog Show – 11am to 5pm, £1 per adult, 50p per child on top of entrance fee
Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran
Adults £5.95, children £4.95, family (2+3) £21
Wednesday 2nd August – Mythical Creatures Unicorns and Dragons
Wednesday 9th August – Piggy Pranks
Saturday 12th August – Farmer for the day (suitable 8-14)
Wednesday 16th August – Feather Friends
Wednesday 23rd August – Tractor Ted
Wednesday 30th August – Teddy’s Bears Picnic / Into the Woods
For more of what to expect at Greenmeadow Community Farm, read our review here.
FREE ENTRY German Village and Bierfest
Museum Park, Swansea
Thursday 3rd-Sunday 6th August
Not just about the beer… there’s plenty for families too in the FunTime area, with traditional German activities. Entry to the festival is free, although you will need to buy tickets for the Bavaviran FestTent as numbers are limited.
Amelia Trust Farm, Barry
Friday 4th August, 11am to 3pm
Free entry, £3 car park donation
Face painting, teddy tombola, woodland trails and a chance to meet the animal, plus is your teddy bear brave enough to do a parachute jump to raise money for the Amelia Trust Farm?
Tŷ Hafan, Hayes Road, Sully
Saturday 5th August, 12pm-5pm
£2 per person; under 5s free
Be the first to see a selection of Snowdogs before they go on tour around Cardiff and the Vale. Other attractions include a fun fair, craft stalls, food stalls, live music, plus hospice tours to see the important work the care team do in supporting life-limited children and their families. Limited tickets available on the day; advance booking recommended.
FREE ENTRY Barry Island Weekenders: Circus Weekender
Barry Island
Saturday 5th-Sunday 6th August, 11am-5pm
Airtime Circus will be holding trapeze, hoolahoops and juggling workshops from 11am to 2pm each day with an exciting 30 minute circus show at 4pm featuring dance and physical theatre. Plus the Red Arrows will display over Barry Island on Sunday 6th August, time to be confirmed.
FREE ENTRY Big Welsh Bite
Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, Pontypridd
Saturday 5th-Sunday 6th August, 11am-5pm
A feast of locally produced food, plus family-friendly entertainment and cookery demonstrations.
FREE HSBC UK City Ride Cardiff
Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay
Sunday 6th August, 11am-3pm
A day of family cycling on traffic-free closed roads, with entertainment and activities en route, as part of a nationwide series of traffic-free cycling events designed to encourage as many people as possible to get out on their bikes. There’s a closed-road, traffic-free family-friendly bike ride, plus plenty of entertainment and activities too.
The event is free but you do need to sign up in advance.
Llancaich Fawr Manor
Sunday 6th August, 10am
Adults £8.50, children/concessions £6.95, family (2+3) £25
Interactive living history, encampment, military displays and falconry as King Charles and his troops visit the Manor.
Fonmon Castle Park
Wednesday 9th August
Advance tickets adults £10, children £5, family (2+2) £25
On the gate adults £12, children £5, family (2+2) £30
Celebrating the Vale’s agricultural produce, other attractions include horse shows, dog shows, vegetable growing competitions, a chance to meet some of the animals, fairground rides, food and produce stalls plus more.
Brecon
Friday 11th-Sunday 13th August
Day tickets, Friday £28, Saturday £32, Sunday £35, weekend £95
A celebration of all things jazz in the picturesque town of Brecon.
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
Saturday 12th August, 4pm-11pm
£45/£22.50, under 5s free but still require a ticket
Live music from Tom Odell, The Shires and more on the main stage, plus street food and craft ales. For families, there’s entertainment and workshops including circus skills, pony rides, arts and crafts and a vintage fun fair.
FREE Barry Island Weekenders: Breakout Weekender
Barry Island
Saturday 12th-Sunday 13th August, 11am-7pm
This two day hip hop festival will see dancers, DJs, MCs and graffiti writers come together to showcase and battle at the highest standard. Plus live music and entertainment across both days.
FREE ENTRY Aberafan Beach Festival
Aberafan Beach, Port Talbot
Saturday 12th August, 11am-5pm
A family-friendly fun day with craft stalls, a food court, fairground rides, zorbing balls, a bouncy castle and a Punch and Judy show, vintage cars, live entertainment, plus more.
(SOLD OUT) Greenman Festival
Brecon Beacons
Thursday 17th-Sunday 20th August
PJ Harvey and Ryan Adams headline the independent music and arts festival in the beautiful Brecon Beacons. Families will love the Little Folk area, which has arts and crafts, circus skills, storytelling, and plenty of other activities for children.
The event is sold out but I’m including it in case you want to bookmark it for next year.
Cardiff Castle
Saturday 19th-Sunday 20th August
Adults £6, seniors £5, children £4
Castle key holders Adults £4, seniors £3, children £2
Small additional charge for some activities.
(Does not include entry to Castle Apartments, Keep, Firing Line or an Audio Guide.)
A celebration of medieval life, with re-enactment of a medieval encampment, music, games, displays, archery, falconry demonstrations and noble knights.
FREE Barry Island Weekenders: Storytelling Weekender
Barry Island prom
Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August, 12pm-4pm
A celebration of storytelling, with stories being told inside an 18m giant inflatable whale, a miniature puppet show, and legends and tales of the Vale of Glamorgan.
Blaenavon Heritage Railway
Wednesday 2nd, Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th, Wednesday 9th, Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th, Wednesday 16th, Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th, Wednesday 23rd, Saturday 26th, August; Saturday 2nd, Sunday 3rd September
Adults £10, children £5, family £25
A mix of diesel and steam engines will be running over the weekend, transporting people from
FREE Cardiff Harbour Festival / Extreme Sailing Series Act 6
Cardiff Bay
Friday 25th-Bank Holiday Monday 28th August
The Extreme Sailing Series returns to Cardiff Bay for the 6th consecutive year, with world class sailors and breath-taking racing, as well as shoreside family entertainment.
FREE ENTRY On The Fringe Craftfolk Market
Landsea Square, Cardiff Bay
Friday 25th-Monday 28th August
A showcase of handmade products from artists and crafts people, as well as demonstration stalls and children’s workshops.
City Hall Lawns, Cardiff
Saturday 26th-Bank Holiday Monday 28th August
Tickets from £2, hospitality experience £20
Last year’s 2016 Pride was such a success that this year’s event is even bigger and better, taking place over three days and reviving Cardiff’s Big Weekend, last held in 2011. City Hall Lawn and the Civic Centre will be a carnival of colour, with funfair rides, amusements and musical entertainment. The Pride Cymru parade (free) will take place across the city on the Saturday – last year’s had over 7,000 participants and stretched over a mile long through the streets.
Womanby Street, Cardiff
Friday 25th-Sunday 27th August
Weekend tickets £25, children 12-17 £10, under 12s free.
Music venues and bars including Clwb Ifor Bach, City Arms and Bootleggers present a weekend of live music, comedy, spoken word/poetry, comedy, and performance art showing the best Cardiff has to offer in all genres. Under 18s are allowed into venues until 9pm.
FREE Newton Fest
Newton Green, Beach Road, Porthcawl
Saturday 26th August, 10.30am-10pm
Porthcawl’s most popular outdoor family festival features 11½ hours of amazing talent in beautiful surroundings. Live music, stalls, bouncy castle and face-painting, plus lots more.
FREE Barry Island Weekenders: Cinema by the Sea
Barry Island
Saturday 26th-Sunday 27th August, from 8.30pm
Open air cinema featuring Jurassic Park and Beauty and the Beast (the 2017 version).
Miniature Railways and Tramways
Heath Model Railway, Heath Park, Cardiff
Sunday 27th and Bank Holiday Monday 28th August, 1pm-5pm
A chance for the whole family to ride on miniature steam, diesel and electric trains, plus a tram, as Cardiff Model Engineering Society open their doors. Entry is £1.60 per person and each ride is £1.60 per person. Under 3s are free.
Blaenavon Heritage Railway
Sunday 27th and Bank Holiday Monday 28th August,
A festival of classic transport with classic vehicles on display. Travel from the main station at Furnace Sidings to Big Pit National Mining Museum or the Ironworks.
Family Fun Day; Dragons – Myths and Legends
Margam Park
Bank Holiday Monday, 28th August, 10am-5pm
Adults £7, children £5, family 2+2 £23. Free parking.
Family-friendly shows and entertainment throughout the day, all with a dragon theme. See the dragons, discover whether they hatch from eggs, and what they are called on the dragons’ quest.
Theatre, performance and cultural
FREE Magic Butterfly
Outside Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Friday 14th July-Saturday 14th October
Ague guidance: 13+
A virtual reality experience combing two famous operas, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Puccini’s Madam Butterfly. The pioneering event from Rewind VR and Welsh National Opera uses virtual reality to bring opera to life. Experience lion taming as The Magic Flute’s Tamino and then catch your breath with a performance of One Fine Day from Madam Butterfly.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Tuesday 1st-Saturday 12th August, 7.30pm
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 2.30pm
The famously kooky family come to the stage in the UK premier of this musical comedy. Wednesday Addams is all grown up and has a shocking secret – she’s fallen in love with a young man from a respectable family.
New Theatre, Cardiff
Saturday 5th August, 7.30pm
Young people from across Cardiff present a modern and exciting approach to the variety show, with performances from musicians dancers, actors, circus performers and artists showing the diverse talent of the city’s youth and arts scene.
Flossy and Boo’s Curiosity Shop
Penarth Pavilion
Saturday 5 August, 7pm
£8-£10 per person, 10% discount on 3+ tickets
Flossy and Boo have run away from the circus to set up their own travelling curiosity shop – collecting songs, trinkets and stories of rather strange characters along the way. Enter Flossy and Boo’s mind boggling world and hear all about their curious adventures.
St David’s Hall, Cardiff
Sunday 6th August, 2.30pm
Age guidance: 2-7
Netflix family favourites The Wiggles are coming to Cardiff this summer with their all-singing, all dancing stage show. Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony will be joined by their best pals Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus.
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Bryngarw Country Park
Monday 7th August, 3pm
When Alice climbs through the mirror on her mantelpiece she finds herself in Looking Glass world; a world everything familiar is strange and nothing behaves as it should… An open air theatre performance of Lewis Carroll’s enchanting story.
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
Saturday 12th August, 2pm
Age guidance: 3+
The Three Billy Pigs set off to build their dream houses in the green field on the other side of the river. But then these homes are put to the test by a misunderstood wolf who has a little bit of a problem. And who is the grumpy person who lives under the bridge?
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Wednesday 16th-Saturday 26th August, various performances
Age guidance: 5+, no under 2s
Baltimore, 1962 and Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, is on a mission to follow her dreams and dance her way onto national TV – not to mention overturning the racism which stops black and white dancers appearing on the their favourite dance show together. The smash-hit musical features songs including Welcome To The 60s, You Can’t Stop The Beat and The Nicest Kids In Town.
Abergavenny Museum and Castle
Friday 18th August, 4pm
£13 adult, £8 child, £39 family (2+2)
Age guidance: 7+; running time 2 hours including 20 minute interval
David Walliams’ story is bought to the open air stage, as Mr Spud and his son Joe hold a garage sale to sell their final belongings to raise some money to buy food.
Bryngarw Country Park. Bridgend
Wednesday 23rd August, 2pm
Age guidance: 3+
Based on Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie’s bestselling book, Dogs Don’t Do Ballet tells of Biff, who thinks he’s a ballerina, rather than a dog. Brought to the stage by acclaimed Blunderbus, this new story for ages 3+ tells the very funny tale of a small dog with big dreams.
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Saturday 26th-Sunday 27th August, 10.30am, 1.30pm. 4.30pm
Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye and Everest take to the stage with a live action musical version of the hit animated TV Nickelodeon series. When Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found during the day of the Great Adventure Bay Race, the pups come to the rescue.
Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend
Wednesday 30th August, 6pm
An outdoor theatre adaptation for older children and their families of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tale of four intrepid explorers who travel to South America where they find flora and fauna beyond their wildest dreams, become involved in tribal warfare between ape men and indigenous humans, and encounter terrifying dinosaurs previously believed to be extinct. But when their camera is destroyed in an accident what evidence can they produce to prove that these creatures actually exist? Unless, of course, they bring live specimens back to London in “unbreakable” crates to reveal to an astounded public. What could possibly go wrong?
The Gruffalo
Tuesday 29th-Wednesday 30th August
Tuesday 1.30pm and 4.30pm
Wednesday 10.30am and 1.30pm.
Thursday 31st August-Sunday 3rd September
Thursday 2pm; Friday-Sunday 11am-2pm
Running time: 55 minutes. Age guidance: 3+
A musical stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s famous children’s picture book. While searching for nuts in the wood, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, eccentric Owl and party-mad Snake. He escapes their clutches by scaring with talk of the Gruffalo – but does the mythical creature exist after all?
ARTS AND CRAFTS
FREE ADMISSION St Fagans Makers’ Market
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
Saturday 22nd July-Sunday 6th August, 10am-5pm
Meet local makers and crafts people, with a chance to make your own. Small charge to cover materials for some activities. Read our review of St Fagans herefollow.
Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan
Every Monday over the summer holidays, 12pm to 3.30pm
Normal admission applies
Get crafty as Make it Mondays return for the summer holidays.
FREE Hunt the Seagull – Summer Trail
National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
Saturday 22nd July-Sunday 3rd September, 10am-4pm
Search the museums galleries to track down the pesky seagulls and the nostalgic toys they have stolen from the museum’s collection.
FREE Giant collaborative arts events
Glanfa Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Make a small creation to add to a giant art work.
Melting Masterpieces
Monday 31st July-Saturday 12th August, 11am-4pm drop-in event
Professor Quatro-Trousers Presents: Wonderful Woven Web
Monday 14th-Saturday 19th August, 11am-4pm drop-in event
Mosaic Mansion
Monday 21st-Saturday 26th August, 11am-4pm drop-in event
The Big Green Clean Machine
Monday 28th August-Friday 1st September, 11am-4pm drop-in event
FREE Picture This
National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
Tuesday 1st-Saturday 5th August, 12.30pm-3.30pm
Transport yourself back in time into an old photograph. Take a selfie, then create a funky frame!
Rhydpennau Library, Cardiff
Tuesday 1st August, 2pm-2.45pm – BB Taylor and Pals
The author will read two of her own stories and will be joined by TRrevor the Hamster and Kookie the kookaburra.
Saturday 12th August, 10.30am-12pm – Mike Church, author, juggler and children’s entertainer
Monday 14th August, 2.15pm-3pm – Crime Scenes with the PCSOs
Tuesday 22nd August, 2.15pm-3pm – Amy’s Guide Dogs.
Pugh’s Garden Centre, Radyr
Animal Encounters
Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd August, 9.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm
£8.60, age 3+
A hands-on reptiles and mammal experience
Octopus Gardens
Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th August, 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm
£8.60, age 3+
Create an Under the Sea miniature garden/octopus hideaway.
Wibble Wobble Jelly Fish
Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th August, 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm
£8.60, age 3+
Create a jellyfish on a willow fishing rod.
http://www.pughsgardencentre.co.uk/workshops-events
Flowery Dream Ice Cream
Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24thAugust, 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm
£6.50, age 5+
Make an ice cream shaped kids floral arrangement using vanilla and strawberry coloured blooms to be placed in a cone style container.
Pirate and Mermaid Party
Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st August, 9.30am, 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm
£8.60, age 3+
An hour of pirate-themed fun, games, stories and crafts.
Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff
Friday 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th August, 2pm-5pm
Ages 4-11; £1 per child
Drop in arts and crafts projects; materials and guidance provided.
The Cardiff Story Museum, The Hayes, Cardiff
Wednesday 2, 9, 16, 23 30 August, 10am to 3pm
Drop in creative crafty fun for all the family with a different activity each week. £1 per child. Read our review of the Cardiff Story here.
FREE Dinky Dragons
The Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff
Friday 11th August, 10.30am-3pm
Aimed at pre-schoolers, 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 Create and Make Family Workshop
National Museum Cardiff
Tuesday 22nd-Thursday 24th August, 11am-4pm
Create your own artwork inspired by Gillian Ayres, using paint, glue, colours, paper, twigs and leaves.
National Museum Cardiff
Tuesday 29th-Thursday 31st August, 11am and 3pm
£2 per child (suitable for 7s and over)
Explore sculpture from the collections and try your hand at making your own clay figure.
MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL
Y Senedd, The National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff
Tuesday 8th August-Sunday 24th September 2017
First seen at the Tower of London, a beautiful cascade of several thousand handmade ceramic poppies, Weeping Window comes to Cardiff as part of Cymru’n Cofio/Wales Remembers 1914-1918 national centenary programme of remembrance.
National Museum Cardiff
Saturday 27th May-Sunday 5th November, 10am-4.45pm
Adults £7, children £3, £17 family 2+2, £13 family 1+3
Coming to Wales for the first time: an exciting family-friendly exhibition bringing together some of the world’s most amazing finds of dinosaur eggs and embryos. The display includes full size dinosaur skeletons and replicas, touchable models of dinosaur embryos and eggs, and even a huge 2.5 metre model dinosaur nest. Read our review here. The museum is closed on Mondays
ALSO: Baby Dinosaurs Family Workshops
Tuesday 8th-Thursday 10th August, 11am, 1pm, and 3pm
Age guidance: 8+; £2 per child
Be a dinosaur detective and explore what it’s like to be a palaeontologist.
Tuesday 15th-Thursday 17th August, 11am, 1pm, and 3pm
Age guidance: 7 and under; £2 per child
Touch some real fossils, learn about the noises dinosaurs made and take part in a noisy, sound based story about a baby dinosaur.
Limited availability for both events. Book at the information desk on arrival.
FREE Friday Talk: Welsh dinosaurs family talk
Friday 25th August, 1.05pm
Join Palaeontology Curator Cindy Howells to find out more about dinosaur fossils from Wales, including the newest find Dracoraptor.
FREE Agatha Christie: A Life In Pictures
National Museum Cardiff
Saturday 17th June-Sunday 3rd September
An exhibition of photographs, letters and personal belongings from the most widely published author of all time. Rarely seen photos of Agatha Christie taken throughout her life, from her own personal collection, are accompanied by a quote in Christie’s own words, drawn from both published works and unpublished personal correspondence, beautifully capturing her thoughts and feelings from early childhood, through both marriages and her international adventures, to her years as a world famous author. The museum is not open Mondays.
FREE Wriggle – The Wonderful World of Worms
National Museum Cardiff
Until June 2018
A fascinating look into the weird and wonderful world of worms, this has plenty of interactive exhibits, perfect for children. Read our review here. Please note the museum is not open on Mondays.
National Museum Cardiff
Until 3rd September 2017
Celebrating the bold and colourful work of one of Britain’s most important and internationally renowned abstract artists, this exhibition features major paintings from across Gillian Ayres’ career. In fact, this is the largest exhibition of her work ever seen in the UK. Children are welcome into the gallery and the paintings even feature specific labels for for young children aged under 5, displayed at children’s height and in a bright yellow colour. Read our review here. Please note the museum is not open on Mondays.
See also associated family event:
FREE Create and Make Family Workshop
Tuesday 22nd-Thursday 24th August, 11am-4pm
Create your own artwork inspired by Gillian Ayres, using paint, glue, colours, paper, twigs and leaves.
FREE Hands-on History
Winding House, New Tredegar
Wednesdays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th August, 11am-1pm
Drop in historical activities for kids, including dustbin archaeology, poo from the past, pens from the past, toys through time, codes and code-breaking.
Historical Crafts
Winding House, New Tredegar
Fridays 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th August
£2.50 per child; book in advance
A craft club with a historical twist, each week has a different theme and craft including excavating dinosaurs from ice, and cave art and stone age jewellery.
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 Summer in the Museum
National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon
Saturday 22nd July-Sunday 3 September
12pm-4pm Monday-Saturdays; 2pm-4pm Sundays
Take part in a prize trail around the museum (small charge applies) and chat to the Roman soldier in the Barack Room, plus dressing up and games in the family room.
Cosmeston Lakes Medieval Village, Penarth
£5 per child, ages 7-11, must be pre-booked
Monday 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th August, 10am-11.30am
A medieval villager will tell children about their life, the plague, and punishment, and children can have a go at making bread, holding weapons, making clay tiles and candles.
FREE Family of Blaenavon
Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon
Monday 21st August 2017 to Thursday 1st February 2018, Monday-Friday, 9.30am-5pm
A series of photographs by Walter Waygood documenting the landscape, home life, society, work, religion and youth in Blaenavon from the 1970s onwards. Read our review of Big Pit here.
Cosmeston Lakes Medieval Village, Penarth
Monday 24th and 31st July, 10am-11.30am
£5 per child, ages 7-11, must be pre-booked
Monday 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th August, 10am-11.30am
A medieval villager will tell children about their life, the plague, and punishment, and children can have a go at making bread, holding weapons, making clay tiles and candles.
FREE Defence of Blaenavon
Blaenavon Ironworks
Saturday 5th-Sunday 6th August, 10.30am-4pm
Living history displays, weapon displays and music, depicting life during the second world war, plus listen to real stories of life on the home front told by the firesides of Stack Square.
Read our review of Blaenavon Ironworks here.
Caerphilly Castle
Saturday 5th-Sunday 6th August
Saturday 12th-Sunday 13th Augus
Saturday 19th-Sunday 20th August 12pm-4pm
Adults, £7.95, children under 16 £5.20, family (2+3) £23.70
Live action performances throughout the day as the castle heads back to 1326. King Edward II is losing support across his realm and must decide whether to stay within the barricades of Caerphilly Castle or flee, leaving his piles of money and glimmering jewels behind. The question is not ‘whether’ enemy forces will launch an almighty siege on the castle, but ‘when’.
Caerphilly Castle
Tuesday 8th August, 11am-4pm
Adults, £7.95, children under 16 £5.20, family (2+3) £23.70
Learn about birds of prey with Pembrokeshire Falconry. Learn about hunting with birds, as well as why owls are so silent in flight. There will be photo opportunities throughout the day for a small additional charge. Flying displays at 12pm and 3pm with the birds available to view throughout the day.
FREE ENTRY Roman Chariot Remote Controlled Racing
Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths
Thursday 10th-Friday 11th August, 10am-4pm
Entry is free; £1 cost to set a lap time (5 laps)
Remote control Roman chariot racing around a miniature Circus Maximus. Prizes for the fastest.
Read our review of the fortress here.
Chepstow Castle
Saturday 12th-Sunday 13th August, 10am-4pm
Adults £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
Be a part of the interactive falconry display and see majestic birds of prey close up.
Throughout the weekend there will be regular falconry displays with visitor interaction, as well as static displays of a range of birds of prey.
Resting at the Abbey during the Wars of the Roses – 1471
Tintern Abbey
Saturday 19th-Sunday 20th August, 10am-4pm
Adult £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
Historical re-enactment as a company of archers and their families rest at the abbey in order to pay their respects to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. See their activities close up, try your hand at medieval board and dice games, or braid making. Watch the cooks prepare the company’s meal; question the arrowsmith on his skills and kills, plus more.
Tintern Abbey
Saturday 19th August, 10am-4pm
Adult £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
The daily life and duties of a Cistercian monk at Tintern Abbey in the 14th Century. Brother Thomas will tell you all about his life as a monk at Tintern Abbey, including his daily duties, eating, habits and hygiene. Tours at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.
Read our review of Tintern Abbey here.
Raglan Castle
Saturday 19th-Sunday 20th August, 12pm-4pm
Adult £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
Live-action performances as visitors are transported to an aristocratic soiree in the year 1462. Lord William and Lady Anne Herbert are keen to show off their impeccable taste in interior design, food and wine.
Caerleon Roman Baths
Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th August, 11am-4pm
£3.50 per child; entry to the Baths is free
Learn how to make a Celtic knotted headband and get your Celtic war paint on ready for battle, as well as finding out more about the relationships between the Celtic tribes and the Romans.
FREE The Winding Engine
The Winding House, New Tredegar
Saturday 26th August
The Winding House is a museum built on the site of the former Elliot Colliery. Its centre-piece is the original Victorian winding engine, which used to operate the cages which transported men and coal between the surface and the mine below. Visitors can see the huge engine in operation for 10-15 minutes at 12pm on the last Saturday of the month.
Chepstow Castle
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th August, 12pm-4.30pm
Adults £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
Step back into 1189 and medieval Wales to celebrate the marriage of strong and courageous Lord William Marshal to the lovely Lady Isabel de Clare. The lavish celebrations will include courtly dances and medieval tournaments.
Raglan Castle
Sunday 27th and Bank Holiday Monday 28th August, 11am-5pm
Adults £6.50, children £4.20, family (2+3) £19.30
Historical re-enactment from the era of Raglan Castle’s beginnings, as the Beaufort Company brings the 15th Century to life with living history, combat displays, shining knights and colourful characters.
Caerphilly Castle
Sunday 27th August, 10am-4pm and Bank Holiday Monday 28th August, 10pm-5pm
Adults £7.95, children £5.20, family (2+3) £23.70
Medieval fun including archery and sword skills, weapons displays and demonstrations, plus an armour display throughout the day.
NATURE AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Mountain View Ranch, Caerphilly
Saturday 22nd July-Sunday 3rd September
£6 per person aged over 18 months; family of 4 £23, family of 5 £28
Over 100 acres of fresh air and free range adventure, with a Gruffalo trail, fairy woods, hobbit houses, a roly poly hill and more. Plus daily summer holiday events inclusive in admission include a goat walk, archery, The Gruffalo Story, campfire and marshmallows and a space hopper race. Read our review of Mountain View Ranch here.
Margam Country Park
Throughout August
Margam Park has a full programme of events for children this month with different activities taking place most days, including arts and crafts sessions, family bushcraft, a chance to try archery, kayaking and paddle boarding, plus lots more. See the website for full listings.
50 things to do before you are 11 ¾
Tredegar House, Newport
Every Tuesday and Thursday during the school holidays
Normal admission charges apply
Tick off some of the outdoor activities on the National Trust’s list of things to do before you are 11¾. Activities include campfire cooking, bug hunting and den building among others
Nature activities
Newport Wetlands
RSPB members £3 / non-members £5
Brilliant Birds
Monday 31st July to Thursday 3rd August, 10.30am and 2pm
Find out about the birds on the reserve and what they eat, make a clay bird to add to the flock of birds sculpture, and make a bird feeder to take home.
Fairies and Dragons
Monday 7th August to Thursday 10th August, 10.30am and 2pm
A magical trail to find the fairies and dragons that have got lost around the reserve. Make a fairy garden, your own willow wand or wings, plus use nets to catch some real dragon(flies) and fairy butterflies.
Pondemonium
Monday 14 August to Thursday 17 August, 10.30am and 2pm
Let’s dip into the underwater world of Newport’s Wetlands. Life in the ponds gets very exciting at this time of year, so don’t miss out on the fun. We’ll also be making our own ‘water boatman’ out of natural materials and having a competition to see who’s sinks or swims!!
Furry Friends
Newport Wetlands
Monday 21 August to Thursday 24 August, 10.30am and 2pm
RSPB members £3 / non members £5
Find out more about our furry friends who visit the reserve, often when we’re all at home asleep. We’ll look for tracks and trails and other signs of mammals on the reserve. You’ll get the chance to have first hand – or rather first foot – experience of leaving your own tracks on our barefoot trail too! Then you’ll make some plaster cast tracks to take home with you.
Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan
Until 6th August, 10am-5pm
Usual entry fees apply
Pick up a Big Butterfly Count spotter sheet on your way in and see how many different species you can find as part of the UK-wide survey run by Butterfly Conservation.
Rockpool Ramble
Dunraven Bay
Friday 4th August, 11am
Age 7+
Discover what lives in the pools and under the rocks on the beach at Dunraven.
Nature activities
Dunraven Bay
Age 7+
Bug hunt
Thursday 10th August, 10.30am
Look for invertebrates around the woodland and grassland of Dunraven.
Bug Making Hotel
Wednesday 16th August, 11am
Help construct a bug hotel to take away
Rockpool Ramble
Tuesday 22nd August
Discover what lives in the pools and under the rocks at Dunraven.
Go Wild: Children’s Summer Holiday Activities
Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Penarth
Wednesday 2nd August – All About Bugs
Tuesday 8th August – Den Building and Fire
Thursday 17th August – All About Bugs
Tuesday 29th August – All About Bugs
£5 per child, must be pre-booked, age 7-11 year olds.
FREE Dragons and Butterflies wildlife walk
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
Sunday 6th August, 2pm
A guided wildlife tour with the Wildife Trust of South and West Wales, where you can search for butterflies in the meadows and gardens and dragonflies at the ponds, while learning about their amazing life cycles.
St Fagans National Museum of History
Wednesdays 2nd, 16 and 23 August, dusk
£5 per person, age 8
An after-dark journey around the museum to find bats. Duration: 1½ hrs
St Fagans National Museum of History
Sunday 27th and Bank Holiday Monday 28th August, 11am-4pm
Discover what is happening to one of our most precious natural habitats, what the Woodland Trust is doing to protect them, and how you can get involved.
Cwmcarn Forest
Every Wednesday in August
£3 per child (booking essential)
Join us on this crafty walk and art session. We will venture around the valley collecting twigs and leaves as we go, and turn our finds into a piece of art.
Cwmcarn Forest
Every Wednesday in August
£3 per child (booking essential)
Nature/crafty activities around the valley floor, creating art pieces from natural items and making clay faces.
Cwmcarn Forest
Saturday 11 August from 11am
£4 per child (3 plus)
Join us for this mystical workshop and create your own elusive Cwmcarn ‘Whoop a doop’ bird sculpture. Be prepared to get messy with clay and paints
Cwmcarn Forest
Tuesday 15th August from 11am
£4 per child (3 plus)
A crafty and noisy workshop on Japanese flower art, using cotton fabric and a selection of flowers and leaves to pound out the images on to the cloth to make a beautiful picture
Cwmcarn Forest
Thursday 17th August from 12 pm
£2 per adult and £1 per child (3+)
Learn about the prickly creatures.
Cwmcarn Forest
Saturday 19th August from 11am to 3pm
£3 per child (4+)
Follow the paw prints around the valley, battle through the mud and snowstorm to see if you can find the bear. On return to the centre, claim your ‘Big and Brave award’ and prize.
Cwmcarn Forest
Tuesday 21 August August from 11am to 2.15pm
£4 per child (4 +)
See if you can create rain in this crafty workshop and make your own rain stick to conjure up the clouds
Cwmcarn Forest
Friday 25 August from 11am
£4.50 per child (3+)
Create your very own nature prints using leaves/flowers and other woodland items in clay and decorate with a selection of paints
FREE Nature Events
Bute Park, Cardiff
Tuesday August 1 to Saturday August 5, 10.30am-4pm
Explore the natural wonders of Cardiff’s city centre park by getting hands on with nature.
Monday 7 August – Monday 21 August, 6pm
Join The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales at their pop-up wildlife garden.
Tuesday August 15, 2pm to 3.30pm
See what creatures you can catch in the River Taff using nets and getting up close with magnifying glasses.
50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾ Weekend
Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan
Saturday 26th-Bank Holiday Monday 28th August, 10am-4pm
Usual entry fees apply
A chance to take part in some of the outdoor activities the National Trust believes every child should do before they’re 11¾. Collect a scrapbook at reception or download the app and make them off.
Science-based
Star Stories/Star Tours/Air-Mazing
Techniquest, Cardiff Bay
Saturday 22nd July-Sunday 3rd September, 10am-5pm
Adults £8, child 4-15 £6.50, 3 and under free; family £28 (up to 2+3); entry after 3pm £3.30
As well as more than 100 hands-on science exhibits, science shows over half term include:
Star Stories, for under 7s, Planetarium: follow the dot-to-dot patterns in the night sky and discover some of the amazing stories behind them. £1.50 extra per person.
Star Tours, for 7s and over, Planetarium: find out more about familiar constellations, the planets, how stars are born and how they die. £1.50 extra per person
Air-Mazing, for all ages, Science Theatre: What different gases make up our atmosphere? How can these gases be used to help us? A live science show answering these questions and more. Inclusive in general entrance price.
Find out more of what to expect at Techniquest in our review here.
FREE Science Galleries Project Lab
National Museum Cardiff
Tuesday 1st-Wednesday 3rd August, 11am-4pm
Drop in and bookable workshops where you can tell the museum what you think of the natural history galleries.
FUN AND GAMES
Hamleys Toy Store, St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff
Monday 31st July, Wednesday 2nd, Friday 4th Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th August, times various
Go on a super adventure through the store to the Superhero Party Room. Once inside you will take part in superhero activities including arts and crafts and super-duper games. You will also meet Super Hamley Bear and have a chance to take a selfie with him and his superhero friends.
PLUS FREE from 12pm-4pm every day in the school holidays, The Hamleys Superheroes will be hosting a range of in-store superhero activities, including Superhero Training, search for the Lost Supheroe and meet Super Hamlet Bear.
Victoria Park, Cardiff
Wednesday 2nd August, 1pm-4pm
Celebrate the national day of play with sports, arts and crafts, circus skills, ceramics and more.
FREE National Playday 2017 – A History of Play in Swansea!
National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
Wednesday 2nd August, 12.30pm-4pm
Celebrate the national day of play by trying out a range of play opportunities including the Play on Wheels Play Bus and Pirate Ship, as well as traditional play such as hopscotch, skipping and kerbsy! The day will look back at how children’s play has shaped Swansea over the past 100 years with images, audio and film footage, classic toys and re-enactments including how street play has changed over the years!
Treetop Adventure Golf, St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff
Friday 21st July-Monday 4th September, from 10am
Extra activities available to mini golfers during the summer holidays.
Arts and crafts sessions – Monday-Thursday, 11am-1pm
Face painting and glitter tattoos – Fridays and Saturdays 12pm-4pm
Summer reading challenge – a pop up library in partnership with Cardiff Central Library
Bank Holiday Weekend – Friday 25th-Monday 28th August
Free face painting, 12pm-4pm
Meet cheeky mascot Simi, Bank Holiday Monday 11am-2pm
Hollywood Bowl, The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th August, 12pm-4pm
As well as all the usual bowling action, families can enjoy face painting, glow bowling, balloons and treasure hunts, inclusive in the usual price.
Dyffryn Gardens
Monday 28 August, 11am to 5pm
Free, normal charges apply
Join the Dyffryn Croquet Club on these bank holiday Mondays to have a go at this fun, outdoor sport
Wyevale Garden Centre, Old St Mellons, Cardiff
Tuesday 1st August: Bee-autiful Decoration
£2.50, various sessions available
Thursday 3rd August Breakfast or Tea with Buzzy Bee
£10 per child
Breakfast or tea followed by a hunt to learn fun facts about bees, receive a packet of bee friendly seeds to plant in your garden, plus make your own bee boppers, decorate a cup cake and do an activity sheet.
Tuesday 8th August Potty Bees
£2.50, various sessions available
Decorate a plant pot and plant a flower for your gard.en
Thursday 10th August: Breakfast or Tea with Buzzy Bee
£10, details as above.
Tuesday 15th August: Bee Cool
£2.50, various sessions available
Create your own cute and fluffy little bee creature fridge magnet.
Thursday 17th August: Breakfast or Tea with Buzzy Bee
£10, details as above.
Tuesday 22nd August: Kings and Queen Bees
£2.50, various sessions available
Design a bee crown to wear and make a worker bee finger puppet.
Thursday 24th August: Breakfast or Tea with Buzzy Bee
£10, details as above.
Tuesday 29th August: Mini Bee Garden
£2.50, various sessions available
Plant and create your own mini bee garden with hives and flowers.
Thursday 24th August: Breakfast or Tea with Buzzy Bee
£10, details as above.
Castell Coch
Bank Holiday Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th August, 6pm-9pm
£20 adult/child
Learn circus skills including hula hoop, staff, poi, juggling, aerial hoop and pole.
FREE Bumper Bank Holiday Birthday Bash
The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay
Bank Holiday Monday, 28th August, 12pm-4pm
The Red Dragon Centre is turning 20 this month. They are celebrating all month, culminating in a grand finale on Bank Holiday Monday. As well as all the usual food, films and fun, expect a birthday cup cake decorating workshop, face painting, character appearances and balloon giveaways. Plus the final chance to win the ultimate birthday present with Capital FM – a whole year of dining and entertainment at The Red Dragon Centre. (Entertainment is free to customers; parking is free subject to minimum spend and ticket verification.)
Cinema
I’m focusing on special film events and cheap family screenings at holidays and weekends here, rather than regular cinema screenings.
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.
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.
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.
The Riverfront, Newport
Every Tuesday during the summer holiday, 9.30am-3pm
£18 per session, ages 6-12
Watch a movie, have lunch together and try an activity in the afternoon.
Tuesday 1st August, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (plus drama workshop)
Tuesday 8th August: Despicable Me 3 (plus arts and crafts)
Tuesday 15th August: Cars 3 (plus sewing workshop)
Tuesday 22nd August: The Emoji Movie (plus circus crafts)
Tuesday 29th August: The Nutjob 2 (plus arts and crafts)
The Riverfront will be showing each of these films throughout its respective week, £4 per ticket.
Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff
A different family film every week
£4/£3 booked in advance; see website for full listings
PLUS Film activity days Monday 7th August, Arietty and Monday 21st August Cars 3
A day full of creative activities around the film, including a ticket to a screening. £15 per child.
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Great activity ideas for the holidays… We’re not far from a lot of these!