30 family-friendly events in and around Cardiff for the rest of June

The schools are well and truly back and half-term is but a distant memory. There’s still plenty to keep you entertained for the rest of the month though, including the weekend of Father’s Day (Sunday 18th June). Here’s 30 ideas for family days out in June.

All events are subject to change, so do check ahead with the organisers to avoid disappointment.

Do add any events I’ve missed to the comments section below, tweet me @cardiffmummy or let me know via the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page.

For more ideas of local family-friendly days out, visit the Cardiff section of Cardiff Mummy Says, or follow me on Instagram. 

Regular Toddler/Pre-school/Family days

(There’s no Techniquest toddler day in June; next event is Friday 8^th July)

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.

FREE Clore Explorers

National Museum Cardiff

Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm

Free workshops give families the chance to find out more about objects from the museum and take part in a crafty activity.

FREE Family Saturdays

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Saturdays, 11am-4pm

Drop in to enjoy some family-friendly arts and crafts in Wales Millennium Centre’s foyer.

Saturday 11^th June – The Last Mermaid activities

Saturday 18th June – People of the World – Refugee Week activities

Saturday 25^th June – Treasure Chest – pirate-themed activities

FREE Dinky Dragons

Cardiff Story Museum, The Hayes, Cardiff

Friday 10^th 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 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.

Baby and Toddler Tuesdays

Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran

Every Tuesday

Events and workshops for the pre-school crowd, including singing, crafts and guest sessions from local pre-school classes. Usual entrance fees apply, but all workshops are free on a first-come, first-served basis.

June events

The Last Mermaid

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 4^th-Sunday 12^th June

Age guidance: 8+

Charlotte Church stars in and helped create this musical performance inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and part of Wales Millennium Centre’s Festival Of Voice. A mermaid emerges from her clamshell and discovers she is the sole survivor of a lost, undersea kingdom. With the help of the last whale, she has a chance to break free from her underwater world and walk on land.

Moth Night

Friday 10^th June, 10pm

Adults £2.50, children £1.50

National Moth Count Breakfast

Gather around the light trap and take part in a national moth count survey.

Saturday 11^th June, 8.30am

Adults £6, children £4.50 (age 6+ recommended)

See what was caught in the trap the previous night (no moths will be harmed). Also includes bacon/sausage bap and hot drink.

Booking advisable for both events

Moth Night

Newport Wetlands

Friday 10^th and Saturday 11th June, 8pm-late

£5.50 RSPB members, £7.50 non-members; booking essential

A guided tour of the Weltlands, using bat detctors to search for bats, and a moth trap to see identify different species. Includes bonfire and food.

Sunday 12^th June, 9am-10.30am

£3 RSPB members, non-members £5

Find out more about how different groups of moths got their names and their different characteristics.

FREE Woolly Weekend

St Fagans National Museum, Cardiff

Saturday 11^th and Sunday 12^th June, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm

See the sheep of Llwyn yr Eos getting their annual haircut and learn more about the journey from fleece to fibre. Families can also take part in the felt-making workshops (£2 per child).

FREE Barry Festival of Transport

Sunday 12^th June, 10am-4.30pm

A celebration of all things transport, including classic cars on the Prom and buses and steamers in the Barry Island car park, and classic buses at the bus depot on Broad Street. Plus a display from the Red Arrows. Free buses will run between venues.

Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave

The Tramshed, Claire Road, Cardiff

Sunday 12^th June, 2pm-4.30pm

Tickets £7.50 (pre-walkers free)

Just because you have kids, it doesn’t mean your clubbing days are over… Big Fish Little Fish presents a carnival-themed party for families, with Bunf and Daf from Super Furry Animals and special guest Kris Jenkins on the decks. As well as grown-up music and a licensed bar, there will be carnival-themed arts and crafts, a play area with tunnels and play houses, parachute dance, bubbles, transfer tattoos and glitter cannons, plus a babies-only safe space.

Diwrnod Hyfryd Sali Mali (Sali Mali’s Lovely Day)

Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Friday 17^th and Saturday 18^th June

Ages 3-7; £7 per ticket

The famous Welsh language character takes to the stage in this Welsh-language theatre performance, featuring music, songs and fun from the acclaimed Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch.

Billy Elliot The Musical

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Wednesday 15^th June-Saturday 16^th July

Age guidance: 8+

The inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dreams come true, as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class. The stage musical comes to Cardiff on its first ever UK and Ireland tour after 11 years in London’s West End.

Father’s Day Weekend – Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th June

FREE Gwyl Fach y Fro

Barry Island

Saturday 18^th June, 11.30am-7pm

A festival celebration of the Welsh language featuring live music, food and craft stalls, circus, arts and crafts workshops, S4C’s Cyw and activities for Welsh learners.

Climbing Wall

Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 18^th-Sunday 19^th June

£3.50 per person

experience the thrill of climbing a 24ft climbing wall in the heart of Mermaid Quay. All participants are supplied with professional climbing harnesses and fully-supervised, as they use the latest on safety technology to scale the wall.

Joust!

Cardiff Castle

Saturday 18^th-Sunday 19^th June

Adults £15, children £10, under 5s fee; family ticket (2+2) £37. 10% discount for Castle Key holders

A weekend of pomp and pageantry as the Middle Ages is brought to life. The Knights of Royal England present a spectacular contest with horseback stunts, falls, fights, and breath-taking action. Children can take part in junior jousting skills sessions and have a go at siege weapons.

Medieval Life, Warfare and Merriment

Abergavenny Castle

Sunday 18^th June, 11am-3pm

Adults £5, children £3, £15 family (2 adults and 2 children)

See inside period tents, meet the re-enactors such as the bowmaker and arrow maker, have a look at the weapons and armour, as well as the cooking and spinning areas. Skirmishes and archery demonstrations will take place during the day.

FREE Wriggle! The Wonderful World of Worms

National Museum, Cardiff

Sunday 18^th June 2016 to Friday 30^th September 2017

This new exhibition explores the world of worms. Visitors can crawl inside the wriggloo and get an earthworm’s eye view of the world, explore how worms have crawled into all areas of popular culture, as well as discovering more about how and where they live.

The museum is not open on Mondays and the Evolution of Wales galleries will be closed from 20 June to 3^rd July for essential maintenance and conservation work.

Tractor Display

Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan

Sunday 18^th June, 11am-5pm

A selection of tractors and other large vehicles will be in display for Father’s Day. Usual entrance fees apply

Rest of June

Shelley and the Rat Man

Castell Coch, Tonwgywnlais

Friday 24^th-Wednesday 29^th June

£10 adults, £8 children, age guidance 7+

An open-air promenade performance around the castle grounds, this theatre performance comes from the puppeteers at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Why are the animals who used to live so comfortable within the castle surviving in makeshift shelters? Who is Ratman and will there be a happy ending?

The Tudors

Raglan Castle

Saturday 25^th and Sunday 26^th June, 11am-4pm

Adults £6, children under 16 £4.20, under 5s free; family £16.20 (2+up to 3)

Raglan Castle celebrates its links to the Tudors (Henry VII was brought up in the castle) with combat and living history displays, and the court of Henry Tudor. Find out more about our recent trip to Raglan Castle and our role as Cadw ambassadors here.

FREE Ffiliffest

Caerphilly Castle

Saturday 25^th June, 11am-3pm

A Welsh language festival of arts, language and music, in partnership with Menter Iaith Caerffili. Activities include folk dancing, arts and crafts, Urdd sports activities and food stalls..

Summer Steam Gala

Blaenavon Heritage Railway

Friday 24^th-Sunday 26^th June

Adults £15, children £10, family (2+up to 3) £30

A celebration of steam engines will see five locomotives in steam, freight trains, double headers and non-stop runs. Book in advance for discounted ticket prices.

FREE Extreme Sailing Series

Cardiff Bay

Friday 24^th-Sunday 26^th June

The intense racing competition comes to Cardiff for the fifth year, as part of an international event which sees elite sailing teams battling it out in the Bay, as well as other cities including Muscat, St Petersburg and Lisbon.

FREE Gwyl Ifan

St Fagans National History Museum

Saturday 25^th June, 2pm-5pm

Dancers and musicians from Wales and other countries will be performing across the museum.

FREE The Winding Engine

The Winding House Museum, New Tredegar

Saturday 25^th June, 12pm

The centre-piece of the museum, which is built on the site of the former Elliot Colliery,  is the original Victorian winding engine. It operated the cages which transported men and coal between the surface and the mine below. The winding engine runs at 12pm on the last Saturday of every month (excluding December) and lasts for around 20 minutes.

Miniature Railways and Tramways

Heath Model Railway, Heath Park, Cardiff

Sunday 26^th June, 1pm-5pm

Cardiff Model Engineering Society open their doors to the public. The whole family can go for rides on miniature steam, diesel and electric trains, plus a tram. Entry is £1.50 per person and each ride is £1.50 per person. Under 3s are free.

Family-friendly cinema screenings

I’m focussing on the cheaper early-morning film screenings here and special events, rather than the latest big films

Odeon Kids

Odeon Cinema, The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay

The 10am weekend and half term showings are £2.50 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Movies for Juniors

Cineworld, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and half term Movies for Juniors showings are just £1.75 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 half term Movies for Juniors showings are just £1.99 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff

Family friendly film screenings of classic films, every weekend and during school holidays.