School holiday activities

Free and low cost family-friendly activities taking place in Leicester over  the May half term holiday.

• Archaeological finds day
  Have you found any small archaeological objects? If you have found an object which is made of metal, stone or ceramic, let the Local Finds Liaison Officer take a look and give you more information about it.  Find out how finds are recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme to help advance knowledge of the history and archaeology of England and Wales
  • 10am to 1pm at Newarke Houses
• Explore Learning Workshop
  Join Maths and English experts from Explore Learning, for a fun workshop.
  • Drop in from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Beaumont Leys Library
• Soft play under Mars
  
  • Drop in from 10am to 2pm at Leicester Cathedral
  • Ages 0-8 years

• Leicester Open Streets
  Join us for Graffwerk Art Jam, a vibrant Open Streets celebration of street art, creativity, and community at Graffwerk HQ in Leicester! 
  • Free, family-friendly and fun entertainment for all abilities from 1-4pm. Leicester Open Streets (Choose How You Move website)

• Leicester Cathedral - Family craft evening
  Make a light up planet, paint a pebble with galaxy design, pastel planet art, sensory and den building area.
  • 5pm to 7pm at Leicester Cathedral
  • Adult tickets £5, children aged 4 – 17 £2.50; under 3’s free

• Crafts at Leicester Catherdral
  Free craft activities to make a watercolour plant. 
  
  • drop in between 1.30pm and 3.30pm 
  • Ages 3+
• Dinosaur MAYhem!
  Pre-historic crafts and stories for 4 to 11 year olds.
  • Drop in from 11am to 1pm at Belgrave Library
• Dragonfly Safari with Canal and River Trust
  Would you like to find out about a creature that dates back 300 million years ago? As part of Walk Leicester Festival, join Canal and River Trust on a family friendly dragonfly safari to learn more about these ancient critters. Children are welcome on this walk but must be accompanied by an adult.
  • 11am to 12.30pm, meet at Abbey Pumping Station
  • Children must be accompanied with an adult
  • Walk is approximately 1.5 miles; Booking required
• Games afternoon
  Join us for board games, card games, paper games and puzzles.
  • Drop in between 1.30pm and 4pm at St Barnabas Library
• Garden bugs crafts
  Make garden bugs out of painted egg boxes.
  
  • Drop in between 1.30pm and 4pm at New Parks Library
• Haymarket goes wild
  Meet Raja the Elephant and Boboo the baboon. See the cheeky lemurs and spot the stiltwalking giraffe and jungle explorer and take part in the STOMP activities from LOROS.
  
  • 11am to 3pm at Haymarket Shopping Centre
• It's all about Mars
  Leicester Cathedral is excited to welcome a 7 metre artwork of Mars this month. To mark this occasion. join Leicester Libraries for  for some space themed craft activities.
  • Drop in 10am to 12noon at Beaumont Leys Library
  • Suitable for children 3+.
• Railway Day
  Enjoy a ride on Peter the Narrow-Gauge Railway this half-term. There is a small charge for train rides (50p per person), and children under 3 years can travel for free.
  
  • 11.30am - 4pm at Abbey Pumping Station
• Spider Hair picture book reading
  Join author and illustrator, Laura Jeffcote for this special reading. Plus make a spider hair portrait with confetti spiders.
  
  • 10.30am to 11.30am at Knighton Library
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 0360 to book
• Stay and Play
  • 10am to 11.30am at Bewcastle CYPFC
• Vikings and Valkyries
  Card crafts, make a viking helmet and longship
  • Drop in from 1.30pm to 3pm at Aylestone Library

• Craft along with a story
  Create puppets to go along with a story. 
  • Session are 1pm or 2pm at Central Library
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 0290 to book
• Crafts session
  Free drop-in crafts session
  
  • 10am to 12noon at Pork Pie Library
• Flower Moon Crafts
  Create bookmarks, stars and planet based on the flower moon.
  
  • 2pm to 3.30pm at Pork Pie Library
• Funky feet and wacky wheels
  Join Choose How You Move and celebrate the end of Walk Leicester Festival.  Bring the whole family along for a fun day of decorating your shoes, bikes and scooters, activity trails and more.
  • 11am to 2pm at The Oval, Abbey Park
• Garden Delights
  Visit the museum and see its wonderful garden, bring a picnic and take part in the garden games. Enjoy Butterfly and garden themed crafts, a garden trail.
  • 12noon to 3pm at Newarke Houses
  • Activities £4 online/ £5 on the door
• How to be a dog's best friend
  In partnership with DogsTrust, this fun family workshop will help you learn all about staying safe around dogs, and keeping our four-pawed friends happy and healthy! 
  • 2pm to 3.30pm at Beaumont Leys Library 
  • Please note: no real dogs will attend this event.
• Leicester Cathedral - Family craft evening
  • 5pm to 7pm at Leicester Cathedral
  • Adult tickets £5, children aged 4 – 17 £2.50; under 3’s free
• Nature themed wind chime
  Craft session to make your own wind chime.
  • 1pm to 2pm at Highfield Library
  • Ages 6+
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 0350 to book
• Pyjamarama
  Come and join in the fun - wear your PJ's. Match up the pyjamas, design your own cut-out PJ's and a bedtime story book cover.
  • 12noon to 3pm at Braunstone Library
  • Booking required, telephone 0116 454 0280
• Stay and Play
  • 1pm to 2.30pm at Beaumont Leys CYPFC
• Wax Print Book Covers Inspired by Yinka Shonibare
  Pick a book and create a wax print cover.
  • 1pm to 3pm at Central Library

• African bead art
  Craft session to make your own  
  • 1pm to 2pm at Evington Library
  • Ages 6+
• Crafts at Leicester Catherdral
  Free craft activities to make a watercolour plant. 
  
  • drop in between 10am and 12noon
  • Ages 3+
• Design a wooden bookmark
  Craft sessions to design and create your own bookmark. 
  • Session at 1.30pm or 2.30pm at Beaumont Leys Library
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 3270 to book. 
• Make a den
  Use boxes, materials and your imagination to make a den. Also design your bedroom 'Where I sleep'. 
  • 12noon and 3pm at Braunstone Library
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 0280 to book
• Lego coding
  A Lego coding workshop 
  • 2pm to 3.30pm at Pork Pie Library
  • Booking required, call 0116 454 0410 to book
• National Smile Month
  Craft session to create your own smile to share.
  • Drop in between 2pm and 3.30pm  at Rushey Mead Library
• Stay and Play
  • 9.30am to 11am at Netherhall CYPFC
  • 10am to 11.30am at Beaumont Leys CYPFC
  • 1pm to 2.30pm at Highfields CYPFC
  • 1pm to 2.45pm at New Parks CYPFC
  • 1.30pm to 3pm at Belgrave CYPFC
• Under the Sea!
  Come for an adventure under the sea at Leicester Guildhall. Make a baby shark, a coral reef hat, and some mermaid treasure. Follow the trail to find your favourite underwater story characters and play games in the courtyard.
  • 11am to 3pm at Leicester Guildhall
  • Activities £4 booked online/ £5 on the door

• Games afternoon
  Join us for board games, card games, paper games and puzzles.
  • Drop in between 11.30am and 2pm at Hamilton Library
• Stay and Play
  • 9.30am to 11am at Eyres Monsell CYPFC
  • 10am to 12noon at Braunstone CYPFC
• Go Green, Get Growing!
  Free family activities with an environmental theme. Read the press release here.
  • 12noon to 3pm, Abbey Park (pounds.filled.shade in the what3words app)
• World turtle day crafts
  Make your own pet turtle with our adorable craft puppets or colour in themed colouring pages.
  
  • Drop in between 11am and 1pm at Fosse Library
  • All children must be accompanied by an adult

• Time travel detectives - What's in a name
  a drop-in session exploring:
  • Different naming traditions
  • Who are you or famous people named after
  • Origins and meanings of different names
  • Sign language names
    • 10am to 12.30pm at Knighton Library

• Ride Leicester Ernest Gimson Ride
  Ernest Gimson (1864-1919) – An introduction to the Life & Work of Arts & Crafts leading light & ‘The Greatest of the English Architect-Designers’ !
  • Children under the age of 16 must be wearing a helmet and be accompanied by an adult.
  • 10.30am starting from Town Hall Bike Park. Sign up to ride and view further details (Let's Ride website)

This summary is for information only and is correct at the time of publishing. View the webpage links or contact the individual providers directly to find out if the activities are suitable for your child or family needs.   Children must be supervised by a parent / guardian at all times. 

Activities are free to attend unless stated; however, fees may apply for additional activities or services available at the event. 

• Leicester Museum and Galleries family-friendly exhibitions
• King Richard III daily activities
• Active Leicester - Leisure centre activities
• Free adventure playground sessions
• Playschemes
• Mychoice - search for other activities, clubs and childcare in Leicester
• What's on in Leicester
• Go Leicestershire