We’ve had our freedom day, but things aren’t like they used to be. We’re taking our first tentative steps outside but life is still not what it’s been like in the past. It’s all still a bit strange so this Summer school holiday in 2021 is like no other! However, with coronavirus lockdown measures easing a bit, there are a few more things now starting to open thank goodness. There are plenty of activities going on in and around Warwickshire during the school holidays. Here are some ideas of what you can do during the Summer School Holidays 2021 in Warwick, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry and the surrounding areas.
What’s on in the 2021 Summer School Holidays in Warwickshire?
Museums and Libraries
Warwick
- Market Hall Museum, Warwick – Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. The museum is ready to welcome visitors once again. What have you missed most? The bees? The giant tapestry? The historic Plesiosaur skeleton? Or maybe it’s the giant bear or Oisin, their very own tweeting giant irish deer skeleton. Combine your trip with a wander around market place and a walk down to St Nicks Park and you can easily have a lovely day out in Warwick.
- Market Hall Museum & St Johns Place – Summer Holiday Activities , Market Hall Museum, Warwick. There are also lots of special events on at the museum, but all these events require booking in advance using their online booking portal unless otherwise specified. Click here for their website. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Start Your Engines: Weds 28 July, 10am to 3pm @ Market Hall Museum – Ready, set, go! Get race ready for the summer holidays at Market Hall Museum. Challenge your family and friends to a remote-control car race in the Market Square. Then become a budding engineer and make your own battery-powered car in the museum. £3 per child for battery-powered car, free to take part in Racing Bug remote control racing.
- Arty Tots – Circus Skills: Weds 4 August, 10am to 3pm @ St Johns House – Roll up, roll up, calling all Arty Tots! Come and join in the fun at St John’s House Museum Garden this summer, with all the fun of the Circus. Watch and be amazed by our circus entertainers and try some new skills, can you juggle? We also have ‘Big Top’ inspired crafts for you to make and take home. Come along, bring a picnic and enjoy the circus. Book a morning or afternoon slot. Circus skills workshops at 10am, 11.15am, 1pm and 2.15pm. You can sign up for a workshop when you arrive. £5 per child.
- Fastest Lap Competition: Tues 3 – Sat 7 August, 10am to 4pm @ Market Hall Museum – Do you feel the need for speed just like Donald Healey? Enter our fastest lap competition and have a go at the Market Hall racing track. We’ve set up a Scalextric racing track in the museum and are challenging you to do the fastest lap around our museum track. Lap times will be recorded and at the end of the week the fastest lap will win a goodie bag from the Market Hall museum shop. Free to take part and open to all ages. No need to book.
- Green Power: Weds 11 August, 10am-3pm @ Market Hall Museum – Follow in the inventive spirit of Donald Healey and become your own green energy hero! The Kineton STEM team will be in the market square to show you how to create your own fantastic glider. Head inside Market Hall Museum to create a super-efficient wind turbine, then harness your knowledge to make a wind powered car. Whose car will go the furthest down the track? £3 per child.
- Folksy Theatre – Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf: Sat 14th August, 2pm @ St Johns House – Join us in the garden at St John’s House for an outdoor performance that all the family will enjoy. Little Red sets off through the forest to visit Grandma but the journey won’t be easy, not with all these distractions! The three pigs are building their new homes, Goldilocks is having problems with some bears and to top it all off, the Big Bad Wolf is out on the hunt for his dinner! Can Little Red help her friends and still outsmart the hungry Wolf? Filled with live music, colourful characters and puppetry, this wonderful family musical has something for everyone! Bring along your picnics, blankets, folding chairs and friends and family! Book tickets online at the Folksy Theatre.
- Arty Tots – Vroom Vroom: Weds 18th August, 10am-3pm @ Market Hall Museum – ‘Beep, beep, beep’! calling all Arty Tots! Let’s all move along to Market Hall and join in with our transport inspired craft activities. For ideas, take a look at our Healey exhibition. You might just create the transport of the future. Get on the starting grid and …….vroom, vroom, VROOM! £3 per child.
- Family Fossil Hunt – Cross Hands Quarry: Thurs 19 Aug, 11am-2pm (SOLD OUT) & Thurs 1 Sep, 11am-2pm, Cross Hands Quarry – Enjoy a day fossil hunting at Cross Hands Quarry and explore our Jurassic past with curator of natural sciences Jon Radley. You can keep anything you find! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are asking families to make their own way to Cross Hands Quarry. After the event, you can share pictures of your finds with us on Facebook and Twitter for identification. Suitable for ages 7+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. All attendees must pay £8.50 per person.
- Stone Age Day: Weds 25 August, 10am-3pm @ Market Hall Museum – Could you survive life in the stone age? Meet a prehistoric human to see their tools and crafts from the stone age. The Neolithic age is dawning inside the museum and you will need to grow some of your own crops to survive. £3 per child.
- Museum from Home Activities – If you can’t come to the events at the Market Place Museum, then you can take part in their #museumfromhome activities. See our review for some of the exciting activities that we have previously tried!
Leamington
- Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, Leamington Spa – The museum is now open again – please see their website for opening times.
- Royal Pump Rooms – Gardens Treasure Trail, Leamington Spa – Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum have created a colourful Treasure Trail of Leamington’s leisure gardens suitable for the whole family to enjoy together! The trail will take around an hour to walk, and takes you through the Jephson and Pump Room Gardens, drawing your attention to things you may not have noticed before alongside activities, and interactive features, all beautifully illustrated in an easy to follow booklet. You can collect a free printed colour copy from the Royal Pump Rooms Visitors Information Desk any time from Monday – Sunday 10am-3pm. If you complete the trail, you can come back to the Desk to be rewarded with a sticker!
Stratford-upon-Avon
- Tudor World, Stratford. Tudor World living history museum is situated right in the centre of the beautiful Town of Stratford upon Avon, just metres from the world famous RSC, and set within an historic 16th century grade 2* building. Using historical settings, discover the secret lives of the Tudors and what life was really like during the time of William Shakespeare; Francis Drake; Elizabeth I, Henry VIII and everyday people. Open daily from 10.30am until 5.30pm.
Gaydon
- Summer Family Activities – British Motor Museum, Gaydon – 22nd July – 2nd September 2021. Nature is all around us and the Museum is no exception. Many car designers and engineers have taken inspiration from nature. Come and explore our car collection with Adventure Annie or Alex and discover nature’s hidden influences. Young explorers can enjoy our ‘nature trail’ and seek out all that blooms, squawks and roars in the Museum. Every explorer needs a vehicle, so come and collect a cut-out model Land Rover for you to take home and make. Come and collect a Jaguar E-type cut-out model for you to take home and make. There are also additional events going on throughout the summer, including the chance for (over 10’s) to have a chance to drive a real fire engine! Admission charges apply, see website for details.
Outdoor Activities
Compton Verney
- Summer Holiday Activities at Compton Verney, Warwickshire –
22nd July – 1 September 2021. Compton Verney itself is a wonderful place to spend time with children. There is lots to explore, woodland, the lake, playground and many a hide-and-seek opportunity. However, there are also lots of extra activities going on during the summer holidays including Woodland Tribe (using real tools to make play structures), drop in activities with Kineton STEM, Wild Wednesdays and Family Fridays. See website for further details including charges and admission details
Coventry
- Summer Holiday Activities at Ryton Pools Country Park, Coventry – Ryton Pools is a great park to visit with two playgrounds (one for younger children and one aimed at older children a short walk around the pools). Take a picnic and you can easily spend all day here. It is also a perfect spot for a bit of cycling or scooting! There will also be additional activities (see website for booking links) which take place on the following dates:
- 11th August – Ryton Young Anglers
- 17th August – Summer Campfire, Dens and S’mores
- 18th August – Ryton Young Anglers
- 19th August – Summer Pond Dipping
- 31st August – Summer Campfire, Dens and S’mores
- 1st August – Summer Pond Dipping
Kenilworth
- Summer Explorer Quest – Kenilworth Castle, Kenilworth – This summer from 24 July, set off on a fun family adventure at Kenilworth Castle. We need your help to uncover the castle’s history – as our on-site reporter, can you explore the trail, find the missing stories and crack the secret code? Standard admission applies.
Warwick
- Dinosaurs Alive – Hatton Adventure World, Hatton – 24th July – 5th September 2021. We have a roarsome programme… get up close with Dinosaurs at the meet and greet. Step back in time with a fantastic Dinosaur show. Of course the fun doesn’t stop there, with Falconry displays, Superslide Mania Indoor Play, Tractor Rides, Bouncy Castles & Fun Fair Rides to name a few, you’ll be sure to have a fabulous fun filled day. Admission fee applies, see website for details.
- Zog and the Quest for the Golden Star – Warwick Castle, Warwick – 12th April – 5th September 2021. Don’t miss out on a brand new live trail this May Half Term, for Zog has landed! This trail will teach all budding Dragons in-training the skills they need to become a fully-fledged Dragon. From flying high without actually leaving the ground, to testing-out fearsome roars…and of course learning to capture a Princess, children will collect a stamp at every task. After joining in with Sir Gadabout’s school for ambitious Knights as a final challenge, Zog will be available for a meet-and-greet to hand out golden stars and to pose for a photo with every child. The Zog activity trail is available everyday from 12th April to 5th September 2021 and is included in the price of your entry ticket. Don’t forget that as well as the trail, the castle and grounds are an absolute delight to visit for the whole family and don’t forget to check out the highly rated birds of prey show ‘The Falconers Quest’. Admission fee applies, see website for details.
Warwickshire
- National Trust Properties, Warwickshire – From walks through riverside parkland to stories of the gunpowder plot, there is lots to discover in Warwickshire. Pre-booking essential, see website for details.
- Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves, Warwickshire – The WWT website lists many nature reserves within our local area which are great for exploring. We can definitely recommend Ufton Fields near Leamington Spa. There is a circular walk about 1.5 miles (not too far for little legs) which also encompasses a den building area. Lots of fun!
Clubs & Classes
Coventry
- Let’s Make – Free Family Craft Workshops, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry – Friday 13th August 2021, 12pm-2pm. Looking for something to do this Summer holiday? Let’s MAKE! Join us for a FREE drop-in session of fun family crafts.
Leamington
- Summer Stay and Play at Leamington Baptist Church, Leamington – Wednesday 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th August 2021. Free stay and play sessions. Parents, babies, kids of all ages welcome Wednesday mornings 10am–12noon. Please use side door entrance (Guy Place East). See Facebook Event for details.
- Outside area with bikes, climbing frame, balls, hoops etc
- Inside will be water, sand, crafts, painting, games for older children
- Drinks and biscuits available
- Group stories, songs & games.
Warwick
- Playbox Holiday Workshops, Playbox Theatre, The Dream Factory, Warwick – Various dates. Join us at The Dream Factory for a fun-filled summer packed with workshops for all ages and interests. There is something for everyone, ranging from Shakespeare, to Witches and Wizards, Mary Poppins, Fight Lab, Show Dance and lots more! Booking required, please see website for details.
Wootton Wawen
- School Holiday Chocolate Workshops, The Chocolate Shed, Yew Tree Farm Craft Centre, Wootton Wawen – Various Dates. The Chocolate Shed specialises exclusively in running brilliantly fun and sticky chocolate making workshops. See website for details.
Arts and Entertainment
Leamington
- Mr Stink by Heartbreak Productions, Coventry Cathedral Ruins – Tuesday 24th August 6.30pm. Suggested age 7+. Running time 2 hours. Join Heartbreak Productions for David Walliams’ best-seller Mr Stink on the outdoor stage. Pack a picnic, grab a chair, and dress for the weather. Packed with fun, humour, and a heart-warming message, this touching tale provides the perfect family entertainment.
Stratford upon Avon
- The Enchanted Manor at Magic Alley, Stratford – Upon reopening after lockdown the Enchanted Manor has transformed itself into The Enchanted Treasure Trail. The interactive quest invites you to spend some time exploring a magical world of dragons, fairies, wizards, time travel, pirates and you will meet the newest member of the Magic Alley family….our pony sized unicorn Willow! The event is suitable for anyone over 3 years old and everyone who successfully completes the quest will receive a prize and a certificate. Tickets can be booked in advance at http://www.magicalleystratford.com/events and pre booking is vital for weekends and school holidays.
- Human Table Football Tournament, Riverside Caravan Park, Stratford – 14th & 15th August 2021. In less than two weeks’ time, we’ll be hosting our very own Human Table Football Tournament – and you can take part for free! ⚽️ On Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th August, 12pm-4pm at the Riverside Bar and Restaurant, teams of five will be fixed to their spot whilst trying to score against the opposite team on a huge inflatable football table. With a tournament of group stages, a knockout stage, quarter finals, semi-finals and a final, it promises to be an entertaining weekend with some fantastic prizes up for grabs. Make sure you enter your team of 5 on Eventbrite (link on the Riverside facebook page), or if you’d simply like to enjoy the event, all spectators are welcome to come along to cheer on the teams.
- RSC Summer Family Programme, Stratford – various dates. The RSC have got a bumper programme of free family activities on offer at various venues across Stratford over the Summer holidays. Comedy time, balloon shows, music, drop in craft workshops, costume day and pop up performances about a budding knight called Georgie are amongst some of the things on offer! See the RSC website for venues, dates and times!
Warwick
- Guy of Warwick Day at Guys Cliffe House, Warwick – 8th August 2021. The Guy of Warwick Society will once again be hosting a ‘Guy of Warwick’ day to highlight the tales of Warwick’s very own legendary hero. There will be tours, entertainment, stalls, a bar and lots of opportunity to find out about the final resting place of Guy and Felice. Admission by advanced ticket only – see www.thegows.co.uk for further details.
Various
- Alice in Wonderland by Tread The Boards Theatre Company – Warwickshire, Following their popular performances of Robin Hood, Cinderella and Wind in the Willows, Tread the Boards return with some outdoor theatre for Summer 2021 in the form of Alice in Wonderland! They will be appearing at various venues across Warwickshire throughout the holidays. You’ll be grinning like the Cheshire Cat when you see their performances.
Best of the Rest
Leamington Spa
- Dinky’s Play Cafe, Leamington Spa – Please check Facebook page for opening hours. Opening hours Mon-Fri 9.30am-2pm, Sat 10am-5pm (Closed Sundays for private parties). Dinky’s is a delightful cafe in Leamington complete with baby area and soft play frame suitable for age 3-8 year olds, so you can enjoy a coffee whilst your little ones are entertained.
Stratford-upon-Avon
- JNB Gymnastics Academy, Pathlow, Stratford-upon- Avon – Various dates. There is so much going on at JNB gymnastics academy – the popular Mum, Dad and Me sessions for little ones, Bouncebox, dance and gymnastic classes and even Friday night discos! See their webpage for further details and to book.
Warwick
- Jump In Trampoline Park, Warwick – Looking for things to do in the half term holidays? Come to Jump In Trampoline Park Warwick. Who doesn’t enjoy school holiday activities that are fun for both kids and adults? Here at Jump In Warwick, we have all kinds of fun and rainy day activities to do that don’t involve a screen!