Family activities for the summer holidays in Leicester

Skye. Rubble. Stormtroopers. Mysterious cosmic gases. Ping-pong. Gibbons. Chris Packham.

Nope, it’s not some strange game of word disassociation – the link is that all of these can be enjoyed by families in Leicester and Leicestershire over the long summer holidays.

Skye and Rubble are, of course, the stars of Paw Patrol, the hugely popular animated action adventure beloved by pre-schoolers everywhere. And you can see them in the flesh (even though that’s impossible, because they’re animated) at Twinlakes Park this summer, on 7 August.

It’s one of a series of special guest appearances at Twinlakes over the holidays, with other VIPs including Peppa Pig (16 August) and Titan the Robot (22 August). But even if you miss these divas on the Twinlakes red carpet, the family theme park is worth a visit at any time – with rollercoasters, a log flume, a huge indoor play area and a mini-farm there’s plenty to do for kids of all ages. Complete the ‘summer super six challenge’ by riding on the top six rides and you’ll get a £15 family ticket for up to six people to return to the park on certain dates in September. If that’s not worth jeopardising your lunch for, what is?

Star Wars fans – i.e., everyone – will love May the Toys Be with You, at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery from 21 July. It’s a free exhibition of one of the UK’s finest collections of vintage Star Wars toys and original cinema posters, cleverly kept (probably) by those people you were at school with who you knew would grow up to be millionaires. While you’re marvelling at the fact that toys you once played with are now deemed ‘vintage’, the kids can enjoy the museum’s wide open spaces, fascinating interactive displays and, of course, the dinosaur gallery. There are also loads of family activities to enjoy at Leicester museums over the summer holidays – try Unicorns and Dragons at Leicester’s Guildhall on 26 July for arty fun, or join the Railway Gala at Abbey Pumping Station on 4 August. There’s a full list of activities at museums – and much more – here.

Over at the National Space Centre, it’s time to get excited about gas emissions, rather than wondering who is responsible for them, so that makes a nice change. This summer, The Secret World Of Gases is promising ‘science with a BANG!’ at the Space Centre, with a live science zone where you can get involved with daily talks, workshops, handling sessions and experiments that promise they will end noisily. Buy tickets and you’ll get a free annual pass upgrade, meaning you can visit for a full year for £14 for an adult and £11 for a child.

From whiffs to whiff-whaff – see what we did there? – with the return of Ping!, the city’s ping-pong promotion, over the summer. Ping-pong tables will be making an appearance at city festivals including Leicester Caribbean Carnival on 4 August and the Mela on 19 August, and playing is totally free. You’ll also find permanent ping-pong tables dotted around the city centre and in neighbourhoods, so you’re never far from a game.

If you're looking for a way to keep the kids active (and exhausted), we've got good news for you! Boost Trampoline Park is offering an Unlimited 'Free Jump' pass that's perfect for the Summer break. For less than the price of two normal jump sessions, you can pick up a pass that allows unlimited jumps for the rest of the holiday season! There's plenty to enjoy, including a gladiator battle beam, foam pit and climbing wall, not to mention the 42 interconnected trampolines for endless bouncy fun! The pass costs £19.99, with access to the park extending until the 31st August. There's only 150 passes available, so make sure you get yours now by contacting them on: 01162965990.

Time for the gibbons, now, so hot-foot it over to Twycross Zoo for a proper family day out. Which, by law, must include you saying “Sorry, what was that?” to your child after you hear one of the primates hooting noisily. It’s a joke that never gets old.

As well as gibbons, apes, giraffe, zebra, leopards and meerkats, the zoo has an impressive range of birds, reptiles and invertebrates, plus a water play area, soft play and a nature reserve. If you get your skates on, there’s currently a limited-time offer to get 25% off online tickets – book before 13 July to make the most of it!

And if you just can’t get enough of wildlife, don’t miss Birdfair at Rutland Water from 17-19 August. Billed as birdwatching’s Glastonbury – yes, really – the festival line-up includes Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, who gives a talk at the event on 18 August. There are also lectures, quizzes, family entertainment and hundreds of exhibitors selling wildlife-related products. Admission is discounted on the Sunday if you’re a member of the RSPB.

This is just the tip of the iceberg – chances are, if you come up with other random words, you’ll be able to find loads more family activities in the city and county over the summer. It adds an interesting element of chance to your activity selection. Let’s try it:

Dennis.

Mammoth.

Convoy.

Romanian theatre.

You’re welcome!