Now Summer’s officially here, Stephen Porter, Head of Member Experience at Leeds Credit Union, looks at some of the best and most inexpensive upcoming events for families to enjoy in Leeds and the surrounding area over the coming months.
Barely a day goes by without an exciting event taking place in Leeds. From arts and music, to food and live sport, ours is a city with plenty going on.
Now summer’s here, the local events calendar looks even busier than usual. But with the cost of living continuing to rise and household budgets set to get squeezed further still over the school summer holidays, which are the events that your kids will love but won’t cost the earth?
All Creatures Great And Small
If your kids love everything to do with animals, add Temple Newsam to your list of places to visit this summer. With All Creatures Great And Small, visitors can celebrate the animals of Temple Newsam, from the rare breed animals at the site’s Home Farm, to animal portraits inside the astonishing Tudor-Jacobean house itself.
There are a huge range of trails and activities for visitors to enjoy too, as well as a legendary play area and mile after mile of gorgeous parkland, so pack a picnic and head on over from 22 July until 3 September (except Mondays). Admission is free to under 5s, while tickets for children up to the age of 16 start from just £3.20!
Behind The Scenes Tour of Leeds Discovery Centre
Anyone looking for a free day out can stop looking – Leeds Discovery Centre, near the Royal Armouries in Hunslet, is hosting a series of guided tours around Leeds Museum & Galleries’ collection store!
A purpose-built display storage facility that houses more than one million objects in climate-controlled conditions, the store is a treasure trove of toys, taxidermy animals, skeletons, furniture, clothing, textiles, and archaeology from Leeds, Yorkshire and around the world.
The first tour begins at 1pm on Tuesday 25 July, with plenty more taking place over the summer holidays. Entry is free but booking is essential.
Outdoor Theatre: The Secret Garden
Taking place at Lotherton Hall – one of West Yorkshire’s most popular country houses – on Saturday 5 August, the Outdoor Theatre series is presented by the renowned Chapterhouse Theatre Company and does exactly what it says on the tin: enables you to watch a play outdoors!
A fantastic trip out for families in particular, Lotherton Hall’s beautiful gardens provide the perfect backdrop against which to watch this production of one of the most popular children’s books of all time – Frances Burnett Hodgson’s The Secret Garden. And if the sun’s out, it’ll be truly jaw-dropping!
The story centres around a young girl who is sent to live at her uncle’s house in the countryside, where mysteries, new friends and magical creatures lurk around every corner. Entry is free for children aged four and under.
Leeds Credit Union provides straightforward and affordable financial services.
Photo: Join a tour of the Leeds Discovery Centre
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