The school summer holidays are just around the corner, and there is plenty to do, see and experience in Medway this summer.
From interactive theatre and wildlife encounters to sporting fun and outdoor adventures – there is something for everyone to enjoy.
So much to see and do
Cllr Harinder Mahil, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Tourism, said: “Everything is set for another fantastic summer in Medway. There is so much to do and see here, with events and activities available for children and young people of all ages, and plenty of family-friendly fun on offer. Whether it is at our iconic heritage sites, our fantastic sports centres or our amazing greenspaces – make sure you make the most of Medway this school summer holiday!
“I am also really pleased to see that families will be able to travel on buses in Medway for free this summer. Not only is it friendlier on the wallet, but travelling by bus is better for our environment and helps to lower congestion on our roads. Make sure you take advantage of this great offer running over the summer months.”
Getting around Medway
From Saturday, 19 July to Sunday, 31 August children in Medway will also be able to travel on all bus services in Medway for free with a fare paying adult or concessionary bus pass holder.
Up to three children aged 18 and under can travel for free with each adult on any Medway bus service up until 8pm. This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Trails, treasure hunts and heritage fun in the sun
The always popular Summer Trails are returning once again at four of Medway’s heritage sites alongside some super exciting events and activities.
Rochester Castle
The Summer Trails start at Rochester Castle with the Knightly Chivalry trail. Will you be able to find all the values it takes to become a true knight that are hidden around as you explore the castle. The trail is running from Saturday, 19 July – Sunday, 31 August from 10am – 6pm.
Rochester Castle will be home to a host of medieval entertainment throughout the school holidays. Every Friday in August, a medieval storyteller will be roaming the castle grounds, entertaining with silly stories, mind-bending riddles and tales of times past. A medieval jester will also be making appearances to entertain the crowds with their magic, juggling and japes and a group of live medieval musicians will transform your trip to the castle transporting you back to medieval Rochester with their immersive sounds.
The jester will be at Rochester Castle on Thursday, 7; Thursday, 14; Wednesday, 20 and Wednesday, 27 August. The musicians will be there on Tuesday, 5 and Tuesday, 19 August.
Find out more about Rochester Castle.
The Guildhall Museum
The second Summer Trail will take you to the spectacular Guildhall Museum for the Creepy Crawly Trail. Spot the critters hidden around as you explore the history of Medway. This trail is running from Saturday, 19 July to Saturday, 30 August from 10am – 4pm. Please note The Guildhall Museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For those who are wild at heart, The Guildhall Museum is also the perfect place to be on Wednesday, 30 July from 1pm – 4pm for our Meet the Flock event.
You’ll have the chance to meet The Guildhall’s new mascot, Grip the raven, and other birds of prey. There will be an educational talk followed by the chance to handle the real-life birds and get a photograph to capture the memory.
Normal museum admission charges apply for Meet the Flock, and the first 50 people will get to do the bird-handling and their photo for free. There will be a £4 charge per person after the first 50 people, with all of this money going to straight back to the company who are bringing the flock to The Guildhall Museum to help support the birds.
Once you’ve met Grip and the rest of the flock, make sure to stick around for the free craft activities. The team at The Guildhall Museum will also be holding summer holiday family craft sessions every weekday from Wednesday, 23 July – Friday, 29 August from 10am.
Find out more about The Guildhall Museum.
Eastgate House
The next stop on the trail takes you to the magnificent Eastgate House for the Tiny Tudor Teds Trail. Keep an eye out for the teddy bears that have been hidden around the Tudor townhouse. The trail is running on set days over weekends between Sunday, 27 July to Sunday, 31 August. Head to VisitMedway to see the exact dates and opening and closing times for the Eastgate House trail.
Eastgate House Gardens will also be home to an extra special event which is back once again by popular demand, the Teddy Bear’s Picnic Theatre Show!
Presented by Rah Rah Theatre, the 55-minute show will be filled with songs, dancing and a friendly bear – make sure to bring along your favourite teddy and a spot of lunch, or pick up your picnic treats from one of the many shops or cafes along the High Street.
Two shows will be running on Sunday, 27 July at 11am and 2pm.
Booking in advance is recommended as tickets are selling fast. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £5 for children aged between 2 and 16-years-old and under 2’s go free. Your ticket also gives you free admission to Eastgate House on the day.
Find out more about Eastgate House.
Upnor Castle
The final stop on the Summer Trail brings you to the breathtaking Upnor Castle, sat on the banks of the River Medway. Can you spot all of the different flags on the trail and tell us which country they are from? This trail runs from Wednesday, 23 July to Sunday, 31 August from 10am – 6pm.
As well as the trail there’s plenty more fun to be had at Upnor Castle this summer.
On Thursday, 31 July, join Dr Rigby Rocks for the Festival of Archaeology for some hands on learning with lots of fun! On Friday, 1 August at 6.30pm Quantum Theatre will be bringing their adaption of the classic Beatrix Potter tale – The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck – for a show filled with songs, action and drama to delight all ages. Booking is required and ticket information can be found here.
Find out more about Upnor Castle.
Regular admission charges apply to all heritage sites, but all of the summer trails are free and included in entry. For families heading to The Guildhall Museum, make sure you check out the new family annual pass which costs £10 for two adults and two children and lets you visit for an entire year.
Sporting summertime
Our Mini Youth Sports Camps will also be running at Medway Park every Tuesday to Friday from Tuesday, 29 July to Friday, 22 August and at Strood Sports Centre every Monday to Thursday from Monday, 28 July to Thursday, 31 July.
Designed for children aged between seven and 11-years-old, expect loads of fun and exciting activities, including dodgeball, swimming games, nerf wars, basketball, an obstacle course, football and more.
The sessions are delivered by our experienced sports coaches, and morning (9.30am – 12.30pm), afternoon (1pm to 4pm) and all day (9.30am – 4pm) sessions are available.
Half day sessions cost £12.50, full day sessions cost £25 and a booking for all eight sessions running over the four days costs £87.70. Medway Sport Premier Members also get a 20% discount.
Find out more and book your Mini Youth Sport Camp spot online.
If the heat gets a bit too much for you there are plenty of pools to cool off in Medway this summer. Whether it is going for a swim at Strood or Hoo Sports Centre, Medway Park, Cozenton Park or the iconic Strand Lido – there’s plenty of places to have a dip this summer.
The Strand Lido will be open seven days a week throughout the summer holidays with morning and afternoon sessions available to book. The brand-new and completely free Splash Pad will also be open from 11am to 5pm every single day this summer holiday.
If you are after a bit more adventure in the water, make sure to book on to one of the inflatable pool parties running throughout the summer at Hoo Sports Centre, Strood Sports Centre and Cozenton Park Sports Centre.
If you haven’t already, this summer could be the perfect time to pick up a Medway Sport Junior Membership. With unlimited swimming at all five of Medway’s swimming pools, racket sport sessions, access to the inflatable parties and gym sessions for children aged between eight and 16-years-old, there’s plenty to keep them entertained for just £16.50 a month.
We will also be running summer holiday swimming crash courses, so whether you want to give your child’s confidence in the water a boost or even get your own skills up to scratch, there are sessions running at Strood Sports Centre, Hoo Sports Centre and Cozenton Park throughout the summer. You can see full dates and prices for the swimming crash courses on our website.
You will also be able to get active this summer with loads of free community sporting activities with Medway Sport’s Summer of Sport, including yoga, tennis, kayaking and much more. Check out the full summer of sport line-up here.
Child-Friendly Medway’s free summer events
Our Child-Friendly Medway team will be hosting free events throughout the summer holidays, with the team kicking off the summer with a Soft Play and Story Corner session at The Pentagon Shopping Centre on Wednesday, 23 July.
On Wednesday, 13 August, make sure you don’t miss Dino Day at The Pentagon Shopping Centre from 10am to 3.30pm for what is sure to be Jurassic-themed fun! Child-Friendly Medway will also be taking over Medway Park on Tuesday, 19 August for a soft play and inflatable fun day, as well as hosting the Hoo Family Fun Day at the Hoo Recreation Ground and Village Hall on Friday, 22 August from 11am to 2pm.
Make sure to keep Saturday, 30 August free in your diary for what is now a Medway tradition with the return of Child-Friendly Medway’s Super Saturday. Run in partnership with Love Chatham and the Pentagon Shopping Centre, the high street and shopping centre will be taken over with plenty of family-friendly fun, movie-star cars, giant inflatable characters and events and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Keep an eye on the Child-Friendly Medway website and social media for booking information and to stay up-to-date with all of their events and activities this summer.
Free summer fun with MedwayGo
MedwayGo is our holiday activity programme which provides a safe and fun environment for children aged between 5 and 16-years-old to enjoy loads of activities, and a healthy lunch, during the holidays.
MedwayGo is a free, government funded holiday activities and food programme for children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
Throughout the summer, hundreds of exciting activity sessions are running from Monday, 28 July to Friday, 22 August. Whether it’s sporting fun, exploring AI and digital art, theatre workshops or even skiing – there’s something for everyone to enjoy. SEND sessions are also available for children with additional needs.
Free places are available for those eligible for benefit related school meals, as well as a limited number of free sessions for looked after children, children from military families or children with SEND needs. Families can also pay to attend some of the sessions that are being run over the summer.
Free school meals vouchers
Families with children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals will also automatically be issued with a £15 e-voucher for each eligible child for all six weeks of the school summer holidays. The vouchers can be used at a supermarket of your choice.
Funding from the government’s Household Support Fund is being used to provide the vouchers.
Medway Youth Service packed summer schedule
Medway Youth Service is making sure there’s something for all of Medway’s young people to enjoy this summer, with plenty of events and activities for children and young people aged between 11 and 19-years-old, or up to 25-years-old for those with additional needs.
Kicking things off with a splash of style and colour is the vibrant Colour Run at the Walderslade and Greenacre Schools Partnership campus on Friday, 1 August from 1pm – 3pm. Whether you run, jog or walk it – it’s a chance to get outside, get active and have some fun – but make sure to wear old clothes as you’ll be covered in colours by the end!
The team will also be bringing back the always popular Take Over Tuesdays throughout the summer, with the youth service taking over a different location across Medway every Tuesday in August. This includes Ninja Warrior on Tuesday, 5 August, laser tag at Fort Amherst on Tuesday, 12 August, ice skating at Planet Ice on Tuesday, 19 August and The Historic Dockyard Chatham on Tuesday, 26 August.
Medway Youth Service will also be running SEND sessions as part of its SENDsational Summer programme, including Motivational Mondays which will run every Monday for four weeks, starting on Monday, 28 July, at Parkwood Youth Centre. Aimed at young adults aged between 16 and 25-years-old with SEND, these sessions will be an opportunity to meet new people, explore wellbeing techniques and most importantly have fun.
Lots of the Medway Youth Service activities are available to book through MedwayGo, but you can also contact the team to find out more about any of their events and activities by emailing Summer.Youth@Medway.gov.uk.
The team will also be running free drop-in activities in parks and greenspaces across Medway, and you can keep up to date with the latest news and updates on their social media or by visiting their dedicated summer website.
Loads more happening across Medway
Medway’s Children and Family Hubs are packed with free events and activities for families this summer with more than 50 free events taking place from Monday, 21 July – Friday, 29 August.
From baby groups and messy play sessions to Stay and Play and holiday activities with Medway Youth Service, there’s fun for children of all ages at our four hubs and various local wellbeing centres.
The team will also be hosting big Summer Fun Days, as well as the next edition of our popular Welcome to Medway events, over the summer:
- Deanwood Wellbeing Centre, Rainham – Summer Fun Day - Wednesday, 30 July, 10am – 1pm.
- Chatham Children and Family Hub – Summer Fun Day – Thursday, 7 August, 11am – 2pm.
- Gun Lane Wellbeing Centre, Strood – Welcome to Medway – Wednesday, 13 August, 11am – 2pm.
- Gillingham Hub Woodlands – Summer Fun Day – Thursday, 21 August, 10am – 1pm.
To find out more about our family hubs and all of the events on offer, download the app or visit: MedwayFamilyHub.co.uk.
There is also loads of fun to be had with Medway’s libraries and community hubs this summer.
As well as the national Summer Reading Challenge taking place, we are running reading challenges for under 3s, teenagers and adults – with prizes available for every challenge.
As well as their regular events like Baby Bounce and Rhyme and Pop in and Play, our library teams will also be running Summer Reading themed craft activities throughout the summer.
Find out more about Medway’s reading challenges and library events.
Medway’s greenspaces will also be home to free family-friendly events this summer. There will be nature-filled events for all ages to enjoy at our greenspaces, including at The Vines, Rochester (Thursday, 31 July, 11am – 2pm) and Gillingham Park, Canterbury Street (Thursday, 7 August, 11am -2pm). Find the full list of locations on our website.
To stay up-to-date with what else is happening this summer in Medway head to Visit Medway.