The school summer holidays are almost here, and there is plenty to do and see right here in Medway.
Cllr Nina Gurung, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure, said: “From our iconic heritage sites to our world-class sports facilities and family-friendly events, there is so much for everyone to enjoy here in Medway this summer.
“I am really pleased there are a number of free activities, and that we are continuing to pass along the temporary 5 per cent VAT cut to children’s admission tickets for our heritage attractions as part of the Great British Summer Saving programme.
“So, whether it is heading out to an event, exploring Medway’s inspiring greenspaces, or discovering Medway’s heritage – there is plenty to do right on your doorstep this summer in Medway.”
Get hands-on with heritage
There is a packed programme to enjoy across Medway’s historic sites this summer.
Rochester Castle
At Rochester Castle, visitors can take part in the Knights Training Trail running from Saturday, 18 July to Sunday, 30 August – every Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
Frodi the Moneyer will also be returning for medieval coin-striking sessions, where you can discover how coins were made and strike your own to take home on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, 10am to 5pm.
Families can also travel back in time with medieval reenactors this summer. From Page to Knight will give you the chance to try on armour and train like a knight, with dates throughout late July and August, all running 10am to 5pm. Later in August, History’s Maid – Courtly Graces will give you the chance to learn medieval etiquette and perfect your manners in a royal court setting.
Activities at Rochester Castle are included with the cost of entry. Find out more about Rochester Castle, including opening times and entry costs.
Eastgate House
At Medway’s iconic Tudor Eastgate House, The Story of Toys Trail runs on selected dates from late July and throughout August, from 10am to 5pm (last admission 4.15pm). The trail is included within the price of entry to Eastgate House.
The Teddy Bears’ Picnic Show on Sunday, 26 July at 11am and 2pm offers an interactive experience for younger children, featuring songs, dancing and a friendly bear. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic and a favourite teddy, and advance booking is recommended. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £5 for children and children under two-years-old are free. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Find out more about Eastgate House, including opening times and entry costs.
The Guildhall Museum
The Guildhall Museum is also offering a range of activities throughout the summer, including the Dickens Animal Trail running from Saturday, 18 July to Saturday, 29 August, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Younger visitors can enjoy Heritage Stories and Objects: Polly and the Escaped Chick. Step back in time with our Victorian story and discover the many chores Polly tackles as a Victorian maid! Learn about the hard work required to keep a Victorian household running, meet her mischievous pet chick and the trouble it gets Polly into. You will also have the chance to handle real museum objects, and discover if you have what it takes to run a Victorian household. Sessions are running on selected dates at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm. Booking is essential due to limited spaces.
Summer Holiday Family Crafts sessions will also take place on weekdays, allowing children to make a Victorian house and chick in an egg, with materials provided in the cost of admission to The Guildhall Museum.
Find out more about The Guildhall Museum, including opening times and entry costs.
Summer of sport
There is also plenty of sporting fun on offer, with our Mini Youth Sports Camps returning this summer, running from late July at Medway Park and Strood Sports Centre.
Designed for children aged from seven to 11-years-old, the camps include activities such as gymnastics, football, dodgeball, basketball, quidditch and swimming, alongside games, obstacle courses and nerf wars.
Morning, afternoon and full day sessions are available. Prices start from £13 per half day or £26 per full day. Medway Sport Premier Members receive a 20 per cent discount, and full booking details are available online.
For those looking to cool off, Medway’s sports centres and outdoor facilities provide plenty of options. Swimming is available at Strood, Hoo, Cozenton Park and Medway Park Sports Centres, while the iconic Strand Lido will be open daily throughout the holidays with bookable sessions. The free Splash Pad at The Strand will also be open every day from 11am to 5pm, offering a fun way for families to stay cool.
If you want to improve your or your child’s confidence in the water we have got you covered too, with swimming holiday crash courses running at Cozenton Park, Medway Park and Strood Sports Centres throughout the summer. Information on pricing and booking is available here. This summer, we are also running swimming lesson taster sessions – with parent and baby, parent and toddler and pre-school sessions available.
Medway Sport will also be running its always-popular Summer of Sport, offering a wide range of free and reduced-cost sport sessions for young people and families throughout the summer. All equipment is provided for the sessions, and you can come along and get involved in pilates, netball, football, pickleball, tennis, basketball and much more.
Free summer fun with Child-Friendly Medway
Child-Friendly Medway will be hosting fantastic free family-friendly days out throughout the summer, with the return of many family favourites. Dino Day is back on Wednesday, 12 August. Come along to Chatham High Street and The Pentagon Shopping Centre and meet life-size dinosaurs, discover fun dino facts and enjoy plenty of activities for all ages. Dino Day will run from 10am to 4pm and no booking is required.
Child-Friendly Medway will be taking over Medway Park Sports Centre for an Inflatable Fun Day on Tuesday, 18 August. Hop around in the bouncy castle, test yourself with a penalty shootout or take on the mega slide if you are brave enough! Two sessions will be running – 10am to 11.30am and 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Bookings open from Monday, 3 August. Places must be booked in advance by emailing ChildFriendly@Medway.gov.uk.
To round off the summer in style, make sure you head to Chatham for Super Saturday on Saturday, 29 August. Expect superhero meet and greets, famous cars from movies, craft sessions, hero-themed trails and much more. Super Saturday, which is delivered in partnership with The Pentagon Shopping Centre and Love Chatham and supported by the Medway Together Fund, takes place on Chatham High Street and The Pentagon Shopping Centre from 10am to 4pm – no booking is required.
Ready, set, MedwayGo
MedwayGo is Medway’s 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.
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.
There is something for everyone on offer with activities including kayaking, sailing, music and filmmaking, robotics workshops, cooking sessions and much more. SEND-friendly sessions will also run throughout the summer.
Find out more, see all of the activities taking place, and book your place today.
Medway Youth Service packed summer schedule
Medway Council’s Youth Service also has a busy programme of events planned, including activity days in greenspaces across August, a Family Colour Run on Monday, 3 August, and a series of Takeover Tuesday events at venues including Hollywood Bowl, Planet Ice and Soar Trampoline Park.
Young people can also take part in creative sessions such as the Timeless Ties Tie Dye workshop and the Whose Hoo Photography Project, before the summer concludes with an under-18s celebration event, The Shutdown.
The always-popular Gaming Bus will also be out and about this summer – heading to Maidstone Road Sports Ground on Wednesday, 5 August and Barnfield Recreation Ground on Thursday, 20 August.
Find out more about Medway’s Youth Service summer activities.
Get out into nature and explore Medway’s country parks
Families can make the most of the great outdoors this school summer holiday, with a packed programme of events at Riverside Country Park and Capstone Farm Country Park.
Riverside Country Park
Families can join a guided Nature Trek on 28 July, exploring the park through the eyes of its rangers while discovering birds, insects, flowers and reptiles along the way. Sessions will be running at 10am – 12noon and 1pm – 3pm.
The summer fun continues with Mud Larking on Tuesday, 4 August, where you can search the shoreline for coastal wildlife. Come along to one of the Bug Hunts and discover the fascinating world of minibeasts and create your own bug house to take home. Sessions are running on Tuesday, 12, Wednesday, 13 and Tuesday, 18 August.
Throughout the holidays, from Monday, 20 July to Monday, 31 August, visitors can also take part in the self-guided Riverside Quest, an adventure trail leading explorers through the park’s meadows, woodland and scrubland.
Booking is essential for activities. To book, call 01634 337 432 or head to the Visitor Centre in person.
Capstone Farm Country Park
Capstone Farm Country Park will also be hosting plenty of family-friendly events. Activities begin with a Wooden Pencil Holder workshop on Wednesday, 22 July, followed by a Mini Beast Hunt on Thursday, 23 July. Children can create Toadstool House Lights on Wednesday, 29 July and join a Reptile and Amphibian Walk on Thursday, 30 July to learn more about some of the park’s most secretive residents.
August events include making Plant Pot Windchimes, Kite Making, a Butterfly and Flower Walk and a Cardboard Zoo workshop. Families can also create Fairy Gardens, take part in a second Reptile and Amphibian Walk, and round off the summer with the Capstone Trail at the end of August.
Booking is essential for activities. To book, call 01634 338 191 or head to the Visitor Centre in person.
Find out more about Medway's country park activities here.
So much more to do
Medway’s children and family hubs and libraries are packed with free events every single week, including throughout the summer. And don’t forget, the Summer Reading Challenge is also running over the summer, with children being encouraged to finish six books over the holidays and prizes up for grabs for every one they finish. In Medway, we are also running a mini, young adult and adult reading challenge – so the whole family can join in the fun! You can sign up to all of the challenges at any of Medway’s 15 libraries.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham will be running the Steve Backshall’s Awesome Oceans Family Trail from Saturday, 11 July to Monday, 31 August. You will be able to explore six ocean zones, collect exclusive cards and even visit the wonderful Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition. The trail and exhibition are included in the cost of your dockyard ticket.
Throughout August, Rochester Cathedral will be hosting a free summer exhibition – Art on the Delta – with contemporary art, free family activities, films and more. Partner workshops will also be running throughout the month – with Ideas Test, Intra Arts, Mess Room and Sun Pier House offering activities at the cathedral over four weeks.