WHAT'S ON
What's On
Super Soapbox Challenge in Bradford
Have you got an event you’d like to share with us? Email it to editor@familiesleeds.co.uk We took every care in preparing these entries but sometimes events are cancelled or times change. Please double check with the organiser to avoid disappointment.
ONGOING Gnome Roam at Newmillerdam Country Park This simple walking trail encourages children to use signs and clues to spot carved statues of gnomes and wildlife. You may even spot a gigantic bear. Story and Rhyme at Leeds Libraries A fun session of sharing stories and rhymes in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. At various times at 32 local libraries on weekdays. FREE. Exhibition: On the Bench at Thackray Medical Museum On the Bench is the gamechanging story of sport and injury, exploring what happens when players get injured and who helps them recover. Every Monday and Wednesday Bounce and Rhyme at Leeds Libraries A fun session of sharing songs and rhymes with your baby in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. FREE. Monday - Central, Holt Park. Wednesday – Headingley. 1.30pm. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (term time only) Storytime at The Little Bookshop, Chapel Allerton Enjoy a cosy story time featuring delightful books for young children. For ages 2-5. 1111.25am. FREE. Toddler Tuesdays at Castleford Museum A lively session of storytelling, crafts and rhymes, inspired by a different museum object each week. 10-11am. Tuesdays and Thursdays Storytime for Under 5s at Truman Books in Farsley Take your little ones for a session of stories and songs in kids’ corner. Suitable for under-fives. Tuesdays at 9.30am, Thursdays at 10.30am. FREE. Fridays, Tiny Tigers at Leeds City Museum Creative, messy sessions for under 5s and their carers. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers welcome. FREE, drop in, no need to book. 10-11.45am. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday Dungeon Tours at Pontefract Castle Soak in the atmosphere of 14 Families Leeds & West Yorkshire
this eerie underground space, discover the history of the dungeon and see where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock. 10.45-11.30am. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday Castle Explorer Tour at Pontefract Castle Discover who built and lived in the castle and listen to stories of unfaithful Queens, imprisoned Kings as well the castle’s role in the English Civil Wars. All ages. 12-12.45pm. Rory’s Saturday Club at Leeds City Museum Looking for something creative to do with kids in the city? Head to Leeds City Museum for Rory’s Saturday Club craft sessions for families with children of all ages. FREE, drop in. 11am-12.15pm. Saturdays and Sundays Garden Play at The Hepworth Stack, build, experiment, draw and imagine with your family in the open air. No need to book, just turn up and play. 11am to 4pm. FREE.
MAY May 5 Super Soapbox Challenge in Bradford A great day out for all the family with continual commentary and all the action visible on large format screens. As well as the excitement on the course itself, there’ll be a funfair, live music and lots of local food and drink outlets to choose from. Watch out for a celebrity guest! FREE. May 5 Summer Open Day at Temple Newsam Explore the house and farm for a special summer open day where you can pay what you feel, 11am to 3pm. No need to book. Open days are usually busy – first come first served. May 5 Family Workshop: Sculpt and Play at The Hepworth Wakefield Play with materials to explore the hollows and holes of Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures. Visit the galleries with your family to discover Hepworth’s sculptures. Look at the textures and shapes in the artworks and experiment with making your own sculptures using your kit of sensory textiles shapes. In the learning studios squish,
twist, roll and carve colourful modelling materials to make your own Hepworth inspired mini sculpture. May 6 Ilkley Carnival Ilkley will be transformed into a sea of colour, music, street performers and a fabulous feel-good atmosphere when the Mardi Gras-themed parade comes to town. May 11 Northern Ballet’s The Tortoise and the Hare at St George’s Hall The perfect introduction to live ballet and music, your little ones will be cheering along as a playful cast of characters re-tell this classic tale. May 11 and 12 North Leeds Food Festival at Roundhay Park Find live music, family entertainment, activities, demos, kids cooking classes, artisan markets and much more. May 12 Family Workshop: Paint Studio at The Hepworth Wakefield Join artist Rachel Sim to play with painting inspired by the Andrew Cranston: What made you stop here? exhibition. Visit the galleries with your family to explore stories, marks, texture and colour in Andrew Cranston’s paintings. In the Clore Learning Studios add to the painting wall or make your own imaginative artwork using watercolours, oil pastels, paint and wax. May 19 Ministry of Science Live at Lawrence Batley Theatre Dive deep into the world of science and look at how science shapes the modern world we live in with a few loud bangs along the way. 100% Educational. 200% Entertaining. 300% Explosive. 400% Fun. May 23 The Three Bears at Carriageworks Theatre Take your bears for an adventure in the woods, with original music, puppets and a tale you thought you knew (featuring Goldilocks). Every show is a relaxed, friendly and fun theatre
experience for children aged 6 and under and their grown-ups. May 23 to 25 Awful Auntie at The Alhambra Theatre Following their acclaimed productions of Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and Demon Dentist, Birmingham Stage Company are proud to present a fabulous new production of David Walliams’ amazing adventure, featuring a small ghost, a huge owl and a very awful Auntie! May 25 Princess Concert at the Lawrence Batley Theatre Step into a world where fairy tales collide with pop sensation! Be enchanted by the heartwarming story of six princesses who dared to dream beyond the castle walls. May 25 The Little Prince at Lawrence Batley Theatre Through mesmerising puppetry and beautiful music the boy who fell to earth teaches his friend the Aviator about love, life and real happiness in this adaptation of one of the best-selling children's books of all time. May 25 West Riding to West Africa at Leeds Industrial Museum A family-friendly day exploring the incredible story of how engineering linked West Yorkshire and Sierra Leone in West Africa. There will be fun children’s activities, a display of model trains and family railway films shown in the tiny 1930s-style cinema, the Palace Picture House. Drop-in, included with admission. May 25 Discover in a Day at Yorkshire Sculpture Park Spark your family’s imagination and support your young person to achieve their Arts Award Discover. Take part in creative activities that will get everyone’s minds thinking, hands making and imaginations soaring. Suitable for all ages six plus and anyone up to the age of 25 can achieve their Arts Award. All children must be supervised. Familiesonline.co.uk