With the summer almost upon us, keeping the kids entertained isn’t always easy.
To help ease those worries, we’ve compiled a list of just some of the many FREE activities and places to visit with the family and to keep everyone entertained.
Free Events This Summer:
Armed Forces Day (28 June) Queen Victoria Square/King Edward Street:
Enjoy a family fun day out and engage with our Armed Forces, including military displays, live music, information stands and children’s activities.
The Big Malarkey Festival (28 & 29 June) East Park:
A celebration of children’s literature for everyone aged 0 – 16 years, featuring amazing artists, authors, illustrators, performers, poets, writers, musicians, makers, dancers and dreamers!
RomanFest (19 & 20 July) Museum Quarter:
Join the national Festival of Archaeology celebrations with a fun packed weekend of all things Roman. See the Roman army preparing for battle and join in their drills. Meet citizens and Centurions, test your skill at archery or get creative with crafts and pottery inspired by our amazing artefacts.
ZebFest (24 July) Zebedee’s Yard:
Exclusive, FREE event for 11 to 16 year olds. Street Art, Tik Tok/Video Set and Filming, Large Clothes Swap, Silent Disco, Photo Booth, Smoothie Bike, Glitter Bar, Pizza Making , SEND Activities, Live Bands On Stage
Hull Folk & Maritime Festival (11-13 July) Hull Marina:
Celebrate Hull’s Maritime history in music! Events include maritime concerts, singarounds sessions and pop-up buskers’ gigs.
Pride In Hull (26 July) Hull City Centre:
This year Pride in Hull will stretch across the city centre and Zebedee’s Yard, with music performers, street food and family area along with a spectacular parade. This years theme is ‘You’re Welcome’, whether you’re from Hull, have made Hull your home or just visiting – you are welcome here in Hull.
Dino Day (8 August) Queen Victoria Square:
Dinosaurs are coming to Hull! Join us for a fun-filled family friendly day out with a parade of pre-historic favourites, plus interactive activities and stalls. With excitement for all the family it’s a guaranteed to be a totally roar-some day!
Freedom Festival (29-31 August) Hull City Centre:
Freedom Festival is Hull’s award-winning international arts festival. From epic spectaculars unfolding in the city centre to intimate moments where audiences and artists meet – thought-provoking, playful, and powerful performances in public spaces that address the world we live in.
Museums & Galleries:
Learn about our city’s history and heritage in one of Hull’s museums, starting in the Museums Quarter.
Climb aboard at the Streetlife Museum of Transport and enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells of the past, experience 200 years of transport history as you walk down a 1940’s high street, board a tram or enjoy the pleasures of our carriage ride.
At the Hull and East Riding Museum, you can journey through 235 million years of history. From a face-to-face encounter with a woolly mammoth to appreciating the beauty of the stunning mosaics within a Roman bathhouse, the museum displays show what it would have been like to live in the region throughout time.
Celebrate the legacy of Hull’s most famous son William Wilberforce (MP and champion of the abolitionist movement) at his birthplace Wilberforce House. The Grade I listed building has recently re-opened following major conservation work.
Ferens Art Gallery has a magnificent collection of paintings and sculptures, including works by European Old Masters, portraiture, marine painting, and modern and contemporary British art. This summer enjoy Microworld – enter a world filled with digital life forms, vibrant colours and ambient sounds. Microworld is a free family friendly exhibition of immersive digital art. Explore a range of creatures and see how they respond to you and your movements, and to each other. Visit the exhibition until 7 September.
Trails and Walks:
No rods or nets required for the fabulous The Fish Trail, which weaves its way through Hull’s Old Town – simply find the 41 fish in the pavements, from the Warty Doris and Lumpsucker, to the wonderful Brill – don’t forget to collect your certificate from the Welcome Information Centre when you’ve found them all!
It’s lights, camera, action as you walk in the steps of the stars on the Hullywood Trail. Explore Hull’s star-studded streets. Visit the sets of the blockbusters, Netflix originals, BBC icons and award-winning TV shows and walk in the footsteps of the stars.
This summer Hull and East Yorkshire plays host to a parade of wonderful, artist decorated giant rat sculptures with the Mischief Of Rats Trail. Pick-up your free trail booklet, and search out all 45 fabulous rats, each standing almost 6ft tall, each one unique, vibrant and colourful.
This isn’t an ordinary walk The Team GB Family Activity Trail – on your route, there are 13 Team GB signposts to find. Each signpost is brightly-coloured and features the Team GB mascot Pride the Lion, so you can’t miss them!
Still can’t decide? Why not pick up a copy of one of our other trails, in person from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange including:
- Look Up, Look Down Look All Around Trail
- The Blue Plaque Trail.
- The Wilberforce Trail
- The Statue Trail.
- The Lord Mayor’s Centenary Plaque Trail.
If a guided walk’s more your thing, learn about our rich maritime history with a FREE guided tour of the city centre on a Maritime City Guided Walk, a group of dedicated volunteers who are accredited White Badge tours guides are offering guided tours for you to learn more about Hull and how the city has been shaped by its past, present and future. The tours will take place every Thursday and Saturday at 10.30am. Walks also take place on a Sunday at 11.30am and 1.30pm.
Want to discover more? The Museum & Gallery Tours let you can find out more about Hull’s history and heritage. Led by volunteer tour guides volunteers who are Institute of Tourism Guiding Level 2 accredited, these FREE one hour tour of The Streetlife Museum Of Transport, Hull & East Riding Museum Of Archaeology, Wilberforce House and Ferens Art Gallery tell the stories behind some of the fascinating objects in the collections as well as delving into the history of the buildings that are home to the museums. Book here.
Parks and Green Spaces:
Hull has an abundance of beautiful parks and green spaces. Fun galore can be found at all the parks throughout the city, including;
East Park
There is something for everyone in East Park from a children’s water play area to enjoying a game of bowls, banging and bashing with a selection of musical instruments made from reclaimed materials to riding the Splash Boat and Swan Boats. Take a well earned break at the Central Pavillion Café before visiting the free outdoor gym then rounding off your day at the Animal Education Centre.
West Park
West Park, next to the MKM Stadium, features a wildlife aviary, a children’s playground, outdoor gym, skatepark and outdoor table tennis as well as wide open green spaces. Other facilities include three bowling greens, a model railway and a paddling pool (open during the summer holidays).
Pickering Park
Come and join the fun at Pickering Park, home to a fishing lake, playgrounds, outdoor gym and a paddling pool (currently undergoing refurbishment). The park also has beautiful ornamental gardens and a wildlife pond. The Aviary is now open and a must see with collections of African birds, small mammals such as meerkats, porcupines and reptiles including tortoises.
Pearson Park
As the first public park in Hull, Pearson Park is a key part of the city’s heritage and still retains many of its historic features including the original perimeter carriage drive, a serpentine lake and seven Grade 2 listed structures. Not only is Pearson Park one of our most beautiful parks in the city, but it is also a great location to get active. With an outdoor gym on the park grounds, as well as the paths and carriage road acting as simple routes for jogging and running, Pearson Park meets all your fitness needs helping you to stay active and stay healthy while enjoying the outdoors.
Noddle Hill Way Nature Reserve
A hidden gem in North Hull. Home to a tranquil nature reserve and walking routes as well as a scenic fishing lake, the site also contains a children’s play area and sports pitches. The nature reserve is perfect for a leisurely family walk all year round where you can view a variety of species of wildlife as the seasons change. The nature reserve and fishing lake are both accessible from Bransholme Road. The children’s play area and sports pitches are accessible from Noddle Hill Way.
Bude Park
On the doorstep of Kingswood and Bransholme, Bude Park is one of the largest parks in Hull. Bude Park is home to, multi-use games area, outdoor gym, play area, sports pitches and water play area (seasonal) The park can be accessed from Bude Road or Ennerdale.
Alderman Kneeshaw Park
One of the city’s eastern most parks, Alderman Kneeshaw Park can be accessed via Amethyst Road or Valiant Drive. The park is home to, baseball, bowling greens, dog agility area, a children’s play area, water play area (seasonal), trim trail, jogging route taking in the hills on 2 sides of the park and a wildlife area.
Costello and Peter Pan Park
This park is a large open space located in the west of the city located next to Costello Stadium. The park is home to sports pitches on the main field, tennis courts, a children’s play area and a small nature pond.
Oak Road Playing
This 75-acre site, full of wide-open green spaces, sits alongside the western banks of the River Hull. It is home to; fishing lake, numerous paths and walkways, paddling pool (seasonal opening), play area, skate park and trim trail.
