Happy Yorkshire Day and happy holidays! 

This time of year, it can be a challenge to keep children entertained, particularly on a tight budget, but our Connecting Ripon community organisations have some fantastic free and affordable activities.

Ripon Together have put together a series of free, fun-filled days with partners at various locations around the city for the Summer Fun Fest from 19th to 23rd August. Each day features a blend of sports coaching, games, crafts, and much more, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It’s an opportunity for young people aged 6 to 18 to get active and to try something different. The week sounds a lot of fun and includes cricket and football coaching, circus skills, croquet, drumming, storytelling, and giant sumo wrestling! Find out more at  ripontogether.com/summer-fun-fest/

Families can enjoy a free Slow Summer Nature Trail in the Ripon Walled Garden, Orchard and Woodland over the holidays, as well as tasty and healthy food in the lovely café.  

There is also a new Summer Trail at Ripon Museums, with hands on activities so visitors enjoy an immersive day out, from dressing up, crafting, baking and touring the trio of museums.  

Following the free daily trails in the cathedral allows you to discover animals in the Cathedral Ark, and get a free sticker from the cathedral shop! There are also activities each Tuesday from creating animal masks to finger knitting scarfs for sheep!

You’re going to have a wonderful summer if you enjoy trails, as there is a family-friendly nature trail set up for the holidays at Nosterfield Nature Reserve too, as well as other fun activities. 

Love the outdoors? The popular Forest Schools Activity Day is taking place at Hell Wath on 31st August, whatever the weather! 

The Skell Valley Project runs a monthly conservation volunteer group for young people and they have created a fantastic Watery Wildlife Resource Pack to help people of all ages learn about rivers and their wildlife. 

The Holy Trinity Church Holiday Club, Summer BOOST, is happening again this year, for primary school aged children, with crafts, activities and games, from 27th to 30th August. 

There is always a lot going on for young people at the library and during the holidays it’s the Summer Reading Challenge for children 4-11 years.  There are thousands of books to choose from and it's a great opportunity to try new authors and collect rewards. 

A good way to have fun, make friends, develop skills, confidence and interests is to help out in your community. It’s a chance to have a go at doing something different. It will count towards your Power of 10 volunteering hours so you can achieve awards and rewards, and it could inspire your future career or help on university and job applications. Ripon Museums, the library and Ripon YMCA are just some of the organisations who welcome young volunteers. 

You can be inspired by a range of opportunities at hadca.org.uk/Volunteer/roles-young-people  

1 August 2024