Summer is here - free and low-cost activities for children and young people - Camden Rise

Summer is here and there are lots of fantastic free and low-cost creative and performing arts, sports and physical activities, youth and play projects, as well as trips, on offer for children and young people in Camden.

Check out these activities and programmes:

• Camden Summer University. Aged 13 to 19? Live in Camden, go to a Camden state school, attend a Camden Council youth centre or have a Camden social worker? Choose from nearly 70 free courses in arts, media, fashion, sport, cookery, work and life skills at venues across the borough. The programme runs from Thursday 25 July to Friday 23 August. Bookings now open - check the website to book your places
• Camden Schools Art Biennale. This summer, a new Camden Schools Art Biennale is coming to Granary Square, King’s Cross. From 11 to 17 July, visitors to the free exhibition at the Lethaby Gallery, 1 Granary Square N1C, will be able to explore hundreds of artworks by Camden children and young people of all ages – from primary and special schools to secondary schools, through to A-level. Open from 11am to 6pm daily. Find out more
• Give It A Go Festival. Join Hampstead Heath’s sport, health and wellbeing festival for all ages on Sunday 14 July, from 1pm to 4pm. Bring your friends and family for this fun, free day and try a new sport or activity - including football, tennis, athletics, fitness activities, table tennis, rugby, orienteering, croquet, pétanque (boules / bowls), meditation, nature crafts and activities, wildlife interpretation. There will be food and drink, music and dance on the Parliament Hill Fields bandstand from Latin band Los Domingos, as well as the Great Hampstead Bark Off dog show from All Dogs Matter (from 11am to 4pm). Find out more or download a poster / flyer
• Summer Holiday Activities and Food Programme. Runs from 25 July to 30 August; open for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who live in Camden and are eligible for free school meals. The programme offers free, fun activities and nutritional education - from learning to make healthy meals, to creative activities, including photography, drama, arts and crafts, and sports such as football and basketball. A free hot meal is included as part of each day’s activities. Find out more and book your places
• Sports and physical activities. Summer activities for children and young people run from Wednesday 23 July to Friday 30 August. These include Kids Swim for a Quid (£1) in local leisure centres; free Girls Get Moving Mondays sessions at Talacre Community Sports Centre on Monday 5 and 12 August, as well as Girls Get Moving Week from Monday 19 to Friday 23 August, 11am to 4pm each day; free Arsenal in the Community football training sessions for both primary and secondary school ages at Cantelowes Gardens Sports Pitch; Active Wednesday free multi-sports activities at Talacre Community Sports Centre on Wednesday 31 July, 7 and 14 August, 4pm to 6pm. Visit the website - or you can download the full programme. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] 
• Holiday youth programmes. Check out youth projects near you on Camden Rise's youth clubs and projects page
• Holiday play schemes for ages 4 to 12. The play provision in Camden is run by community and voluntary organisations, funded by the Council. These holiday schemes can cater for children and young people with varying needs. Find out more and book
• Play Day. Free annual celebration of children's play and National Play Day - taking place at Coram's Fields, 93 Guilford Street, WC1N 1DN, on Wednesday 7 August, 12noon to 4pm. Activities include a giant inflatable obstacle course, mini Olympic Games, arts and crafts activities, cartoon character mascots, balloon modelling, trampolining, silent disco and more. For all children aged 0 to 16. All activities are free, no ticket or booking required. Find out more
• The Pirate Castle Summer Holiday Scheme. Have fun, get active and make waves with a range of paddlesport and canal boating activities run by accredited, experienced British Canoeing instructors, qualified staff, skippers and volunteers. For ages 8 to 17 (up to 25 with low to moderate additional needs). Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August, 10am to 3.30pm each day. Find out more