Schools out for summer
Free and low-cost activities across Royal Greenwich for your family this summer holidays.
From free healthy lunches, arts and crafts, computer coding, carnival decorating workshops to sports activities, reading challenges, family festivals, award winning parks, paddling pools and so much more there is something to keep everyone busy.
This webpage is the only thing you need to ensure you and your family don’t miss out this summer!
Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “You don’t need to go far to have a summer to remember. There are endless activities right on your doorstep, many funded by the council, to keep the kids and parents entertained, having fun and making memories all the way till September.
“Babies to teenagers are catered for via our Children’s Centres and Young Greenwich and no one needs to go hungry as we continue to provide healthy lunches for all children, regardless of background, at our libraries.”
Councillor Sandra Bauer, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities, said: “Every year, our summer calendar just gets better, and all at low or no cost. There’s loads of events on as part of Royal Greenwich Festivals including the spectacular Greenwich and Docklands International Festival productions and pure joy of Woolwich Carnival. To get in the carnival spirit Woolwich Works and Tramshed are holding a series of family-friendly prop decorating workshops over the school holidays too.
“Don’t forget all our award-winning parks, libraries, free paddling pools, playgrounds and adventure play centres or the other great venues in our borough like Royal Greenwich Museums, Woolwich Works, Tramshed and Greenwich Theatre too.”
What’s on...
Holiday Food and Fun
Free holiday club places and healthy lunches over the summer holidays funded by the council for school-aged children (4 to 16) who are eligible for or receiving benefits . There are over 23,000 individual places available this year, including 2,380 places available for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Each eligible family can sign up to 16 days of free holiday provision across the summer.
More about Holiday Food and Fun
Holiday meals
Free holiday meals are on offer for all children this summer in our libraires, leisure centres and adventure play centres. No need to sign up, just turn up and tuck in.
What’s on in our libraries
The council’s libraries, run by Better, have a wealth of free things to do all year round. Including computer coding, Lego clubs, art and crafts and the annual summer reading challenge....
Summer reading challenge
The theme of this year’s summer reading challenge is ‘Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors’. Children can sign up for the challenge at their local library where they can also collect a poster and stickers. If they read six library books over the holidays and before 14 September, they’ll be awarded a medal.
Find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge
Free summer festivals
The council’s summer celebration is back with over 25 free Royal Greenwich Festivals events bringing music, dance, theatre, food, arts and carnival culture to every corner of the borough. The programme runs to Sunday 14 September and features a diverse range of festivals, performances, exhibitions and workshops delivered by both local and international artists, organisations and performers.
GDIF (22 August to 6 September)
On 22 August Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) London’s leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts starts. GDIF forms part of the Royal Greenwich Festivals, an annual series of high-quality events organised by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to celebrate cultural vibrancy, and is the flagship annual event produced by FESTIVAL.ORG. Extraordinary events will be happening across Woolwich, Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich Park and Thamesmead.
Royal Greenwich Festivals: What’s on
Woolwich Carnival (13 September, noon to 8pm)
Join Woolwich Carnival and Taru Arts to celebrate a decade of colour, culture, and community spirit right in the heart of Woolwich! There will be a community parade, live music, dance, arts and crafts, face painting, and food stalls.
Woolwich Carnival making workshops (free)
Join TARU Arts for FREE drop-in workshops and have fun making carnival decorations and props for Woolwich Carnival. Make beautiful decorations for this year’s carnival and learn how to reuse materials in a creative way with TARU artists. We will make decorations for the square and props to be used in the carnival parade. Everyone is welcome to join the carnival on Saturday 14 September. Suitable for all (children must be accompanied by an adult)
- Tuesday 13 August 1pm to 5pm - Woolwich Works
- Thursday 22 August 2pm to 6pm - Woolwich Library
- Tuesday 27 August 1pm to 5pm - Woolwich Works
- Thursday 29 August 2pm to 6pm – Tramshed
- Thursday 5 September 2pm to 6pm - Woolwich Library
- Thursday 12 September 2pm to 6pm – Tramshed
Find out more about the Woolwich Carnival making workshops
Young Greenwich (ages 8 to 19 or up to 25 for those with disabilities)
Young Greenwich is our youth support service. It offers young people aged 8 to 19 (or up to 25 for those with disabilities) the opportunity to attend youth hubs, take part in free or affordable activities, get support and advice and enjoy a fun, safe and welcoming environment. We have four There are 4 youth hubs across the borough - Avery Hill in Eltham, Hawksmoor in Thamesmead, Valley Central in Charlton and Woolwich Common in Woolwich. Every week there are more than 70 activities on offer, Monday to Saturday.
Find out what’s on at your nearest Young Greenwich youth hub
Other activities for teenagers
Tramshed in Woolwich is running ‘The Story Within – Workshops' for 12 to 18 year olds on 28, 31 July and 4, 7 August. Over four creative workshops, you’ll get hands-on with visual art and performing arts activities that will help you discover how to tell your story. You’ll be guided by amazing artists: Bettina Fung, a visual artist, and Vinna Law, an actor, writer, and interdisciplinary artist. At the end, there’s an optional sharing event where you can show your work to friends and family in our main theatre space. Fee: Pay what you can: £3, £8 or £10 for the programme. Find out more.
Parks, paddling pools and adventure playgrounds
Fifteen of our parks and green spaces received the prestigious Green Flag award - the international benchmark for well-managed, accessible, and biodiverse public spaces - from Keep Britain Tidy. We also have two free paddling pools in Winn’s Common and Horn Fair and many free adventures playgrounds (children ages six and up).
Find your nearest park, playground, adventure playground or paddling pool
What’s on at our children’s centres and family hubs (ages 0 to five)
The council funds 10 children's centres including four family hubs which are a one stop shop for families with small children and run a huge range of free and low-cost activities including midwifery appointments, stay & play, sensory sessions and more...
What’s on at Brookhill Children’s Centre, Eglinton Children’s Centre and Slade Children’s Centre
What’s on at Charlton and Quaggy Children’s Centres
What’s on at Eltham, Storkway and Vista Fields Children’s Centre
What’s on Mulberry Park Children's Centre
What’s on at Waterway’s Children’s Centre
Greenwich Get Active
Find sport and exercise activities for children, adults and the whole family on the Greenwich Get Active website. It’s Greenwich's one stop shop for all things physical activity around the borough.
Inspired by the Lionesses? Find women and girls’ football opportunities near you
What’s on at the borough’s theatres, art centres and venues
Support the borough’s local venues. There’s something for everyone at Woolwich Works, Tramshed, Greenwich Theatre and Royal Greenwich Museums this summer.
What’s on Royal Greenwich Museums
Take part in Greenwich in Bloom
Keen gardeners under the age of 18 could win a Coolings Garden Centre by taking part in our annual Greenwich in Bloom competition and they will all receive a certificate and packet of seeds. Find out more and how to enter.
Local discounts with your OneCard
Check OneCard for local discounts to keep the family entertained over the summer.
There are various offers including escape rooms, music lessons, children's parties, bubble tea, fresh juice, crepes and waffles.
Best of the rest
The Hundred Club (free and open to 5 to 12 year olds) is a creative experimental creative space that uses arts and play. The club was developed by artist Ruth Beale and is produced by Taco! And funded by the Council. Sessions are run in Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, Plumstead and Woolwich. Find out more about The Hundred Club.
And it doesn’t end there – check out our events calendar for events happening every day in all areas of Royal Greenwich.
What have we missed?
Is your organisation running something free or low cost for families this summer holiday? If so add for free to our events calendar and tag us in your social media if you’re on Facebook or Instagram and we will share as many as we can.