Style Birmingham

The schools have broken up and six longs weeks stretch out ahead … so what can you do with the kids over the holidays? Style Birmingham looks at ways to keep families occupied

With “stay-cation” the buzzword for the summer, many of us are opting to holiday at home. But with the six week school sojourn to fill, it inevitably means bored kids and fractious parents. So why not plan a few exciting trips out in Birmingham over the next 40-odd days to ensure the whole family has a fun summer.

1: A bucket and spade holiday on your doorstep – the Monarch Beach in Chamberlain is open every day until September 13. With more than 110 tonnes of sand, everyone can enjoy a barefoot stroll, relax in a deck chair, listen to live music and enjoy the entertainment. From July 28-September 1, there will also be free 2pm story time sessions every Tuesday afternoon.
For more details visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/beach

2: All the fun of the fair comes to the city on Sunday August 2 for the annual Birmingham Carnival. Kicking off at Perry Park from 1pm-9pm, this free celebration of African-Caribbean culture features a colourful street procession, live music, dancing and traditional food.
For further information visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/carnival

3: Kiddies take over Victoria, Chamberlain and Centenary Squares on Wednesday August 5 for the city’s Play Day event. A whole host of traditional games and activities are planned for children aged 5 to 13, with water slides, sand play and arts and crafts.
For full details see www.playday.org.uk

4: For a trip back to prehistoric times, check out the fascinating Walking with Dinosaurs exhibition at Thinktank. Running until August 31, this BBC showcase features spectacular full-sized replicas and real fossils dating back more than 100 million years.
Visit www.thinktank.ac for details and prices.

5:  Get a peep behind the scenes when Birmingham’s Museum and Art Gallery hosts an Open Day to shows off its storage items on Friday July 31. With bits and bobs from industry, transport, sculpture and natural history to discover, free tours start from 11am-2pm. Advanced booking is adviced and for more details email julia_kirby@birmingham.gov.uk

6: Experience the sights and sounds of Paris, New York and Madrid this summer – without leaving Birmingham. For the perfect credit-crunch holiday, Bullring will be celebrating three of the world’s most exciting cities with a host of fun activities over the coming weeks until August 16.
For information of what’s on check out www.bullringsummerinthecity.com