Free summer holiday events across the West Midlands

With six long weeks to fill until the children go back to school, keeping everyone entertained can be daunting for parents.

And with rising costs, expensive attractions can be a struggle for many families.

But the BBC has found a host of attractions and events across the West Midlands that offer free admission for children, with the vast majority free for whole family.

They span festivals, arts trails, and cinema screenings, as well as government-funded activities for eligible children.

• The latest in Birmingham's annual sculpture trails focuses on the beloved cartoon beagle, Snoopy. This family-friendly trail around the city centre features 12 sculptures of Charles M Schulz's popular animated character, with Snoopy lying on various brightly painted doghouses. Funded by Central BID Birmingham, the trail will raise money for Midlands-based Acorns Children's Hospice, and is on display until 1 September.
• NEC Lakeside is a free family space featuring an outdoor cinema and children's play area, open daily from 09:30 BST. Nestled next to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, visitors can also enjoy a family activity trail, garden games and streetfood. Films being screened include an array of animated classics, from The Incredibles and Beauty and the Beast to Zootopia and Kung Fu Panda. NEC Lakeside is open until the end of August.
• The annual Birmingham Weekender festival, produced by Birmingham Hippodrome, brings a myriad of performances and installations to the city from Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August. Events will take place across Birmingham at landmarks including the Bullring, Victoria Square and New Street Station.

• Sandwell Summer Festival is taking over Sandwell Valley Country Park on Saturday 1 August. As part of the day, visitors can enjoy stage performances, sports activities, theatre shows and a food village. While the event is free, tickets must be booked in advance. However, the Albion Foundation's annual 'Blind Dave' Heeley Colour Run does charge for admission, to raise funds for the charity.
• Sandwell has free holiday activities and food clubs, with spaces at Old Hill Primary School in Cradley Heath and Burnt Tree Primary School in Tividale, Oldbury, at selected dates in July and August. Children must receive benefit-related free school meals and either live in Sandwell or attend a Sandwell school to qualify. Places must be booked in advance.
• The Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley, Dudley, was built as a glasshouse at the end of the 18th Century and manufactured glass until 1936. Reaching 100ft into the sky for over 200 years, the Grade II*-listed glass cone is one of only four left in the UK. This summer the museum, which has free entry, is also hosting a Magic Faraway Tree trail, as well as glass fusing and summer craft events.
• Elsewhere in Dudley, the Duncan Edwards, Crystal and Halesowen leisure centres will be offering free-swimming during the holidays at set times. Dudley borough libraries will host activities including story, craft and Lego sessions, while the Park Active programme will continue to offer free outdoor exercise sessions for children, adults and families. Dudley Holiday Activities (HAF) will continue to offer holiday activities for children eligible for benefit-related free school meals and other vulnerable groups.
• The New Art Gallery Walsall is running free, drop-in sessions every day from Tuesdays to Sundays for the full summer holidays, with all ages welcome
• There are also free activities as part of Walsall's Holiday Activities and Food programme, funded by the Department of Education

• Free activities and entertainment are taking place across Wolverhampton as part of the Love Your Community fun days. Partners including the council, community organisations and charities, and the police will provide a range of activities for people of all ages, including a bouncy castle, face painting, sports and games, arts and crafts, and gardening, as well as advice and support stalls. The events will be held on Wednesday 29 July at Dunstall Community Centre, 5 August at Big Venture Centre, 12 August at Ettingshall Memorial Hall, and 19 August at East Park Methodist Church, with an eco-themed event taking place at St Chad's Play Space on Wednesday 22 July.
• Yo! Active events, delivered by WV Active and Wolves Foundation, offers free activities to children and young people aged up to 18, or 25 for care leavers or those with a disability, whose family pay council tax to the City of Wolverhampton Council. Children and young people can take their pick from over 40 hours of free physical activity sessions per week, including free swimming, gym and court hire, multi-sport sessions, netball and special activities for the under-fives. This year's programme runs until Friday 28 August.
• School pupils in Wolverhampton can also sign up for free activities programmes being held at City of Wolverhampton College's Wellington Road campus in Bilston. Sessions are tailored to those aged five to10 and 11-16 and include physical activity sessions, team games including glow in the dark football, dodgeball and badminton, interactive learning sessions and creative tasks to improve confidence.

• Shropshire has two free hot air balloon festivals taking place this summer: the Oswestry Balloon Carnival on 22 and 23 August, and the Telford Balloon Fiesta on August 28-30.
• At RAF Museum Midlands in Cosford, which has free entry, visitors can climb aboard two RAF aircraft from 20-24 July: the Nimrod, known as the RAF's secret "spy in the sky" and the VC10, which was used for air-to-air refuelling and transport missions. The museum is also offering a free Airfix Spitfire model-making activity where guests will build and paint their own Spitfire to take home. On 9 August, the RAF Falcons parachute display team will be flying into the RAF Museum at about 12:00 BST before meeting and greeting museum visitors. There is also an outdoor RAF-themed playground with a mock control tower, mini hangar and aircraft to climb aboard.
• Young people across Telford and Wrekin can enjoy a series of free football sessions at Oakengates Leisure Centre during the summer holidays. Sessions are for 11 to 17-year-olds and will be delivered by the 4 All Foundation on a selection of dates in July and August.
• Shropshire also has a variety of free museums and attractions, including the Museums Collection Centre in Ludlow, Much Wenlock Museum, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, and Shrewsbury Castle.
• You can also enjoy the great outdoors, with a quarter of Shropshire designated as an official National Landscape due to its outstanding natural beauty. Severn Valley Country Park, The Mere at Ellesmere, the Shropshire Way and the Humphrey Kynaston Way are among the county's natural attractions.
• The Wellington Orbit cinema is hosting free family films over the holidays every Thursday morning, thanks to a partnership with Wellington Town Council and sponsorship by Housing Plus Group. Booking is required, with films including Charlie the Wonderdog, Flushed Away, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There are also free craft sessions every Tuesday at the Wellington Community Library and Residents Hub.

• Tamworth Borough Council is hosting a programme of free summer activities, including a football camp from 27-31 July, skateboarding lessons from 3-6 August, Clip 'n Climb sessions at Statfold Country Park from 12-14 August, and tennis camps at Tamworth Castle Grounds from 17-21 August. Events must be booked in advance.
• Cannock Chase is bringing its Cannock Chase Can Kids Club Summer Festival for its third year. The six weeks of free activities include arts and crafts, sporting games, gardening projects, nature-based activities and family challenges. Local performer Pep the Poet will also be making special appearances throughout the programme.
• As part of Space, hundreds of activities are running for eight to 17-year-olds across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Activities include raft building, swimming sessions, gym activities, survival skills training, wildlife and outdoor experiences, and kayaking.
• Free summer holiday clubs for children aged five to 12, who receive free school meals, are taking place in Clayton, Silverdale, Talke Pits and Butt Lane, but spaces must be booked online.
• Hundreds of free Summer Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) sessions will be taking place across Stoke-on-Trent as part of The Hubb Foundation's six-week summer holiday programme. Slots must be booked online.

• The Lord Leycester, a historic site which has housed British veterans for 450 years, has more than two acres of gardens set on top of Warwick's medieval town wall. All children under 12 have free entry during the summer holidays and can enjoy two trails, arts and crafts sessions, and try on plenty of costumes. The site is open on Tuesdays to Sundays, as well as Bank Holiday Mondays.
• Warwickshire Museum in Warwick is hosting a range of free and low cost events, with arts workshops, Civil War adventures and historical trails available to enjoy.
• As part of Coventry City Council's HAF programme, eligible children can enjoy free activities such as swimming sessions at The Wave, ice skating at Planet Ice, football with Sky Blues in the Community, as well as sports, dance and coding sessions.
• Stratford Town Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon is running a free summer holiday club at the Community Hub at Venture House from 20-30 July from 10:00-13:00 BST. Activities include a musical instrument session, graffiti arts workshop and a nature reserve visit.
• Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery is located in the grounds of Riversley Park, with permanent exhibitions on local history, fine art, and the author George Eliot.
• Compton Verney, the former Georgian mansion with art collections and a sculpture park, is offering free entry to young people aged 18 and under for the summer holidays.

• Worcestershire has plenty of free museums, including the Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery, Bewdley Museum, and the Tudor House Museum. There is also free entry for Worcester Cathedral and Arrow Valley Country Park.
• Enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors by visiting the Malvern Hills, which has inspired generations of writers and composers, while the Wyre Forest, one of the UK's largest ancient woodlands, offers miles of trails, including the popular Room on the Broom family trail.
• A trail celebrating Worcester's connection to pears is running from 20 July until 4 September. Created in partnership between Worcester BID and Visit Worcestershire, the trail will feature 10 heritage-themed pear sculptures displayed in business windows across Worcester city centre. Bespoke pear blossom artwork will also adorn the windows of 35 businesses in Worcester.
• Hunderton Community Gardens in Hereford is hosting free summer holiday play sessions on selected dates in July and August.
• Herefordshire Council's Here for Herefordshire holiday activities programme provides up to 16 free sessions for eligible families, running between 27 July and 22 August.

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