THE school summer holidays have arrived, but are you wondering how to entertain your children for the next six weeks?
Help is at hand with The Gazette's handy guide to family fun over the summer, from free activities to one-off events, there's a whole range of ideas to keep you busy.
If there is anything we have missed, please provide the details using the comments section below and we will add these to the list.
JULY
Manydown Maize Maze
July 18 to September 4
10am to 5pm
Scrapps Hill Farm, Worting Road
Along with a giant two acre living crop maze, there is also adventure play, farmyard animals, an inflatable slide, tractor and trailer rides, crazy golf, trampolines and a bouncy castle.
Prices from £9.25 for adults and £8.25 for children
manydownfamilyfun.co.uk
Kids Football Coaching
July 18 to August 2
9am to 4pm
Powerleague, Brighton Hill
£10
powerleague.co.uk
Mystery of the Vanishing Queen
July 19 to October 30
Milestones Museum
An interactive mystery in the Victorian streets of Milestones
Prices from £10 for adults and £6.30 for children (includes entry to the museum)
hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk/whats-on
Children's craft and colouring
July 23
10am
Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Part of the national Love Parks Week
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Totally Tennis taster session
July 23
From 10am
Part of the national Love Parks Week
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Thai Food and Craft Festival
July 23 to July 24
Experience an array of authentic Thai food, crafts and music
War Memorial Park
£3
Facebook basingstokethaifoodandcraftfestival
Family Fun Day
July 23
11am to 2pm
Cornerstone Nursery, Priestley Road
Donkey rides, bouncy castle, games and performances
Free
Tree Climbing
July 23, August 5, August 20 and September 2
10am to 3.45pm
The Vyne Sherborne St John
The Great Big Tree Climbing Company is visiting The Vyne to help you enter a tree's canopy using ropes whilst securely attached in a harness
£20
Call 0800 0556760
St Michael's Hospice Big Wheel Bike Ride
July 24
9am
Down Grange Sports Complex
Routes of 65 miles, 21 miles, 39 miles or a family five mile ride
Prices start from £10 for adults and £6 for children
stmichaelshospice.org.uk/BigWheel.html
Tadley Concert Brass
July 24
3pm to 5pm
Eastrop Park Bandstand
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Paw Patrol
July 24
11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
Paw Patrol will visit the shopping centre for a special narration
Free
festivalplace.co.uk
Pop-up Play Session
July 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29
2pm to 3.30pm
Rooksdown playing field and Sullivan Road green space in Brighton Hill
Design your own insect and other activities
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Health Walk
July 25
10.45am
Meet at Eastrop Park boathouse for a choice of two or three walks
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/healthwalks
Bug Hunt
July 25 and 27
10am to 11am
Glebe Gardens, Basingstoke
Meet by the information sign near Chute House
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Pond Dipping
July 25
1pm to 3pm
Eastrop Park
Meet at the pond dipping platform, signposted from the boathouse
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Tai Chi Taster
July 25
12.30pm to 1.15pm
War Memorial Park
Meet by the War Memorial Park outside Civic Offices
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Summer Streetz
July 25 to August 26
Various locations across the borough
Providing activities such as street dance and laser tag for 11 to 17-year-olds
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/streetz
Make and Take Tuesday
July 26, August 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
10.30am to 12.30pm
Enjoy fun crafts at the mill
£1 per child
whitchurchsilkmill.org.uk
Pond Dipping
July 27
10am to 12pm
Eastrop Park
Meet at the pond dipping platform, signposted from the boathouse
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
CHaOS Science Roadshow
July 27
10am to 5pm
Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Join the CHaOS team, a group of students from Cambridge University when their roadshow visits Basingstoke. Try out a range of different experiments from extracting the DNA from kiwi fruit to getting messy in gooey cornflower
hants.gov.uk/library/bsdc.htm
Zootropolis Kids Cinema
July 27
2pm to 3.30pm
Tadley Community Centre
£1.50
Call 01189814538
Make and sail a model boat
July 27
11am to 3pm
Eastrop Park boating lake
Make and sail a model boat with the Model Boat Club
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
High School Musical
July 28 to July 30
The Haymarket Theatre
Disney's hit musical comes to life on stage
Prices from £13
anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on
Under the Sea Party
July 29 12noon
Playdays Indoor Playcentre
A party to celebrate the release of Finding Dory with a treasure hunt, disco and hot meal
£10
playdays-basingstoke.co.uk
Taste at The Top of Town
July 31
Market Place
Celebrity chef Brian Turner will join a host of regional chefs to prepare some mouth watering dishes
Free
topofthetown.org/
Dog Show
July 31
11am to 6pm
War Memorial Park
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Bioblitz
July 31
10am to 4pm
Mill Field, Old Basing
Fun activities for all the family including wildlife safaris and pond dipping
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
AUGUST
Big Art Workshop
August 1
10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm
Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Get sticky and creative with this Roald Dahl themed workshop
£5
hants.gov.uk/library/bsdc.htm
Pop-up Play Session
August 1, 2, 4 and 5
Beggarwood (10am to 11.30am) and Eastrop Park (2pm to 3.30pm)
Design your own insect and other activities
Free
basingstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
How You Can Help Honeybees
August 2
2pm to 3pm
Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Talk from a local beekeeper about how to help honeybees. All children will receive a free packet of 'bee friendly' seeds
£3
hants.gov.uk/library/bsdc.htm
National Play Day
August 3
11am to 4pm
Eastrop Park
Fun activities for all the family
Free
basinstoke.gov.uk/loveparks
Kung Fu Panda 3 Kids Cinema
August 3
2pm to 3.30pm
Tadley Community Centre
£1.50
Call 01189814538
Dance and Drama Workshop
August 5
2pm and 2.25pm
Basingstoke Discovery Centre
Using drama, dance and singing children will be trained up as pirates and mermaids to be taken on a thrilling voyage to Neverland where they will rescue treasure from Captain Hook
£2
hants.gov.uk/library/bsdc.htm
Oakley Village Show
August 6
2pm
Oakley Junior School
Jazz band, stalls, dog show and arena performances
£1 for adults free for those aged 17 and under
Battle Proms Picnic Concert
August 6
4pm
Highclere Castle
The famous castle will play host to the UK's premier picnic concert series
Tickets from £37 for adults and £18 for children
highclerecastle.co.uk/events
Maps and Compass Challenge
August 7
12noon to 1pm
The Vyne Sherborne St John
Put your map reading skills to the test in a prepared activity in the grounds of The Vyne
£3
Call 01256 883858
Miniature Train Rides
August 7
11am to 4pm
Viables Craft Centre
Ride around a 1,000 foot track on a miniature train
£1.50
Jungle Book Kids Cinema
August 10
2pm to 3.30pm
Tadley Community Centre
£1.50
Call 01189814538
Family Play Day
August 10
11am to 3pm
The Hurst Leisure Centre
A family fun day with activities including facepainting, arts and crafts and bouncy castle
£5 per family
hurstcentre.co.uk
London Dungeons Coach Trip
August 17
8.30am to 6pm
Tadley Community Centre
£40 adult £35 children
tadleycommunitycentre.org.uk
Alvin and the Chipmunks Kids Cinema
August 17
2pm to 3.30pm
Tadley Community Centre
£1.50
Call 01189814538
Tile making for The Vyne roof project
August 20
10am to 3pm
The Vyne Sherborne St John
In preparation for The Vyne's roof project starting in the autumn, visitors are invited to make their own roof tiles.
Free (normal admission charges apply)
nationaltrust.org.uk/the-vyne
Norm of the North Kids Cinema
August 24
2pm to 3.30pm
Tadley Community Centre
£1.50
Call 01189814538
Make a Trail with Sticks
August 27
The Vyne, Sherborne St John
12pm to 1pm
A chance to create a secret trail marked out with sticks
£1 plus normal admission
nationaltrust.org.uk/events
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