The summer holidays have arrived and with them comes the ongoing questions of just how to keep the kids entertained for six whole weeks.
Luckily in Merseyside there's no shortage of great things to do and see during the summer months. Whether you are looking to keep things cheap with a trip to the museum or fancy splurging on a day trip, we've found some of the best things to do during the summer break.
READ MORE: Things to do with the kids in Liverpool over the summer holidays
This summer will see Liverpool host a number of festivals, adventures and things to do - with some events returning for the first time since lockdown in 2020. This year LIMF returns in a new format, while new festivals and events launch for the first time - you can find out where, when and how to plan your visit below.
Below, we’ve taken a look at a huge range of events taking place in Liverpool and beyond this summer to keep your break fun, full and entertaining. From full family days out to free local activities, check out our guide to summer in Merseyside:
Princes Park festival
A free festival will take place at Princes Park later this month, in order to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s family visiting Liverpool. The event will take place on Saturday, July 23 from 12.30pm until 5.30pm.
The event is part of a week-long celebration being organised by Toxteth-based charity Mandela8, which commissioned an official memorial in the park that is almost complete. The festival will feature a range of traders selling food, drinks, arts and crafts, as well as free family workshops from the likes of Movema, LFC’s Open Goals Project, Katumba, LUSH, North West Cancer Research and Scouse Flowerhouse.
RedBall Project
One of the world's longest running street artworks has arrived in Liverpool - and it's staying until July 24. The RedBall Project, which has been showcased across the world, will appear in different areas around the city.
Some locations will be tourist hotspots, others will be more local, and some will be surprising, allowing audiences to discover the spectacle with the aim of offering audiences a moment of joy while also encouraging them to think differently about the places around them.
Where to see RedBall Liverpool
Friday, July 15 - Royal Albert Dock Liverpool
Saturday, July 16 - Pier Head
Sunday, July 17 - St George's Hall
Monday, July 18 - Chinatown
Tuesday, July 19 - Dale Street
Wednesday, July 20 - Windsor Street, Toxteth
Thursday, July 21 - Lord Street
Friday, July 22 - Baltic Triangle
Saturday, July 23 - Everton Brow
Sunday, July 24 - Liverpool ONE
BRICKLIVE at Knowsley Safari
Knowsley Safari has welcomed the BRICKLIVE trail, making it home to 27 life size animals made out of tiny bricks this summer.
The brick models, which include a Bengal tiger, giant panda and gorilla, can be found within Knowsley Safari’s Foot Safari, placed among the real giraffes, meerkats, Amur tigers and bush dogs. Brick builders spent more than 5,000 hours creating the 27 model animals, totalling 211 days and using more than 1.1 million bricks.
All 27 of the life-sized brick animals feature on the Red List of Threatened Species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Endangered Species BRICKLIVE event at Knowsley Safari runs until Sunday, September 4, 2022.
You must book tickets for the Safari Park online here ahead of your visit.
Jurassic Adventure
Otterspool Adventure is hosting a dinosaur themed event this summer holidays. Jurassic Adventure will transport people back 200 million years to when dinosaurs roamed the land.
Visitors will get to take a tour of the Dino Discovery Centre, explore the Jurassic Trail to see how many life size dinosaurs you can spot, and uncover fossils in the Archaeological Dig There will also be a prehistoric parade and a DINOTECH2000 LAB where visitors are invited inside to join Ranger Joey and his fearless friends in a fun filled, action packed 30 minute live show.
Jurassic Adventure runs from August 6 to 14 at Otterspool Adventure, on Otterspool Drive. Tickets are £20 per child, £10 per adult, £10 for children aged 12-23 months, £7.50 concessions and under ones go free. Ticket prices include access to all of the usual park attractions, including adventure golf, ‘racing rangers’, bouncing pillow, mini go karts, diggers, sandpit and playground. People can stay in the play area all day, to make use of the activities. You can book tickets to Jurassic Adventure here.
Storybarn at Calderstones Park
Storybarn is set to host its biggest summer ever, with events planned throughout the school holidays. In July, families can take part in a new, self-led outdoor summer trail based on the picture book The Story Thief by Graham Carter.
Family tickets include a map for everyone and a copy of the book to take home and enjoy again and again. Throughout August, the Storybarn will be hosting Fishing for Stories; a nautical-themed adventure involving seaside games and sea shanties, and I Spy A Story, a part-imaginative play, part-escape room experience,
There are also three new Welly Walks this summer, starting with a Beatles-themed Swinging into the 60s walk on Wednesday, July 27. The August 29 walk will explore Unearthing the Past and the September 11 walk will be centre on the ancient Calder Stones based in the park. For details of The Reader’s activities at Calderstones and how to get involved, visit www.thereader.org.uk.
Free cycling
Adults and children can gain access to free cycling training this summer thanks to Cycle Confident and BikeRIght and funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. There will be hundreds of sessions taking place throughout the summer and they’re available to anyone who lives, works or studies in Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton.
Adults will be able to choose between sessions based on their needs - basic, urban and advanced - which all have different levels of skill required. For children in school year three and above, there are a number of ‘learn to ride and bikeability’ sessions.
It is recommended that you bring your own bike and helmet, though there are some bikes available to loan. To find out more and book your session, click here.
Chester Zoo sunset visits
This summer, Chester Zoo is giving visitors the chance to see its 27,000 animals when its gates are usually closed. The attraction is hosting a series of four Into the Night evenings.
The events will provide a rare opportunity to experience the zoo until sunset. For four nights only on Friday, July 29, Saturday, July 30, Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13, Chester Zoo will be open from 5:30pm until 9pm. Along with the chance to explore the zoo's 128 acres at sunset, the events will also feature live entertainment, including acrobatics, dance and music performances.
Find out more here.
Free swimming
Lifestyles centres are helping kids keep active for free this school holiday, with a new initiative. From Wednesday, July 20, children aged 16 and under can swim for free at all seven Lifestyles pools, seven days a week.
Children can take advantage of the initiative as much as they’d like. All they need to do is sign up to be a junior casual member and this can be done online here to save time doing it at a Lifestyles centre.
The scheme runs from Wednesday, July 20 to Wednesday, August 31. Children under eight must be accompanied in the water by an adult, with at least one adult per two children.
Lifestyles Centres offering free swimming for children this summer are:
Alsop
Aquatics at Wavertree
Austin Rawlinson
Ellergreen
Everton Park
Garston
Park Road
Restaurants where kids eat free
Kids can eat free at a number of restaurants across Liverpool this summer. As the cost of living continues to rise, the cost of essential items such as food and bills have risen considerably, leaving many families struggling.
Luckily in Liverpool, many restaurants are offering free food for little ones. Among them are Future Inns, Preto, Whitbread Inns, and more. Find the full list here.
Deva Fest
A three-day music, food and lifestyle extravaganza is heading to Chester Lakes this summer, on August 12-14. Deva Fest is a family festival which will feature a host of activities and attractions such as mermaids, pirates and parades, funfair rides, fancy dress competitions and a line-up of household names on the main music stage.
They include headliners Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Heather Small, singer-songwriter and pop-rap princess Betty Boo, and bands Scouting for Girls and Dodgy.
Mermaid Cove is a new attraction for 2022, featuring aquatic acrobatics from mermaids and mermen in an incredible custom-made 10,000-litre, 10-metre-long tank – Europe’s largest. For more information about Deva Fest and to book visit www.devafest.co.uk
Go Quest Adventures
A new way to explore the city will be coming to Liverpool this summer in the form of Go Quest Adventures. The company will be turning the streets into an adventure playground by designing trails around the city. Teams of up to five people can unlock the trail by finding clues, solving puzzles and completing team challenges.
The trails are designed to highlight Liverpool’s attractions whilst learning some fun facts and competing for places on the city leaderboard too. Those who conquer a quest can then be entered into a monthly prize draw. The two and a half to three hour quests are priced at £27.95 for a group of up to five people, but the company is offering an introductory discount code of 20% off a first quest with the code PLAYTODAY.
To find out more about GoQuest, click here.
Maize maze and fruit picking at Kenyon Hall Farm
There’s plenty to do at Warrington-based Kenyon Hall Farm this summer. The farm’s popular maize maze attraction is back for 2022 with a special magical theme. Navigate the winding paths through the maze on the hunt for the wizard, unicorns and other magical characters.
Kenyon Hall Farm is also open for fruit picking, with tickets available for the farm’s strawberry picking experience. August will see the farm’s sunflower experience open for visitors. Take a walk through several acres of stunning flowers with the chance to take plenty of photos and pick some sunflowers yourself. To find out more about Kenyon Hall Farm, click here.
Theatre shows at Southport Botanic Gardens
Families can enjoy a summer of theatre performances at Southport Botanic Gardens. Starting on July 21, family-friendly shows will be taking place every Thursday at 12pm and 2.30pm.
During the summer break, families will be treated to performances of The Wizard of Oz, The Secret Garden, Pinocchio, Three Little Pigs, Martha The Cat’s Great Big Adventure and The Dragon Who Lost His Home.
To find out more and to purchase tickets, click here.
Southport Flower Show
Taking place from August 18-21 in Victoria Park, Southport Flower Show has something for the whole family to enjoy. Celebrity guests include Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Alijaz Skojanec, children’s entertainer Justin Fletcher and chef Dave Critchley.
There will be a range of live entertainment taking place, including a motorcycle stunt show, birds of prey and a dog display. Food lovers can enjoy a visit to the show’s food village, where you can watch some of the nation’s most loved chefs share their knowledge while they cook live as well as sampling and purchasing produce from over 50 gourmet producers. To find out more and purchase tickets, click here.
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder
Situated at the World Museum, this exhibit is a must-see for Doctor Who fans. The imaginative exhibition explores the world of science within the universe of Doctor Who, allowing guests to explore the past, present and future of the Earth. More information can be found here.
LIMF
Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) will return to the city for the first time since 2019. The festival is set to return from July 29 - 31.
This year, the festival is making a move from its usual home at Sefton Park and will instead take place across multiple venues in the city centre. The move has been prompted in a bid to re-energise and support the city’s music sector which was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A number of artists have now been announced for LIMF’s return, including British reggae and pop band legends UB40 ft Ali Campbell, iconic American hip hop trio De La Soul, Liverpool royalty The Zutons and Red Rum Club. All-female DJ Collective Girls Don’t Sync, Kojey Radical, House Gospel Choir and Heather Small are also among the first acts to be announced for LIMF 2022.
LIMF is set to take over around 25 venues in Liverpool in July, with a number already confirmed. Among them are the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the Bombed Out Church, Invisible Wind Factory, 24 Kitchen Street, District, Arts Club Liverpool and Camp and Furnace.
For full details of the line-up to date, and to get your hands on Early Bird tickets, head to www.limfestival.com . Ticket prices will vary per venue, with prices starting from £5 to £35 plus booking fee. Some events will be free but are ticketed.
Liverpool ONE trails
Get close to nature in the heart of the city with Liverpool ONE’s Nature Trail. The self-guided tour offers kids aged four to 11 the chance to interact with the natural environment of Chavasse Park. Pick up a booklet from the information centre and get exploring.
Trentham Monkey Forest
Located in Stoke-on-Trent, Trentham Monkey Forest is an ideal choice for a family day out with a difference. The woodlands and meadows are home to 140 monkeys living in freedom, allowing you to walk amongst free-roaming Barbary macaque monkeys and learn more about the incredible animals. To find out more, click here.
Hollywood Bowl
You can’t beat getting competitive with a spot of bowling and Hollywood Bowl is making it more affordable to enjoy a game this summer. Take a break from the heat with 25% off games bowled before 11am as well as enjoying a range of games in Hollywood Bowl’s amusement area. Refuel with hot dogs, burgers and shakes at the centre’s American Diner, with food for a family of four starting from £20.
Guests are advised to pre-book via the Hollywood Bowl website, which you can visit here.
Imagine That! creative play
Science and discovery centre, Imagine That! is to host its own summer festival, as well as being open every day during the school holidays .
The centre, which is based in Wavertree Technology Park, will have tropical slime, magnets to paint, huge paper flowers and fun science experiments to keep the kids entertained.
To find out more, click here.
Be a Junior Wetland Ranger at Martin Mere
Martin Mere has launches its Junior Wetland Rangers, where families can visit every day until September 4 for fun-filled activities such as flamingo health checks, pond dipping, and bird ringing. There will also be arts and crafts.
Other events on offer include Martin Mere's award-winning canoe safari and meeting its wetland superstars such as adorable otters. Prices start from £14.50 for adults and £7.77 for children. Kids under four go free.
Find out more here.
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