Summerlee Museum are offering a Summer packed full of family activities! From event days to daily activities to keep the kids entertained, we have you covered! Find out more about what is happening below. Please note, some activities must be booked in advance.
Summer activities throughout the school holidays
FREE Afternoon Activities
1pm -3pm
Suitable for all ages with adult accompaniment
FREE, Drop-In
Summer holiday afternoons are for free family activities. Activities will vary from day to day, depending on the weather. Check at reception to find out what today’s activity is. Activities include: Nature Walks, Washday, Mystery Objects, Brass Rubbings, Arts and Crafts, Dress-Up and many more. All free and no need to book.
Immersive Thursdays
Every Thursday (except 31st July), 1pm-3pm
Suitable for all ages with adult accompaniment
FREE, Drop-In
Try out our Immersive Space, where you can play games or visit far off lands, all in gigantic 270 degrees projection.
Zoolab Animal Encounter
Wednesday 2 July, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm & 3pm
£6
Suitable for ages 2 years+
Booking available soon
A chance to meet and handle a variety of different creatures and insects while you learn about their habits and features.
Den Building in the Summerlee Woods
Thursdays in July (3, 10, 17 and 24) and Thursday 7 August
Monday 14 and 28 July and 4 August
10.30am – 12.30pm
£12
Suitable for ages 5 years+ with adult help
Booking available soon
Build your own den in the Summerlee Woods. Summerlee Museum staff will be on hand with tips and tricks for building the best den. All equipment is supplied.
Once your den is built there will be games and a chance to relax in your den. Why not bring a picnic or a book to read?
One ticket provides one den building kit for your group to use. This activity is best for children aged 5 and above, but children of any age can participate. Groups must have at least one adult present at all times.
Wear clothing suitable for outdoor activity and uneven ground. Be prepared for wet weather – only high winds will prevent this activity from taking place.
Travelling Gallery – Seedlings: Diasporic Imaginaries
Summerlee Museum | Tue 8 Jul
10am–4pm | FREE
Visit this unique art gallery in a bus and explore drawing, sculpture, film and printmaking in this powerful mobile exhibition that combines nature, migration and imagination.
No booking required.
Silly Science
Wednesdays 9 and 16 July, 10.30am, 11.30am, 1pm & 2.30pm
£6
Suitable for ages 2 years+
Booking available soon
Join the Silly Science crew for a messy bout of explosive science activities.
Activities include: Silly slime spectacular; make and keep your own slimy creations, learning about polymers and how they work, in a fun and creative way!
Learn about the world of chemical reactions with some explosive experiments.Sessions last 30 minutes and are suitable for children (and adults) aged 4 and over.
This is a MESSY activity – so don’t wear your fancy clothes.
Please arrive 5 minutes before your time. Latecomers may not be admitted and no refunds are given in this event.
All children must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult.
Retro Music STEM Challenge
Tuesdays and Friday from 15 July – 5 August (Tue 15, Fri 18, Tue 22, Fri 25, Tue 29, Fri 1, Tue 5), 10.30am – 12noon
£6
Suitable for ages 7 years+
Booking available soon
Learn about the science behind speakers and headphones and explore the ways we listened to music in the past.
Most of us use speakers and headphones everyday to enjoy the music we love, and in this family STEM challenge you can find out how they work and even build a simple one out of a paper cup and some basic electrical components. We’ll test your speaker on a selection of old school audio equipment, whilst enjoying some tunes from our exhibition, Everything Flows. We’ll explore music formats from the days when a mixtape was something you held in your hand and not something you posted on your social media. This fun family STEM challenge will introduce children to the science behind their headphones and give parents a chance to show them how cool they used to be still are. If you’ve ever rewound a tape with a pencil, you can help your kids build a speaker, so they can listen to some proper music for once.
Ticket provides one kit for a child and an adult helper to build a speaker with. For groups with more than one child we recommend one kit per child and an adult helper for every three children.
Guitar Pick Crafts
Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July, 1-3pm
£2
Suitable for all ages with adult accompaniment
Get in the spirit of our summer exhibition Everything Flows by repurposing guitar picks into cool trinkets: keyrings, bracelets, let your imagination go wild.
Events
Fair Monday Fun Day
Monday 21 July, 10am – 5pm
Join us for a day of family fun! Burn off some energy on the bouncy castle (free) or at the play park, visit our free World of Wings show with owls and other birds of prey, enjoy an ice cream from Capocci Man and take part in indoor and outdoor games
National Play Day
Wednesday 6 August
A national celebration of play with lots of free activities for all the family. With NHS Lanarkshire, Libraries NL, NL Arts and lots more.
Steam Fair
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August
Find out more about how to get involved with steam, see the steam fleet in action and enjoy all the usual Summerlee fun including Photo ID. Plus meet the Airdrie and Coatbridge photographic club and view a selection of their work.
End of Summer Fun Day
Monday 11 August
The holidays might be ending but the fun doesn’t have to! Join us for a day of family activities.