Activities Fit for a Jubilee Half-term

PLATINUM Jubilee family craft sessions are among the jewels in the crown of Tameside Council’s holiday programme for spring half-term (30 May to 10 June).

The fun activities, which are for people of all ages – adults as well as children – are themed to tie in with celebrations marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. They take place at libraries across the borough from Wednesday, 25 May, to Tuesday, 7 June, and refreshments are included.

For full details of venues and times, call 0161 342 2031, ask at your local library or visit www.tameside.gov.uk/libraries

On Tuesday, 31 May, Ashton Library hosts a Wild Trails drop-in from 3 to 4.30pm. Ideal for children aged four to 11, it features nature-themed activities with crafts, games and a treasure hunt.

The following day, Dukinfield Library is the venue for two Compost Adventures (10 to 11.30am and 1.30 to 3pm) where children can use their imaginations to shrink to the size of a beetle and explore a summer garden. The event is free but bookings are required at www.tamesidelibraries.eventbrite.co.uk

John Kirk returns with another story hunt on Saturday, June 11, and this time in person at Droylsden Library (11am). There’s an online session at 10am. Both events are free but bookings are required at www.tamesidelibraries.eventbrite.co.uk

Music and sensory play sessions for toddlers are: Tuesday, May 17, Stalybridge Library, 10.30 to 11.15am, Ashton, 2 to 2.45pm; Thursday, June 9, Dukinfield, 2 to 2.45pm; Monday, June 13, Mossley, 2 to 2.45pm

For those who prefer a performance, Booster Cushion Theatre present “Big Goldilocks and the Three Bears-plus” at the Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, Trinity Street, Stalybridge, on Monday, May 30, at 11.30am and 2pm, as part of the GM Town of Culture programme.

It’s a modern retelling of the classic tale through a gigantic book complete with pop-ups and bonkers props, and suitable for children aged five and over and their grown-ups.

For tickets – £3.50 per child with one accompanying adult free – call 0161 342 4144 or visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/tameside-mbc

At Portland Basin Museum, Ashton, you can visit the new Step Back in Time exhibition, where you can see lots of vintage clothes, toys and domestic items from the past 100 years.

Visit on a Tuesday or Thursday and you can take part in a Make, Do and Play workshop. They cost £1.25 and are suitable for all ages.

A Tameside Council spokesman said: “Once again our services have combined to organise a wide range of fun activities to keep the young and not-so-young entertained over the half-term holiday.

 “There’s something to suit all tastes and ages, and mostly for free, including our jubilee events which are not just for little ones but for everyone, even those who remember watching the Coronation live way back in 1953.”