Steph Smith, who manages the Hale, Altrincham and Sale area for Mums in the Know, chooses five great things to do with the kids over the next week.
1. Celebrate National Apple Day at Tatton
To celebrate National Apple Day, why not visit Tatton Park to enjoy a scrumptious Sunday at the farm and in the gardens? There will be games and children’s activities to join in, and in the gardens, visitors can taste delicious varieties from Tatton’s historic orchards. There will also be the opportunity to enjoy free one-hour talks on pruning, training and caring for your own apple trees.
For hands-on fun, book the children (up to age 12) into the Kiddy Cook Apple Day workshop. Aspiring young chefs can pick apples and fruit in Tatton’s Walled Garden and then cook in the Victorian Mansion to create a culinary delight to take home!
Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire. Open between 12pm and 5pm. Tickets are £22 and must be booked in advance with Nikki Geddes on 07976 619648, or email Hale@kiddycook.co.uk.
2. Pop down to the Waterside for ‘Mr Bean meets Charlie Chaplin’ (Sunday October 5th)
Pop is a fun-filled show aimed at families with children aged 3-8 years. A lovely opportunity for little ones to try out a trip to the theatre, this show has been described as ‘Mr Bean meets Charlie Chaplin’! The word-free clown and magic show follows Christian Lee and his exciting adventures at sea. With his faithful teddy bear, deckchair and fantastic basket of tricks, Christian is all set for a lovely day at the seaside… until the day takes a turn and things don’t quite work out as planned. Promises to be mind-blowing feast of illusion and comedy. The performance is 50 minutes with no interval and tickets are £8/£6.
Waterside Arts Centre, Sale, M33 7ZF. The show starts at 2.30pm.
3. A new way to explore Lyme Park (Saturday October 4th)
The autumnal weather seems to be have arrived and Lyme Park in Disley is a perfect place for a family walk. Saturday’s Xplorer Event adds an extra angle to a leisurely walk – families are given a map and will need to work together to find the markers and complete the challenge! Lovely way to get closer to nature and learn new skills too. There’s also a fantastic adventure playground at Lyme Park which is popular with kids of all ages.
Xplorer Event, Lyme Park, Disley, Stockport, SK12 2NS. The Xplorer Event takes place between 10am and 12pm.
4. It’s a cinema, Jim, but not as we know it (Friday October 3rd and Saturday October 4th)
Watch the Skies! at Jodrell Bank is an event not to be missed by any sci-fi fans and is, perhaps, more suited to older children. An outdoor interstellar cinema against the backdrop of the Lovell telescope, Watch the Skies! will bring you to the darkest space of the universe as we make contact with the unknown – expect tales of artificial life, dark stars, extra-terrestrial encounters and drama on a planetary scale. You’ll be able to take in screenings of 2001: A Space Odyssey (cert U) on Friday October 3rd and Alien (over 18s only), hear talks from specialists at Jodrell Bank on space probes, extra-terrestrial life and exploration of the invisible universe, and enjoy two exclusive world premieres and commissions from Manchester-based Soup Collective and acclaimed US electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never. Book your tickets here.
Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL.
5. Grandparents Weekend at Manchester Museum (Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th)
There are always plenty of fun, drop-in activities at Manchester Museum and this weekend is no exception with Grandparents Weekend! Families are invited to enjoy gallery tours and to Meet the Artist at the ‘See, Share, Make & Tell’ event. Children can also take part in the drawing den activities in the museum’s Discovery Centre and collect a family scrapbook to fill with favourite things from their visit. We can recommend Cafe Muse (right) on the ground floor but there’s also an indoor picnic area on Floor B should you prefer to bring your own supplies!
Manchester Museum, The University Of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL. Open between 11am and 4pm.
