Hot child, summer in the city: Free August events for kids in Hackney
Breaker’s Yard next to Sutton House. Photograph: Sam Roberts
A couple of weeks into the summer holidays, you can start to feel a bit bored. Swimming in London Fields lido? Done it. Picnics on the marshes? Done it. Staying in and watching telly on rainy days? Done it.
But there are still lots of cheap and free events that are happening around the borough.
Sutton House is an old Tudor house on the boundary between Hackney and Clapton, but it’s also got an old car-breaking yard where mechanics used to turn clapped-out bangers into scrap metal. Now it’s a playground with an abandoned bus, a caravan, sandpit and bouncy tyres.
This summer they’re putting on a ‘50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾’ challenge. If you’ve never built a den, made a trail, hunted for bugs, grown your own lunch or hunted for treasure, now’s the time to give it a try. It’s free to go and play in the Breaker’s Yard (14-15, 21-22, 26-27 August 12-5pm).
Nature-lovers can find out what’s living in the ponds at Clissold Park on Friday 14 August (11am-12pm or 2-3pm) and learn to identify bugs and butterflies on Tuesday 18 August (1.30-3pm).
You can also get the chance to see some of London’s rarely-seen creatures on Thursday 20 August (7.30-9.30pm): bats.
All of those events are laid on for free, but for the bat walk make sure you email lucy.gijsen@hackney.gov.uk to book a place.
If you’re a creative type, Hackney’s libraries are the place to be this summer. If you’re 5-11 and you like writing raps or poems the poet Neal Zetter will help you write and illustrate your work on Tuesday 18 (2.30pm-3.30pm).
Over in the CLR James Library, anyone over 4 years old can learn to make their own pop-up cards on Wednesday 19 August (11am-1pm or 2-4pm). And every Friday you can play board games with your friends (ages 5 and up – if you’re 9 or older you can come without your mum or dad).
For young adults aged 8-16, there’s a new month-long course available for free at the Rose Lipman Centre on De Beauvoir Road. Creative Hub is courses on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays in key creative arts: costume making, dance, design, music, drama and photography.
You can also make the most of the good weather (when it bothers to turn up) by taking part in the borough’s huge programme of free sports activities. Six to 16 year-olds can play football, tennis, rugby, cricket, improve their fitness, practice athletics or even do some non-contact boxing. Most sports take place in Finsbury Park, Millfield Park or Hackney Downs, or local schools’ venues.
Whether you’ve been impressed by Serena and Djokovic at Wimbledon, or disappointed by the England women’s football team, there’s plenty of sporting ambitions to fulfill this summer. Full details are available at accesstosports.org.uk.