22 Creative and Family Things to Do in Plymouth Over the Next Six Weeks
The summer holidays can feel very long when you are trying to keep everyone entertained — particularly when one child wants to make something, another wants to run around outside and somebody else is already asking for a snack.
Fortunately, Plymouth has plenty happening between July and September, from completely free art trails and library workshops to outdoor swimming, immersive films and bigger family days out.
Here’s our guide from free activities to the more expensive treats.
Dates, prices and availability can change, so use the links beneath each suggestion to check the latest information before setting off.
Completely free things to do
1. Search for Plymouth’s Guiding Lights
Best for: All ages
Cost: Free
When: Throughout the next six weeks
One of the loveliest ways to explore Plymouth this summer is to follow the city-wide St Luke’s Guiding Lights Trail.
More than 40 large lighthouse sculptures have appeared across Plymouth, each transformed into a completely different work of art. Families can download the trail app, collect each lighthouse as they find it and see parts of the city they might normally walk straight past.
It is a particularly good option when you have children of different ages: younger ones can enjoy spotting the lighthouses, while older children can use the app, take photographs and choose their favourite designs. Pack drinks and snacks and turn it into a full outdoor adventure.
Explore the St Luke’s Guiding Lights Trail
The interactive trail includes 41 large and 51 smaller sculptures around the city.
2. Meet the Little Lights at The Box
Best for: Toddlers, primary-aged children and young artists
Cost: Free
When: Until 13 September 2026
Running alongside the main Guiding Lights Trail, Little Lights brings 42 smaller lighthouse sculptures into The Box.
Each one has been designed and decorated by children and young people from schools, colleges and youth organisations across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall. That makes this a brilliant opportunity to show children that art galleries are not only places where grown-up artists get to exhibit their work.
Ask everyone to choose a favourite, look for tiny details in the designs and perhaps create a family lighthouse picture when you get home.
Find out about Little Lights at The Box
The display runs alongside the wider city trail and features 42 one-metre-high lighthouses.
3. Go dinosaur hunting with the Love Exploring app
Best for: Ages 4–12
Cost: Free
When: Any day
When a normal walk is met with groans, adding dinosaurs, planets or giant bugs can make an enormous difference.
The free Love Exploring app includes augmented-reality games and walking trails in green spaces around Plymouth. Children can search for digital creatures, complete challenges and learn about wildlife and local history while getting plenty of fresh air.
Locations include Central Park, Devonport Park, Victoria Park, Budshead Woods, Woodland Wood and Ham Woods, so there should be an adventure within reach of most parts of the city.
Find out about free Plymouth trails and the Love Exploring app
Plymouth City Council lists trails in six parks and woodlands, with themes including dinosaurs, planets and bugs.
4. Get creative at Family Fun: Express Yourself
Best for: Ages 4–11
Cost: Free
When: Selected dates until 27 August 2026
The Box’s summer drop-in sessions are ideal for children who cannot resist paper, paint, printing and a table full of interesting materials.
This summer’s Express Yourself programme takes inspiration from subjects including Dartmoor, giant bugs, lighthouses and gelli-plate printing. There are morning and afternoon sessions, so families can combine the workshop with a wander around the galleries.
There is no need for everyone to produce a masterpiece. The pleasure is in experimenting, getting a little messy and making something completely individual.
Check dates for Family Fun: Express Yourself
The sessions run from 22 July to 27 August and include a changing programme of creative themes.
5. Enjoy a Friday story beneath the figureheads
Best for: Babies, toddlers and children under five
Cost: Free
When: Fridays until 28 August 2026
For smaller children, half an hour can be exactly the right length for an outing.
Tell Me a Story takes place underneath The Box’s enormous ship figureheads, creating a suitably dramatic setting for a Friday storytelling session. Afterwards, families can say hello to Mildred the Mammoth, try the simple Explore More craft tables or have a gentle wander around the museum.
It is a useful rainy-day option and an easy way to introduce younger children to The Box without expecting them to manage an entire museum visit.
Check Tell Me a Story dates and times
The free sessions are designed for under-fives and their accompanying adults.
6. Book a quieter morning craft session
Best for: Children who find busy sessions difficult
Cost: Free, but booking is required
When: Thursdays from 6 to 27 August 2026
Creative workshops can be great fun, but they can also become noisy and crowded. The Box’s Quiet and Calm Family Crafts sessions offer a more relaxed alternative before the main drop-in activities begin.
Numbers are limited, giving children more room and time to explore the materials. This may suit children who are sensitive to noise, need a slower pace or simply feel happier in a smaller group.
Book Quiet and Calm Family Crafts
The sessions were introduced in response to families asking for a calmer environment.
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8. Paint your own guitar at Crownhill Library
Best for: Ages four and above
Cost: Free
When: 10 August 2026
Young rock stars can decorate their own guitar at this hands-on library craft session.
It forms part of the Read to the Beat! Summer Reading Challenge, so it is a lovely way to connect books, music and making. Children can create something colourful to take home without parents having to clear the dining table or remove paint from the carpet afterwards.
Check the paint-a-guitar workshop details
The session takes place from 11am to midday at Crownhill Library.
9. Make butterfly crafts and help local wildlife
Best for: Ages four and above
Cost: Free
When: 18 August 2026
St Budeaux Library is bringing art and nature together with Butterflies and Beyond.
Families can try butterfly crafts, nature games and hands-on activities while helping to create colourful “wild book nooks” designed to support local wildlife and encourage people to think about the natural world.
It is a gentle, accessible activity for children who love animals, drawing or making things.
Check the Butterflies and Beyond session
The free drop-in runs from 11am to 1.30pm and is delivered with the National Trust and Plymouth Natural Grid.
10. Make rain shakers at Efford Library
Best for: Ages four and above
Cost: Free
When: 6 August 2026
Shake, rattle and make some noise at Efford Library, where children can create their own rain-maker shakers.
This is another activity connected to the musical Summer Reading Challenge and should be particularly good for younger primary-school children who enjoy crafts they can play with afterwards.
Browse current Efford Library family activities
The council’s listings include the rain-shaker workshop alongside regular Lego, story and rhyme sessions.
11. Make musical instruments at Southway Library
Best for: Ages four and above
Cost: Free
When: 7 August 2026
Continue the musical theme at Southway Library, where children can create an instrument of their own.
This can be combined with the library’s regular story, Lego and craft sessions, making it possible to create a fuller morning or afternoon without spending anything.
Browse Southway Library’s current activities
The instrument-making workshop is listed for 2pm to 3pm on 7 August.
12. Try Lego, stories and regular library activities
Best for: Babies through to primary-aged children
Cost: Free
When: Throughout the holidays
Do not overlook Plymouth’s regular library programme when planning the summer.
Libraries across the city run Lego clubs, Rhymetime, Storytime, Tall Tales and family craft sessions. They are useful for those awkward gaps when you need an activity that is local, indoors and does not require an expensive booking.
Different branches have different schedules, so check the central listings and search by your nearest library.
Search all Plymouth library activities
Regular family activities are offered at libraries including Central, Crownhill, Devonport, Efford, Estover, North Prospect, Peverell, Plympton, Plymstock, Southway and St Budeaux.
13. Spend a Saturday at Royal William Yard
Best for: Toddlers to early teenagers
Cost: Free
When: Saturdays throughout August
Royal William Yard is running a changing programme of free family activities every Saturday in August.
The programme includes sports, crafts, circus skills, an RNLI open day and mini golf. Families can drop in, join the activity and then make a day of it with a walk around the Yard, a picnic on the lawn or a stroll towards Devil’s Point.
It is worth checking the individual weekend before travelling, as the activity and suitable age range will change.
See the Royal William Yard summer programme
The programme is designed to offer a different free family experience each weekend.
14. Experience Nigerian culture, music and food
Best for: All ages
Cost: Free entry; food and purchases cost extra
When: 8 August 2026
The Nigerian Cultural Festival promises a lively day of music, colour, food, cultural displays and family entertainment.
This is a chance for children to experience dance, clothing, sounds and flavours they might not encounter during an ordinary weekend in the city. The event runs for most of the day, so families can dip in for an hour or stay longer.
See the Nigerian Cultural Festival details
The festival takes place on Madden Road from 11.30am to 9pm.
15. Watch live performance at the Amphitheatre
Best for: Families with primary-aged children and teenagers
Cost: Free
When: 8 August 2026
Plymouth city centre’s outdoor Amphitheatre brings live music and performance into the heart of the city.
The next session takes place on 8 August, offering families an easy way to experience local culture without committing to a formal theatre ticket. Arrive early, bring something to sit on and combine it with lunch or a Guiding Lights hunt.
Check the Live at the Amphitheatre programme
The August performance is scheduled from 3pm to 6pm.
16. Watch the British Firework Championships
Best for: Older children, teenagers and families comfortable with noise and crowds
Cost: Free from public viewing areas
When: 12 and 13 August 2026
Few summer events feel more unmistakably Plymouth than fireworks over the Sound.
The British Firework Championships bring two evenings of competitive displays to the waterfront. The Hoe becomes extremely busy, so plan your journey, arrive early and bring warm layers even when the day has been hot.
Families with very young children, sensory sensitivities or a dislike of crowds may prefer to watch from a more distant viewpoint.
Check the Plymouth summer events guide
The 2026 championships take place on 12 and 13 August.
17. Join the West End Carnival
Best for: All ages
Cost: Free
When: 29 August 2026
The West End Carnival is the sort of event where it is almost impossible to walk through without stopping.
Expect live music, street entertainment, circus performance and children’s activities, alongside the colour and bustle of Plymouth Market and the surrounding streets. It is a good option for families who want an event with plenty going on but do not want to buy a ticket.
Check the West End Carnival programme
Low-cost family adventures
18. Swim at Tinside Lido
Best for: Confident young swimmers, older children and teenagers
Cost: From approximately £5.25 for eligible concessions and £6.60 for Plymouth residents; check current prices
When: Throughout the summer season
There are ordinary swimming pools, and then there is Tinside.
Plymouth’s Art Deco saltwater lido sits right beside the Sound, giving families the rather extraordinary experience of swimming in a pool while looking directly out to sea. There is also space to sit, sunbathe and watch the boats.
The water is unheated, so even on a sunny day it can feel brisk. Check session times, supervision rules and admission requirements before travelling, particularly with younger children.
Check opening times and booking information at Tinside Lido
Check indicative Tinside admission prices
The 2026 swimming season runs from 23 May, with the wider seasonal programme continuing into September. Don’t forget that there is also a wonderful new cafe and a programme of other events including films and live music.
19. Take part in Saltram’s Maritime Summer of Play
Best for: Ages three to 12, with activities for older children too
Cost: Activities are generally included with normal admission; parking or admission charges may apply
When: Until 6 September 2026
Saltram’s Summer of Play gives children permission to do what they do best: move, imagine, build and explore.
This year’s maritime-themed programme includes outdoor play, storytelling, family crafting, Wild Wednesdays and creative sessions. There are also opportunities to make mini manga comics, which may help tempt older children away from their screens.
The grounds provide plenty of room to walk, picnic and burn off energy, so this is an activity that can easily fill most of a day.
Explore Saltram’s Summer of Play
See all current Saltram events
The programme runs from 18 July to 6 September and includes activities on different days throughout the holidays.
20. Paint a lighthouse at a family art session
Best for: School-aged children and their adults
Cost: Ticketed; check current family-session price
When: Selected sessions
After finding the Guiding Lights around the city, children can create a lighthouse of their own at a Beacons, Bubble and Brush family session.
The sessions have been created in connection with the St Luke’s trail, with proceeds supporting the hospice. It offers a more structured creative experience and a finished piece to take home.
Check dates, prices and availability for family painting sessions
The activity is connected to the city-wide lighthouse project and raises funds for St Luke’s Hospice.
21. Catch a ferry and explore Mount Edgcumbe
Best for: All ages
Cost: Ferry fare, plus optional house admission and refreshments
When: Throughout the summer
Sometimes the journey is half the adventure.
A short ferry trip from Plymouth takes families across the water towards Mount Edgcumbe, where there are open spaces, woodland walks, coastal views, gardens and plenty of opportunities for a picnic.
You do not have to visit the house to enjoy the landscape, although opening days and guided visits can be checked in advance. Children who normally complain about walking may find it considerably more exciting when the day begins on a boat.
Check Plymouth ferry information
Check Mount Edgcumbe opening information
The house is open on selected days until the end of September, while the grounds offer a much broader outdoor day out.
Bigger family treats
22. See the natural world inside the Immersive Dome
Best for: Ages five and above; special sessions are available for younger children
Cost: Ticketed; check the chosen screening
When: Selected dates during August
Market Hall’s enormous 360-degree Immersive Dome can make children feel as though they have stepped inside the film rather than simply sat down to watch it.
This summer’s programme includes Our Story with David Attenborough, a 50-minute journey through the story of the natural world and humankind. A Parent and Little Ones session is scheduled for 19 August, while a relaxed viewing takes place on 22 August.
The dome can include powerful sound, movement and bright imagery, so the relaxed or younger-family screenings may be the better option for some children.
Browse Market Hall events and dome screenings
See the Parent and Little Ones screening
The special screenings are adapted for families who may benefit from a gentler atmosphere.
Make the summer your own
Not every summer memory needs a large budget or an elaborate plan.
A child may remember the lighthouse they discovered behind a familiar building, the banana they turned into a piano, the picture they made at the library or the evening they stayed up late enough to watch fireworks fill the Sound.
Choose a few bigger days out, add plenty of free local adventures and leave room for picnics, playgrounds, muddy shoes and sudden changes of plan. Plymouth’s creative summer is already waiting outside the front door.
