With schools officially closed for the summer and the holidays in full swing, you might be looking for things to do to keep the little one's entertained while schools close.

Well, there is plenty to do in and around Kingston this summer, so here is a list of six summer activities to get the kids involved in.

Kingston Saxon Fayre

For one day only, the Ancient Marketplace, All Saints Church and Memorial Gardens will be transformed into a bustling Saxon settlement tomorrow (Saturday, 25 July), bringing history to life through immersive experiences, live demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Running from 10.30am - 5pm on Saturday, the fayre will see a Saxon Parade in Kingston town centre at noon.

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VRXtra, Kingston

Finding something fun for the kids to do during the long summer holidays can be hard, but VRxtra in the Bentall Centre is sure to get the kids excited.

VRXtra, which first opened in February last year, is a virtual reality experiences hub located on the ground floor of the Bentall Centre.

Dubbed as having "Kingston's most fun and immersive experiences", VRXtra has over 80 different experiences, including its Xtra Games, VR Escape Rooms, Smash Point, and the massively popular Arcade.

The hub is open from 10am – 7pm, with it staying open until 9pm on Thursdays, and 11am – 6pm on Sundays.

The Kingston store has 12 Tethered VR Headsets, toilets, customer seating, free Wi-Fi, and is available to book for parties.

If you book your session or visit the store before 4pm on weekdays, you can enjoy an exclusive 20% discount on your experience.

Whether you are planning ahead or just popping in, it is the perfect way to make your day more exciting while keeping a little 'Xtra' in your pocket.

You can find out more about VRXtra Kingston and book your experiences via its website.

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Kingston Rowing Club Junior Learn to Row Courses

Starting on Monday, 27 July until 28 August, Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is hosting its Junior Learn to Row courses for 13 - 18 year olds at the club on Lower Ham Road.

The courses include five mornings or afternoons running throughout the summer holidays.

KRC said: "These sessions are great for building water skills, problem solving and getting out on our lovely stretch of the River Thames."

You can find out more and book here.

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Rose Theatre's Summer Schools Programme for kids and young people

Kingston's Rose Theatre is now welcoming applications for its Summer Schools programme, with open-access courses for children and young people of all experience levels.

Anyone who meets the age requirements can take part, with no previous drama experience needed.

This summer, children and young people can take part in Create in Three Days for ages seven to 10 (Years 3 – 6) and Play in a Week for ages 11 – 18 (Years 7 – 13).

Both courses offer the chance to make new friends, build drama and performance skills, gain confidence and have fun. All staff on site hold DBS certification, and a first aider will always be present. No experience or audition is required.

Create in Three Days offers children fun drama-based activities, crafts, exercises and performance skills.

In small groups, participants will work with a Rose Youth Theatre director and assistant over three days to create a short piece of theatre to share with families on the final day.

There are three Create in Three Days courses, each running from Wednesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, on the following dates:

• WEEK 1: Wednesday, 29 July - Friday, 31 July
• WEEK 2: Wednesday, 5 August - Friday 7 August
• WEEK 3: Wednesday, 12 August - Friday, 14 August

Play in a Week is an exciting, inclusive and intensive performance-based course for young people. Participants spend a week working with like-minded young actors and Rose Theatre's professional directors.

Groups are split by age, and each group works with its director to create a scripted production to share with families at the end of the week.

Participants in both courses will have the opportunity to meet new people, build drama and performance skills, gain confidence and have fun.

The courses run from 27 July 2026 to 29 August 2026, with five one-week sessions from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Courses are split by age group and offer a range of plays for participants to perform. Weekly dates and titles are listed below.

WEEK 1: Monday, 27 July - Saturday 1 August

Week 1's play will be Robin Hood adapted by Nicole Burley for ages 11 - 13.

WEEK 2: Monday, 3 August - Saturday, 8 August

Week 2's play will be Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and adapted by Ciaran McConville for ages 11 - 16.

WEEK 3: Monday, 10 August - Saturday, 15 August

Week 3's play will be A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare for ages 11 - 16. WEEK 4: Monday, 17 August - Saturday, 22 August

Week 4's play will be Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving and adapted by Josh Mathieson for ages 14 - 18.

WEEK 5: Monday, 24 August - Saturday, 29 August

Week 5's play will be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and adapted by Ciara Morris for ages 11-13/14 - 18.

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Urban Fun

Or maybe you are just looking for something to keep the kids entertained on a random rainy day (hard to believe with the recent heatwaves we've been having, I know).

Well if that's the case, why not head down to Kingston's entertainment playground, Urban Fun, which opened in December last year?

Fun for both kids and adults alike, Urban Fun Kingston's games include Brunswick duck-pin bowling, AR darts, axe throwing, Neo shuffleboard, 9-hole mini golf, Subsoccer football, curling lanes and an arcade packed with UK-first machines, VR and AR experiences, cranes, prize games and boxing challenges.

Urban Fun Kingston is great for all ages with under 18s not being allowed in the venue after 9pm without an adult.

There are various ways to enjoy Urban Fun's facilities with several options of PlayCard to choose from.

You can either pre-book tickets or turn up on the day and find a spot on one of the games.

The entertainment playground also takes party bookings.

You can book a game at Urban Fun Kingston now here.

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Comic Chaos with Beano Havoc at Hampton Court Palace

And, finally, if you're willing to branch out of Kingston a little bit, Comic chaos is set to crash land at Hampton Court Palace this summer as Historic Royal Palaces welcomes the friends from Beanotown for a 'blam-tastic' summer.

Running from tomorrow (Saturday, 25 July – 23 August, Beano Havoc at Hampton Court Palace invites visitors of all ages on a time-twisting trail through Henry VIII's former Palace.

When Dennis, Minnie, Harsha, Rubi and Gnasher are late for their Bash Street School trip, Dennis hatches a plan to save the day by turning his go-kart into a time machine with Rubi's flux capacitor.

But things take a turn; the machine malfunctions, hurtles through time and space, and plummets into Hampton Court Palace—much to the dismay of Henry VIII.

With the timeline in a right royal muddle, Beano fans are tasked with fixing the busted time machine on a journey through the Palace.

Armed with a bespoke comic strip story, visitors must track down the scattered pieces to repair the tangled timeline.

Along the way, expect palace pandemonium by encountering costumed characters dressed in signature Beano stripes and colours – from Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Sophia Duleep Singh, and more.

Once the mission is complete, guests can continue the adventure and explore 60-acres of historic gardens, get lost in the maze, or run wild in the Magic Garden playground.

Families can also treat themselves to Beano-inspired lunch and cakes from the onsite cafes and pick up merchandise from the shop.

Live performances will run throughout the day providing photo opportunities for Beano enthusiasts 'court up' in the commotion.

With mischief unfolding at every turn, Beano Havoc at Hampton Court Palace will unleash a time-bending adventure where history meets comic- chaos.

The adventure continues in Northern Ireland with Beano Hijinks at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens from 27 June to 31 August 2026.

For more information, click here.

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Still undecided or think we missed anything?

Head over to our What's On page to find more events or even add your own summer activities for FREE.

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