West Midlands summer activities and events to help keep your children busy

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With the school summer holidays upon us, councils and local organisations have plenty of events and activities running over the coming weeks to help keep children entertained.

Families have a choice of a wide range of educational days out, alongside trips to popular venues like Alton Towers and Warwick Castle.

Below, we have put some of the free-of-charge or low-cost activities families can get involved with this August across the West Midlands:

* A series of free readings by Chris Warsop, author of the Percy Drip children's books, will take place at Cannock Library on 15 August. Sessions last half an hour and run on the hour, beginning at 10:00 BST with the last session at 15:00. To book your place, contact Cannock Library* There are more than 800 free activities to keep children in Stoke-on-Trent entertained during the summer holidays. The programme is for children aged five to 16 (including four-year-old children who have just completed reception year at Stoke-on-Trent schools) and is primarily focussed on those who are eligible for benefits-related free schools meals* Young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme can enjoy as many swimming and gym sessions as they want over the summer holidays for £12, the borough council says. The passes are available for children aged eight to 16 who live in or are educated in the borough.* A fun day will take place at Beacon Park in Lichfield on 6 August. Activities include a teddy bear race, a sensory trail through the park and face painting. There will also be police, fire and air ambulance service vehicles on display* Still in Lichfield, a range of free-of-charge activities for children aged seven to 19, will run until 29 August. They include soft archery, football, rounders, street dance, skatepark tuition, cricket, netball and rock climbing

The Visit Staffordshire website has other events planned over the summer.

* It is free of charge to visit council-run museums - including the Museums Collection Centre in Ludlow, Much Wenlock Museum, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery and Shrewsbury Castle* Shropshire is also well-known for being a great place to explore the outdoors - with a quarter of the county designated an official National Landscape due to its outstanding natural beauty. Severn Valley Country Park, The Mere at Ellesmere, the Shropshire Way and the Humphrey Kynaston Way are among the county's natural attractions

More ideas for your family can be found on the Visit Shropshire site.

* Children aged four to 11 are invited to explore connections between storytelling and nature in this year's summer holiday reading challenge at Herefordshire's libraries. They are also offering a range of free events over the summer and there is no cost to join the library* Children under the age of 16 can visit one of Hereford's most well-known buildings, The Old House, free of charge this summer when accompanied by an adult. There are numerous events taking place there throughout the school holidays, the county council says* Parents of children (from reception to year 11) who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals can book free activities for their child until 22 August. Children will be able to try out trampolining, horse-riding, cheerleading, circus school, parkour and other activities* Worcester residents can enjoy free tennis this summer, with courts in Cripplegate Park and Gheluvelt Park available at no cost on selected times, the city council says. The courts will be free to use on Wednesdays up until 13 August between 17:00-20:00 BST. At the weekend, they can also be booked for free on Saturdays and Sundays until 17 August, between 14:00-18:00* Children aged four to 11 who join this year's summer reading challenge at Worcestershire libraries and read four books can then collect a free entry pass to Croome for themselves and one accompanying adult, the county council says

The Visit Herefordshire and Visit Worcestershire websites host more ideas for activities and events.

* Coventry Sport Fest returns to Broadgate from 12-17 August, 10:00-16:00 BST each day. Activities include ball hockey, rugby, netball, football, table tennis, badminton, dance performances and cheerleading. There will be a designated quiet hour each morning, suitable for those needing a calmer, low-sensory setting, organisers say* Also in Coventry, there are thousands of activities to choose from as part of the government-funded holiday, activity and food programme.* Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery is hosting a number of themed events throughout August - including a festival of archaeology and sessions inspired by travel and the seaside* Warwick District Council's website has a list of events and activities taking place in the summer holidays, with many free-of-charge or low-cost* Park Life Reads, a family festival at Riversley Park on 9 August promises a day of nature, literacy and wellbeing, organisers say - with poetry workshops and storytelling sessions as well as yoga classes and massage. There will also be mules and ponies, a mobile library, a bouncy castle, face painting, henna art, silk painting and animation sessions

More activities and events are listed on the Visit Warwickshire website.

* There are lots of activities taking place across the five Dudley borough parks from 5-9 August. They include bungee trampolining, pedal go-kart racing, zorbing, soft archery, tug of war and talent shows. The venues are: Silver Jubilee in Coseley, Mary Stevens in Stourbridge, Priory in Dudley, Dell Recreation Ground in Brierley Hill and Huntingtree in Halesowen* Solihull town centre will host theatre shows, creative workshops, library activities and lots more this summer. A full programme of events is available on the Visit Solihull website* Tri-it Walsall events will be taking place at King George V Playing Fields, Bloxwich Park and Willenhall Memorial Park this summer. There will be sports equipment available to borrow, along with activity cards with physical challenges suitable for all ages and abilities. Activites run weekdays until 29 August

More activities and events are listed on the Visit Birmingham website.

There are a number of events for children in Wolverhampton taking place throughout the summer - many of which are free of charge.

These include dance, cricket, tennis, football, basketball, netball and swimming as well as holidays clubs and virtual reality games.

More can be found on the Enjoy Wolverhampton website.

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