The Children’s University Festival of Fun returning for an action-packed 10th edition
The Children’s University Festival of Fun is set to return for an action-packed 10th edition this summer – and parents and youngsters can start planning what activities they want to take part in.
The Children’s University (CU) Festival of Fun is a programme of free taster activities for children and young people, running right across the summer holidays. It allows them to try something new and perhaps discover a new passion.
It is accessed with a CU Passport to Learning – available from the city’s libraries – with all the Festival of Fun activities free at the point of access.
The initiative is celebrating its 10th year, with a bumper crop of activities to try this summer including music, sports, circus skills, woodland activities, dance and drama.
All children can join in, provided they:
- Currently attend a Sheffield school (under Sheffield City Council), or be a subscribing member of the CU Home Education group
- Hold a CU Passport to Learning, which can be bought from any Sheffield library for £3.50 and are used to collect CU credits both during and after the CU Festival of Fun to claim CU credits towards special CU award certificates.
Around 200 activity providers across the city are involved in Sheffield CU and they are validated for safeguarding and the quality of the learning they can provide to children taking part.
Cllr Dawn Dale, Chair of the Education, Children’s and Families Committee, said:
“Sheffield City Council is delighted that the Children’s University Festival of Fun is returning for a 10th year.
“There is a vast range of activities available to school-age children which gives them a window to try something new and exciting during the school holidays this summer.
“Hopefully children find something that grabs their attention and they want to carry it on. They can also develop new skills and meet new friends during the events which helps their mental wellbeing as well as their physical fitness.”
Parents and carers can also try new things with their children. And as the passports are purchased through the city’s libraries, there is also a chance to join in with some of the other fun summer initiatives such as the Summer Reading Challenge to maximise your child’s learning potential while they are off from school.
Sakina Kingswood, Assistant Project Officer for Sheffield City Council responsible for delivery of the scheme, said:
“Consultation with Sheffield residents showed that families saw transport and travel as a barrier to accessing activities which are often delivered in the city centre. That’s why these activities are spread right across our communities.
“It's city-wide, within libraries, parks and community centres. There is something relatively near to most people and the choice of venue makes it even easier to attend. Events are spread across the days of the week and at different times as well as the locations used, to make it accessible for as many people as possible.”
Activity bookings are launched about two-to-three weeks before the first activity takes place. Parents and carers can sign up to the mailing list to be kept up-to-date when this will happen by emailing CU@sheffield.gov.uk. You can also follow Sheffield CU on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, by searching their name for announcements on when they can start booking.