Summer in Southampton

Explore Summer Activities in Southampton

Welcome to our guide to our exciting summer activities for all ages! This time round, our cultural venues – SeaCity Museum, Tudor House and Garden, and Southampton City Art Gallery – invite you to immerse yourself in a variety of programs during the summer holidays. 

About Our Venues

SeaCity Museum

From Southampton to the sea – Explore the Titanic legacy at SeaCity Museum! Discover the story of RMS Titanic and how the tragedy affected the city and people of Southampton. The museum features an interactive model of the Titanic, recorded messages of its passengers of the fateful night, original objects from on board the world-famous ship, and more.

Tudor House and Garden

Tudor House is Southampton’s most important historic building, revealing over 800 years of history in one fascinating location at the heart of the Old Town. The timber-framed building gives a unique and atmospheric insight into the lives and times of both its residents through the years, and of Southampton itself. It appeals to visitors of all ages and interests, who find the family-friendly activities, interactive technology and fascinating displays a winning combination.

Southampton City Art Gallery

Explore Southampton City Art Gallery’s diverse collection of fine art, which tells the story of European art from the Renaissance to the present day. Regularly rotating displays feature works from the collection, national touring exhibitions and work by local artists. Free to visit – You’ll find us in the heart of Southampton’s cultural quarter.

From engaging children’s activities and kids’ arts and crafts to enriching workshops for adults, our cultural venues have something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for things to do with kids in Southampton, or planning a cosy day indoors with things to do on a rainy day, our packed programme has you covered. Join us for these events filled with fun and creativity, and for a chance to meet like-minded people! Below, you’ll find a detailed list of our upcoming events and activities.

Art for All

• Thu 24 July – Art for All: Deep Sea Watercolours | Various Times Available
  • Experiment with watercolours to create deep sea textures and washes before filling them with your own deep sea creatures.
• Tue 29 July – Clay Unicorns and Dragons | Various Times Available
  • Learn how to sculpt your chosen mythical creature and customise it with colourful horns, wings and sequin treasure!
• Wed 30 July – Pokémon Pictures | Various Times Available
  • Join us to create a mixed media pop-up Pokémon picture using watercolour, pen and papercraft.
• Thu 31 July – Panda Press Printing | Various Times Available
  • Print a panda in the wild and more! Using poly tiles and mixed media backgrounds.
• Thu 31 July – Under the Sea Summer Lanterns | Various Times Available
  • Join us to decoupage your very own stunning summer lantern in deep sea colours with a range of different motifs available at this relaxed and relaxing workshop!
• Tue 5 August – Regency Fashion Paper Dolls | Various Times Available
  • To mark the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, we’re taking inspiration from the Regency era and using watercolours to design a wardrobe of outfits fit for a Lord or Lady.
• Tue 5 August – Brilliant Beach Bags: Paint, Print and More! | Various Times Available
  • Be the talk of the beach this summer, with your own ‘designer’ tote bag! Using masking tape to section different areas, you can use a range of different colours, printing blocks and mark making materials to create a totally unique item.
• Wed 6 August – Sunset Summer Lanterns | Various Times Available
  • Join us to decoupage your very own summer lantern in sunset colours with a range of different motifs available at this relaxed and relaxing workshop!
• Thu 7 August – Panda Press Printing | Various Times Available
  • Print a panda in the wild and more! Using poly tiles and mixed media backgrounds.
• Tue 12 August – Sunset Summer Suncatchers | Various Times Available
  • Use coloured cellophane and more to create your own unique suncatcher to hang in your window at this accessible and relaxing workshop.
• Tue 12 August – Abandon Ship! Watercolour Pirate Ships | Various Times Available
  • It’s time to walk the plank! Join us at Tudor House to paint a Pirate ship using watercolour paints. We’ll try out a salty painting technique which transforms your painting before your eyes!
• Wed 13 August – Pop-up Bargate Lions | Various Times Available
  • Let’s bring the Southampton’s Bargate Lions to life! Using oil pastels, collage and paper construction you’ll create a pair of prowling lions that jump off the page.
• Wed 13 August – Miniature Matchbox Sketchbooks | Various Times Available
  • Join us for a fun workshop where we’ll create and decorate concertina books that fold out from a matchbox. Fill each page with your own marks, patterns, and images based on your chosen theme. What will your book be about?
• Thu 14 August – Brilliant Beach Bags: Paint, Print and More! | Various Times Available
  • Be the talk of the beach this summer, with your own ‘designer’ tote bag. Using masking tape to section different areas, you can use a range of different colours, printing blocks and mark making materials to create a totally unique item.
• Tue 19 August – Watercolour Dinosaurs | Various Times Available
  • Create your favourite dinosaur using watercolour paints. Use exciting painting techniques to bring these fantastic creatures back to life!
• Wed 20 August – Bear Hunt Printing | Various Times Available
  • Where do these large paw prints lead to? Let’s make a stunning mono print of a grizzly bear hiding deep in the woods.
• Thu 21 August – Clay Unicorns and Dragons | Various Times Available
  • Learn how to sculpt your chosen mythical creature and customise it with colourful horns, wings and sequin treasure!
• Tue 26 August – Pet Portrait Prints | Various Times Available
  • This is the purrfect session to unleash your creativity and printmaking skills. Create colourful prints of your favourite animals and pets. Perfect for all age levels.
• Tue 26 August – Seaside Scenes in Clay | Various Times Available
  • Create your own stunning summer seaside scenes using terracotta clay and other materials… Waves, beach huts, sea gulls or even an ice cream or two – what will you put in yours?
• Wed 27 August – Terrific Tie Dye | Various Times Available
  • In this fun and experimental workshop, you’ll create a range of different tie dye swatches. You’ll learn how to create a variety of patterns and play with exciting colour combinations.
• Thu 28 August – Terrific Tie Dye | Various Times Available
  • In this fun and experimental workshop, you’ll create a range of different tie dye swatches. You’ll learn how to create a variety of patterns and play with exciting colour combinations.

Hands on History

• Fri 25 July – Discover Titanic | Various Times Available
  • Try your hand at Morse Code, handle objects from ocean liners, sink the Titanic and see how an iceberg floats! You’ll also be taken on a mini-tour of our Titanic exhibition!
• Mon 28 July – Treasure Seekers | Various Times Available
  • Hunt for hidden treasure in this fun history-seeking activity. Discover mystery objects and create your very own treasure to take away!
• Tue 29 July – Tudor House Time Machine | Various Times Available
  • Join one of our team on an interactive tour around the house, discovering the incredible tales and fantastic facts about the house. Expect games, stories and discovery!
• Fri 1 August – Awesome Egyptians | Various Times Available
  • Join us for a fun-filled history session exploring the wonderful world of the Ancient Egyptians, and mummify your own orange using ancient techniques!
• Wed 6 August – WW2 Super Science | Various Times Available
  • Join mad scientist Andy for a super-charged session of experiments and history based around the Second World War! Create egg parachutes, witness the power of a wartime invention known to deflect bombs, and even design your own ‘gas masks’.
• Fri 8 August – Discover Titanic | Various Times Available
  • Try your hand at Morse Code, handle objects from ocean liners, sink the Titanic and see how an iceberg floats! You’ll also be taken on a mini-tour of our Titanic exhibition!
• Fri 15 August – Dino-Roar! | Various Times Available
  • This session is roaringly good fun! Travel back to the Age of the Dinosaurs and examine our fantastic fossils, play games and make a clay craft to take away!
• Mon 18 August – Great Fire of London | Various Times Available
  • Step back in time to 1666 for this fun history and craft workshop exploring the story of the Great Fire of London. Discover Samuel Pepys, handle real objects from the time and discover how a ‘squirt’ worked.
• Wed 27 August – Steam Punk! | Various Times Available
  • Take part in an awesome session exploring cool Victorian inventions and mind-boggling engineering! You’ll also make your own steam punk machine to take home with you.
• Fri 29 August – Discover Titanic | Various Times Available
• Try your hand at Morse Code, handle objects from ocean liners, sink the Titanic and see how an iceberg floats! You’ll also be taken on a mini-tour of our Titanic exhibition!