A Spoooktacular October Term!

Games and Craft Room

Free to everyone, our games and craft room welcomed children and their families for a fun play date, no matter the weather

The Community Centre is actively developing a new programme of free or low-cost holiday activities aimed at children aged 4 – 10. This programme aims to fill a gap in provision for activity within Hexham, encourage families to play and be creative together, introduce children to new experiences and to do all the above in a way that is accessible to as many families as possible

Our Craft and Games Room is a great way to do this. In October Half term we were able to open the Games Room on Wednesday and Thursday, free of charge with ping pong, crafts, LEGO, and games.

Almost 40 people came over the 2 days, most staying for over 2 hours. The youngest children were toddlers, around 18 months old, with the oldest being around 12. The families were mixed age groups with grandparents, siblings, and cousins, meaning the space provided a great venue for families to play together during the holidays with enough to keep all ages engaged.

We can't wait to bring the Games Room back in January to provide a fun (not to mention warm and dry) space for families and friends to get together and play.

Pumpkin Carving

As part of Hexham's annual Spook Night celebrations we offered Pumpkin Carving for the first time. More than 60 pumpkins were scooped, scraped and carved into spooktacular lanterns.

Thanks to funding from Hexham Town Council, we were able to offer the activity for just £2 per child, and we offered free tickets to families in need via local charity Rosie's Corner. Almost 60 people came along with children ranging in age from 3 – 14 years old, with many groups of siblings all getting involved as the activity is so accessible. We found that the parents, and particularly some of the dads were also keen to get involved and get creative with their kids. It made for a creative and fun atmosphere, a great way to start Spook Night, with many heading straight into the park and town from our sessions.

The funding from the Town Council meant that we were able to invest in good quality tools, table coverings and other materials that will allow us to host Pumpkin Carving every year and become an integral part of families' Spook Night traditions.

A huge thank you to Hexham Town Council, Tesco and all the families who came along to make October Half Term spooktacular!