Summer Holiday Activities
School's out for summer and we are here for it!
Whether you've got a bookworm or a livewire to entertain, we know the summer holidays can feel loooong!
If you're looking for something exciting-yet-educational, a new skill to master, or an activity to burn off all that extra energy then keep reading. We’ve pulled together some great classes, fun activities and outdoor adventures from across the area to keep the kids happy and smiling all summer long.
From nature treks and fun crafts for wee ones, to Land Rover Experiences and outdoor cinema for teenagers, it’s all going on in Perth City and Towns.
Other Activities and Attractions
As well as our list of summer holiday specials here, you'll find plenty of ideas in our action-packed Be Inspired blogs. Here are just a few to get you started on your planning.
- Free Activities – From walks in the woods to the area's best parks, we've tracked down some free, gratis, cost-nothing fun stuff for the kids to enjoy. Read More >
- Family Days Out – From treasure trails to sports centres, Highland safaris to playbarns on the farm, Perthshire is brimming over with family fun – and best of all, prices start at free. Read More >
- River and Lochs – Get out on the water and let your inner adventurer out for a splash – no equipment necessary, enthusiasm is all you need! Read More >
- Experience Nature – There is something instantly calming about being out and walking in nature and, here in Perthshire, Mother Nature has been especially kind. Read More >
From time to time local organisers and venues share their events with us via our Facebook page. These can all be found over on our Events in Perth City & Towns section. For larger scale events suitable for all the family, please see our Be Inspired Perthshire Events & Festivals Page here >
Venues Across Perth City and Towns
Live Active Leisure
1st July - 14th August
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It's time for the young people of Perthshire to level up their summer with Live Active Leisure’s Holiday Programme.
Put down your games consoles, these real-life camps and sessions have everything kids need to stay fighting fit throughout the holidays. There are football camps where kids can enjoy practices, skills and games, and Sport-n-Splash sessions where they’ll spend the week taking part in a variety of activities such as swimming, tennis, athletics and basketball.
There’s lots for pre-schoolers too with Playtime sessions featuring a bouncy castle and Soft Play with ball pool and space hoppers!
View The Live Active Leisure Summer Holiday Programme here >
As well as the Summer Programme, there's also a fantastic Junior Summer Holiday Pass. 5 to15 year-olds can pack more fun than ever before into their summer with unlimited access to a range of sports and activities such as swimming, tennis, badminton and more. They can play as many times as they like throughout July and August at any Live Active venue for just £20. Bargain!
Buy your pass online or give your local Live Active Leisure venue a call.
Buy the Junior Summer Holiday Pass >
Culture PK Libraries Summer Reading Challenge
24th June - 14th August
Ready, Set, Read! This summer, Culture PK libraries are encouraging all children to join in the Summer Reading Challenge!
Developed in collaboration with the Youth Sport Trust, the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge will celebrate play and participation, encouraging children to get involved in games and sports in any way that best suits them.
Launching in Culture Perth and Kinross libraries on Saturday 24th June, the Summer Reading Challenge invites children to read six books over the summer holidays and is suitable for those aged 4 to 11 years.
It’s fun, free and easy to take part! Simply visit your local Culture Perth and Kinross library to sign up during the school holidays. You can also join in online.
Keep an eye on the Culture PK website for Summer Reading Challenge events.
For More Information >
Perth City Centre
Perth UHI Academy of Sport and Wellbeing
3rd July - 11th August | 8.45am - 5pm
Perth UHI Academy of Sport and Wellbeing's innovative Kids Camp programme continues this summer with a programme designed to engage minds and bodies in a combination of physical activity, problem solving, and team building sessions.
Children aged 6 to 11 years old can be dropped off from 8.45am and picked up at 5pm with activities starting at 9am and running until 5pm.
Each day involves a mix of activities including:
* sport specific games which involve physical activity as well as teamwork
* movement based games that help to develop speed, agility, balance and co-ordination
* problem solving and teamwork focused activities
* 1.5 hour climbing session which will involve either climbing or bouldering or a mixture of the two
Priced at £37.50 per day or £165 for a full week.
For More Information and To Book >
Scone Palace Falconry Friday
Friday 12th July - 9th August | 12pm - 4pm
Join Scone Palace for a wonderful falconry display and watch on in wonder as these magnificent birds fly above the lawns in front of the Palace. This is an exciting and awe-inspiring experience for the whole family and one we highly recommend.
The birds will be on the grounds from 12 pm with the flying display starting at 2pm. There's no additional charge for this display, it's included in your entry to Scone Palace.
Scone Palace is packed full of exciting things to do in the summer. There's a fantastic adventure playground for kids, guaranteed to burn off some energy – as well as the famous Murray Star Maze. This unique ‘tartan’ maze of 2,000 beech trees, half green, half copper, was designed by the world-famous Adrian Fisher.
The Palace Gift Shop will also be open offering wonderful ideas for gifts for loved ones, or a treat for yourself, and their Old Servants' Hall Coffee Shop and food trucks will be providing everything from hot meals to light snacks and sweet treats.
For More Information and To Book >
Scone Palace Adventure Cinema
4th - 6th August
One for film buffs and musical lovers, an amazing outdoor cinema experience in the stunning grounds of Scone Palace in Perth with three films to choose from:
Friday 2nd August | 8.15pm-11.30pm
Feel the need... the need for speed!
A blockbuster open-air showing of the original and absolute 80s classic, Top Gun!
Pack a picnic and enjoy Top Gun on a huge open-air screen under the stars. Hiighhwayyy tooo the danger zone!
Plus music to enjoy before the movie with a soundtrack of specially curated songs
Gates open 8.15pm, film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9.45pm.
Saturday 3rd August | 8.15pm-11.30pm
Greased Lightning! A fantastic outdoor cinema experience with plenty of songs to sing along to!
Immerse yourself in the singing and dancing world of 'Grease', as we bring you a Sing-A-Long showing of the most successful movie musical of all time.
Plus music to enjoy before the movie with a soundtrack of songs from the 60s, 70s & 80s.
Gates open 8.15pm, film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9.45pm.
Sunday 4th August | 8.15pm-11.30pm
Watch a classic movie under the stars!
Pack a picnic and join us for an outdoor cinema experience like no other with a showing of the fantastic Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, on a HUGE open-air screen.
Plus music to enjoy before the movie with a soundtrack of specially curated songs.
Gates open 8.15pm, film starts shortly after sunset - approx 9.45pm.
For More Information and To Book >
Willowgate Activity Centre Summer Adventures
30th June - 14th August
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Only a stone’s throw from Perth city centre, Willowgate Activity Centre is a hub of outdoor adventure delivering stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, raft building, aqua zorbing, open-water swimming, bike hire, archery, bushcraft, and more. Open all year round, Willowgate offers individual, team-building, and family fun on water and on land.
During school holidays they also host a fantastic series of Adventure Days available for young people (aged seven to fifteen) where awesomeness abounds and your child is returned to you with a smile on their face – and quite possibly some dirt there too.
Why not enjoy a visit to the award-winning Willowgate café, serving delectable home-baking, soups, sandwiches and hot drinks when you drop off the kids?
For More Information and To Book >
Highland and North Perthshire
Highland Safaris and Red Deer Centre
Monday to Sunday | 9am - 5pm
Located just outside the town of Aberfeldy in beautiful Highland Perthshire, it's little wonder that Highland Safaris is a recent winner of the 'Best Visitor Experience' in Scotland award.
Combining exhilarating Land Rover Safaris, with a popular Red Deer Centre, inspiring walking and biking trails and Perthshire's only Gold and Gem Panning Centre, this is a venue not to be missed.
Book in for day of fun and try out any one of these great activities.
Gold and gem panning
Mini Land Rover rides
Archery
Axe throwing
Bike hire
Playpark
You'll also find their cafe open all day, serving up delicious homemade soups, sandwiches and salads, as well as homebaking and icecream.
Top Tip: Make sure you take advantage of their family tickets which are available for some of the tours.
For More Information and To Book >
The Scottish Crannog Centre Celtic Summer Celebrations
12th - 31st July
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The Scottish Crannog Centre is a family-friendly museum on the banks of Loch Tay, a couple of minutes’ drive from the village of Kenmore.
Showcasing the fascinating history of these prehistoric lake dwellings, the museum aims to engage and inform visitors about the lives of the people who made crannogs their home 2,500 years ago.
The Scottish Crannog Centre runs tours daily all year round featuring Iron Age crafts, demonstrations and storytelling! They also host ‘Day in the Life’ workshops on a Wednesday, or can host alternative dates and workshops upon request.
Summer Holiday Special Events
- As You Like It: Shakespeare by the Loch - 12th July, 7pm, £18 for children age 5-16 and £22 for adults
- Celtic Summer Celebration - 15th and 16th July, 10am - 4pm, £7 per person or family tickets £20 - £35
- The Celts are Coming! - 28th - 31st July, 10am - 4pm, £7 per person or family tickets £20 - £35
For More Information and To Book >
Land Rover Experience Young Off-Roader & Quad Treks
Selected Dates All Year Round
The Land Rover Experience off-road driving centre in Dunkeld, Perthshire, is the best in Scotland and on weekends all year round, and every day during the school holidays, 11 to 17 year olds can take their turn in the driver's seat!
They'll be driving a brand new, dual-controlled Land Rover, with tuition from a specialist off-road instructor and will learn to drive off-road on the specially designed driving assault course. There's plenty of fun to be had tackling slopes, negotiating obstacles and driving through deep water.
Prepare to hear all about it as they increase their knowledge and confidence, and have fun behind the wheel.
Young Off-Roader | 9.30am - 4 pm
Drivers are taught how to control the car and are guided around an agility arena before moving on to tackle a range of obstacles and challenges. Fun off-road driving for 11 to 17 year olds.
Quad Treks | 9am - 5pm
Quad Treks at Highland Offroad are the perfect way to get into the countryside and create happy family memories. Riders will start on the assault course tackling camel back humps, cobbles and steep hillsides, later moving into the forest to experience wide open tracks and narrow woodland paths. Children must be over the age of 12 and accompanied by an adult (maximum two children per trek).
For More Information and To Book >
Birnam Arts Beatrix Potter Exhibition and Wildlife Watching
Monday - Sunday | 10.30am - 3.30pm
Did you know that Birnam Arts Centre is the home of Beatrix Potter in Scotland? Whilst it is true that the famous Peter Rabbit author is most often associated with the Lake District in England, many of her childhood summers were spent in Scotland, and the family had a long and heart-felt connection with Dunkeld & Birnam and the surrounding area.
Pop along to the Beatrix Potter Exhibition and Gardens and find out how Beatrix Potter spent many of her childhood summers in Perthshire.
Wee ones will enjoy spending time playing traditional games, dressing up as their favourite character and stepping back in time to visit a Victorian school room.
And for enthusiasts of the world she created, you will discover the story of where she sought inspiration for her much loved characters, as well as collections of original memorabilia.
As well as the fabulous Beatrix Potter exhibition, Birnam Arts has introduced a Bird & Wildlife Watching Station where you can see a wide range of garden birds and wildlife – much like Beatrix enjoyed herself.
For More Information and To Book >
Active Kids Adventure Park
Monday - Sunday | 9.30am - 4.30pm
Active Kids is a fun-filled adventure park near Stanley, with both an indoor play and outdoor park to explore.
There's a brand-new treehouse-themed indoor playground, toy shop and café with a tasty range of fresh seasonal food, from the park’s popular children’s lunch boxes to delicious homemade hot meals.
The outdoor adventure park sits in extensive countryside and is filled with bouncing jelly pillows, pedal-powered go-karts, a huge pirate ship, and speedy zip-line.
Animal loving little ones can meet resident donkeys, Jack and Lulu, and all their furry friends!
For More Information and To Book >
Strathearn & North Perthshire
Auchingarrich Wildlife and Adventure Park
28th June - 29th August
Just outside the village of Comrie, seven miles west of Crieff, you will find Auchingarrich Wildlife and Adventure Park nestled among the beautiful Perthshire hills.
With forty different animal species to meet and greet, an enormous play area, and the Dizzy Duck Cafe offering a variety of freshly prepared meals, snacks, and drinks, Auchingarrich makes for a jam-packed family day out.
For More Information and To Book >
Bushcraft Bairns
Sessions throughout the Summer Holidays
Bushcraft Bairns is a nature based activity and education space set in the magical woodland of Comrie Croft, just 4 miles from Crieff.
Kids can immerse themselves in nature based learning in summer holiday Forest School, stay and play sessions, enjoy a slower pace with Nature Yoga Stories, or even host a unique woodland birthday party!
Working with children’s natural curiosity and wonder, Bushcraft Bairns gently motivate them to push their own comfort zones or edges, exploring their ability level and providing appropriate challenges, cultivating a community that supports the Bairn's curiosity and imagination while also forming deep connections with nature.
Prebooking is essential.
For More Information and To Book >
Kinross & Loch Leven
RSPB Loch Leven
1st July - 15th August
Set on the southern shore of the loch, Loch Leven Nature Reserve offers a great day out for families, nature lovers and wildlife watchers alike.
They are all set up for visiting families with plenty of fun kits for hire to help little minds explore the natural play area, including:
- Binoculars
- Wild Challenge rucksacks
- Pond dipping kits
- Bug hunting kits
Children can also get to know the wildlife by playing a seasonal nature bingo. Take a walk through the pushchair friendly Leafy Loop, or see what creatures you can find in the Secret Garden. Ospreys visit the loch to fish during the summer, while up to 20,000 pink-footed geese fly in from Iceland come autumn.
The RSPB is running an exciting and education packed programme of events throughout the summer holidays. Prices start at free with some events subsidised for RSPB members.