Dear Aunty Sprout,
I was wondering if you had any ideas that may help me.
I babysit my 6 year old nephew on the weekends and his mum wont let me take him into Cardiff city centre cos shes been worried about another terrorist attack happening.
Most weekends are spent at the park/cinema/library but I’m always looking for new things to do. I’ve had a look at TheSprout Summer Guide and will take a few ideas from there, thanks.
Have any of you got any cheap ideas of activities/events to do with him outside of Cardiff city centre on the weekends?
Hi, thanks for getting in touch with us here at the Sprout. Well done it sounds like you’ve been very resourceful already! Its great that you want to mix it up with some different things to do this summer and there are lots of things to do outside of the busy streets of Cardiff centre.
Something we have a lot of in the Cardiff/Glamorgan area is coastline, have you thought about a trip to see the sea? A little further afield from Cardiff Bay is Penarth where there is the recently refurbished pavilion pier and boardwalks, its a lovely spot for a walk and an ice cream by the sea. If you were looking to go a bit further afield a good option could be Barry Island. Easily accessible by both bus, train and car its a great option to think about if you are willing and able to travel a bit further. A day out in Barry can be as inexpensive as you want it to be providing you have good weather. You could take a trip to the beach, make some sandcastles, take a walk along the coast and eat a picnic, all for free. If you were happy to spend a few pounds then there is a multitude of activities from crazy golf to the arcades and of course no trip to the seaside is complete without some fish and chips.
If your looking for something a little bit different and think that yourself and your nephew might find a historic site interesting what about St Fagans? Its completely free, but bear in mind that children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Its £5 to park but there are also good transport link, check out the link below.
https://museum.wales/stfagans/visit/location/
There are other historic sites around the outskirts of Cardiff including Castel Coch which is run by Welsh heritage organisation Cadw. Check out the website below to find anything that might be close to you, please bear in mind that there may be a charge for entry to some of these sites, however there may also be some concessions.
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/maps-and-itineraries/localheritageattractions/south-east/?lang=en
If you are looking for something more active have you thought about Boulders climbing and soft play centre, situated on Newport Road the the outskirts of the centre. Although a climbing centre there are activities for all ages and it provides an alternative option for a rainy day. Also its very reasonably priced with an unlimited day entrance fee at £4.20 for under 7s and free entry for adults.
http://bouldersuk.com/climbing-centre/softplay-cardiff
So thats a few ideas, for more inspiration check out this guide which lists activities in Cardiff and maps them so you can work out what is and is not too close to the centre.
If you would like to talk to anyone about anything, please contact Meic, the national information, advice and advocacy helpline for 0-25s in Wales. You can contact Meic by phone (080880 23456), text (84001), instant message (www.meic.cymru) or email (help@meic.cymru) between 8am and midnight.
Related:
#MHAW17 – Aunty Sprout: How Do I Help My Self-Harming Friend?
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