Curtains Up! Outdoor Play – What’s on at Harewood this Summer

Lights, camera, action! This summer, Harewood takes centre stage with a season dedicated to performance. Whether indoors or outdoors, there’s plenty of family fun, creativity and adventure waiting at Harewood.

Outside, step into Curtains Up! Outdoor Play on Sun Sides, a lively play zone complete with a performance area where imaginations can run wild, alongside pop-up tents packed with fun, performance-themed activities for all ages. Harewood’s family den-building challenge offers a hands-on adventure focused on teamwork, creativity and outdoor exploration. Younger visitors are catered for too, with Adventure Babies: Circus Special and Tree Toddlers, which provide sensory play experiences designed for Harewood’s smallest guests.

Inside the House, join Snaps Through Time, a fascinating weekly talk where visitors can discover the art of photograph conservation and learn how treasured images are carefully preserved for future generations. Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons, our newest exhibition, is accompanied by Spot Simba the Pug, a playful I-Spy trail featuring the photographer’s beloved dog. Just outside on the Terrace, young adventurers can head to Thomas’ Terrace School to learn how we conserve our historic stonework.
Harewood Holiday Club, led by the learning team, offers themed days ranging from minibeasts to Anglo-Saxons, providing unforgettable opportunities for excitement, discovery and creativity. For one week in August, Tashi Lhunpo Monks will bring vibrant Tibetan Buddhist traditions to life through free performances and family workshops.

Curtains Up! Outdoor Play
Daily, 10am – 6pm
Sun Sides
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
Families with children of all ages are invited to the Sun Sides field within the beautiful Grounds of Harewood for a day of theatrical fun, creativity and outdoor play. Young visitors can take to the stage, dress up, get creative, try their hand at circus skills and enjoy a range of outdoor games. From the moment guests arrive, the Grounds are transformed into a vibrant world of theatrical wonder, laughter and discovery, with the Lake providing a stunning backdrop and the House serving as a grand stage set.

Spot Simba the Pug Trail
Daily, 10.30am – 3.30pm
Trail starts in the Entrance Hall of the House
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
Discover Simba the pug, the much-loved four-legged companion of celebrated photographer Cecil Beaton, in a playful I-spy trail through the magnificent State Floor. Inspired by Beaton’s affection for his pet, the activity encourages visitors of all ages to explore the historic interiors while searching for Simba hidden in unexpected corners and secret hiding places throughout the rooms.

Adventure Playscape, Sylvascope, Woodland Wonderland Willow Maze
Daily, 10am – 6pm
Across site
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
Set beneath the cool shade of the woodland canopy, these three magical outdoor play areas offer adventure and discovery for the whole family. The Adventure Playscape features climbing towers, bridges, slides, hideouts, swings and a zipwire, creating an exciting mix of physical and sensory play for children of all ages. Wander through the twisting pathways of the Woodland Wonderland Willow Maze, hidden amongst the trees, or explore Sylvascope, a unique treehouse experience tucked away in the enchanting woodland. Perfect for families looking to connect with nature, there is something to discover around every corner.

Snaps Through Time Talk
Every Tuesday throughout the Summer holidays, 2.30pm
Meet in the Entrance Hall of the House
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
Visitors are invited to join Harewood’s Collections Care Team for an engaging talk exploring the fascinating history of photography, from the world’s earliest surviving image to the development of the modern camera. Featuring a selection of historic photographs from the collection, the session will uncover interesting photography facts while also offering practical advice on how to care for and preserve photographs at home, from family albums to treasured prints, and insight into how museums protect these delicate records for future generations.

Little Gardeners
Every Tuesday throughout the Summer holidays, drop-in 11am – 3pm
Walled Garden
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
In this session, families will have the opportunity to sow a seed to take home and grow. Guided by our Gardens team, participants will learn how to care for their plants while discovering a variety of flowers and plants found throughout the Harewood Gardens.

Adventure Babies: Circus Special
20 July and 17 August, 10.30am, 11.45am, 1pm, 2.15pm
North Lawn,
1 Adult + 1 Child, £15
Adventure Babies brings the magic of the circus to Harewood with a Big Top storytelling and sensory play experience for babies and toddlers under four. The interactive family event combines music, movement, props, bubbles and imaginative storytelling, offering parents and carers a fun and engaging baby-friendly activity during the school holidays.

Wild Harewood: Family Den-Off
Alternate Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the Summer holidays 22, 27, July 05, 10, 19, 24 July 02 August
11am – 3 pm, Sylvascope
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
In this outdoor challenge, families will work together to design and build their own woodland shelters using natural materials gathered from the surrounding landscape. Transform sticks, branches and woodland debris into a structure strong enough to withstand the elements.
Once built, shelters will face its ultimate test, where you’ll discover just how weatherproof your design really is.

Thomas’ Terrace School
28 and 29 July, 11, 12, 25 and 26 August, 2.30 pm
The Terrace
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
A unique opportunity to help clean the outdoor statues on the Terrace. This hands-on activity gives younger visitors the chance to learn how we care for historic sculptures and preserve them for future generations. Under the guidance of the team, visitors will discover the careful techniques used to remove dirt and grime while protecting the stonework.

Harewood Holiday Club
4,5,6, 25, 26 and 27 August, 9 am – 4 pm
Suitable for 7 – 11 year olds
£40 per child, per day
Harewood Holiday Club is inviting children to enjoy an action-packed programme of summer holiday activities filled with excitement, discovery and creativity, with each themed day offering hands-on experiences designed to inspire young minds through history, art and nature. Activities include exploring traditional heritage crafts on 4 August, stepping into the world of Anglo-Saxon warriors on 5 August, campfire-themed fun on 6 August, minibeast hunting on 25 August, a Victorian-style seaside holiday on 26 August, and a spectacular water fight finale on 27 August.

Tashi Lhunpo Monks Visit
10,11,12,13,14, and 15 August
Various locations across site and times
Free, included in valid day ticket or membership
From Monday 10th to Saturday 15th August, visitors are invited to experience the vibrant traditions of Tibetan Buddhist culture through a series of free performances and hands-on family workshops led by monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Featuring sacred music, ceremonial dance, and interactive creative activities, these events offer a rare opportunity to discover the artistry, symbolism, and spiritual practices of one of Tibet’s great monastic traditions.

Tree Toddlers Summer Special
13 August, 10.30 am – 12 pm
Sylvascope
1 Adult + 1 Child, £12
Tree Toddlers is an outdoor play-based session for children under 5 & their grownups, offering space to discover, create & connect with the natural world. This summer, our session takes on a seasonal twist, celebrating sunshine, sensory play & the magic of the woodland in full bloom.

VW Festival
8 and 9 August
North Lawn
Tickets from £7.50, free for members
VW Festival is one of the biggest, family friendly VW shows in the UK. Spread over 3 days, it brings the largest display of VW show cars and club displays from around the country.
As well as cars galore, VW Festival delivers a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend of family activities, shopping, street food and bars, all mixed in with fantastic live music and entertainment throughout.

Find out more at harewood.org.