Love Parks Week

Love Parks Week Activities

Summer of Play Activities

Biodiversity University

Date & Time	Location	Information
Thursday 22 July 11am to 12noon	Browns Bay, Islandmagee	Seashell Stories A Seaside Conservation Adventure. Enjoy interactive storytelling and environmental activities on this beautiful beach and you may even meet a mermaid! Booking essential. Booking link
Thursday 22 July 10am to 12noon	Peoples Park, Ballymena	Orienteering Challenge Get active and improve your navigational skills. Enjoy the challenge of orienteering in the beautiful surroundings of Peoples Park. Booking essential. Contact outdoor.recreation@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Thursday 22 July 6.30pm to 7.30pm	Town Park, Larne	Big Family Games Night Bring the whole family along for an evening of fun and games including rounders, ultimate frisbee, capture the flag and much more. Booking essential. Booking link
Friday 23 July 8pm to 10pm	Galgorm Wood, Cullybackey	Bat Night Go batty for bats! Take a walk at dusk looking for these fascinating nocturnal mammals using torches and bat detectors. Please bring your own torch if you have one. Meeting at Old Mill Park Cullybackey. Booking essential. Booking link
Saturday 24 July 3 bookable sessions	Carrickfergus Marina	Paddle Boarding Take the splash and try out paddleboarding at Carrickfergus Marina Booking essential. Booking link
Saturday 24 July 10am to 12noon	Carrickfergus Mill Ponds	Connected Walk: History and Heritage A 90 minute guided walk taking in the rich history of Carrickfergus followed by a cuppa and a chat.  Walk led by local expert Graham Walton as part of the Mid and East Antrim Loneliness Network programme, taking in Carrickfergus Mill Ponds, Shaftesbury Park, Marine Gardens and Carrickfergus Castle. Meeting at Carrickfergus Amphitheatre carpark. Booking essential. Booking link
Sunday 25 July	Carnfunnock Country Park	Summer Band Concert Enjoy a free band concert within the Walled Garden Amphitheatre. Dummigans Accordion from 2.15pm - 3.15pm CWA Brass Band from 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Wednesday 28 July 10am to 12noon	Eden community centre and allotments, Carrickfergus	Sensory walk and petting farm Join our guided walk and connect with nature and your senses, along with some animals. Booking link
Wednesday 4 August 10am to 12noon	The People's Park, Ballymena	Natural Play Join NIFSA for a morning of natural play, connecting to the natural elements in an imaginative way. 2 x 45min sessions Booking link
Wednesday 11 August 1pm to 3pm	Shaftesbury Park, Carrickfergus	Big Family Games Afternoon Bring the whole family along for an afternoon of games including rounder’s, capture the flag and ultimate Frisbee. Booking link

To ensure attendees safety, numbers will be strictly limited.

Booking is essential.

Attendees will be expected to adhere to current Public Health Agency guidance and Government Guidelines.

Attendees are advised to check the weather in advance and wear suitable clothing and footwear.

Summer of Play Activities

Date & Time	Location	Information
Wednesday 28 July 10am to 12noon	Eden community centre and allotments	Sensory walk and petting farm Join our guided walk and connect with nature and your senses, along with some animals. Booking link
Wednesday 4 August 10am to 12noon	The Peoples Park	Natural Play Join NIFSA for a morning of natural play, connecting to the natural elements in an imaginative way. 2 x 45min sessions Booking link
Wednesday 11 August 1pm to 3pm	Shaftesbury Park	Big Family Games Afternoon Bring the whole family along for an afternoon of games including rounder’s, capture the flag and ultimate Frisbee. Booking link
Wednesday 18 August 10am to 12pm	Larne Town Park	Magic Show Come along and meet Mr magic and his friend Oscar the magic monkey. A morning of fun mischief, laughter and magic! 2 x 40min shows available Booking link
Wednesday 25 August 1pm to 3pm	ECOS	Scavenger Hunt Scavenge for clues around the ECOS centre and see how many answers you can find. Booking link

Biodiversity University 

Learn all about the natural world through fun family activities!

Can you graduate from Biodiversity University?

Date & Time	Location	Information
Monday 2 Aug - Friday 6 Aug 11am - 1pm daily	Diamond Jubilee Wood	Register here Free parking at Bentra Golf Course 10 – 15 minutes walk
Monday 9 Aug - Friday 13 Aug 11am - 1pm daily	Ecos Nature Park	Register here Free parking at Ecos Nature Park
Monday 16 Aug - Friday 20 Aug 11am - 1pm daily	Carnfunnock Country Park	Register here Free parking at Drains Bay, 10 minutes walk or paid parking (£4 per car) at Carnfunnock Country Park

Day one: Pollinator Pals

Learn about our local pollinators. Through natural art, you will create and plant your very own pollinator pot to take home and attract some pollinators into your own garden.

Build a solitary bee box with snug bug compartments to entice other insects and help conserve our vital pollinators.

Day two: The Secret Life of Bugs

Let’s go for a bug hunt!

Learn how to identify bugs, how they live and why they are so important to our environment. We may even get to see a few special creepy crawlies.

Day three: Tremendous Trees and Plants

How well do we know our plants?

Interactive tree ID and foraging our woodlands and hedgerows. Learn about wildflowers and make your own fabric art through the ancient Japanese practice of ‘Hapa Zome’, meaning leaf dye.

Day four: Wild Bushcraft Skills

You will take part in building your own shelter from scavenged natural materials in woodlands, learning skills needed to live and survive in the great outdoors.

Foraging in the fields and hedgerows, learning how to cook up a storm in nature!

Day five: Native Wild Mammals and Birds

Let’s get our binoculars out! Carry out a bird watch and ID, make natural and biodegradable feeders for our feathered friends. Learn how
to track mammals, and how we can spot the signs of them all around us.

Ten Park Facts...Did You Know?

• 91% of people believe that public parks and open spaces improve their quality of life.
• A brisk walk every day, in your local park, can reduce the risk of heart attacks by 50%, strokes by 50%, diabetes by 50%, fracture of the femur by 30%, colon cancer by 30%, breast cancer by 30% and Alzheimer’s by 25%.
• Air quality, air temperature, water and flood management, are all kept within manageable limits because of parks and green spaces.
• The more often a person visits urban open green spaces, the less often he or she will report stress-related illnesses.
• Outdoor play and adventure can increase levels of physical activity and fitness, activate higher cognitive processes and healthy brain development.
• Elderly people who have close access to a place where they can relax and enjoy nature, show significantly greater satisfaction with where they live.
• The number one ranked issue for good parks and public spaces is that they give a sense of community.
• Owners of small companies rank recreation, parks and open spaces as the highest priority in choosing a new location for their business.
• Over 10% of the population choose to use their local green spaces daily.
• Over 50% of us visit a park at least once a week, to improve physical - and mental - health, to enhance our closest relationships, to chill out, to interact with our communities and to have a good time.