The Recorder has rounded up some of the best activities on offer in the borough to help you plan a winning week off...
• The Sea Cadets are inviting young people aged 10 to 18 to try their hand at various water activities including sailing, rowing, canoeing and kayaking.
Sessions are available from Monday to Friday at the London Regatta Centre at the Royal Docks.
The sessions are free to attend.
To book, email Lisa on lgoodey@ms-sc.org or call 020 7055 0585.
• Aspiring young footballers can take part in a training camp this half term. It is suitable for children aged between five and 12-years-old.
The football training camp takes place on Thursday at Central Park in High Street South, East Ham, from 10am until 3pm.
It costs £10 to attend.
Pre-booking is essential. Call 0300 124 0123 to book.
• Children aged between six and 16 can try their hand at one of Britain’s favourite summer sports by attending cricket sessions this half term.
The sessions take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at West Ham Park in Upton Lane between 10am and 1pm.
It costs £3 per day or £8 for the three days if booked in advance.
Pre-booking is essential. Call 0300 124 0123 to book.
• Why not go along and meet the animals at Newham City Farm? The farm has arranged experience days, including Care for a Pony Day on Thursday and Be a Farmer For a Day on Friday.
From Monday to Wednesday, visitors also have the chance to attend different sessions to meet the animals including alpacas, lambs and falcons.
The Stansfeld Road based farm is open all week.
It’s free to visit the farm but donations are encouraged.
The Care for a Pony Day costs £25 and the Be Farmer For a Day costs £20. Both are for children aged eight to 12.
Pre-booking is essential. Call 0300 124 0123 to book and visit newhamcityfarm.co.uk for more information.
• See if your child can be the next Andy Murray by enrolling them into a tennis day course, suitable for children aged from five to 12.
The course takes place on Wednesday at Central Park in High Street South, East Ham, from 10am until 3pm.
It costs £10 to attend.
Call 0300 124 0123 to pre-book.
• Join West Ham United Foundation for a family fun run around Stratford’s Olympic Park.
The event is raising funds for the Moorse Family Foundation which runs a mentoring programme helping vulnerable Year 6 pupils across east London.
The run will take place on Monday from the Race Hub. Registration opens from 10am with the race starting at 11am and ending at about 1pm.
Prices start from £5.
Visit queenelizabetholympic-park.co.uk and click on the West Ham United Foundation event on the What’s On page to register.
• Try your hand at a family volleyball session. A coach will be on hand to demonstrate the basic skills and to give you tips on how to improve your technique.
The sessions will take place on Monday in the garden at the Timber Lodge Café at the Olympic Park from 2pm until 4pm.
The sessions are free to attend.
Booking is not required.
• Join Wally and his friends for an imaginative and interactive workshop where guests will become involved in a Where’s Wally story trail.
The workshops will take place between Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 31 from 12pm until 4pm at the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
Tickets start from £5.95.
To book, call 0333 800 8099 or visit queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk and click on the Where’s Wally event on the What’s On webpage.
• Get tucked up in bed with your family and friends to watch Bedtime Stories. Unwind and be dazzled with circus, theatre, dance and projections from circus company Upswing.
After the show, guests can join the cast for a circus family workshop.
The event is taking place from Thursday to Saturday at 2pm at Stratford Circus.
Tickets cost £5.
Visit stratford-circus.com to book.
• Water babies can visit the borough’s three leisure centres to enjoy fun swimming sessions.
The pools will be kitted out with floats and water toys.
The sessions will take place from Saturday, May 23, to Sunday, May 31, at Newham, Balaam and East Ham Leisure Centres at various times.
It is free for under 16s with a membership card and costs £1.80 for under 16 non-members, £3.75 for adult members, £5.20 for adult non-members and £1.25 for concessions.
Visit activenewham.org.uk for more information.
• Green fingered families can try their hand at growing fruit and veg at a West Ham community garden.
The Garden Club sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1pm, Thursdays at 4pm and Saturdays at 10am and are free.
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
See abbeygardens.org.uk.
• Visit Stratford’s story centre to sample a range of creative and immersive activities.
The Wonderful World of Oliver Jeffers is running everyday of the week. The exhibition, for children aged six and under, celebrates the 10th birthday of the children’s classic How to Catch a Star and also the magical worlds of the author’s picture books.
On Tuesday and Saturday, May 30, children aged six and over can make and decorate their own kites to fly and then test them in the garden afterwards. The class runs at 2.30pm on Tuesday and 3.30pm on Saturday.
On Wednesday and Sunday, May 31, children aged six and over can enter a paper airplane making competition. The class takes place at 2.30pm.
Entry to Discover, based on the High Street, costs £5 and £4.50 for Newham residents. Activities are included in the entry costs.
For more information, visit discover.org.uk
• Westfield Stratford has arranged a whole host of events this half term.
A special event will be held at Shake Shack on Saturday, May 23, which has been arranged in collaboration with the London Lions basketbll club. Guests can enjoy live music, tag an interactive graffiti wall and play basketball.
On Tuesday and Thursday, children will be treated to free balloon modelling as they wander around the store. Kids can pick up their balloons at various locations from 11am until 4pm.
Or why not take your little ones to a Build a Bear workshop on Wednesday where they will also enjoy face painting and storytelling and can meet the Build a Bear mascot? The work shops take place at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.
On Wednesday and Friday, kids can have their faces painted for free. There will be face painters dotted throughout the store between 11am and 4pm ready to decorate plenty of faces.
Immerse your children in a modern day fairytale on Saturday, May 30 by taking them to the Fairytale Hairdresser and the Little Mermaid storytelling session at 11.30am. The interactive session will be attended by bestselling children’s picture book author Abie Longstaff. Kids can also practice hairstyles on their dollys and get their books signed by Abie.
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