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October Half Term Activities on the Park

October Half Term Activities on the Park

Story 11/10/2018

Make every moment count and wish farewell to the British Summer Time with Olympic-sized fun during October Half Term!

With a high-speed train service from St. Pancras International, numerous bus services, DLR, Overground Jubilee and Central lines and more coming to Stratford’s stations, you can get to London’s most exciting Park quickly and effortlessly! Come and measure yourself up against the world’s best athletes and try a new sport or activity in the iconic venues from London 2012!

From Saturday 20 - Sunday 28 October, find out what is happening across the Park during October Half Term by clicking on the venues and attractions below:

ArcelorMittal Orbit

Start your day with some sky-high fun at the ArcelorMittal Orbit. Across two viewing platforms, you can enjoy panoramic views across the capital through the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows. Meanwhile, while interacting with the many monuments that sit on the skyline using the interactive screens. Pump some adrenaline into your day and upgrade your ticket to ride the world’s longest tunnel Slide! Twisting around the structure 12 times, ending with a huge corkscrew section, the 178 metre long thriller is bound to be a May Half Term highlight.

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Copper Box Arena

The London Lions are back in action at the Copper Box Arena. After a solid season last year with 21 wins the Lions will be looking to build on that and place even higher this year. Bring your pride, join the crowds and cheer on your team as they take to the court to play the Cheshire Phoenix on Wednesday 24 October.

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Join Fit For Sport from Tuesday 23 - Thursday 25 October in the fun and energizing activity camps. From 8.30am-5.30pm each day, children can expect to enjoy a variety of games, activities and sports inside the vibrant venue!

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Family Fun Day

On Wednesday 24 October from 11am - 3pm, bring the family together for a fun-filled day out this October Half Term and enjoy an afternoon of free activities in the North of the Park. With a selection of indoor and outdoor activities to keep the whole family entertained, you can expect:

  • Garden Games
  • Arts and Crafts Area
  • Small Farm yard animals
  • Jamboree
  • Winter Salad Workshops
  • ...and much more!

No booking required - simply turn up on the day and enjoy!

Food and Drink

After an action-packed day on the Park, make sure you relax and refuel with a delicious treat from one of the many bars, restaurants and cafes across the Park. The Last Drop is the perfect stop for those visiting the ArcelorMittal Orbit, with locally sourced and fresh food forming a tasty all-day menu. In the north of the Park, Timber Lodge Café is also the perfect stop for those visiting the Olympic Rings, Tumbling Bay Playground or Lee Valley VeloPark – relax with a coffee and cake while letting the kids run around nearby.

There’s plenty of choice on the outskirts of the Park too. Try Canalside at Here East for a mix of popular and delicious food by the east London canals, including The Breakfast Club, Randy's Wing Bar, Gotto, Shane's on Canalside, Four Quarters and more. Or choose from the selection of world cuisine available in East Village – the former Athlete’s Village from the London 2012 Games.

On the other side of the canal, you will discover a number of quirky bars in Hackney Wick - serving a delightful arrangement of craft ales, pizzas, burgers and more on canal-side balconies and beer gardens which thrive in the spring!

If you're looking for something extra special, check out Barge East - a new and unique bar and restaurant in a 114 year old Dutch barge on the canal in Hackney Wick. 

Why not combine your day out at the Park with one of the largest shopping centres in London, Westfield Stratford City - with over 100 shops, there is also a huge selection of food and drink on offer.

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Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre

Grab a tennis racket and have a smashing October half term over at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. With courts to hire so a group of friends can play in the world-class facility, there are also tennis sessions for youngsters to improve their hitting technique and get introduced to the game.

  • Cardio Tennis - introductory cardio tennis for ages 5-16
  • Little smashers - Group tennis sessions for ages 3-4
  • Mini Red - Tennis Course for ages 5-7
  • Mini Orange - Tennis Course for ages 8-9
  • Mini Green - Tennis Course for those aged 10
  • Junior Tennis - Tennis Course for ages 11-16

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Lee Valley VeloPark

Need to sharpen those cycling skills? Head over to the Lee Valley VeloPark for structured sessions and wheelie good fun inside one of the most iconic London 2012 venues. The following sessions are available at these dates and times:

  • Tuesday 23 October or Thursday 25 October - 10.30am-2.30pm – BMX Thrills and MTB Skills – for the younger and less experienced riders. A four-hour session consisting of BMX and a Mountain Bike training session – for those aged 7 – 11 years old. All equipment is included.

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  • Wednesday 24 October - 10am-2pm  Club VPK Road and Track Attack – for the older and more competent riders. A four-hour session consisting of a track and road training session on , for those aged 12 – 16 years old. All equipment is included.

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  • Wednesday 24 October - 10am-12noon  Track Attack – for those aged 12 – 16 who are eager to take on the 42 degree velodrome track used in the London 2012 Games. All equipment is included.

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Six Day London

Join the world-class athletes in one of the most exciting track cycling tours - with colourful lights, live DJ sets and unbelievable speeds on the track - the popular event returns to Lee Valley VeloPark velodrome from 23 - 28 October. Suitable for all ages.

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London Aquatics Centre

 

See the Pool of Champions like never before as Ultimate Aqua Splash transforms the 50 metre competition pool and 20 metre dive pool into an inflatable assault course! Start by following the footsteps of Tom Daley and walking up to the 3 and 5 metre high diving platforms, before sliding down the inflatable slide to kick-start the assault course. The different, challenging inflatables piece together to create the UK’s largest indoor inflatable aquatic experience. Available for competent swimmers aged 8+ with no upper age limited - big kids can have fun too! Taking place:

  • Monday 22 – Friday 26 October: 10.30am-11.30am, 11.45am-12.45pm, 1pm-2pm and 2.15pm-3.15pm
  • Sunday 28 October: 2.30pm-4pm and 4.30pm-6pm

You can still have all the fun without the slide in Extreme Aqua Splash! Work your way through the large inflatable assault course in the 50 metre competition pool, while channelling your inner spiderman: scale up the side of pyramids, jump off tall inflatables and climb over hurdles as you try to complete the course! Available for competent swimmers aged 8+, taking place on:

  • Sunday 28 October: 12.30pm – 2pm

The Aqua Splash course takes place in the training pool and is a smaller course than Extreme Aqua Splash - while it still contains all the excitement, obstacles and action, it is designed to be suitable for children under 8 and their families, taking place on:

  • Saturday 27 October - 1.30pm - 3pm and 3.30pm - 5pm

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The Park

Let the children blow off some steam in the Park’s state-of-the-art playgrounds. In the south of the Park, you’ll find the Pleasure Gardens play area. With plenty of space for the parents to relax and watch, this play area offers a great chance to let the kids roam and play freely. With gigantic red rock climbing walls, broad slide, sand pits, swings and more, it’ll be nap time before you know it.

Then head over to the interactive water fountains to cool down, just a one minute walk away from the Pleasure Gardens play area, in front of the London Stadium - the 195 jets of water create the perfect playground for those warmer days! 

Discover the Park at your own pace on one of our free, fun and interactive trails. Sports fans will love the interactive London 2012 trail where the sights and sounds of the Games come to life. Meanwhile, children can take on secret missions as part of the Explorers Guide in the Adventures in the Park trail.

After a hectic day out on the Park, it’s time to put your feet up. Take to the water on a boat tour, where you’ll enjoy all the sights form the London 2012 Games on the historic waterways which run through the middle of the Park. Simply turn up on the day to enjoy, available from the pontoon located adjacent to the London Aquatics Centre. The swan pedalos are also available for hire, so you can roam around the waterways between the iconic London Aquatics Centre and the ArcelorMittal Orbit at your own pace.