With the Isle of Man’s schools scheduled to break up for the summer (‘Sourey’) holidays on Friday 24th July, Manx National Heritage, the organisation responsible for protecting and promoting the Isle of Man’s heritage and culture as well as maintaining and preserving its biodiversity and natural landscapes, has announced a comprehensive programme of events and activities aimed at children and families during the summer break.

Many of Manx National Heritage’s sites include interactive displays to engage children and families including the newly refurbished Nautical Museum which offers fabulous Georgian fun including the opportunity for children to dress up in the fashions of the day and interactive games and displays as well as the new Quayle Gallery which tells the story of the inventive George Quayle and his family, his eccentric boathouse and most significant surviving creation, the ‘Peggy’ sailing boat.

The Nautical Museum will also host the ‘Up, Up and Away’ Competition this summer which launches on Thursday 13th August with a day of hot air balloon craft sessions for families. Tickets for the craft sessions are ?3.50 each available from the Manx Museum Gallery Shop. Balloon competition entries will accepted at the museum for display until the end August.

At Rushen Abbey visitors can learn about Abbey life through the ages while children can follow ‘Monky Business’ activities include, a fruit picking challenge, a potter’s wheel, have a go at archaeology and loads of other child friendly games to fill a full day while the Abbey’s extensive, tranquil, scenic gardens are one of the Island’s most popular spots for a summer picnic. The popular ‘Little People’s Picnic’ returns to Rushen Abbey on Sunday 30th August with a Manx fairy tale trail and storytelling, face painting, garden games and of course lots of ‘Monky Business’.

Mini adventure seekers can also explore the fortresses of Peel Castle and Castle Rushen or discover the Island’s rich Celtic, Viking and Maritime past at the House of Manannan while Cregneash in the south of the Island offers little ones ‘Bee Explorer Bags’ for hire to get close up to nature. This summer Cregneash will host ‘Nature Explorers’, an afternoon with the Manx Wildlife Trust on Thursday 30th July, as well as the ‘Summer Adventure Days’ in August, which include a guided expedition of the village where little adventurers can discover fairies and folk heroes or farming.

For budding artists and fledgling collectors the Manx Museum is running ‘Collections’ – family workshops at the Manx Museum on 24th, 26th and 28th August with morning or afternoon sessions. The free workshop is encouraging people to rummage in their jumble for figurines, coins, shells, stones, stamps, postcards or anything that’s made of glass, ceramics, paper – synthetic or natural. The workshop activity is related to ‘Articulate’, an exhibition run by Isle of Man College 2nd year fine art students using artworks from the IOM Arts Council Loan Collection.

For more information on all the events and Season Passes visit www.manxnationalheritage.im. Season Passes can be purchased on the day from the retail outlets at the Manx National Heritage sites or online.

All Manx schoolchildren are eligible for the ‘ACE’ card, supported by Lloyds Bank, which entitles them to free admission to all Manx National Heritage sites. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult who can either purchase a day admission or an annual Season Pass, granting free admission to all MNH sites for a full year from first use, for ?20. All eleven sites are now operating their summer hours, which typically run from 10am to 5pm.

Photo- Activity area in the Quayle Gallery, Nautical Museum.