Love Parks Week 2024

Join us for a week of celebrating our outdoor spaces with Love Parks Week 2024! The exciting family-friendly event includes a variety of free and low cost activities to enjoy.

View the full week's event schedule and book here!

Booking is essential. Please complete booking form to secure your space.

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

In case of a bad weather warning, events may be cancelled, and participants will be contacted.

Saturday 27 July
Rock Pooling
Carnfunnock Country Park
11am
Price: £2.50 per child.

Want to discover the world of rock pooling? Seek out crabs and critters from under the rocks and get close and personal with the marine life of the Antrim coast. Please meet at the Visitor Centre before the event begins.  Wear appropriateclothing and footwear. Bookingis essential. All children must be accompanied by an adult, suitable for 5+ years.
Contact Carnfunnock Country Park to book on T: 028 2826 2471.

Sunday 28 July

DIY Bird Boxes
Carnfunnock Country Park
11am & 2pm Session

Price: £6 per home to cover materials
Why not join Carnfunnock staff, to make your own DIY Bird Box to take home withyou? . Wear appropriate clothing. Booking essential as places are limited, max 6 units. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for children 5+ years.
Contact Carnfunnock Country Park to book on: 028 2826 2471.

Summer Band Concert
Marine Gardens, Carrickfergus
3pm - 4pm
FREE EVENT - No booking necessary
Sample the Sounds of Summer with Ballyduff Silver Band

Monday 29 July
Orienteering
People’s Park Ballymena
11am - 1pm
FREE EVENT

Get active and improve your navigational skills. Use the orienteering map to find your way around People’s Park for a true summer adventure! Varying course lengths to suitall abilities.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Biodiversity University - Firecraft
Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead
10am - 12noon
FREE EVENT
Creating fire today is easy but what did we use before the match? In this session we will learn how to site, build and light a successful campfire using flint and steel. We will learn about kindling tinder and ignition as well as how to clear away our fire safely to leave no trace or impact to nature!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Tuesday 30 July
Biodiversity University - Wild Art
Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead
10am to 12noon
FREE EVENT
Art and Nature are linked together. On this session we will find and create our own art tools. Then we will let our minds free to create masterpieces on either paper or crafting using the nature itself. There is no limit only your imagination!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Art in the Park
Carnfunnock Country Park
11am
Price: £2.50 per child to cover materials

Why not join Carnfunnock staff, to create crafts in the park? Wear appropriate clothing. Booking essential as places limited, max. 15 units. All children must be accompanied by an adult.Suitable for children 5+ years.
Contact Carnfunnock Country Park to book on: 028 2826 2471

Wednesday 31 July
Biodiversity University - Foraging
Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead
10am to 12noon
FREE EVENT
What can nature provide us for food, medicine or usefulness? On our foraging session we will find, identify and use the plants and trees around us! A good memory or a piece of paper to make notes is a good idea on this session! You will be surprised how much food is around us!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Art in the Park
Shaftsbury Park,
Carrickfergus.
11am - 1pm
FREE EVENT
Come along and learn to draw the woodland canopy, in your own style. All materials will be provided by the artist. This is suitable for adults and children, and don’t worry about your drawing skills – it’s about taking time out to learn about the beautiful trees in our local parks. Bring your own camp chair or blanket to sit on, ground may be wet. Toilets available in Marine Gardens.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Bat Night
Diamond Jubilee Wood,
Whitehead
8:30 - 10:30pm
FREE EVENT
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.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Orienteering Challenge
Bashfordsland Wood
11am - 1pm
FREE EVENT
Get active and improve your navigational skills. Use the orienteering map to find your way around Bashfordsland Wood; a true summer adventure! Varying course lengths to suit all abilities.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Thursday 1 August
Biodiversity University - Den Building
Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead
10am - 12noon
FREE EVENT
Could you survive in the wild? Leave behind your warm house with the kitchen and cosy sofas and learn how to build a shelter and forage for food. Find natural resources to protect you from the wind and rain and enjoy tasting a variety of plants found in your natural surroundings. Try the special recipe of ‘herbal’ tea or make your own flavour!
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Geology Tour
Larne Promenade
4pm - 6pm
FREE EVENT
Come along a walk to view 200 million years of Geology! You will see the site of an ancient mega quake and the place where Larne’s own dinosaur was found. Meet at the back of Larne Leisure Centre, at the start of Larne Promenade.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Kid’s Experiments
Carnfunnock Country Park
2pm
Price: £2 per child.

Join in the fun with some slime and you might even get the chance to make volcanos with even more lava!. Booking is essential. Maximum 10 children. Suitable for children age 5+. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact Carnfunnock Country Park to book on: 028 2826 2471.

Friday 2 August
Biodiversity University - Treemendous Trees.
Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead
10am - 12noon
FREE EVENT
How well do you know your 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.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Orienteering
Carnfunnock Country Park
11am - 1pm
FREE EVENT
Get active and improve your navigational skills. Use the orienteering map to find your way around Carnfunnock: a true summer adventure! Varying course lengths to suit all abilities.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Seabirds and Sealife
Portmuck Harbour
Islandmagee
3pm - 5pm
FREE EVENT
Learn about our fascinating marine mammals and seabirds with expert Ian Enlander. Please bring binoculars and spotting scope if you have them.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Saturday 3 August
Wild Survival Skills
ECOS Nature Park
11am - 1pm
FREE EVENT
Could you survive in the Wild? Join the staff from wild walk bush craft in the natural environment to learn skills to survive in the wild. Suitable for the whole family.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Rocket Making for Kids
Carnfunnock Country Park
11am & 2pm
Price: £2 per child.

Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No it’s your rocket! Come along and build your own rocket before attempting launch! Will it fly? How far will it go? How high will it go? That’s all up to you! Maximum 12 children per session. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear as you may get a bit wet! Booking is essential. All children must be aged 5 and over and accompanied by an adult.
Contact Carnfunnock Country Park to book on: 028 2826 2471.