Suffolk Libraries is reminding schools and parents of the many free and fun activities on offer from libraries this summer. These include the Summer Reading Challenge which can help maintain 4-11 year olds’ reading skills over the holidays and the Blank Page programme which is offering creative workshops for 10-16 year olds.

There are many reasons for children and families to visit libraries this summer. There will be a range of activities on offer across libraries for children of all ages. Visiting the library can help maintain reading levels in younger children and there will also be plenty of free and fun activities which can be a massive help to parents struggling with the cost of living.

The Summer Reading Challenge runs in all libraries during the summer holidays and is a fantastic way of making reading fun whilst also helping children aged 4-11 to maintain reading skills over the long break.

With the Wimbledon Tennis Championships underway and the Women’s World Cup about to start it’s fitting that this year’s theme is a sporty one. ‘Ready Set Read’ features a superstar team of characters and their marvellous mascots.

The Summer Reading Challenge is free to take part in and children can sign up in libraries from Saturday 15 July. There is more information on Suffolk Libraries reading challenge web page

Reading and literacy skills can drop in young children over the long summer holidays and the reading challenge has been proven to make a difference by encouraging regular reading in a way which is free, fun and engaging.

For older children, there are over 70 creative Blank Page workshops running in nine of Suffolk’s libraries.

Blank Page offers free creative workshops for 10-16 year olds, giving them the chance to express their creativity through a range of mediums at high-quality workshops run by local artists including comic book creation, storytelling, performance, poetry, bookbinding, album creation and lots more.

The summer workshops will run from Monday 24 July to 31 August across the following nine libraries – Lowestoft, Stowmarket, Gainsborough, Chantry, Beccles, Bungay, Great Cornard, Halesworth and Haverhill.

The workshops vary from library to library and the full programme of events and more information about the artists and their workshops can be found on the Suffolk Libraries website at www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/blank-page

13 different local artists and creative people are facilitating the activities which run from 10am to 3pm each day and include a free lunch. The workshops are completely free to attend but places must be booked in advance.

The Blank Page project is funded by the Department for Education’s Holiday Activity Fund which aims to provide more support for young people and families during the school holidays.

There will also be a wide range of other activities running in libraries this summer and parents can visit their library or the Suffolk Libraries website for more details.