Search this site

The summer holidays are winding down and it's back to school for most of us, but that doesn't mean the fun stops! September is packed with brilliant family events across West Berkshire, from the last few days of summer shows to the start of a whole new season of theatre, art and outdoor adventures. Here are some of our top picks to get in the diary this month. As always, do check individual venue websites before you head out as dates and details can change. Happy September! 🍂 🎪 Family Festivals & Shows 🎪 Newbury Show When: 19th & 20th September Where: Newbury Showground A firm favourite in the local calendar. The Newbury & District Agricultural Society's big weekend celebrates farming and rural life with livestock parades, arena displays, artisan produce and plenty to keep the kids entertained. A brilliant, big day out for the whole family. Deblozay When: 5th September Where: Starting at the Corn Exchange, Newbury An outdoor performance journeying through Newbury town centre - a spectacular, free way to see the town come to life. 🎭 Theatre & Live Shows 🎭 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang When: Final week, running until 13th September Where: Watermill Theatre, Bagnor Cost: From £15 Your last chance to catch the Watermill's gorgeous production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before it finishes its run. A world-class show in the most magical of settings - if you haven't been yet, September is the month to book. Wonder Gigs When: 11th September Where: The Old Library, Corn Exchange Newbury An interactive music show for under-5s and their grown-ups, created by Filskit Theatre. Toe-tapping covers, props, puppets and plenty of dancing along - the perfect first taste of live music for little ones, and a lovely way to see the newly opened Old Library. Comb When: 12th September Where: The Old Library, Corn Exchange Newbury Ockham's Razor's Charlotte Mooney brings her enchanting one-woman show to the Old Library as part of its opening season. There's a Monster in Your Show When: 19th & 20th September Where: Corn Exchange Newbury Tom Fletcher's much-loved Who's in Your Book? characters come to life on stage - music, monsters and mayhem for the whole family. 🎨 Arts & Crafts 🎨 Abstract Street Art Workshop with Kevin Waite When: 5th September, 10am - 12noon Where: City Arts, Newbury Cost: £35 (siblings get 25% off a second ticket) Renowned graffiti artist Kevin Waite guides children 8+ and teens through acrylic techniques to create their own piece of abstract street art on canvas to take home. Art Course for Kids When: Starting 14th September (Monday course, running to 19th October) Where: City Arts, Newbury A half-term's worth of Monday sessions exploring different artistic techniques - a lovely way to build confidence and creativity beyond the classroom. Clay Skills for Kids - Autumn Term When: Starting 22nd September (running to 8th December) Where: City Arts, Newbury A hands-on autumn term learning proper clay and pottery skills with City Arts' brilliant tutors. Pottery Painting & Pottery Pals - Blue Beetle Ceramics When: Open Wednesday to Saturday, drop-in and bookable sessions all September Where: Blue Beetle Ceramics, Thatcham Cost: From £5 Not just for the school holidays! Blue Beetle's Thatcham studio runs pottery painting for all ages plus their lovely Pottery Pals sessions - a relaxed way to spend a September afternoon getting creative. Small Wonders: Reimagining British Art When: Opens 11th September (running to 15th November) Where: The Base, Greenham A brand new exhibition opening at The Base this month, exploring British art in miniature and unexpected forms - a great free family outing, with the gallery always worth combining with a play in the grounds and a stop at the Honesty Café. 🌳 Outdoors & Nature 🌳 Family Pond Dipping When: Running into early September (check the BBOWT events page for exact dates) Where: Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham Cost: £6 per child plus booking fee Catch the last of the summer pond dipping sessions before autumn sets in. Explore the wildlife pond and see what creatures are living on and beneath the water - great fun for ages 4+. Nature Discovery Centre grounds and trails When: Open Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm Where: Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham Even without a booked session, the Nature Discovery Centre is a wonderful free-roam September outing - feed the ducks, explore the adventure playgrounds, walk the lakeside trails and warm up afterwards in the Lakeside Café. Keep an eye on their events page for family walks and toddler sessions added throughout the month as the trust's autumn programme gets going. As always, do check individual venue websites before you head out as dates, times and prices can change. Have a wonderful September! 🍁

Post written by West Berkshire Family Life It was so lovely to visit the new playground at Shaw House. A beautiful wooden structure with plenty for the children to do, from a large netted swing to balance beams, slides and musical elements, there is something for every age. It has been built on wetpour surfacing (that lovely spongy, rubbery ground you often see on modern playgrounds), which is soft underfoot and safe for little ones who take a tumble. There is a little house and slide for toddlers and a larger slide for older children with the whole playground suitable for children up to the age of 12. The playground has been designed to be accessible to children of all abilities, with sensory features and an accessible carousel alongside the more traditional equipment, and its centrepiece is a play structure inspired by the Great Hall of Shaw House itself, tying it beautifully into the history of the site. The day we visited, the grounds were also home to the Altered States open air sculpture exhibition. Fabulous artwork in such a picturesque setting, with pieces dotted across the Orangery Lawn for you to wander round and admire. Altered States runs from Saturday 1st August to Sunday 27th September 2026, 11am to 4pm, seven days a week, and entry is free. There are historic rooms to explore inside the house as well as a small children’s play and craft room. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for children’s activities running throughout the holidays; there are usually some exciting crafts events on, perfect for a fun morning activity. For the full picture of what’s on at Shaw House and elsewhere across the district this summer, check out the West Berkshire Family Life What’s On guide. There is free parking on site, a café, a coffee and ice cream van open at weekends, so you are well set up for refreshments! Between the new playground, the sculpture exhibition and the house itself, and the beautiful grounds Shaw House makes for a really lovely family outing together. Where: Shaw House, Church Road, Newbury, RG14 2DR Times: Open weekdays 10am to 4pm, Weekends 11am to 4pm Cost: Adult: £9 /Child (age 4 to 17): £6 /Under 4s: free/ Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children): £25 If you are a West Berkshire resident, discounted rates apply: • Adult: £6/ Child: £4/Family ticket: £20

This summer, Reading town centre has gone thoroughly prehistoric. The Reading Dino Trail runs from Friday 25th July to Sunday 23rd August 2026, and it is completely free to take part. Nineteen giant dinosaurs, built entirely from toy bricks, are hidden across indoor venues and outdoor spaces throughout the town, from a towering stegosaurus made of 180,000 bricks to a collection of much smaller, much cuter baby dinos. We decided to make a day of it, and it turned out to be an easy and very enjoyable free day out. Getting there Reading is well connected, so there are plenty of ways to arrive. We parked at the Oracle, which has convenient Drive In Drive Out parking right in the middle of everything, but there are several other car parks around the town centre too, including Broad Street Mall. If you’d rather leave the car at home, the bus is a great option. Reading Buses run frequently into the town centre, and throughout August 2026, children aged 5 to 15 can travel free on participating local bus services as part of a national scheme running from 1st to 31st August. It’s worth checking with your bus operator which routes are included. Once you are there, the trail map is easy to get hold of; pick one up from right next to the dinosaurs at the Oracle. It’s a lovely spot to start, and while you are there it’s worth grabbing a coffee or a bite to eat. Several places around Reading are advertising children eat free this summer (terms and conditions apply so worth checking before you order). We picked up our trail map and set off. It’s an easy trail to follow for all ages, with the map guiding you clearly from one dinosaur to the next, so you are never quite sure which corner the next one will be round. It took us just over an hour to find half of the dinosaurs, weaving in and out of shops and squares as we went. The whole trail is buggy friendly, which made a real difference with little ones in tow, and there is no reason you need to do it all in one visit. We are already planning to come back another day to track down the rest; splitting it across two shorter outings suited us far better than trying to rush round in one go. Along the way we picked up some brilliant dinosaur facts too, it turned the trail into a proper little learning adventure without ever feeling like hard work. What struck us most was the sheer detail in each model. Every dinosaur is made entirely from toy bricks, and some of the larger ones took a team of four builders more than 400 hours each to construct! Standing next to them, you really appreciate the scale of the work that’s gone in. Along the way, independent businesses across Reading are giving away free dinosaur trading cards; there are 25 to collect in total. We picked ours up simply by popping into a couple of shops as we passed. There is also a competition running alongside the trail. Hidden letters are tucked among some of the dinosaurs, and once you have found them all, you can piece together a mystery phrase and enter online for a chance to win some dino-mite prizes. Full details and the entry link are on the What’s On Reading Dino Trail page. We had a genuinely great time. It’s free, it’s flexible, it’s easy to follow whatever the age of your children, and there’s enough going on to fill a day or split across two. If you are looking for something to do with the family this summer that won’t cost you a penny, the Reading Dino Trail is well worth the trip. Where: Reading Dino Trail When: 25th July – 23rd August 2026, Reading Town centre Cost Free to take part More info and competition entry: whatsonreading.com

Dive into a world of family-friendly cafés, pubs, and restaurants in West Berkshire - ideal for dining out with little ones. WBFL COMMUNITY COLUMN How I Learned to Stop Doing Everything and Actually Enjoy Both The gift new Mum’s actually need PATERNITY LEAVE- The time is now for change and you can do your bit PLANNING FOR NURSERY ON MOTHERHOOD AND CREATING THE PARENT VILLAGE

Get in touch with West Berkshire Family Life - whether you have a question, suggestion, or just want to say hello. We're here to help! LET'S GET IN CONTACT We love connecting with our readers! Whether you have a question, a suggestion, or just want to say hello, we're all ears. Your feedback is valuable to us and we're here to listen. Feel free to reach out to us via email at: hello@westberkshirefamilylife.com First name* Last name* Email* Message Submit

Partner with West Berkshire Family Life to showcase your family-friendly business to thousands of local parents. Explore affordable advertising options today. WORK WITH US Our website and social media platforms attract thousands of local parents every month, all searching for the best family activities, days out, classes and places to go in West Berkshire. Designed with busy mums, dads and carers in mind, we make it easy to discover what's on – whether it's parks, restaurants, party suppliers or something new to try. We are the go-to guide for local family life in West Berkshire! Quick, simple, and full of inspiration, our platforms keep families coming back again and again. PARTNER WITH US We work closely with local businesses, offering flexible and affordable advertising options to help you connect with families in the area. As a West Berkshire Family Life Partner, your business will be front and centre on our website and social channels, reaching parents who are actively looking for things to do, places to visit, and services to book. Enquire for Media Pack WAYS TO GET INVOLVED: Feature in our Local Directory Share your story with an article on our website Build awareness with a spotlight on our socials Reach even more families through our newsletter Simply fill out the form below or email us at hello@westberkshirefamilylife.com to start a conversation about how we can work together. "You do an incredible job and we are so happy to have WBFL as part of our lives." Local Business Partner “I relied on [WBFL] so much when I had my young baby to find out about clubs and child-friendly places in the area. Always use it now to take advantage of the discounts too!” Local Parent LET'S START A CONVERSATION First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!