Christmas events and activities happening right on your doorstep! Find out what’s happening near you.
Most of these activities are of little to no cost, where there are charges the information is displayed.
Page 2- Free and low-cost activity ideas to do this Christmas
Page 3- Events at Kirklees Libraries
Page 4- Museum and Galleries Christmas events
Page 5– Cliffe House Christmas activities
Page 6- Magical events in our towns and villages
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There are plenty more magical activities and events happening in Kirklees! Visit Creative Kirklees to find out what else is happening near you.
Free and low-cost activity ideas to do this Christmas
Discover your local park
Get wrapped up and hop on your bike or scooter for an adventure to one of our fantastic parks! Young people in Kirklees can enjoy improved play spaces thanks to the our Playable Spaces project.
Make your own salt dough decoration
Salt dough Christmas decorations are a marvellous activity for the kids to create their own personalised baubles!
Bake your own gingerbread
Wondering what to dough with the little ones today? Gingerbread recipes are really simple and are a great activity for the kids to do!
Did you know that if you are eligible to receive support for health food and milk through the Healthy Start Scheme your prepaid card will be topped up every 4 weeks. Find out if your eligible and apply.
Make your own reindeer food
Can your little one’s help guide Rudolph and the rest of the reindeers with some magical reindeer food?
The glimmer in the moonlight will light the way for Santa and his sleigh on Christmas eve.
Make your own Christmas decorations
You’re probably wondering how you can make good use of all the cardboard collected around Christmas, well… why not make your own Christmas decorations!
Cut out shapes from the cardboard and get out the arts and crafts.
Get creative this Christmas!
An adult will need to help with this activity! Bryon from S2R is going to show us how to make our very own wooden reindeers. Want to know the best part? It’s all from materials you’ll be able to find on a winter walk.
Events at Kirklees Libraries
Lego club Christmas session
Get ready to unleash your inner architect with our LEGO-tastic Saturday morning club!
Our superstar young volunteers at Lindley Library are ready to rock your world with some serious building challenges. We’re talking classic LEGO brick fun, mixed with plenty of imagination and creativity. Are you ready to join the brick-building party?
On the first and third Saturday of the month, 10.15 am – 11.15 am. For ages 4 – 11.
Please only book tickets for participating children, guardians can accompany without a ticket.
Date: 16 December 2023
Location: Lindley Library
Cost: Free
Story time at Kirklees Libraries
A free session of stories, rhymes and crafts for children aged 0 -5 (the children are never too young). The session is about half an hour of stories and rhymes followed by a craft and stay-and-play where they children can play while the adults have a cup of tea/coffee and a chat.
Date: Various dates available throughout December
Location: Various Kirklees Libraries
Cost: Free
Visit your local library
Our libraries are now open for the little ones to have fun, to learn and discover new things and we’re so excited to welcome you in!
Museums and Galleries Christmas events
Santa in the barn for SEND children
Following our pilot event last year, we are delighted to again offer Santa in The Barn for SEND Families. Designed with, and specifically for, children with SEND, families can enjoy sensory craft activities in the cosy Oakwell Barn and a relaxed private meeting with Santa. Participating children will also receive a gift.
Date: Sunday 10 December,1 pm-2 pm or 2:30 pm- 3:30pm – session sizes are limited to a maximum of 10 children per session – an additional 4 pm session may be released depending on demand.
Location: Oakwell Hall
Cost: Participating Children are £10 (plus Eventbrite booking fee) each, accompanying family members are free but please do book tickets for family members (please email oakwell.hall@kirklees.gov.uk if more accompanying tickets are required).
Christmas arts and crafts workshop
Louise’s Art Workshops will be back at the museum in mid-December with Christmas lanterns, 3D snowmen, party poppers and different types of Christmas cards for you to make. These activities are suitable for ages 4 to 10 and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Date and locations:
Saturday 16 December 2023, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm- Tolson Museum
Sunday 17 December 2023 at 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Bagshaw Museum
Cost: Various prices
Year of Music Trail
Come along and make some noise and celebrate the Kirklees Year of Music with our free trail. From African drums to the Batley Variety Club, discover and learn about all of the musical objects on display at Bagshaw.
Date: 1 April 2023 – 31 December 2023
Location: Bagshaw Museum
Cost: Free
Children’s Prize Trails
Get wrapped up and head to Bagshaw Museum to have fun with our ever-changing children’s trails around the museum. There’s new trails every month!
Date: Various dates
Location: Bagshaw Museum
Cost: £1
Visit your local museum
Entry to all our museums and galleries is free! Donations are welcome.
Cliffe House Christmas activities
Tea with Santa at Cliffe House
Santa will be flying in for a special traditional Christmas roast dinner, festive sing-a-long and a gift for each child.
Date: Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 December 2023, 4.00pm – 5.30pm
Cost: £15.00 per child, £12.50 per adult.
Location: Cliffe House
Discover Cliffe House
Cliffe House is open during all school holidays (excluding Bank Holidays) offering a wide of family activities with themed events during Easter, October and Christmas half term breaks.
Magical events in our towns and villages
Holmfirth and Honley Elf and Grinch trail
Merrily wander around the local shops and businesses in Holmfirth and Honley, and spot the mischievous elves and Grinches in the shop windows. When you have spotted one, fill in your sheet with the elf’s number and the shop name.
All children when buying a sheet (£2) will receive a small prize for taking part (a cute gonk, Christmas Hat or Elf Stationery Set).
So, put your Christmas hat and coat on, grab your trail sheet and come enjoy the fun whilst supporting a great local cause!
Date: 20 November– 31 December 2023
Location: Holmfirth and Honley
Cost: The sheets have a donation of £2 per sheet, which will go to Holmepride – Community in Action and to the Honley village Community Trust.
Cinderella
You shall go to the ball! Cinderella spends her days stuck in the house hoovering and dusting whilst her meanie stepsisters slob around. She dreams of breaking free… could an invitation to a royal party, a ballgown and a pair of funky trainers change everything? Full of spellbinding effects, dazzling costumes, a hilarious script and toe-tapping musical numbers, come join Cinderella in this much-loved rags to riches Christmas adventure.
Date: Friday 1 December 2023 – Sunday 31 December 2023
Location: Lawrence Batley Theatre
Cost: Various prices
A limited number of £5 tickets are available for Kirklees Passport Holders – more information about the scheme.
The Orchestra of Opera North: Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes
Expect classic fairy tales with mischievous twists from these two animated films based on Roald Dahl’s hilarious collection of verse tales, soundtracked live by the Orchestra of Opera North. Fun for all the family, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce young children to live orchestral music. Recommended for ages 5+.
Date: Tuesday 12 December 2023, 6 pm – 8 pm
Location: Huddersfield Town Hall
Cost: Various prices
Snowmen
Two snowmen are on a mission not to melt when they find their perfect home, an ice arena, but will they be discovered by the humans? Packed with visual comedy, Snowmen is a show about friendship, home and hope.
Date: Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 December 2023
Location: Lawrence Batley Theatre
Cost: Various prices
A limited number of £5 tickets are available for Kirklees Passport Holders – more information about the scheme.
There are plenty more magical activities and events happening in Kirklees! Visit Creative Kirklees to find out what else is happening near you.