Bracknell

There is a wide range of activities on offer for children in Bracknell Council's leisure facilities and parks during the school summer holidays.

At Bracknell Leisure Centre there are fun camps for children aged seven and over, plus the return of the Chelsea FC soccer school, both can keep participants occupied all day. The camps include lunch and a free swim - where under eights will need to be accompanied by an adult.

There are also courses in multi-sports, trampolining, soccer dribblers, fun sessions for under fours, tweeny tumblers, karting capers, gym and trampolining.

For Bracknell teenagers there are teen balance and cycling courses. In the swimming pools, there are a wide variety of children's courses for all ages and abilities.

For more details contact Bracknell Leisure Centre on 01344 454203.

Foxy's Fun Camp and Club 7-11 will be returning to Edgbarrow Sports Centre.

Both groups have a varied programme of activities, and parents can chose from the morning session from 9am-midday, the afternoon session from 12.30pm-3.30pm or combine the two. Children can attend for odd days or the entire week.

Foxy's Fun Club is for children aged three-to-six years. It includes a daily visit from Foxy - the centre's cuddly fox mascot. Club 7-11 is for seven-to-11-year-olds.

Following the clubs, there are have a go sessions in gymnastics, trampolining, indoor karting and archery. These can be added onto one of the fun camps or as a separate activity. For more details off all events at Edgbarrow call 01344 776211.

The Bracknell Look Out Discovery Centre is good fun through rain or shine in the summer holidays with a wide range of ways to entertain children.

This summer, The Slime Show will be teaching children about why slugs and snails are so slimey while cutting liquid with a pair of scissors and playing with potty putty. Shows run from July 21 until September 4 at 11am, midday, 2pm and 3.15pm at weekends and school holidays.

The Look Out has an exciting hands on science exhibition and is within 2,600 acres of Crown Estate woodland, where there are many trails and walks to explore. It also has a children's play area, free parking, picnic area, coffee shop and a gift shop. Mountain bike hire is also available. For more information on the Look Out, call 01344 354400

Elsewhere, the Downshire Golf Complex has children's summer camps on July 27 and 30 and August 8, 17, 20 and 31. For more details on the camps at one of the country's top Council-run golf courses call 01344 302030.

Meanwhile Bracknell Coral Reef will be open for holiday fun throughout the summer. Designed with fun in mind there are three giant water slides, wild water rapids, an erupting volcano and hissing snakes. For children there is a rain cloud, small slides and shallow pools to paddle in and for those looking for adventure on the high seas there is the pirate ship complete with shooting cannons. More details on 01344 862525.

For more information on all the Council's sport and leisure facilities visit www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/be

The Bracknell Council's parks and countryside service is also holding events for children in the holidays.

On Thursday, August 9, at 2pm in Pope's Meadow, Binfield, children could become an enormous elephant or fierce shark at Wild Disguises - an outdoor mask-making workshop; and on Tuesday, August 14, at 10am, children can make some Funky and Chunky Recycled Delights - for example wristbands, pendants, key rings and badges - at Sandhurst Community Hall.

Both events cost £3 for materials and must be booked in advance, either at reception at The Look Out or calling 01344 354441 or 354400.

Cllr Iain McCracken, Executive Member for Leisure, Corporate Services and Public Protection, said: "The summer holidays sometimes presents a challenge, the weather, what to do, where to go. With such huge range of fantastic activities being organised by the Council during the school holidays hopefully we've got something for everyone to beat the 'I'm bored' syndrome."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council