Summer Fun | Arts and culture

Welcome to your guide to fun things for all the family this Summer

We know that keeping the kids entertained over the holidays can be challenging

That's why we are compiling this list of all that is going on in the borough that you can do as a family - and on a budget

Save this page to your favourites as we will be updating regularly with new events, happenings, offers and ideas

The BIg Lunches are back!

These community led events have become a big feature of summer in Thurrock

Thanks to Start Thurrock, visitors to the Big Lunches will be able to enjoy a range of exciting workshops, performances and creative activities at each location.

Impulse Leisure and Active Essex will be putting on physical activities, sports and games for people of all ages to try, plus there will be stalls, face painting, music, performances and a DJ.

Entry to The Big Lunches, and the majority of activities, are free and families are encouraged to come along with a picnic to share

Some additional activities may incur a small cost, and refreshments such as tea, coffee, ice creams and cakes will be available to buy on the day

The Big Lunch events run from 12noon to 4pm

South Ockendon Big Lunch – Monday 28 July

Dilkes Park, Fairham Ave, South Ockendon, RM15 5NN

East Tilbury Big Lunch – Thursday 31 July

Gobions Park, Princess Margaret Rd, East Tilbury, RM18 8TN

Chadwell-St-Mary Big Lunch – Thursday 7 August

Pyramid Resource Centre, Heath Rd, Grays, RM16 3AP

Purfleet-on-Thames Big Lunch – Wednesday 13 August

On the Green (by the Beacon), Centurion Way, Purfleet-On-Thames, RM19 1QA

Blackshots Big Lunch – Monday 18 August

Impulse Leisure, King George’s Field, Blackshots Lane, RM16 2LP

Aveley Big Lunch – Friday 22 August

Recreational Ground, High St, Aveley, RM15 4BX

Corringham Big Lunch – Thursday 28 August

Corringham Town Park, Springhouse Rd, Corringham, SS17 7LF

Picnic in the Park: Tilbury – Wednesday 6 August

The Anchor Fields, Tilbury, RM18 8EY

The Big Lunch is a community-run initiative, supported by a partnership between Start Thurrock, Thurrock Council, Thurrock CVS, Impulse Leisure and Active Essex.

For more information: Big Lunches & Picnic in the Park 2025 - Start Thurrock

Experience the Great Outdoors at Grangewaters

Thurrock's very own activity and education centre, Grangewaters, offers a host of brilliant actitivies, from kayaking to navigation, archery to abseiling, paddleboarding and canoeing to climbing, as well as special activities for the little 'uns.

Grangewaters has organised a weekly calandar of activities available for all the family over the Summer break, including standup paddleboarding, archery, sailing, climbing, bushcraft, High Ropem kayaking, canoeing and

For the little ones (aged 18 months to five years old), the Wiggly Bugs nature group runs every Friday morning (9:30am to 11am)

Find out more

Grangewaters will soon have its own dedicated website making it much easier to book your tickets and plan a great day out. Watch this space.

Get waling and gardening with T100

T100 is a unique and exciting local cultural project that helps young people and the whole community to really connect with Thurrock and its surroundings in new and unexpected ways.

It holds regular free walks and supports a commity garden, created by its volunteers on a piece of wasteland in Purfleet.

Meandering Monday at Thameside

Monday, 14 July
A circular walk through Chafford Hundered
No Booking Required

Keep an eye on the T100 website for more events and find out about their Young Ambassadors scheme

Summer Activities at Purfleet on Thames

The Riverview Charitable Trust and its local partners in Purfleet have organised regular sports and fun activities for young people over the summer holidays

The Sports in the Parks events include football and basketball and the Outreach events include arts and crafts, multi-sports and light refeshments. At all the events there are friendly youth workers available for a chat.

Wednesday 9 August

Sports in the Parks
2.50 to 3.50 – Opera House Park
4pm to 5pm - Spider Park
Open to all – aged 9+

Thursday 10 August

Youth Outreach
2pm to 4pm
Garrison Shops

Thursday 17 August

Youth Outreach
2pm to 4pm
Uplands Estate Parks

Wednesday 23 August

Sports in the Parks
2.50 to 3.50 – Opera House Park
4pm to 5pm - Spider Park
Open to all – aged 9+

Thursday 24 August

Youth Outreach
2pm to 4pm
River Green

Find out more: Riverview Charitable Trust (formerly St Stephen's Community Trust) Purfleet-on-Thames

Libraries

Every Summer our libraries host a rich programme of events, happenings and fun actitivies for young people and families.

Details coming here soon

Remember to sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge which youngsters can gain medals and certificates for successfully meeting their personal reading goals.

And don't forget that all year round our libraries run a host of clubs for young and old, from reading groups to sewing circles, from story times to games clubs. Find out what's happening at your local library

Find Your Active self

Active Essex operates a great website which lets you know abut a host of fun and halthy actitvies and sports available in Thurrock and across Essex, including stuff that is free or low cost.

Get started on Finding Your Active Here

And if you have young ones, don't forget to download your free Summer Activety fun book. It has plenty to entertain your kids including quizzes, tasty kid-safe recipes and loads of actitivies, garden games and other fun ideas to keep them from being bored.

Your montly guide to stating physically active for free or low cost

Every month, Thurrock's Community Voluneer Service (CVS) and Find Your Active Thurrock produce an informative guide to free and low cost physical activities booklet in the borough, which is really useful for the summer months, but also helpful all year round.

Low cost cinema for kids and families

Wicked Wednesday Cinema at the Thameside Complex

Thameside regularly hosts screenings of great new film releases aimed at younger audiences at reduced admission prices

Wednesday 23 July, 11am

A Minecraft Movie
A special reduced prices screening on this much anticiptaed movie inspired by the Minecraft game, starring Jason Mamoa and Jack Black
admission £5

Wednesday 30 July, 11am

Snow White
A special reduced prices screening on this new take on a classic fairy tale
admission £5

For tickets to both screenings

RSPB Rainham Marshes

Rainham Marshes is a peaceful paradise and haven for all kinds of wildlife – birds, Water Voles, dragonflies and more – right on your doorstep in Purfleet.

It is free to enter for the public and the perfect place to wile away a beautiful and memorable summer day with the family.

There are some special events coming up that might take your fancy:

Sunday 20 July

Butterfly Guided Walk
Tickets £12 - £15

Saturday 26 July

Dragonfly Guided Walk
Tickets £12 - £15

Sunday 3 August

Wildlife Walk
Tickets £8 - £10

Sunday 10 August

Dragonfly Guided Walk
Tickets £12 - £15

Sunday 17 August

Wildlife Walk
Tickets £8 - £10

Friday 22 August

Butterfly Guided Walk
Tickets £12 - £15

For more details: Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, Essex - The RSPB

Discover your heritage at the Thurrock Museum

Explore 250,000 years of Thurrock history at our museum space, on the ground floor of the Thameside complex

Find out more about our museum

An exciting new exhibtion is planned fo the museum over the summer. Watch this space

Arts Outburst

For almost 20 years, Arts Outburst has been co-creating art and cultural projects with the people of Thurrock (and beyond)

Arts Outburst is taking part in the Big Lunches over the summer and they also run adult events, from Zumba classes to a Choir

They offer some amazing creative classes and opportunities for young people living and studying in Thurrock over the summer and into the autumn

Over the holidays they've organised a bunch of creative opportunties for children and young people eligible for benefit based free schol meals