Fun and Healthy Activities for Children at Easter

Over 3,500 children and young people in Leeds took part in Healthy Holidays activity over Easter. During the school holidays, 46 projects ran across the city, providing fun activities and nutritious food for local children. 

The Healthy Holidays programme supports the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of children and their families, by addressing food insecurity and hunger, isolation and inactivity. Most of the children reached through the programme are eligible for Free School Meals, with others struggling to access healthy food and safe things to do during the holidays. 

From football, BMX and table tennis to drama, woodwork and crafts, children were able to get creative and be active. Some took part in self-defence classes or wellbeing workshops, while others ventured into the woodland for bushcraft and shelter-building. All were given the opportunity to learn more about food, with some getting hands on to cook for themselves. Culinary creations included green pancakes, pizzas and kale crisps. 

One organisation, CATCH Leeds, provided indoor and outdoor activities over 8 evenings in the holidays. They held hair and beauty workshops, farm workshops and gardening activities, and gave young people access to pool and table tennis, computers for gaming and online quizzes, and board games for a quieter option. Hot meals were served each evening, with dishes including tuna pasta, chicken burger bagels and vegetable curry. One young person said “I haven’t tried new food before and I really enjoyed some of the new things I ate”. 

CATCH also took 24 young people on a 3-day residential trip to Herd Farm Activity Centre. The residential included walking, archery, zip lines and campfire sessions, with hot, healthy meals each evening. 

Feedback from the young people who attended included “I got to communicate with new people and try things that I never tried before” and “The giant swing was really fun because it pushed me out of my comfort zone”. 

In total, 144 young people took part in CATCH’s Healthy Holidays activities. 

Leeds Community Foundation has partnered with Leeds City Council to deliver Healthy Holidays as part of the broader Department for Education Holiday Activities and Food programme. Activity will also be taking place over the summer and Christmas holidays.