Family activities in your local area

Citywide

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For help finding local supports and activities, find your locality using the zone lookup address search.

Easy Sundays

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is running monthly sessions on stories, music, community and friendship. A warm welcome awaits with a variety of activities for all the family to enjoy. Sessions are free for all ages at 

Scottish Storytelling Centre 
43-45 High Street 
EH1 1SR 

For more information, visit the Scottish Storytelling Centre website or contact 

reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com 

0131 556 9579 

Stay and play

For parents and children aged nought to three years. Face-to-face groups will run in Moredun and Granton. 

For more information visit the Homelink Family Support Website or contact 

info@homelinkfamilysupport.org 

0131 661 0890 

Play plus toy library  

Membership of the Toy Library costs £4 per year which allows parents to borrow four toys for up to four weeks and attend stay-and-play sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.30 am to 12 pm during term time at 

Inch House Community Centre 
225 Gilmerton Road 
EH16 5UF 

To register, visit the Smart Play Network Website

For more information, email 

playplus@smartplaynetwork.org

Newington Community Toy Library

This toy library runs fortnightly on Wednesdays from 9.30 am to 11.30 am during term time for parents and children aged from nought to five years. There is a £2 (£1.50 for members) charge per session to cover snacks. Membership for the toy library is £10 per year. 

41 South Clerk Street 
EH8 9NZ 

For more information, visit the Community Toy Library website, their Toy Library Facebook page or contact 

newingtoncommunitytoylibrary@gmail.com  

0131 664 8660 

The Bike Station: The Wee Bike Library

This Bike library allows families to borrow bikes for free and exchange those bikes for the next size up as children grow. Children must be under 16 years of age to use the service. When using the Wee Bike Library, customers can also borrow a set of lights, a lock and a helmet to use with their bike. Borrowed bikes can also be repaired for free during the loan period.

The Bike Station 
473 Gorgie Road
EH11 3AD

To sign up, complete the Wee Bike Library sign-up form.
  
For more information, visit The Bike Station website or email

info@thebikestation.org.uk 
 

Families Outside group work and peer support  

Families Outside runs online and in-person groups and activities to support children, young people and adults affected by a family member's imprisonment. Sessions encourage families to come together and learn from one another’s lived experiences. 

To find out about groups and activities near you, visit the Families Outside website or email  

groupwork@familiesoutside.org.uk

Families outside publish Activity Packs with lots of fun activities that children and families can do together at home or during visits, more information is on the Families Outside website.   

Families Outside Family Induction Webinars  

The family induction webinar series provides families affected by imprisonment helpful information at different stages of the justice process. The webinars Keeping Connected, Supporting Children and Young People and Coming Home can be accessed from the Families Outside event page on the Families Outside website or contact 

support@familiesoutside.org.uk 

08002 540 088 

Rainbow Families (LGBT health and wellbeing)

Rainbow Families events are for LGBTQ+ families with children, living in and travelling to Edinburgh. A chance to meet other LGBTQ+ families, connect and socialise in a family setting. Events are led by friendly staff and volunteers and include a range of engaging activities facilitated as part of LGBT Health and Wellbeing’s Edinburgh Community Programme. The organisation welcomes the entire diversity of the community including non-binary, pansexual, queer, intersex, asexual people, bi+ and all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.  

For more information visit the LGBT Health and Wellbeing website 

For events, follow the LGBT Health and Wellbeing on Eventbrite or the Rainbow Families Facebook page or contact 

jules@lgbthealth.org.uk  

Children and young people at Edinburgh libraries

The Children and Young People at Edinburgh Libraries Facebook page has lots of fun family activities running each week. 

Library online memberships 

If you are not already a member, you can join your local library for free and access magazines and newspapers online, download ebooks, audiobooks and learning resources at the Your Library website

Peep Learning Together programme

Peep learning together supports parents and carers of nought to five-year-olds to make the most of everyday learning opportunities - talking, listening, playing, singing, and sharing books and stories. Peep sessions are delivered in development stages for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers and offer ideas and activities to value and build on what parents already do. Peep sessions are delivered in Early Years centres and school nurseries during term time. 

To find out more please ask at your local early years centre or school nursery. 

For more information visit Peep Learning Together Facebook and Peep Learning Together Instagram pages. 

Holyrood house  

Explore the Palace's close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historical figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and learn how today it is used by The King when carrying out official engagements in Scotland. 

Tickets cost only £1 each if in receipt of Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits. There is a limit of up to six tickets per household.  

For more information or to book visit the Royal Collection Trust website.  

Supporting parents and carers

We hope you can find the information you need, if you require help finding supports email us at