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Friday Fledglings – 18 October

A weekly outdoor session for toddlers
October 18 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Booking Details

Booking required (booking link opens one week before the session)

Book tickets

Details

Date:
October 18
Time:
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Cost:
£5
Event Category:

Venue

The Museum of English Rural Life
The Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road
Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX United Kingdom
Drawn picture of a Friday Fledglings session in the MERL garden

Join us for a fun and friendly session for under-5s in the fantastic garden at The MERL

Discover the benefits of outdoor learning and child-led play at Friday Fledglings! Come and join in with activities inspired by the themes and collections of the museum, and enjoy exploring nature, our mud kitchen, water play, sand-pit, and more. Led by Charlotte, a local teacher and Level 3 Forest Leader, each session includes story-telling, craft activities, singing, and a snack.

Sessions run only during RBC school term time. All are welcome to come along: parents, grandparents and childminders!

Find out more about the sessions: Discover Friday Fledglings at The MERL

Age suitability

The session is suitable for children aged approximately 18 months+ but you are welcome to join us sooner.

Tickets

Sessions are run on a weekly pay-as-you-go basis but tend to sell out fast so booking is recommended. As before, bookings open at 12 pm on a Friday, one week ahead of the session you’d like to attend.

  • Please follow the ‘Book now’
  • Book and pay for the number of ‘participating child’ tickets that you require (once you’ve selected the ticket option; you can increase the number of tickets needed)
  • We will only be able to accept refunds up to 24 hours before the event start time (before 10am each Thursday). To request a refund, please email merlevents@reading.ac.uk
  • If you can no longer attend and wish to pass on your ticket to another family, we recommend using the Friday Fledglings group to do this. We are unable to facilitate these transactions.

Tickets for the 18th October session will be available from noon on 11th October.

Please note: This year, we’re increasing the price of Friday Fledglings to £5 per session. This is our first pricing change since 2017 and it will help us to run our events more sustainably. If you have any questions about booking Friday Fledglings, please contact us.

What to bring

  • Suitable clothing for all-weather outdoor session
  • Your own drinking water for story time
  • We will serve bananas and biscuits as a snack or bring your own if you prefer

Cafe Refurbishment Notice

The cafe will be closed this week as we prepare to close for a refit. The galleries, garden & shop will remain open at our usual hours. You are welcome to bring your own drinks and picnics to enjoy in the garden.

Parking arrangements for Friday Fledglings attendees

If The MERL car park is full, you can use a special parking permit to park in the University car parks on Acacia Road adjacent to the museum, or White Gates car park off Crown Place. This permit is valid for all sessions in a half term.

View the car park locations, driving and walking routes.

Current parking permit 

Please collect a permit from reception at the museum or you can download and print the current permit here.

If you do not display a permit, you may be issued with a penalty. We apologise for any inconvenience, but this solution means we can continue to offer free parking in the nearby University car parks. If you have any questions, please call 0118 378 8660 or email merlevents@reading.ac.uk

Parking is limited at the museum and although we do our best to help those who need to come by car find a space, we would always encourage you to use alternative means of transport where possible.