This free Sheffield family trail is still waiting for someone to complete it

Sheffield Cathedral’s new Rufus the Cathedral Mouse Shepherd Trail asks visitors to find all the farmyard animals hidden inside the Cathedral.

It is one of many free activities in Sheffield city centre which features in a new school holiday survival guide created by Sheffield Business Improvement District.

Sally Davis, assistant to the chief operating officer at the Cathedral, said: “As well as all the items to find on the trail, there are another ten sheep and six pigs hidden around the Cathedral as an extra challenge.

“We’ve had one or two people get down to the last couple. No one has managed to find them all yet!”

The trail compliments an animal theme in place at the Cathedral’s 1554 Coffee Shop and runs until September 1.

The Cathedral, located on Church Street, hosts weekly craft activities where children can make their own farmyard favourites.

Just outside the main entrance, there is also a ping-pong table with seating nearby.

Sally added: “We aim to be a place for everybody, so if we can offer an hour of free entertainment for families it's fantastic.

“I say families, but we’ve actually had quite a few grown-ups come down and try the trail on their own!”

Other free things to do in the city centre this summer include art activities at the Millennium Gallery on August 22 and 29.

They include an opportunity to find out more about the art in the Peace Gardens and the chance to make a printing block and landscape.

Sheffield by the Seaside has also taken over the Peace Gardens.

There, families can enjoy beach life without leaving the city at this celebration of all things coastal.

It includes a free sandpit, helter-skelter slide, hook-a-duck and much more to enjoy, from character visits each Wednesday to splashing in the famous fountains.

Take your bucket and spade daily from 10am until 6pm until August 29.

The survival guide, aimed at removing the stress of researching ideas, planning and budgeting, has suggestions to suit all pockets, kids and weather.

In the low-cost section, where activities cost a maximum of £12 per person, is the UK’s most family-friendly museum.

The National Emergency Services Museum on Westbar Green was crowned the winner of the Kids in Museums award last year and is all geared up for its busiest time of year.

It must also be one of the lowest-cost museums in the country.

Children under three get in free and all tickets can be upgraded to an annual pass at no extra charge.

“It’s a very busy time of year”, said Helen Shepherd, marketing coordinator at the museum.

“That’s why we put on so many activities over the summer.

“The free upgrade of tickets also means you can come now and then for free all year long, right up until next summer.”

The museum already has three floors of exhibits and emergency vehicles, from lifeboats to fire engines, to browse.

Through August there are also two new mini displays on offer.

Animal lovers will enjoy ‘200 years of changing animals’ lives’, put together by the RSPCA and open now. The second exhibition, Propellers and Paramedics, is also now open.

Sensory play sessions, crafts and a play trail will also help families to get a hands-on experience over the summer.

Many families visit the museum while in Sheffield for a holiday, and the award win has helped to raise awareness.

Helen added: “The award was a good recognition of all the hard work we’ve put in to make the museum better and better.

“We do get people coming from a fair distance away - but then there’s still plenty of people who don’t realise just how much we do have.

“It’s still a bit of an undiscovered gem and when they come inside they are gobsmacked by how much there is to see.”

Adult tickets at the museum cost £9.50, for children over three they are £7.50 and for family tickets for four it is £26.50.

If you can’t get enough of museums, head to another national attraction which is located nearby.

The National Videogame Museum on Angel Street has more than 100 games to play, from arcade classics to displays which allow people to go behind the scenes of modern video game production.

The museum has also teamed up with the adjacent Kommune food hall on a £12 deal including an hour’s play and a meal from the hall’s £6 lunch menu.

To see the full list of more than 20 summer holiday ideas, including cinema tickets from £3 and ‘big treat’ days out, visit https://sheffieldcitycentre.com/blog.