SCHOOL’S nearly out and we’re starting to get excited for summer.

It’s our favourite time of year and the best time to come and explore the great outdoors.

There are lots of things to keep the whole family entertained at East Riddlesden Hall this summer.

You can follow a colourful stick trail, make mud pies, build a den and play traditional games on the lawn – do you know how to skip?

How about getting crafty, running through a willow tunnel, spotting bugs and tracing your way to the centre of a grass maze?

There are lots of things to do inside the house too including solving a revolting remedy puzzle – do you know what illness buttered frogs were used for?

From July 23 we’re giving away free 84 page ’50 Things to Do Before You’re 11 ¾’ booklets to all young adventure seekers who visit this summer.

The booklet contains lots of great ideas for keeping boredom at bay during the school holidays and there are lots of activities that can be ticked off when you visit. A voucher for a summer explorer pack is available to download from the website now.

The pack can be collected from the shop when you visit and is filled with lots of great things to keep young explorers entertained for a whole afternoon.

As well as all the exciting day to day things going on here, we’re also running volunteer led sessions every Wednesday and Sunday from 1pm to 2pm between July 23 and September 3.

During these sessions we’ll be making a home for bugs, wriggly, tickly and slimy ones - every bug needs a home; testing our mini raft building skills - will your raft set sail or sink to the bottom of the pond?

We’ll also be getting creative and adding splashes of colour to the garden during the wild art sessions. Please see our website for full details.

This summer you can enjoy the great British tradition of outdoor theatre at its very best when you join us on August 23 for an evening performance of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors.

Performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s most popular outdoor touring Shakespeare company, this is a show not to be missed.

Picnics are welcome, and this year the house, shop and tea-room will remain open until 7pm.

Come along early and experience East Riddlesden Hall as never before; in the light of early evening.

Tickets for this humorous comedy about separated family and mistaken identity are £14 for adults, £7 for under 18s.

They are available to book now by calling 0344 249 1895 or by visiting nationaltrust.org.uk/riddlesdenhall.