Stannington Library Fun Palace
Sunday 6 September 2026
11am to 4pm
We held a Fun Palace again this year to celebrate the anniversary of Stannington Library being saved from closure. On September 29th it will be 12 years since our charity, Stannington and District Library Group, was formed and our marvelous volunteers took over the running of Stannington Library.
A fun palace is a free 'hands-on' event designed to provide activities and interesting opportunities for adults and children to have some fun. We also had Story Performances in the Story Tent that was located in the adjacent Stannington Park area.
Where did the event take place?
The event took place inside Stannington Library and also in the adjacent Stannington Park area. Outside there was a large event tent for our story-telling performers to weave their magic, as well as a gazebo housing an activity for adults. Inside the library, all the book stacks were moved aside to give us space for a variety of activities.
What were the activities?
In the Stannington Park area adjacent to the Library:
Story performances in the large event tent.
The performances were suitable for children and adults. There were three in the morning and three in the afternoon - all housed in the large event tent.
Giant Games
We had giant Jenga, giant Connect 4 and more games that could be played outside.
Adult Craft Activities
We had a tent providing crafts for adults, but older children were also welcome.
Inside the library:
Board Games
There was a selection of table-top board games for children and adults to have a go at. Some easy to learn, quick games and some more complex, longer games. There was a choice of cooperative, competitive or team games and we were happy to teach attendees how to play the game of their choice.
Model Trains
There was lots of fun had at the model train station!
Lego
We had fun building building Lego models.
Microscopes
We explored the magic of microscopic worlds. One microscope was projected on to our digital noticeboard so that everyone could see.
Children's Crafts
We had a large selection of craft activities suitable for younger children and older children.
What time is the event on?
All activities ran from 11 o'clock in the morning to 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
There were 3 morning and 3 afternoon story sessions in the large tent outside.
Who is it for?
This was a fun hands-on event for the local community and surrounding districts. It was aimed at all ages. We asked that children under the age of 12 were accompanied.
Why are we holding a Fun Palace?
On 29th September 2026 we will be celebrating the 12th year of Stannington Library being saved from closure and being successfully run by our marvellous volunteers, under the umbrella of the charity Stannington and District Library Group. We used to celebrate this occasion with the Stannington Story Festival but we decided to ring the changes last year by running a Fun Palace and that event was so popular we decided to do the same again this year.
What is a Fun Palace?
A Fun Palace is not a profit making event. We do not charge for any activities or performances. The main aim is to provide hands-on experiences for children and adults to become involved in and to reinforce the lovely community spirit of our magical part of the world.
