Small OutingsLocal updates

Ely, Cardiff with kids: books, dance and community

The blue exterior and yellow hub lettering at Ely and Caerau Hub in Cardiff
Cardiff Council / Cardiff Hubs

Ely’s family outings are rooted in its community spaces. On Cowbridge Road West, Ely and Caerau Hub brings books and children’s activities together, while The Dusty Forge hosts a family-friendly community meal. Michaelston Road’s children’s centre offers free groups for local Ely and Caerau families. For school-age children there is beginner street dance at Cardiff West, and the oldest children can explore the junior and inclusive clubs at North Ely Youth Centre. A woodland walk from Llewellyn Avenue offers a different pace: choose one local activity rather than trying to cover the whole River Ely trail.

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Start with books and making at the hub

Ely and Caerau Hub, on Cowbridge Road West, is a straightforward starting point for a family visit. Browse the library, use the reading and relaxation area or look for Welsh-language books. The library also advertises parent-and-toddler groups; phone 029 2087 3800 for the current group timetable.

For October half term, the hub has individually advertised free painting and crafts on 26 October, pumpkin making on 28 October and a Halloween party with spooky stories, crafts and games on 29 October 2026. These are children’s activities with their own times, not a reason to assume the same programme happens every week. Use the current Ely calendar for session details.

The branch opens Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9am–6pm, Thursday 10am–7pm and Saturday 9am–5.30pm, and closes on Sunday. Its general opening hours are separate from activity start times.

Find your group at the children’s centre

Ely and Caerau Children’s Centre on Michaelston Road is a local early-years base, with free weekday community groups in term time, some delivered alongside Flying Start, and a Saturday group for dads. Community sessions and daycare are only open to families living in Ely and Caerau.

Call 02920 671421 to choose the current group that fits your family. The centre also organises separate holiday family sessions. Do not treat its general Monday–Friday 8am–6pm opening hours as the timetable for drop-in groups, or confuse nursery and childcare admissions with a community session.

Give older children an activity of their own

Jukebox Collective’s Kids Beginners class at Cardiff West Community High School introduces ages 7–12 to hip-hop, popping, locking, breaking and house. The Tuesday class is advertised at 5.30pm–6.30pm. Its suggested fee is £5 per class, with places usually reserved in five-week blocks; ask about discounts, pay-what-you-can support and community bursaries. Confirm the current term-time block through the organiser.

Eleven- and twelve-year-olds are within the 11–13 age range for open-access junior youth clubs at Cardiff West on Mondays and North Ely Youth Centre on Tuesdays. Games, sport, crafts, cooking and digital activities give them more choice than a single class. North Ely also has a Wednesday inclusive youth group for ages 11–25. These are older-children and youth settings, not mixed toddler playgroups; check the current dates and contact the youth workers about joining.

Share a meal at The Dusty Forge

FoodCycle Cardiff Ely welcomes families to The Dusty Forge, 460 Cowbridge Road West, on Mondays at 6.30pm. Volunteers cook a free meat-free community meal, with space to meet and chat with neighbours. Everyone is welcome and no referral or booking is needed.

Use the reception entrance in the centre of the Tudor-style building on the main road. FoodCycle lists flat access, a disabled toilet and disabled parking. If someone in your family has an allergy, tell a volunteer on arrival: the menu depends on donated food and an alternative dish cannot always be supplied.

ACE’s visitor guidance lists buses 17 and 18 from the city centre and limited parking on site. If you park nearby, keep pavements, dropped kerbs and residents’ driveways clear.

Choose the local woodland approach, not the whole trail

For an outdoor change of pace, Cardiff Council identifies access to the southern section of Plymouth Great Wood from Llewellyn Avenue in Ely. The wood is public open space, with disused quarry features still visible in this southern section. Keep the walk appropriate to your children and supervise around uneven ground and quarry edges.

The wider Ely Trail is approximately seven miles between Cardiff Bay and St Fagans. It crosses several neighbourhoods, includes some roads and has a diversion described by the council. For a shorter family visit, start with the woodland approach from Llewellyn Avenue rather than committing to the full route. Check the council’s current route advice and choose a manageable out-and-back rather than assuming a step-free family circuit.

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