Bringing play to Manchester parks with Parktastic 2025

This summer, Afrocats teamed up with Manchester City Council’s Youth and Play Participation Service to bring joy, creativity, and community spirit to local green spaces with our Parktastic Summer 2025 project.

From July 21st to August 28th, three much-loved Manchester parks transformed into vibrant hubs of play, performance, and intercultural connection during the evenings -  and everyone was invited!

Why Parktastic?

Parktastic was all about open access play: creating safe, welcoming, and engaging environments where children and young people can explore, create, and simply have fun.

The initiative was designed to:

• Offer free outdoor activities during the summer holidays.

• Encourage young people to use local park spaces more confidently.

• Provide healthy snacks and refreshments.

• Bring together local services and families for shared experiences.

• Showcase the value of youth and play work in our communities.

We were extremely proud to deliver this project, ensuring all sessions were designed to spark imagination and celebrate diversity.

Each session included:

• Free play with frisbees, balls, wheels, tyres, ropes, and other loose parts.

• Structured activity led by an Afrocats practitioner, such as circus skills, intercultural dance, and creative arts.

• An inclusive space for families, passers-by, and partner organisations such as Rainbow Haven to join in.

  
  

And we didn’t worry about the typical British weather, as most of the sessions were during some beautiful summer sunshine which lasted (almost!) right to the end.

Why play matters

At its heart, Parktastic is about more than just play - it’s about building healthier communities, offering young people positive experiences, and creating safe, inclusive spaces for families.

And with a commitment to cultural diversity, wellbeing, and social connection, Afrocats’ work continues to be instrumental in helping Manchester’s parks become places where every child feels they belong.

Stay connected with us to keep up with all things Afrocats! From event updates to behind-the-scenes stories, follow us on our social channels and help spread the joy of inclusive youth and play activities across Manchester.