A FREE family festival in Birmingham that’s fun, creative and good for the planet!
Join us for Growing Up Green, a community sustainability festival taking place at Sparkhill Park as part of Great Big Green Week 6th to 14th June 2026, hosted by Springfield Project.
The event brings together nature play, eco-crafts, a community clothes swap, sustainable living activities, community stalls and outdoor experiences designed to help families discover simple ways to care for the environment — all in a relaxed festival atmosphere and all for FREE!
Whether you’re interested in repairing your bike, swapping clothes, learning about composting, connecting with nature or simply enjoying a day outdoors with the family, there will be something for everyone.
Event Details
📍 Sparkhill Park
📅 Saturday 6th June 2026
⏰ 12pm–4pm
🎟️ FREE (no booking required)
This year, ecobirmingham’s Building Greener Communities project will once again be supporting the festival with hands-on sustainability activities that show how small actions can make a big difference.
Families are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport where possible and to bring along a plastic-free picnic and reusable water bottles for the day!
Clothes Swap
Refresh your wardrobe for free at the community clothes swap!
Simply bring up to ten clean clothing items in good condition and exchange them for something new-to-you – see our poster for more details! We would like to encourage bringing Asian clothing in particular!
Clothing swaps help reduce textile waste and the environmental impact of fast fashion by keeping clothes in use for longer instead of sending them to landfill. It’s also a great way for families to access affordable clothing while supporting circular living.
Barefoot Walk Sensory Trail
Visitors can explore different natural textures and materials through the barefoot sensory walk.
Activities like this help children reconnect with nature, encourage sensory play and promote outdoor wellbeing. Using natural materials also helps children understand and appreciate the environment around them.
Bird Trail with Juneau Project
There will be two sessions taking place where children can create clay plates for the upcoming community bird trail.
Learning about birds and biodiversity helps children build curiosity about the natural world and understand the importance of protecting habitats for wildlife.
Composting & Growing Activities with Compost Connection CIC
Learn how food scraps can be turned into nutrient-rich compost through wormery demonstrations and composting activities with Compost Connection CIC.
Food waste that ends up in landfill creates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Composting instead returns nutrients back to the soil and helps grow healthy plants and food.
Dr Bike – Free Bike Repairs
Bring your bike along for free minor repairs and adjustments from Dr Bike. We will operate this free service on a first come, first serve basis as we are able to fix all the bikes that come on the day.
Repairing bikes instead of replacing them helps reduce waste while encouraging active travel. Cycling is one of the easiest ways families can reduce emissions, improve air quality and support healthier lifestyles.
Forest School & Den Building
Children can enjoy forest school inspired activities, nature play and den building using natural materials found outdoors.
Outdoor learning helps build confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills while encouraging children to develop a stronger connection with nature.
Herb Planting Activity
Families can take part in a hands-on herb growing activity where children and adults can pot up seasonal herb seedlings and seeds such as mint, thyme and other easy-to-grow herbs to take home.
Growing herbs at home is a simple and affordable way to connect with nature, reduce food waste and encourage more home-grown food. Even growing a small pot of herbs on a windowsill can help cut down on plastic-packaged supermarket herbs while helping children learn where food comes from and how plants grow
And More!
There will also be lots more free activities and community stalls throughout the day including:
- Eco-dyeing and eco-printing
- Face painting
- Chalk pavement art
- Eco dome calming sensory space
- Smoothie bike
- Storytelling performances with Pyn Stockman – stories about the birds we share our city with
- Sustainability pledge activities & free snacks with ecobirmingham
- Food workshops focused on seed extraction, tasting and reducing food waste
- Community organisation stalls such as National Literacy, Sparkhill swimming baths & local children’s centres
A Festival About Simple Positive Actions
Growing Up Green is all about showing that sustainability can be practical, affordable and fun for families — not perfect or overwhelming.
From repairing and reusing items, to composting food waste, travelling actively or spending more time outdoors, every small action adds up and helps create greener, healthier communities.
So pack your reusable water bottle, bring a picnic & blanket and join us for an afternoon of nature, creativity, community and planet-friendly fun at Sparkhill Park this June.
Accessibility
The venue is wheelchair accessible and close to bus routes 2, 3, 5, 6. We encourage visitors to walk, cycle or use public transport where possible.
Growing Up Green is about showing that sustainability can be simple, practical and fun for families. 🌍
Find out more about what else is happening during The Big Green Week 2026 here: The Great Big Green Week