Children from across Glasgow were snapped taking part in everything from archery and hula hooping to sensory games and storytelling, with many rounding off the day by tucking into a well‑deserved ice cream.
The event turned the famous thoroughfare and nearby Garnethill Park into a hub of activity, with youngsters and adults alike encouraged to rediscover the street through sight, sound and movement.
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
Over the weekend, visitors were invited to test their balance, listen to the “secret sounds” of trees, score a film, impersonate a pigeon, create their own tiles and even sample Tutti Frutti ice cream.
All activities were free, with a mix of drop‑in sessions and book‑ahead workshops, and organisers jokingly stressed that grown‑ups were welcome too – provided they were “well behaved”.
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
A full day of live music added to the festival atmosphere, with grassroots bands, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students and local performers sharing two stages on Sauchiehall Street and in Garnethill Park.
Hands‑on workshops, including sensory stonemasonry, encouraged children to engage with the street’s historic architecture and “play” with the built environment, turning heritage into something they could touch and explore rather than just walk past.
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
Dozens of kids and families turned out for a day of fun on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Christopher Bowen)
The weekend forms part of the Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District project, which aims to use culture, music and family‑friendly events to help revitalise the city centre and make one of Glasgow’s best‑known streets feel welcoming and lively again.
The initiative, backed by partners including Glasgow UNESCO City of Music and Glasgow 850, is being used as a case study in how creative programming can support regeneration and re‑imagine central spaces as places to linger rather than simply pass through.
The Weekend of Play was organised by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and the Sauchiehall Street: Culture and Heritage District team, working with partners PEEK, the Hunterian Museum, Join the Dots collective, Make It Glasgow and the Mackintosh Tearooms, and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
