Free things to this week ft. Doodlebots, Art bites + Rain City Movements

The summer’s almost over and we’ve all got to get used to fact that the best days of 2015 are well behind us. Before the sun dies out there’s still some opportunities to get out there and see some stuff before the rain comes and he ground beneath your feet becomes turns into a brown leafy mush. Here’s our roundup of the best reasons to pack antihistamines this week:

Doodlebots at National Football Museum (pictured)
Grab any child you can get your hands on and take them to this, because man it looks fun. Youngsters are given the opportunity to play with doodlebots, which to put it simply are small robots with crayons attached to their bums, which they use to create modern-day spirographs. Don’t miss out on the weird and wonderful doodles you can create (you really need to take a kid though, can’t stress that enough).
Mon 24 Aug, National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Todd Street, M4 3BG, 1pm-3.30pm, www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

Art Bites at Manchester Art Gallery
These run every Wednesday lunchtime. Visitors get the opportunity to see a short talk on two pieces from the gallery – a different two every week – from the gallery’s experts. The perfect reason to skip out on work for an hour to chat with like-minded people about art.
every Wed, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley St, M2 3JL, 12.30pm – 1pm, www.manchesterartgallery.org

Rain City Movements at Projekts Skatepark
The Projekts Skatepark on London Road plays host to this interesting little night. It’s part of the City Hack competition, where three ‘crews’ from three different cities compete to throw the ‘sickest’ parties. If you can stop your eyes from rolling completely out your skull for one moment however, you’ll see that Manchester crew Rain City Movements have thrown together something quite special. With booze, street food and a graffiti wall, this looks to be a step above most free parties. The DJ lineup is also admirably impressive, with Dillinja, North Base and a hedline set from Matrix & Futurebound. Tickets are free but also first-come, first-serve so get on that link below.
Thu 27 Aug, Projekts Skatepark, 97 London Road, M1 2PG, 5pm – late, www.ukf.com