1. RHS Harlow Carr
February Half-Term: World on your windowsill
10-18 February
The Royal Horticultural Society is inviting families to uncover the World On Your Windowsill this February half term, with a week of fun family activities at RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
Create your own herb character and plant it up to take home and grow on your windowsill, join the Garden Detectives on a storytelling adventure learning all about how to grow your own food, or take part in a storytelling yoga session with Enchantica’s Workshop. And of course, you can also have a go on the garden trail.
Visitors will gain inspiration about growing indoors while spending valuable family time together surrounded by nature. RHS Harlow Carr also has dedicated play areas and gardens specifically for children, ensuring a full, fun-packed day out.
Normal admission applies.
Crag Lane, Harrogate HG3 1QB
2. Leeds Industrial Museum
Be Curious!
FREE ENTRY 17 February
Meet researchers from the University of Leeds and explore their work through interactive activities.
As part of our Engineery: Building Better Futures exhibition and the Smeaton300 celebrations, Leeds Industrial Museum and Be Curious have joined up to share how John Smeaton’s ideas still pop up in the world around us. Get hands-on with activities that make exploring research super fun. Follow the chocolate trail, practice your engineering skills in mask and hat making, look at planning safe cities for women and explore how engineering shapes fashion, medicine and Artificial Intelligence. Plus, you can take some of these to do at home. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next big inventor like John Smeaton? Get ready for a day of fun and discovery!
If you pop by on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (13 – 15 February 2024) between 11 am and 2 pm you can join us for some creative crafting activities inspired by our printing collections.
Afterwards, why not head to our 1920s cosy cinema to watch a family-friendly film? Our Mystery Matinees take place in one of the UK’s smallest cinemas, with just 24 seats to be exact!
Screenings start at 2pm (13 – 18 February 2024) and are included in the museum admission charge.
Canal Road, Leeds, LS12 2QF
3. The Carriageworks Theatre
Morgan & West’s Massive Magic Show for Kids! | Wed 14 Feb, 2pm
Roll up, roll up! Morgan & West are back with a massive magic show for kids (and their childish grown-ups)!
Age Guidance: 5+
Roll up, roll up! Morgan & West are back with a massive magic show for kids (and their childish grown-ups)!
Expect gawps, gasps, and guffaws in this relentlessly funny and fantastical magic filled extravaganza, guaranteed to delight those aged five and 105, and indeed everyone in between!
The Selfish Giant | Thu 15 – Fri 16 Feb
Powerful storytelling, captivating puppetry, beautiful design, enchanting music, and a sprinkling of magic sums up this very special show.
Age Guidance: 3+
Inspired by the touching children’s story The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde, Bristol’s two leading family theatre experts are combining forces to explore an unusual friendship and discover how even the grumpiest giant’s heart can melt when spring finally comes.
Claytime | Sun 18 Feb, 11am & 2pm
Award-winning Indefinite Articles presents its work for the very young: Claytime – a play with clay where audiences are invited to participate.
Age Guidance: 3-6
Award-winning Indefinite Articles presents its work for the very young: Claytime – a play with clay where audiences are invited to participate.
Each Claytime is totally unique, creating its own world, characters and stories drawn directly from its young audience. Truly, interactive theatre at its most engaging.
Millennium Square, Electric Press 3, Leeds LS2 3AD
4. Thackray Museum of Medicine
Germs get a bad rep. But what if we told you that less than 1% of germs make people ill? There are over 100 trillion microbes in our tummies that help us digest our food. They also help us fight disease and keep our skin looking neat and tidy. Germs can do us good!
This Half Term we are exploring how germs can not only be deadly, but also friendly. Our resident Thackray Boffins will look at what germs really are, and what happens when good and bad germs become unbalanced.
All activities included in your museum annual pass and suitable for all the family.
Family Screenprinting Workshop
Sat, 10 February 2024 – Sat, 17 February 2024 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
This activity is part of our Germs, Glorious Germs holiday activity. To celebrate the good, the bad and the germy, local artist Jenny Wright will be offering drop-in screenprinting sessions! All materials will be provided, alongside aprons for the younger members of the family, though we do suggest wearing something you don’t mind getting messy.
The sessions are available to book on Saturday 10th February, Tuesday 13th, Thursday 15th and Saturday 17th and will run from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. Recommended for ages 5+
Jenny is a local screenprinter and workshop facilitator, running workshops at venues such as Left Bank Leeds, Beamworks, and Archive. She is a graduate from the University of Leeds having studied Fine Art both there and at Paris College of Art. These paper stencil screenprinting workshops are a chance to discover a new way of making art and will support you in making your own creative response to Thackray Museum’s upcoming exhibition.
Limited spaces, please book in advance – a museum ticket is required to access this event, and an additional event ticket can be added during the checkout process.
141 Beckett St, Harehills, Leeds LS9 7LN
5. Stump Cross Caverns
Join us this February Half term throughout the Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies festival and learn all about why Astronauts trained for their space missions using caves! Get your guide to star gazing in our two star gazing events and explore the mesmerising UV torchlit caverns as you embark on an adventure like no other.
Friday February 16th Cosmic Wonders
2:15pm-3:15pm Cave exploration
3:30pm-5:30pm Cosmic wonders presentation and Craft activities
Join Cosmic Wonders, an interactive event that will allow you to discover how to spot celestial bodies in the night sky. This event offers a fascinating beginners star gazing presentation, A fun craft activity to create your very own version of your favourite constellation and an adventure into the UV-lit caverns to reveal a hidden luminescent world.
Thursday 22nd February-Dark Skies
‘A night on the Moon at Stump Cross Caverns’
Join us for a fabulous family stargazing event to spy our nearest neighbour through powerful telescopes. Expect to see lofty mountains, deep craters and vast seas of lava! We will even show you how to take a picture with your phone. Plus we will have a fab indoor planetarium tour of the night sky and search out other heavenly wonders like the planet Jupiter. This event is perfect for novices including adults and children over six years old. Our experienced and friendly astronomer for the night will be Richard Darn. Each ticket includes a UV cave tour.
5:30pm-6:30pm UV cave experience
7pm-8:30pm Presentation
The Time Cafe will be open for hot and cold drinks and light refreshments for the duration of your visit.
Fossil & Gem digs with Cavewoman
From 1pm-2pm everyday
Embark on a prehistoric adventure with our enthralling Fossil experience! Join us in our comfortable cinema for an hour of exhilarating discovery. Marvel at our remarkable collection of fossils and gems, unearthed from the depths of time. These interactive, educational sessions are designed to ignite curiosity and spark fascination while weaving tales of Earth’s extraordinary past.
SEN Fossil Digs
Saturday morning SEN session: Come and enjoy a more relaxed fossil experience. These sessions are designed with SEN in mind. They are geared towards people who prefer to stay away from the crowds and go at a gentler pace in our quieter times. Maximum capacity 20 people. All tickets are chargeable.
UV Lit Cave tours
Every day after 3pm. Enjoy the caves like you haven’t seen before, using the Ultraviolet torch the calcite warms up and twinkles like a diamond!
Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge HG3 5JL
6. Fountains Abbey
Bring your winter explorers to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal this February half term. Enjoy the sights and sounds of winter whilst watching nature wake up from its slumber.Head on a winter trail, every day during February half term, 10am – 4pm.Become a winter explorer as you follow along the spotter sheet to see how many winter sights you can spot. Pick up your spotter sheet from any admission point and head on your adventure. Look up and get your head stuck in the clouds. If the rain decides to pour, put your wellies on and splash in some puddles. Challenge your family and friends to a game of pooh sticks on the different bridges through the estate. And head to the bird hide to spot some of our feathery friends. Why not have a go at ticking of more of your 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾.Craft your own lavender pouch, every day during February half term, 11am – 2pm.Come along and have a go at making a lavender pouch to take home with you. Keep it in a draw to make your clothes smell nice, tuck it into a pocket so you can smell lavender wherever you go or hold it in your hand to smell as you head on your adventure. We’ll provide the instructions and materials for this drop-in session all you have to do is turn up.
Why not try a walk on the High Ride this to find some of the best views. Dash through the deep-dark Serpentine Tunnel and whiz along the zip-line in the adventure playground.
No need to pre-book.
Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY
7. Lotherton
Running: 10th – 18th February 2024.
Flock to Wildlife World to see many of our feathered friends this February half-term. Watch the penguins playing in their pool, see if you can balance like the flamingos, and marvel at our inquisitive emus.
Follow our family trail to discover birds across the estate and build your own bird box to take home.
Lotherton Hall, Off Collier Lane, Aberford, LS25 3EB
8. Royal Armouries
Running: 10th – 18th February 2024.
SUPERHEROS
Not all heroes wear capes…but most of ours do!
Marvel as our heroes fly through the air on trapezes, enjoy superhero showdowns and snap a selfie with one of our roaming superstars this February half term.
Sharpen your skills at our superhero academy featuring a laser maze and foam blasters, enjoy a ‘real or not real’ interactive quiz from the superhero universe, and watch live recreations of iconic scenes from movies, using weapons and replicas from our collection.
Join a parkour workshop and learn some superhero skills. Then watch our friends at Yorkshire Circus leaping, crawling, and flying through the sky like they’ve been bitten by a radioactive spider.
It promises to be an action-packed half term.
Tickets for the parkour workshop cost £5 and must be booked in advance. Tickets and further information will be available soon.
Please pre-book your free tickets to guarantee your visit.
Armouries Dr, Leeds LS10 1LT
9. Grasshoppers at Tong Garden Centre
Grass Hoppers is a safe and secure play space for families set in the grounds of Tong Garden Centre. You’ll find a huge outdoor adventure playground and a large indoor play area where children up to the age of 10 years old can enjoy proper playtime!
The indoor play area includes a bespoke play frame equipment with slides, swings, rope bridges and tunnels, challenge decks and a mirror infinity deck and sport’s court! There is a separate zone for babies and toddlers including a role-play and big interactive piano for everyone to enjoy! The outdoor play area includes Jumping Pillow’s, Giant Sandpit, Water Play, Race Track, Zip Wire, Adventure Play Area and under 4’s pre-school area with playhouses and outdoor toys.
Pre-book online HERE.
Tong Lane, Bradford, BD4 0RY
10. Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
Running 15th – 18th February 2024
Have pre-historic fun for all the family on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th February. There are opportunities to meet dinosaurs giant and small, watch a show and see birds of prey too! A steam train ride through the edges of the Yorkshire Dales is included too – all for no more than £15 per person. Special family price tickets are offered.
Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AF
Please check all event details prior to visiting in case of change.
For lots more ideas for February Half Term see our full Guide here or visit our Days Out page.
Why don’t you join our Wharfedale & Craven Mumbler chat group where you can share reviews of days out/activities and get ideas from others.
