HALF-TERM DAYS OUT SPECIAL:
WE’VE ROUNDED-UP LOADS OF EVENTS – SOME FREE – TO KEEP YOU BUSY DURING SCHOOL BREAK
IT might feel as though the kids have only just gone back to school, but February half-term is just around the corner.
We know how expensive it is to keep the brood happy over the school holidays, especially with bank balances still recovering from Christmas. That’s why we’re doing our bit to help with our round-up of family events in Manchester – and loads of them are FREE.
So, here’s what’s happening and when...
Steam, Sweat and Spinners, Museum of Science and Industry
There’s loads of family fun planned at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry this February half-term.
It starts this Saturday when families have the chance to travel back to the Victorian era to find out how ‘Steam, Sweat and Spinners’ created our modern world, and how Manchester was at the start of it all.
There are fun shows and daily workshops over the holiday period and a Victorian fairground with a carousel, a helter-skelter and more.
The Robots exhibition is also running, featuring more than 100 robots, including interactive bots and Hollywood stars.
Steam, Sweat and Spinners is running from Saturday, February 10, until Sunday, February 25, from 10am to 5pm each day. Rides cost £2 each, or if you book in advance you can get six rides for the price of five.
Check the website for more details and to find out about the rest of the Victorian-themed half-term programme.
Museum of Science and Industry, Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4FP. Family theatre at The Met, Bury There are three great family shows coming to The Met in Bury over halfterm.
Productions include Yana and the Yeti on February 17, Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Dinosaurs! on February 20, both aimed at children five plus, and two showings of Lost and Found on February 23, aimed at little ones from the age of three.
Yana and the Yeti was originally produced in Norway and is a dialogue-free show telling the story of young girl Yana and her adventures in a remote snowy village. Tickets cost £8 for children, £11 for adults.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Dinosaurs! is a one-man play created and performed by Dommy B and is billed as ‘an action comedy poetry adventure.’
The show tells the tale of a town attacked by destructive dinosaurs and the heroine is a young troll girl who recruits a wizard and a dragon to defend her home. Tickets cost £5 for children, £7 for adults.
Finally, Little Blue Monster Theatre Company brings Lost and Found, based on Oliver Jeffers’ award-winning picture book.
It tells the story of a boy who adopts a lost penguin and takes it home to the south pole. But when they get there, the boy discovers that maybe home isn’t what the penguin was looking for. Tickets cost £10 for children, £12 for adults. To book tickets visit themet.org.uk.
The Met, Market Street, Bury, BL9 0BW.
Enchanted Week, Cockfields Farm, Ashton
Families have the chance to meet a ‘real’ unicorn at an event running across half-term at Cockfields Farm.
Buttercup the unicorn will be appearing as part of Enchanted Week. Organisers of the event – with a wizards and fairies theme – have given M.E.N. readers a sneak peek at what’s to come with some images showing parts of the animal – with its pink and purple mane and a love heart and crown on its rear.
Little ones will have the chance to make their own unicorn horn or wizard’s wand and join in a host of other activities, including meeting the wizard and his owl.
Kids are encouraged to dress up for the day with prizes for the best dressed wizards and fairies.
The usual activities will be on at the farm too including donkey grooming, cuddling the chicks and guinea pigs, meeting the snakes, lizards and tortoises and feeding the barn animals.
The event is running from February 17 to 25. Tickets cost £7.95 for adults and £9.95 for children and can be booked online. Advanced booking recommended.
Cockfields Farm, Lees Road, Ashton, OL6 8AR.
Greater Manchester Police Museum
Special guests will be joining families at the events, where children get to meet officers and see what equipment they use at two open days during the holidays.
The free drop-in events are running from 10.30am until 3.30pm on Tuesday, February 20, and Thursday, February 22 .
Greater Manchester Police Museum, 57A Newton Street, Manchester, M1 1ET.
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Celebrate Chinese New Year at Manchester United’s Museum and Stadium Tour
A football-themed day out with a difference will be held at Manchester United’s ground this half-term.
To celebrate Chinese New Year on February 16, the club is hosting a range of activities for kids throughout half-term until February 23 .
Inside the Museum families can make their own Chinese lantern to take away, and try their hand at Chinese calligraphy.
There’ll also be object-handling sessions, where you can get handson with match-worn kit from heroes like Beckham, Schmeichel and Ferdinand and get that little bit closer to the greatness of Manchester United.
Activities are included in the cost of admission to the Museum and Stadium Tour at Old Trafford – £54 for a family pass for two adults and two children. Manchester United, Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, M16 0RA.
Stars of the Sea at Sea Life, Trafford
A ‘mind-blowing voyage of discovery’ is promised at Sea Life Manchester where a new ‘Stars of the Sea’ experience is running.
Youngsters and their families can dive deeper into the world beneath the waves than ever before with hands-on activities, games, displays and fishy facts.
The event will see Sea Life’s superstar creatures, from turtles to octopuses, take centre-stage in an allnew light in an inter-active puzzle trail to unlock the secrets of the deep.
Children can also take part in Sea Life’s new giant sea discoveries game, navigating through a life-size version of ‘Stars and Ladders’ to solve puzzles with fishy clues to jump ahead and foil their foes to win a ‘Stars of the Sea’ certificate.
The event – running from February 10 to 25 – is included in the normal admission price. Pre-booking is advised at www. visitsealife.com/manchester .
60 Years of Lego, Legoland Discovery Centre, Trafford
A ‘Bricktacular’ celebration is being planned at Legoland Discovery Centre to celebrate 60 years of the Lego brick.
Visitors can join in a Cool Creations competition – what can you build with 60 bricks?
They can collect some exclusive pop badges, learn how to create stop motion animations using Lego Minifigures and bricks, and complete a scavenger hunt in Miniland to win a prize. The event’s on from February 10 to 25 and included in the normal admission price. Book tickets at manchester. legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk .
Circus Extreme
Circus Extreme has arrived in Manchester and will be taking place at EventCity.
The new ‘death-defying and extreme circus’ is celebrating 250 years of circus performances with what promises to be ‘the ultimate show to remember.’
It merges modern and contemporary styles with extreme stunts and classic clown escapades.
The circus is running from February 9 to 25. To book tickets visit www. circusextreme.co.uk.
Concorde Tour at Manchester Airport
Kids will be able to climb aboard the iconic Concorde at a special event at Manchester Airport this month.
The Runway Visitor Park is hosting two ‘midweek madness’ days where families can book a tour of the plane.
The short tour gives visitors the chance to sit in the luxurious leather seats where royalty and celebrities once sat, while hearing about what it was like to fly on the aircraft.
The 20-minute tours are taking place on Wednesday, February 14, and Wednesday, February 21, at various times between 10am and 2.30pm. Slots can be booked online and cost £5 per person.
Kids can also book a seat on the airport’s Flight Academy session for the chance to step into a pilot’s shoes. There are separate sessions running for children aged four to seven and eight to 12, with dates available on weekends around Feb-
ruary half-term, on February 10, and 11, 17 and 18 and 24 and 25. The experience last 90 minutes and costs £7 per child and one adult goes free to accompany each party of children. The Runway Visitor Park, Sunbank Lane, Altrincham, WA15 8XQ.
Free wildlife trail, Notcutts Garden Centre, Ashton
The garden centre has set up a free wildlife trail for young adventurers to enjoy this holiday.
Children can pop in and join the trail to find Flossie the Fox, Ruby the Robin and other wildlife characters hiding around the garden centre.
There’s a sweet treat for every wildlife watcher who can find all the creatures and unscramble the hidden word at the end of the trail. The event’s run from Saturday, February 17, to Sunday, February 25. Notcutts Ashton Park, Lord Sheldon Way, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7UB.
Circus Funtasia, Wythenshawe
Circus Funtasia is back in Manchester for half-term and promising ‘an incredible family show.’
It features fire-breathing stunts, Globe of Death motorcycle riders, gravity-defying aerial artists, huge spinning Wheel of Death acrobatics, and the return of acclaimed geeky clown Emilion Delbosq. There will also be knife juggling from Harley Quinn lookalike Nia on her segway. Performances run twice a day in Wythenshawe Park from Friday, February 16, until Sunday, February 25.
Deals start from £7 each or £25 for four people. Visit www.circusfuntasia.co.uk for more details and to book. Wythenshawe Park, entrance off Gib Lane, M23 0AB.
Mini Ninja Sushi School, YO! Sushi
YO!, the Japanese street food and sushi restaurant, are relaunching their popular Mini Ninja Sushi School for February half-term.
The classes give kids, aged five to 12, the chance to be creative with food.
Mini Ninjas are taken through three recipes during the hour-long class: Cucumber Maki, Salmon Nigiri and California rolls (with additional veggie options available).
A YO! chef will be on hand to help whilst kids make their own sushi, learn how to eat with chopsticks and discover a new and exciting cuisine.
After completing the class, budding chefs receive a Mini Ninja certificate, their very own chef’s hat and a special YO! bag to take home.
All the dishes made on the day can also be packaged up to take away so parents can sample their children’s sushi creations too.
Classes are available at YO! in Manchester Arndale and Selfridges at intu Trafford Centre on February 15 and 22 and cost £15 per child. Slots can be booked online.
FREE football skills and more at National Football Museum
Kids can join in free football skills sessions at the National Football Museum.
The 30-minute drop-in sessions run at 11am, 1pm and 3pm daily from Monday, February 19, to Saturday, February 24. There’s loads of other stuff on offer for the kids too, including badge making, penalty shoot-outs and museum tours. It’s also one of your last chances to see the Pelé: Art, Life, Football exhibition up on Level 3 – as it closes on March 4.
Visit the website for more details. National Football Museum, Urbis Building, Cathedral Gardens, Todd Street, Manchester, M4 3BG.
pizza-making, red House farm, altrincham
The farm will once again be running its popular pizza cooking sessions over the next two weeks.
Other activities such as the big slide, barrel train and bouncy castle will be available throughout half term.
Sessions are running from Monday, February 12, to Friday, February 16, and again from Monday, February 19, to Friday, February 23. Pizza making costs £12.95 per child and the slots, either 10am to 12pm or 2pm to 4pm, can be booked online.
Red House Farm, Red House Lane, Dunham Massey, Altrincham, WA14 5RL.
arrive ‘n’ drive Karting, three Sisters race Circuit, Wigan
Some new activities are taking place at the Three Sisters Race Circuit during half-term.
Arrive ‘n’ Drive sessions are for kids aged eight to 15 and offer 20 minutes of karting fun. You can either turn up on the day or reserve your space to avoid any queues.
Sessions are running between 10am and 4pm on Monday, February 19, Wednesday, February 21 and Friday, February 23 and cost £25 per person.
Three Sisters Circuit, Three Sisters Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 8DD.
play active at Chester Zoo
Can a human row faster than a cheetah can run? Chester Zoo is challenging families to break free of the usual winter fitness regimes this February.
The zoo is launching its PLAY! Active programme this weekend and it will run right across half term until February 25. The event will see more than 100 different family sessions spread across the 16 days.
All events are free with normal zoo admission. For a full programme of activities – and to book visit www. chesterzoo.org/play.
Mill gate goes prehistoric, Bury
An 8ft T Rex will be making an appearance in Bury this half-term.
Families are invited to a FREE prehistoric-themed event at Mill Gate shopping centre.
At 17 ft from his nose to the tip of his tail, kids are promised a thrilling encounter with the animatronic dinosaur, who will be making three 30-minute appearances in Schorndorf Square.
It is running from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Friday, February 23. Mill Gate Shopping Centre, Bury, BL9 0QQ.
Superhero Spectacular, Bolton Market place
Six days of free superherothemed fun is being planned at Market Place, Bolton.
There’s a different activity each day from Monday, February 19, to Saturday, February 24, and face painters will also be on hand for superhero makeovers.
Visit the website for more details. Market Place Shopping Centre (lower mall outside Pandora), Bolton, BL1 2AL.
WoW! Half-price weekends at Blackpool pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach always a favourite for the kids and it’s kicking off the new season with half-price wristbands this weekend.
WOW weekends are running every Saturday and Sunday from February 10 until March 29.
Visit our Manchester Family Facebook page for your chance to win wristbands for the WOW! weekends. Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Ocean Boulevard, Blackpool, FY4 1EZ.
Kids go half price, Knowsley Safari
It’s the first school break of 2018 and to celebrate children go halfprice at Knowsley Safari. Kids can go for £6.75 with a full paying adult between February 10 and 25. Book online. Knowsley Safari, Prescot, L34 4AN.
free pet Workshops at pets at Home
Parents are invited to take their children to a series of fun, free workshops at Pets at Home this half-term.
The workshops will run at Pets at Home stores across Greater Manchester during the half-term holiday, and bookings can be made at petsathome.com/ workshops.