Can you believe we are looking to February half term already? We have some great ideas for days in and days out to share with you.Ā
Don’t forget that is it Pancake day on the 21st February this year! That doesnāt mean you canāt enjoy pancakes over half term, right?! Check out our Pancake Day Ideas and share your family’s favourite pancake toppings with us on social media!
Open every day for half term, 10 ā 18 February 2024, and free to National Trust members and under-fives.
Grab a free winter trail following two friendly dogs around the garden to become an Awesome Architect. Covering all ages, Dick the little pup is for little children with Rover, the bigger pup for older children.
Head over to the Wilderness Play Area to find your favourites on or spend time in the den zone. Clamber on the stacks, cross the rope bridge to the slides and choose from one of the swings ā the pendulum is perfect for the more adventurous.
The youngest family members havenāt been left out with tunnels, balance beams and a Wendy House to get their imagination going. Thereās a mini clamber stack for smaller legs and accessible bucket seats in swing spots.
If it rains, head in the National Trust Hall. Spot the faces in the carvings and count animals in the tapestries. Upstairs in the art gallery have a go making poetry and if youāre inspired, head off to take your photographs.
Dogs are welcome in most areas of the garden, but please keep them out of the play area for everyoneās enjoyment.
Photos Ā© National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor
February half term 2024 at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Bring your winter explorers to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal this February half term.Ā 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 ā 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 youāre 11 Ā¾.Craft your own lavender pouch, every day during February half term, 11am ā 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. Weāll 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.
For everything youāll need to know about visiting Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal this February ā visitĀ Visiting Fountains Abbey with kids | National Trust
01765 608888
fountainsabbey@nationaltrust.org.uk
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RHS Garden Harlow Carr, 10-18 February
Discover a wholeĀ World On Your WindowsillĀ at RHS Garden Harlow Carr this February half term
The Royal Horticultural Society is inviting families to uncover theĀ World On Your WindowsillĀ 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 Enchanticaās 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.
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Saturday 10th Feb through to Sunday 18th Feb 2024.Ā Morning sessions 10am-1pm, afternoon 2pm-5pm.
With jaw-dropping rides and amazing inflatables for all ages, Harrogate Indoor Funfair offers all the fun of the fair in an indoor, climate-controlled and family-friendly environment.
There is also a cafe and baby changing facilities for families on-site.
The number 7 and X70 buses stop at Sainsburyās on Wetherby Road, around one mile from the entrance.
Tickets on the door will be limited. We recommend booking online to avoid disappointment.
Riding wristbands can be purchased online for Ā£12.99 ā they will be available on the door for Ā£14.99 subject to availability, so booking in advance is strongly urged. Riding wristbands grant access to the event, and to each ride inside ā with the exception of food and games stalls. Spectator tickets for adults not wanting to go on the rides are Ā£5, and babies carried in arms enter for free.
Ā Dark Skies, Dark Caves at 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
āA night on the Moon at Stump Cross Cavernsā
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 Earthās 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 havenāt seen before, using the Ultraviolet torch the calcite warms up and twinkles like a diamond!
We will be opening on Saturday 11thĀ February 10am -4pm
For the duration of the North Yorkshire school holidays we will be open 7 days a week .
The pregnant sheep will be in the barns settling down before they give birth ā If you are lucky enough you may even see a baby lamb being born!
Enjoy all the Birchfield animals plusĀ bouncy castles,Ā play areas, outdoor go -kart and a giantĀ outdoor sandpit.
We don’t have a ticketĀ booking system at Brimham Rocks and parking is first-come-first-served. We have limited car parking spaces and weekends and school holidays can be quite busy. If there’s no available parking, unfortunately you’ll be turned away. Please don’t park on the road as it obstructs our local farmers access to their land and prevents emergency services reaching the site.
The car park is open from 8am to dusk, all week during the winter months and is pay-and-display.Ā The car park payment machinesĀ only take coins. There’sĀ a āpaybyphoneā app available to use which weĀ advise you to downloadĀ before your visit as we don’t haveĀ strongĀ internet reception on site.
Have fun (re-)discovering Ripon, spotting things youāve never noticed before, with two quirky treasure hunt style heritage walks.
The two walks can be enjoyed separately or joined together to form a longer walk and are a safe fun and affordable way to get outside for some fresh air for a couple of hours in the holidays.
Visit our websiteĀ to buy in printed booklet or instant download format, using codeĀ Mumbler20 for 20% off all purchases.
Other Yorkshire Curious About walks are: Harrogate, Hull, Leeds, Scarborough, Sheffield, Whitby and York.
Adventure awaits whatever the weather this February Half-Term at Stockeld Park!Ā Ā
Miles of winding trails and five outdoor adventure playgrounds await across the Enchanted Forest and Magical Maze, promising hours of fun, exercise and fresh air for all the family.Ā
Experience a world of indoor adventure in the Playhive, one of Europeās largest indoor play areas. Four worlds of Space, Sea, Flying and Jungle are ready to be explored, filled with incredible installations to fire the imagination!Ā
GeocachingĀ is something exciting to do outdoors, in which you use the GPS on your mobile phoneĀ to hide and seek containers, called āgeocachesā or ācachesā, at specific locations marked by coordinates. Itās one big treasure hunt!Ā Great if you have a little pirate or adventurer, or if you have older children who want to do a bit of orienteering. Itās great for all ages. The Geocache containers have been hidden by other local families and usually contain a note pad and pencil so that you can log that you have found it. There are also usually little treasures (think Christmas Cracker toys) and you can if you choose, take something out to keep and replace it with a trinket yourself (we have not removed or replaced items during the coronavirus pandemic, but we have enjoyed logging that we found it).
You can find the coordinates of the geocaches and join in, by:
You can also create your own geocache and hide it (we have done this a few times and had great fun putting a container together and hiding it). We get an alert when someone finds and logās it.
You will need:
Once you have created your geocache:
See 8 tips for a great geocache hereĀ
See how to hide a geocache hereĀ
As the COVID-19 situation evolves please follow the mostĀ current guidance from the governmentĀ when choosing how to participate in activities such as geocaching.
This February half-term we’re excited to welcome back Hoglets Theatre with a new show ‘Wood Owl and the Box of Wonders’.
Library members can book a free place for this twilight theatre event by calling Ripon Library on 01609 536623.
Thursday 16th FebruaryĀ
With such a long history, itās no wonder the streets of Ripon are filled with stories.
Explore the darker side of Riponās history from the macabre to the mysterious. Discover ancient burial sites, curious bone finds and characters who lived and died hundreds of years ago, but who some say still linger.
Tickets Ā£4-Ā£6.Ā For more information and to book visit our website.
With half term just around the corner itās time to start thinking about how to keep the little ones entertained. We’ve got a great offer running from 11th to 26th February where KIDS EAT FOR FREE!
For every adult lunch from the tea room menu, we’ll give you a childās lunchbox meal (T&Cs apply)
There are 100 acres of Arboretum to explore; fascinating flying displays in the Bird of Prey Centre; wallabies to stroke; meerkats to feed; Snowdrop trail to follow; and the adventure playground to swing, clamber and slide round.
So we encourage you to wrap up warm, pull on the wellies and come and run off some energy!
Thorp Perrow Arboretum, Beale, DL8 2PS
