Let’s face it, February isn’t the easiest month for organising days out - the weather’s temperamental at best, winter fun is over and spring isn’t here yet. To top it off, February half term is just around the corner and you’ll have to come up with lots of things to entertain your kids with. Sounds quite intimidating, doesn’t it...especially knowing it's the end of January already.
Hold on, no need to panic! Here, at Day Out With The Kids, we’ve been helping millions of families find great days out since 2006, and we won’t let you down this time either. Our team of experts has put together a list of the UK’s 10 best half term events, so you and your little ones will have plenty to look forward to this February half-term. Dive into the fun now!
1. Fantasy February at Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure, Lenwade, Norfolk
17th - 23rd February 2020
If your little ones love dress up and magical creatures, Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure has just the event for you. February half term will be all about fantasy fun and you’ll have quite a good excuse to bring out your kids’ best dress up - turning up in full fancy dress gets you 50% off child tickets (while the event lasts).
So, costumes on and get ready for a whole day of magical team activities! You’ll have to take your pick when you arrive - Team Mermaid, Team Troll, Team Dragon or Team Fairy, which one will it be? Well, whatever your little heroes choose, they won’t regret it. Each team will have its own base, colour, shield and photo point to capture those special moments together. Pretty cool, right?
2. WWT Puddle Jumping Championships, Various Locations
15th - 23rd February 2020
Not afraid of getting wet? Put your favourite wellies on and hop into a day of wet and wild fun with the WWT Puddle Jumping Championships! Taking place in various wetland centres across the UK, these epic events feature specially designed splashing zones and various activities, including creative jumping in muddy puddles, obstacle courses, welly-wanging and more. Want to know what the best part is? Adults are invited to join in on the fun too. Come on, you know you want to!
Not to mention, chances are you haven’t spent much time exploring the great outdoors these last few months; we all know what winter is like. So don’t miss this opportunity to go out and have a proper day out in nature. And if it rains...even better!
3. Lambing Live at Avon Valley Adventure Wildlife Park, Bristol, Somerset and Bristol
15th - 23rd February 2020
Two words: BABY LAMBS! Dozens and dozens of baby lambs. This is what you’ll find at Avon Valley Adventure Wildlife Park this February half term. The popular Lambing Live event is set to make a triumphant return in 2020, with 20 ewes ready to lamb twins and triplets every day over half term week. Imagine the overload of cuteness!
If you’ve got budding farmers and animal lovers in your family, meeting the little lambs up close is sure to get them excited. What’s more, you can even name the babies on the day they’re born! If that’s not one baaaa-rilliant half term event, we don’t know what is.
4. Time Travelling Heroes at The Royal Mint Experience, Pontyclun, Glamorgan and Cardiff
15th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 22nd February 2020
OK, we can only guess how you’ve imagined your February half-term but fending off dinosaurs with a special dinosaur javelin probably wasn’t what you had in mind. Yet, you can’t deny that now that you’ve heard about it, you can’t stop playing it in your head over and over again. Here’s how to make it happen!
The Royal Mint Experience is throwing a dino-themed, time-travelling extravaganza for February half-term. The event includes a time machine, a dino quest to save a dinosaur egg and much more exciting stuff. Your kids are bound to love it!
5. Crime Season at The Postal Museum, London, Greater London
17th - 22nd February 2020
It’s Crime Season at The Postal Museum this half-term! Your mini detectives are invited to take part in essential crime-fighting training with the oldest criminal investigation force in the world, The Post Office Investigation Branch. From learning how to outsmart fraudsters to deciphering spy letters and creating futuristing crime-fighting technology, the schedule is packed with fun activities.
Also, don’t miss the chance to be one of the first to see The Great Train Robbery Exhibition: Crime & The Post (15th February - 19th April 2020), which is opening just in time for half-term. It’s going to feature never before seen artefacts and personal accounts of The Great Train Robbery. You’ll also find out exactly how The Post Office’s investigative team helped solve one of the most iconic heists in history.
6. Godstone Farm Olympics at Godstone Farm, Godstone, Surrey
15th - 23rd February 2020
2020 is an Olympic year but you won’t have to wait till the summer to get into the Olympic spirit. Godstone Farm is organising its own Farm Olympics this half-term and your whole family is invited to take part in the action. From competing in a toy tractor race to a highly competitive welly throwing competition, there will be lots of fun challenges to get involved in. There will be quite a few laughs too, by the sounds of it!
To make your kids feel extra special, make sure to collect all 5 Olympic rings to earn a spot at the winners’ podium. Makes for a good photo too! Plus, don’t forget the play areas and the animal zones at the farm will be open as usual, so you won’t miss out on any of your favourite farmyard entertainment either.
7. Festival of Archery at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, West Midlands
15th - 23rd February 2020
Who doesn’t like castles, brave knights and fierce warriors? Turn your kids’ half term break into an action-packed adventure with a visit to the UK's only Medieval Festival of Archery at the historic Warwick Castle . Watch 15 professional archers face off in adrenaline-fuelled competitions and put on spectacular daily shows, including a brand live show, featuring flaming arrows.
If all the thrilling action around you has inspired you to try your hand at shooting a bow and arrow, there will be 'Have a Go Archery' sessions available daily. Who knows - you might have a mini Robin Hood at home just waiting to unleash their hidden talent!
8. Animate it! Aardman Model Making Workshop at Dreamland, Margate, Kent
15th February 2020
If your kids are the creative type, learning the secrets of clay animation may just be the perfect half-term activity for your family. Dreamland is teaming up with Aardman Animations to organise an event which will allow you to immerse in the world of animation. You’ll find out how to make Shaun the Sheep, Gromit or Morph out of clay. It doesn’t get any more hands-on than that!
It’s not just the workshop though. Dreamland will also be showing screenings of some of the most famous Wallace and Gromit and Shaun The Sheep adventures. This may be just a one-day event, but it’s packed with so much fun, you won’t even know where to begin.
9. Critical Chemistry at The Deep, Hull, East Yorkshire
15th - 23rd February 2020
We live in a world where our environment is more in need of protection than ever before. Critical Chemistry is The Deep’s half-term event. It’s designed to teach kids about the dangers that oceans face and what we can do to help. It’s a serious topic but the aquarium’s approaching it in a fun and interactive way that will appeal to children. Featuring an adventure family trail, face painting, interactive presentations and an ocean acidification challenge, your day at the aquarium will be far from boring!
Can’t get enough of the curious world of the deep sea? Be sure to see the amazing underwater creatures at the brand new Changing Seas exhibit, opening February half term. From Volitans lionfish, to Dog faced pufferfish, Leopard moray eels and an amazing display of soft corals, there are all sorts of amazing things to discover.
10. Mission Mars at National Space Centre, Leicester, Leicestershire
15th - 23rd February 2020
Future astronauts at home? Better get your space suit ready because this half-term the National Space Centre is putting a call out for a very special cosmic quest - Mission Mars. From hands-on activities in the science zone, Destination Mars, all the way to Mars: 2020 and Beyond, a live stage show, looking into the (very near) future of human life on the Red Planet - your day out will be filled with enthralling entertainment. After all, nothing gets the imagination going like the idea of humans living in space.
If all that fascinating information has filled in your kids’ heads with dozens of mind-boggling questions, there will be real-life experts at the museum, ready to answer all their Mars-related questions. You’ll probably find yourself raising a few queries of your own too!
Here comes the end of our top 10 list of the best half term events this February. We hope you’ve found plenty of ideas to get you feeling excited about the school break.
Need more inspiration? Discover lots more great family day out ideas on Day Out With The Kids!
