Keep the kids busy with these 23 half-term activities
Are you looking for fun, family activities over the half-term holidays in Bristol & beyond? Look no further, I’ve got 25 things to banish those lockdown blues…
1. Arnolfini. Free
Oh how we miss the Arnolfini! Bristol art duo, Let’s Make Art, have made a video recording that teaches children to make a cardboard portrait of themselves, with an interior scene, as well as an outward showing persona – in fact everything you need including the step-by-step tutorial is on the website for you to enjoy any time.
2. Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park. Free
Who else has been checking in on this local Facebook page to coo at the baby lambs and see if any more have been born yet? Lockdown Lambing Live has me gripped! You can watch for free or join their supporters page from £3.49 a month.
3. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Free
Find out how Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated in this online zoom talk on February 17. Speaker Stella Wang was born and bred in Beijing, China but has now settled in Bristol. She will talk about the origins of the festival (also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival) as well as traditional activities like putting up decorations and enjoying a special family meal. Free, booking advised.
4. We The Curious, free
BBC Radio Bristol is popping on down to We The Curious next Thursday February 18 and who knows they might even divulge a few ‘behind the scenes’ secrets. More information to follow, make sure you check out their Facebook page.
5. We The Curious. £5
Fancy a change from trying to find something on Netflix that the whole family will enjoy? You can entertain the family by logging onto Planetarium Night At Home events for just £5 per device – Life in The Universe with We The Curious.
6, 7, 8, 9,
BBC Radio Bristol is having a Big Day Out at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm on Monday February 15, Aerospace Bristol on Tuesday 16, Bristol Aquarium on Wed 17 and Police Horses and Dogs on Fri 19.
10. Junior Drawing School with RWA on 15, 17 and 18 Feb. £10 for two hours.
If they’re a budding Picasso why not send them to art school for a couple of hours and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet? Better value for money if you have more than one child.
Let’s go for a walk
11. Bristol walks. Free
Need inspiration for a new walk near you? Check out my post on the best walks in and around Bristol for some fresh ideas.
12. Sammy and the Beanstalk with OperaUpClose. Free or just £5
This online play with songs is free if you’re on a low income, just email ticketing@operaupclose.com and ask for a free pass. If you can afford to pay though it’s just £5 and you can watch as many times as you like.
13. Pongos Party Online. £9.99 for 28 days.
Theatres may be closed but you can still enjoy the show, because you are invited to Marty MacDonald’s Farm for Pongos Party! The children’s show now streaming online, featuring the voice of children’s TV favourite Justin Fletcher as Pongo the Pig!
14. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. £14.50 per family.
Critically acclaimed ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show’ features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets, faithfully adapting four of Eric Carle stories.
15. A Virtual Guided Ancient Egypt Nile cruise and Tour. Feb 19, free
I’m definitely excited about this one as we’v ebeen to Egypt but haven’t seen the famous attractions because Little Miss Diva didn’t fancy the bus journey. Now I have the perfect opportunity to check it out from the comfort of my own living room.
16. Monday Feb 15. Virtual Tour of Meteora. 3 hours – free
In fact I’m travelling all around the world during half-term week! Turn up the heating and imagine you’re on the sunny shores of Greece during this Virtual Tour of Meteora.
17. M Shed, free
We love visiting the M-Shed on Bristol’s harbourside when we can and on during February it’s LGBTQ month with a couple of online talks and a look at the history of gender in sport.
18. Henri Matisse Online: Painting with Scissors
I know lots of you have been enjoying this one already and there’s lots of online masterclasses until February 20. This class is suitable for all levels and is really popular so take a look online for details of when you can hop on.
19 The Free Lockdown Programme
I haven’t tried this one myself but it apparently provides online weekly activities aimed at children aged seven and under. These include dance, drama, cookery and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) activities, with downloadable educational resources for parents.
20 Tate
This was my favourite place to visit when I lived in London and still is when we get the chance to take a trip to the big smoke again. So next week I’ll be popping along online with Little Miss Diva for a virtual lookaround! You can spend hours on the site as there’s loads to learn, things to make and quizzes that you can download.
21 National Geographic
Remember when we could travel – well this is probably the next best thing! You can still help kids learn about faraway places and geography, science and history by logging onto this website where there are lots of things for them to do.
22. The Natural History Museum
According to The Independent, children can’t still enjoy the benefits of the museum even though they can’t visit in person at the moment. David Attenborough makes the virtual tour interesting and there’s also a range of downloadable activities and lesson plans available.
23. Thanks Tripabrood for giving us 10 free activity packs to entertain the kids during those rainy days over half-term. Perfect for primary school aged children, each pack is full of amazing facts, activities, crafts and recipes that will keep your kids occupied for hours.
More from Broke in Bristol & beyond:
Bristol’s best Sunday Roast £15
