Family fun this February half term in Bristol

News
05/02/2019

From super sleuthing to camp fire skills, fairytale adventures and puddle jumping championships, there’s an abundance of child-friendly events and entertainment for the February half-term holiday in Bristol.


Half term events:


Bristol’s animal parks are gearing up for Spring with an array of events this half-term. Flock to Lambing Live at Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park (16-24 Feb) to see new-born lambs - there are twenty ewes ready to lamb twins and triplets every day in the indoor animal handling barn, and you can also book yourself in for a private our of hours tour of the animal barn and maybe even assist in lambing (if mother nature is on your side!), as part of an exclusive Shepherd Experience (16,17, 23,14 Feb). Follow the heart trail around Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm (14 Feb-2 Mar) to discover fun facts about the animals and ways to help their conservation. Grab a pair of wellies and follow the footprints to complete the Wild Discoveries Trail at Wild Place Project (16 Feb – 3 Mar), tantalise your toes on the Barefoot Trail and scramble, slide and clamber around the indoor Fun Fort. Or become a Zoo Detective at Bristol Zoo Gardens (16 Feb – 3 Mar) and discover clues and solve a special 'Zoodunnit’ – the mystery of the crickets.


Other major attractions in Bristol are also hosting special events and activities for families to enjoy. Step into the shoes of a real-life passenger from Brunel’s SS Great Britain this February half term (16-24 Feb) with Boarding Cards featuring 36 characters from the ship’s history. In celebration of the 50 year anniversary of Concorde’s first flight, climb aboard Concorde Alpha Foxtrot - the last Concorde ever to fly - and learn all about Bristol’s aviation history at Aerospace Bristol. Heritage diesel locomotives will be running at Avon Valley Railway daily from 16-24 February (except Monday and Friday). Half term activities at We The Curious include fun workshops, explosive shows and space adventures in the UK’s first 3D Planetarium, as well as an invitation to meet and make robots, and look at how we might grow food in the future in the Futuristic Farm. Bristol Aquarium host a Pirates and Mermaids trail (16 Feb – 3 Mar) where fish-tailed maidens will be coming ashore to share photo opportunities and tales from under the waves (on selected dates). To fill a rainy day, head to Watershed where they are showing a selection of award-winning animated shorts. From 16-19 Feb, there will be a series of dialogue-free stories specially geared for 4-7 year-olds, and between 20-14 Feb the dazzling animations will be suitable for 8-12 year-olds.


For outdoors fun, try making herbal tea and Victorian pomander at the National Trust’s Tyntesfield (18-22 Feb) and learn all about the amazing properties of herbs. Alternatively, Slimbridge Wetland Centre is hosting the South West Puddle Jumping Championships (16-24 Feb) when puddle jumpers will be encouraged to share their splashes at #puddlejumping. Join a fancy dress disco, Valentine’s craft day, Nutty Noah show and Adam Allsortz magic show at Puxton Park this February half term (18-22 Feb). Discover hidden meanings within the trees at Westonbirt Arboretum Written Woods event and make a willow heart with your own special message at The National Arboretum learning centre (18-22 Feb). Ex-police detective Jenny Williams will be launching The Detective Project: CSI Kids at Arnos Vale (20 Feb), training up a team of 8-12 year olds in being a detective. Or, see some live sports action at Ashton Gate Stadium where Bristol City FC is playing Birmingham City on 16 Feb, and also Bristol Bears Rugby Club play against Wasps Rugby on 17 Feb.


Museums:


Be inspired by captivating images of the natural world at the world-famous exhibition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition (October 2018 to March 2019) at M Shed. Pop into Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to see Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing (2 February – 2 May 2019) featuring 12 of the artist’s drawings. For a more hands-on art experience, artist and curator Luke Palmer will facilitate a Family Collaborative Painting Workshop for families to create unpredictable, liberating and expressive artworks by painting together, alongside the exhibition of Collaborative Painting at RWA (5 – 28 Feb 2019). Or explore Crafty Cathedral: Medieval Mayhem at Bristol Cathedral with the Wonderful Windows or Robin Route trails from 10am-12pm on 20 February (best suited for under 11s).


Theatre round-up:


Through beautiful puppetry and performance, Little Angel Theatre bring Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ enormously popular story, The Singing Mermaid, to life at Bristol Old Vic (22-24 Feb). SK Shlomo is a world record-breaking beatboxer who presents Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids at Redgrave Theatre (16 Feb) full of brilliant noises, funny sounds and cool music. Another show at Redgrave Theatre is Nick Sharratt’s Right Royal Drawalong (18 Feb), where he’ll be showing how he creates characters like Tracy Beaker and Timothy Pope, sharing ways to invent crazy creatures in this family-friendly draw-along for all ages. Take part in The Star Seekers at The Wardrobe Theatre (16-22 Feb) - an interactive show that explores the grandeur of galaxies, the solar system, shooting stars and planets through songs, silliness and anti-gravity antics. Suitable for ages 3-8 years.


For more information about half term events, please visit the Visit Bristol blog post.


Other February events:


Bristol’s newest cultural attraction,The Royal Photographic Society opens its new centre for photography to the public on 7 February at Paintworks. The new centre has a high-quality exhibition space, 101-seat auditorium, as well as an education and resource centre in order to fulfil its mission statement to ‘educate members of the public and inspire a passion for the art of photography’.


Following a successful first festival last year, theBritish Dal Festivalreturns 10-17 February, featuring an extended dal trail, a dal supper club and culminates in the Grand Dal Finale on Saturday 16 February at Paintworks.