We all know that trying to find the best ways to keep the kids entertained during the holidays is sometimes the hardest part of half terms, especially ones like this February, when we’re being hit with storm after storm, and it’s too cold for most plans.
So to help ease the brainpower you have to put into holiday plans, we’ve put together a list of some of the best things that are being offered in and around Bradford, this February.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
There’s plenty of benefits to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, located a little bit of a drive away in Doncaster. Apart from being a good way to get kids outside and breathing some fresh air, there’s plenty of different areas to explore. Every day there is a different activity or talk held, and you can find the timetable for all of these on their website. With play areas, shows and ranger talks, animal experiences and afternoon teas, there’s something for everyone!
It’s £19 for adults, £17 for children, £18 for seniors and students, and free for children under 3. While this day out is on the more expensive side, it’s well worth the trip.
You can find out more about the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, here: Yorkshire Wildlife Park
National Science and Media Museum
As a closer and cheaper option, the National Science and Media Museum is a great day out, located in the center of Bradford, with free entry. With exhibitions such as Top Secret (exploring the fascinating world of codebreaking, ciphers and secret communications) and Wonderlab (the history of videogaming), to the Kodak Gallery (telling the story of Bradford’s Belle Vue Studio), there’s plenty for every kid to enjoy exploring.
During February Half Term, they’re also offering free family activities, including Cipher Wheels, Secrets Unravelled and Coding Demos, in which kids get to create their own ciphers and scytales to encrypt and protect their own top secret messages, and crack some codes of their own! There’s also a cinema attached, and as a bonus – an ice skating rink round the corner! For a fun adventure for a rainy day, you can’t go wrong!
You can find out more about the National Science and Media Museum, here: National Science and Media Museum
Salts Mill
Salts Mill is a place for art, dining and shopping all in one! Both parking and entry is free, and it’s based in the heart of beautiful Saltaire. Around the Mill, there’s a children’s play park across the bridge and lots of Saltaire to explore, if you wanted to make the day longer. There’s a lovely café, floors of artwork and shopping, including lots of books with a special children’s area.
Salts Mill has an interesting history too, and you can learn about the history of the Mill and the People in the Saltaire History exhibitions. There’s always new things popping up here, and with many places for long and short walks from the historic site, it’s a perfect, free day out.
You can find out more about Salts Mill, here: Salts Mill
Ripon’s Three Museums
A little bit further away in Ripon, is the trio of Ripon Museums, which includes a Workhouse Museum and Garden, a Courthouse Museum and a Prison and Police Museum, which all teach about the history of poverty, crime and punishment in Yorkshire. For February Half Term, the Workhouse Museum and Garden will be holding their ‘Joys of Spring’ activities including wet felting workshops, a museum trail, wallpaper artwork and baking cakes in a Victorian kitchen.
There are several different passes that you can buy as tickets, but every ticket is valid for 12 months, so you can visit however many times you would like through the rest of the year, if you wanted to do each museum on a different day. The Family and Friends pass costs £31 and includes 2 adults and 3 children, and the Small Family ticket costs £21 and gives entry to one adult and one child. All children under 5 get free entry, and there’s other ticket prices available. For a year’s pass and for three incredibly interesting museums, it’s well worth a visit!
You can find out more about Ripon’s Three Museums, here: Ripon Museums | Days out North Yorkshire
Eureka!
Eureka! based in Halifax, is an extraordinary fun-packed day for kids aged 0-11. With 6 unique zones to discover, each is filled with hundreds of interactive exhibits designed to inspire enquiring minds to learn about themselves and the world around them. There’s plenty to keep the kids entertained, and it’s all inside, so great for a rainy day – especially with the amount of storms we’ve been having recently!
Their ticket prices are £14 (15+ years and 3+ years), £6 (1-2 years) and free for children under 1. There are group passes available for group visits, and you can also purchase an annual pass which grants you entrance for the full year. A slightly more expensive option, but worth every penny!
You can find out more about Eureka, here: A fun-packed family day out for children aged 0-11 – Eureka!
Cineworld Day
For this weekend, and this weekend only, Cineworld is holding their very first Cineworld day, on Saturday the 26th of February. On this day, all cinema tickets will be only £3, regardless of film, day or cinema! This includes all special formats too, IMAX, 4XD and Superscreen. The deal only applies for this day only, and for £3, it’s a bargin! So if you’ve been looking for the perfect time to take the kids to see Sing 2, or another film on their list, now is your chance!
You can find out more about Cineworld Day, here: Celebrate Cineworld Day with £3 Tickets | Cineworld Cinemas
So whether you’re staying inside and hiding away from Storm Eunice, or Franklin or just the regular old British rain, or whether you find time to take advantage of some rare February sunshine, there’s plenty to keep the kids entertained for the holidays!
– Hannah
