Culture Guides
Destination Guides
February is full of possibility. Here’s our trusty guide to the best family things to do indoors and outdoors this month and beyond. For more ideas see our extensive half-term guide.
New adventures to be had start with being the first to feast your eyes on Big Up! This brand new production from Theatre-Rites and 20 Stories High is set to raise the bar in what theatre for kids can achieve.
We’ll be heading to Leeds to check out the Mer-folk (yes really) at the boundary-breaking Human Aquarium installation.
We also can’t get enough of returning to the gloriously restored and reinterpreted Quarry Bank, not least for new adventure story trail by author Philip Ardagh.
In the museum and gallery world head to the Science and Industry Museum, Police Museum and Manchester Museum for more new shenanigans than you can shake a stick at.
For those keen to book ahead, spend your pennies on outdoor spectacle Zara at The Piece Hall, and our favourite family festival Just So which has released details of new areas to adventure through this year and its final tier of tickets already. Yikes!
Enjoy!
Here are our picks
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1. War Games at the Royal Armouries
Royal Armouries in Minecraft courtesy Krash Labs War Games at The Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, Leeds, 13–24 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
Report to the Royal Armouries for training in fighting battles old and new.
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2. The Human Aquarium at St John’s Centre
Yorkshire Life Aquatic The Human Aquarium at St John's Centre, Leeds, 15–28 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
A Land Aquarium installation containing mer-folk and interactive activities to make us think twice. Created by Leeds-based Artists and Activists.
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3. February half term at the Science and Industry Museum
Science Museum Group February half term events at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, 18–24 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
Make tracks to see Stephenson’s Rocket, take part in Science Showdowns, have a hair-raising time at the Electricity exhibition and let loose at the Victorian Fairground.
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4. Trouble at t’Mill at Quarry Bank
National Trust Images, John Millar Trouble at t'Mill at Quarry Bank, Cheshire, 18–22 February 2019, from £Quarry Bank admission prices apply (free for National Trust members) - Visit now
Head back to the nineteenth century for adventuring of the highest order at Quarry Bank. New trail by author Philip Ardagh reveals the working lives of the kids at the Mill.
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5. Half Term Open Days at the Greater Manchester Police Museum
Half Term Open Days at Greater Manchester Police Museum, Manchester, 19–21 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
Best behaviour only at special open days to explore this gem of a Museum and meet guests from the forces on Tuesday 19 and Thursday 21 February.
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6. Nocturnal – After Hours at Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum Nocturnal - After Hours at Manchester Museum, Manchester, 21 February 2019, free entry - Find Out More
Find out everything you need to know about nocturnal animals in half term family fun after dark.
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7. Bimingham Royal Ballet: Beauty and the Beast at The Lowry
Birmingham Royal Ballet -
8. Zara at The Piece Hall
Walk The Plank Zara at The Piece Hall, 19–20 April 2019, from £8 - Book now
A mother against the world and a giant outdoor theatre event for the whole family from Walk The Plank and Mind The Gap.
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9. Just So Festival 2019
Pillow Fight at Just So Fesival courtesy of Chris Payne Just So Festival at Rode Hall, Cheshire, 16–18 August 2019, from £20 - Book now
The best family festival in the UK returns for its 10th birthday edition. Midnight feasts, pillow fights and the best new outdoor arts for families.
More in Families
Wonderlab at the Science and Media Museum
Explore a maze of mirrors and take part in Star Wars inspired sound battles in over 20 new state-of-the-art experiences in this new exhibition.
Rocket Returns to the Science and Industry Museum
Make tracks for Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum. A one-in-a-lifetime chance to see Stephenson’s Rocket return to the site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway for the first time in over 180 years.
Electricity: The Spark of Life at the Science and Industry Museum
One of the headline events from last year’s Manchester Science Festival, this super-charged exhibition tells the story of our quest to understand, unlock and master the power of electricity.
Quentin Blake and John Yeoman: 50 Years of Children’s Books at Lady Lever Art Gallery
Bookworms rejoice! The first exhibition to celebrate illustrator Quentin Blake’s decades-long partnership with author and childhood friend John Yeoman promises literary larks and crazy characters for all.
Documentary Challenge at IWM North
Make and feature in your own mini-documentary at IWM North.
Patternarium at Eureka!
Generate shapes, patterns and artworks. Bring to live in vivid colour the hidden patterns that surround us in this new digital and mechanical experience by Halifax artists IOU.
A World Inside a Book: Gruffalo, Dragons and Other Creatures at Z-arts
The UK’s first immersive exhibition of the much-loved tales of Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Expect enchanting forests, miniature towns and watery worlds.
Family half term activities at The Whitworth
Express your creative streak at The Whitworth this half term.
The Blanket Tales at The Piece Hall
Join in on a storytelling tour of The Piece Hall, learn about the textile trade and experience The Piece Hall’s magic blanket.
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In this month’s roundup of best Tours and Activities in Manchester and the North, we highlight the pottery and craft workshops giving you some cathartic and creative opportunities to get making.
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Music
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Things to do right now
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