Where creativity meets connection
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PARK AND RIDES
Chessington World of Adventures
This resort in Surrey has been a family favourite for decades. This ultimate destination, combining exciting experiences with adventure and learning. You can get up close to over 1,000 animals, from Humboldt penguins to California horn sharks, and enjoy live animal talks and a wild Animal Trail.
Now visitors are being invited to leave the everyday behind and ‘drop’ into the World’s first Jumanji themed land. Escaped from the cinema and way beyond a board game, World of Jumanji sucks families in… Follow in the footsteps of Dr. Bravestone through a whole world of adventures to locate the Jaguar’s Eye Jewel, lift the curse and save Jumanji.
BE FAST BUT NOT FURIOUS
Crawley Adventure Circuit, Ardingly
Find out if your child is the next Lewis Hamilton. The Crawley Adventure Circuit hosts morning experiences for young people aged 10. Thid includes time behind the wheel of a supercar, famous cars from the cinema or even an articulated truck.
The High-Speed Passenger Ride gives youngsters between 10 and 16-years-old the opportunity to pick three supercars from our stocked fleet before getting on track and enjoying up to 3 miles driving in each, sat beside an expert instructor. Once they’ve given it everything, they’ll be shown how it's done by someone who knows the track like the back of their hand with an instructor-driven high-speed passenger ride.
MAN THE BARRICADES
Newhaven Fort, Newhaven
Following a £7.5m restoration, Newhaven Fort. After 12 months of closure, this19th-century fort now boasts an enhanced visitor experience, featuring a brand-new adventure playground, interactive exhibitions and an exciting 1970s-themed escape room coming in April 2025.
Visitors will be able to explore previously hidden parts of the fort, including a newly accessible Battery Observation Post, which offers panoramic views of the Sussex coastline. Each of the fort’s 18 casemates (vaults within the site) have been revamped to serve as engaging exhibition areas, with two casemates also available for venue hire, with the fort hosting a vibrant programme of events; including workshops, guided tours, exhibitions and talks.
UNCOVER 2,000 YEARS OF HISTORY
The London Bridge Experience
Step back in time and uncover the chilling history of London Bridge at this immersive experience, perfect for a thrilling adventure! Travel through 20 centuries of history and meet everyone form William Wallace to Jack the Ripper. You can also brave an eerie maze filled with ghosty characters and uncover secrets hidden beneath London’s most famous bridge.
www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com
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WINTER WELLY WALK
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
Running until Sub 2 March, Leonardslee is inviting families to pull on their wellies and learn loads of fascinating facts about these beautiful lakes and gardens. Keep your eyes open for the various welly themed checkpoints and complete the fun activity booklet together to help you keep on track.
When you’re finished exploring, it might be time to pop into The Clocktower Kitchen for something to eat and drink whilst any mini artists can design their own wellies. If you hand in your finished creations, there’s a chance of winning some great prizes -including Family Memberships, tickets to the upcoming Labyrinth Challenge and free trips to Leonardslee Lights in winter 2025.
VISIT THE ROBOT ZOO
Horniman Museum
A delightful exhibition explains the wonders of the animal world through the medium of robotics - all made from household objects. This family-friendly exhibition features larger-than-life animals that have been innovatively recreated using a variety of familiar machine parts and gadgets to reveal how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide. Interactive exhibits also give you the chance to try jet-propelled squid racing, and shoot a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’.
HUNT SOME DRAGONS
Bodiam Castle, Robertsbridge
Running until Sun 23 Feb, you’re invited to find the little dragons hiding around Bodiam Castle. From fire to water, there are dragons who have made their home around the castle. Find the dragons and unscramble the letters each one is guarding to discover the secret word.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/bodiam-castle
BE A HAPPY SHOPPER
County Mall, Crawley
Families looking for fun and engaging activities during the February half-term can visit County Mall for a range of free events supporting children’s mental well-being. The Happy Haven events will take place on Weds 19 and Sat 22 February, offering creative activities aimed at bringing joy and encouraging children to explore what makes them happy.
On the Wednesday, children can design their own happiness badges, using drawings, quotes, or symbols that bring them joy while on Saturday, families can create sensory jars filled with colourful layers, glitter, and textures, a calming keepsake designed to help children relax and refocus.
Throughout both days, visitors can also contribute to a ‘Happiness Wall’ by sharing drawings or messages about what makes them happy. Free glitter tattoos will be available, adding extra sparkle to the experience. Additionally, families can take part in a fun trail around County Mall, following clues and scanning QR codes outside selected stores for a chance to win a £50 gift card from The Entertainer.
GET WILD
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is running at Brighton Museum on Weds 18 Feb - Mon 30 June. Families can explore the some of the most breathtaking images in the world with this prestigious exhibition, direct from the Natural History Museum in London. The stunning pictures capture the beauty, drama, and fragility of life on Earth, offering a fascinating insight into the wonders of the natural world. A must-visit for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone who appreciates the art of storytelling through photography.
HEAD INTO SPACE
The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux
On Tues 18 Feb, there’s a half day workshop, where children aged 7 - 11 years old can learn all about the magnificent Moon through fun interactive activities. You can discover all about this fascinating piece of rock n a fun event, where you can make your own Moon model and create some fantastically messy craters.
WONDER AT THE HEAVENS
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings
On Tues 18 – Thurs 20 Feb, this museum will be hosting a mini celestial theatre and take everyone on a trip to the stars. Running in collaboration with Immersive Experiences to bring the wonders of the universe to the Durbar Hall, for an unforgettable event.
CELEBRATE WINTER
Booth Museum, Brighton
Running until Weds 19 March, the Booth Museum is inviting visitors to step into the wonders of the natural world with a free seasonal showcase of its collections. Discover the hidden adaptations of animals that thrive in the coldest months, explore stunning specimens, and engage with special displays celebrating the beauty of nature in the colder months.
www.brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/winter-at-the-booth-museum
JOIN THE CIRCUS
Hove Museum of Creativity
Discover the magic of vintage fairgrounds with The Mechanical Circus. This playful exhibition brings automata, traditional fairground games, and interactive displays together for a fun, hands-on experience. A perfect half term outing for families.
www.brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/the-mechanical-circus
GET ARTY
Towner Eastbourne
You can join acclaimed artists Ruby Campion and Yanaëlle Ritter on Fri 21 Feb for Towner Eastbourne’s February Family Day. They’ll help you explore historic and contemporary Sussex folktales through activities which will take over the gallery. Recommended for ages 5+, there’ll be storytelling, performance, shadow-play and a giant imagined landscape which will invite you into the weird and wonderful tales of Sussex; and maybe even help create your own.
www.townereastbourne.org.uk/whats-on/family-day
EXPLORE THE LIFE OF A GREAT WRITER
Bateman's, Burwash
A brand-new exhibition has been unveiled at Bateman's, the home of Rudyard Kipling, which explores the writer’s life, work, and travels. You can learn about Kipling’s own fascinating story, with rare and previously unseen items.
Among the rare and unseen objects on display are a finely crafted Japanese handscroll from the early Edo period, a model of a seal made from sealskin, a wooden toy pig gifted by Kipling to his cousin and three-time British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, and a copy of his novel Kim, which accompanied the crew of the 1910 Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/batemans
GET FESTIVE
Imagine Festival, London’s Southbank
The Southbank Centre brings back their hugely successful children’s festival for 2025. From talks with authors like Dog Man creator Dav Pilkey, Billy and the Beast writer Nadia Shireen and Supertato’s Sue Hendra, to a host of children’s theatre productions and captivating concerts, there’s also a huge range of workshops, activities and free events.
TRAVEL BACK IN TIME
Victoria & Albert Museum
Young V&A is looking at creativity in Ancient Egypt this spring, and showing that civilisations enduring influence on contemporary society, this landmark exhibition gathers over 200 items from the V&A archives.
Most suitable for children aged 14+, Making Egypt will combine thousands of years’ worth of ancient artifacts with pop cultural works influenced by the long gone civilization, from an ancient sarcophagus to a Lego pyramid of Giza.
Mark O'Donnell
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