Days out

For a safari without leaving the country, nay county, hit up Watatunga, a wildlife reserve just outside King’s Lynn that’s big on ecotourism and conservation. Scour their 170 acres in search of water buffalo, deer, antelope and birds from your very own electric buggy!

It’s the last chance to catch the record number of Atlantic Grey Seal pups at Horsey Gap (nearly 4,000 have been counted on the five-mile stretch between Waxham and Winterton), and then for more adorable baby animals gambol over to Lambing Live at Wroxham Barns (11-19 Feb). If you’re lucky you might witness a live birth, plus there’s plenty to keep your own little lambs occupied including pony grooming, guinea-pig cuddling, lots of informative talks, and a fun park with everything from mini golf to go-karting.

Feb’s also snowdrop season. Why not check them out with the kids? It’s charming, it tuckers them out, and it gets them out in the fresh air. Win-win! For where to see them near you, click here. Over at the Sandringham Estate craft a willow snowdrop to take home on Tue 14, Thu 16 & Sat 18 Feb. Maybe make a full day of it with a snowdrop guided walk, visit to the majestic woodland play area, and a children’s winter afternoon tea? All bookable here.

Holkham Hall has another impressive free woodland play area, and for half term wriggly bookworms can take part in their Once Upon a Time event filled with stories and activities. (More brilliant local adventure playgrounds here.) Or, become an explorer for the day hunting for nature’s tracks and poo before scaling the towers and traversing the tunnels at the adventure play area at Muddy’s National Award winner Pensthorpe Nature Reserve (11-19 Feb), near Fakenham. For more wholesome activities head to Lopham Fen, near Diss, where it’s Build a Nest Box Week from 11-19 Feb, using local, sustainable wood.

King's Lynn Fairground Mart. Credit Matthew Usher Photography. — matthewusherphotography

King’s Lynn will be providing all the fun of the fair, from 11-19 Feb, with their famous Fairground Mart (above) now in its 818th year (I know, impressive right?). And – big phew! – BeWILDerwood in Hoveton re-opens its doors just in time for half term with a magical world of treehouses, huge slippery slides, a sky maze, marsh walks, boat rides – and their special half-term Boggle Wish Bonfire activities.

More energy to burn? Head to old favourite Go Ape in Thetford for high-rope, zip-lining and Segway-driving fun, or get your claws into 25 dino-themed attractions across 85 acres at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure in Lenwade.

Teddy Bear Express at Bure Valley Railway

For a journey where you get to sit back and relax (and no one will be asking “are we there yet?”) try a Pirate Themed River Trip along the Broads. Trips last 1.5 hours and run twice daily throughout half term week. Prefer to keep your feet on dry land? Then all aboard the Teddy Bear Express! at Bure Valley Railway. Journey along the longest narrow-gauge steam railway where kids under 15 (and their VIP teddies) travel for free.

Rain spoiling play? Explore the ocean tunnel, penguin beach and more at Great Yarmouth and Hunstanton Sea Life Centres. And if your little one loves creepy crawlies, did you know Norfolk is home to the largest tropical invertebrate park in the country at BugzUK in Lenwade? See tarantulas, scorpions, stick insects, millipedes and the like *shudder*. Plus on Valentine’s Day, take your little love bugs to BugzUK’s temporary invertebrate zoo in Norwich’s Castle Quarter where they can even handle the insects if they feel brave enough. This free event on Tue 14 Feb will be held in White Lion Square from 12pm – 4pm.

Norwich Science Festival

It’s back and bigger than ever. All things scientific are exploding onto the scene in Norwich and the surrounding areas this half term – with more fun events than you can shake a test tube at. Don’t know where to start? To give you a steer, here’s our Muddy picks from the 180+ taking place.

The Forum, or Explorium as it has been aptly named for the festival, is running all sorts of free, hands-on science activities throughout the week with different topics of exploration each day – from Bugs, Birds and Beasts (Sat 11 Feb) to Psychology & the Mind (Tue 14 Feb) – all of which you can just pop in and enjoy between 10.30am-4pm.

The Forum’s Auditorium will also be hosting some fantastic free events (booking advisable): the Women in Science (Tue 14 Feb) careers talk caught my eye, along with Norfolk’s Wonderful 150 (Sat 11 Feb) which looks at our abundant local wildlife – 150 species and counting. Another freebie (with a chance to win a roarsome prize), Dodo and Dinosaur‘s Extraordinary Extinct dinosaur trail (below) at Chantry Place until 18 Feb will be a huge hit with mini dino fans.

Brand new for this year sees the festival popping up around the county in Science Satellite days, with special guests and a whole host of workshops (selling fast!). The whizzy Dyson Building at Gresham’s School, Holt, will host CBeebies star, vet and author Dr Jess French (Wed 15 Feb), while broadcaster and UEA lecturer Professor Ben Garrod talks all things dinosaurs at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gorleston-on-Sea (Mon 13 Feb).

Diss Corn Hall is also in the mix, kicking things off with Professor Slug’s House of Bugs (Sat 11 Feb), an interactive puppet and musical show about, well, bugs. And on Tue 14 Feb it’s Science Discovery Day where the kids get to handle fossils and learn about genetic codes, whereas on Thu 16 Feb the focus is on the science behind the most unbelievable circus stunts with everyone’s favourite juggling scientist Dr Ken.

Messy, action-packed fun is the order of the day at Norwich’s The Halls with the Top Secret: Science of Magic show (Mon 13 Feb), and Norwich Playhouse hosts BBC presenter Stefan Gates and his new show Rude Science (above) which looks at the, um-hum, grosser goings on in the human body (Sat 18 Feb). Better be quick, these tickets are hotter than a bunsen burner.

After all this scientific inquiry, test their knowledge with The Biggest Science Quiz Show Ever over at Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form (Sun 12 Feb) where Professor Ben Garrod (oh hi again) and Mark Thompson will be asking, and answering, all your burning science questions.

Science Fest picks for older kids

Teens and tweens can also get stuck into the antics. Norwich School has some great events for kids aged 12+ including The Z List Dead List (Thu 16 Feb) where presenter, podcaster and all-round history buff Iszi Lawrence will be delving deep into some of the weirdest, most gruesome scientists and their historical hypotheses. Then on Fri 17 Feb, Professor Chris Jackson talks rocks and climate change in his fascinating lecture Hot Times in Deep Time.

Budding biologists aged 10+ should check out George McGavin: It’s a Wild Life at the Playhouse (Wed 15 Feb) where the renowned zoologist and broadcaster will take a look back over his fascinating career. And aspiring archaeologists and detectives aged 12+ won’t want to miss expert geneticist Professor Turi King over at Norwich Arts Centre (Sun 12 Feb) who will talk through the rise of using DNA to find family members, identify bones and catch criminals.

Full of laughter, strange science and weird and wonderful facts, The Science Cabaret Show (above) at Norwich’s The Halls (Fri 17 Feb) looks set to be a corker of an evening for age 12+, thanks to Dr Helen Czerski and her special guests Dr Adam Rutherford, Prof Chris Jackson, comedian Bec Hill and singer Soft Lad.

Get crafty

With science comes experimentation and getting your hands mucky – hello to the suitably icky sounding Playdough Poo Detectives hands-on workshop (Sat 11 Feb). For the wow factor, send a Rocket to the Moon! (or at least try) with real-life rocketeer Ben Jarvis (Thu 16 Feb). Both at Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form in Norwich.

Or, make a day of it at NWT Hickling Broad, where you and your crew can learn about local wildlife while foraging for materials to make Woodland Works of Art, then spend the afternoon making Birdfeeders (both Thu 16 Feb).

After more creative endeavours? Artists can help picture-book maker Rose Feather make an illustrated book at The Sainsbury Centre’s Holiday Studio (Tue 14 Feb), whilst aspiring wildlife writers can produce a mini magazine with journalist and blogger Kate Stephenson – aka Kate on Conservation – at the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library on Fri 17 Feb.

Check out the rest of Norwich Science Festival‘s jam-packed programme here.

Stage

Start the week strong by hitting up the Norwich’s Maddermarket Theatre for one of their family friendly shows. On Sat 11 Feb visit the Magic Castle, a spectacular production about a school for wizards (not to he mistaken for Hogwarts), followed by Britain’s Got Talent alumnus Ben Langley on Sun 12 Feb bringing all the laughs in his one-man variety show.

Introduce your discerning darlings to opera with this gorgeous reimagining of Cinderella (11-12 Feb) at Norwich Playhouse, and keep it real with The Mighty Kids Beatbox Show on Thu 16 Feb (Norwich Playhouse is nothing if not eclectic), following its sellout run in London’s Southbank Centre.

The Garage, Norwich, has something cute for tots with their My First Fairy Tales – Jack and the Beanstalk on Fri 17 Feb, sensibly including built-in playtime for fidgets. Then over at Norwich Puppet Theatre there’s a selection of workshops throughout the week (Beards and Barnets looks particularly fun), along with fabulously imaginative family shows like The Nosy Little Troll (11-12 Feb) and Rapunzel and the Tower of Doom (Wed 15 Feb).

Kids under your feet? No need to run away to the circus. Just pop over to the Great Yarmouth’s Hippodrome Circus of Horrors between 16-19 Feb to watch the experts at work. Scare older teenagers into a good mood at evening performances of The Haunted Fairground, or seek out the Addams Family Friendly Matinee, which has dialled down the scary (not enough for under 10s though, FYI).

The lovely folk at Joe Ringer Events are getting the party started with their Kidz Pop Party (two shows daily from 15-18 Feb) at Norwich’s Maddermarket Theatre. The live band will be playing everything from Disney classics and Dance Monkey to Ariana Grande and Little Mix, as well as some 90’s throwbacks for us oldies (I hope they take requests).

Exhibitions

Travel back to 1578 when Queen Elizabeth I visited Thetford on her Norfolk Progress. In this fabulously free exhibition at Thetford’s Ancient House Museum (Tue 14 Feb), kids can watch the Queen don her robes, meet members of her Royal Court, handle ancient artefacts and learn to write with a quill.

For all things retro, space-hopper over to Great Yarmouth’s Time and Tide museum for some fun interactive talks and workshops with a nod to the 70’s era of fashion, gaming and more.

Activity camps

Whitlingham Adventure Days are always a win offering everything from sailing and kayaking to archery and climbing. And – where my Canaries fans at? – Norwich City FC have some great soccer schools for 5-11 year olds every school holiday. No, these aren’t just for gifted dribblers, any child loves a football can get involved.

Got a performer in your midsts? The Garage has some fun dance and stage camps, held over three mornings from 13-15 Feb, to keep them occupied (and give you a break, hurrah). For your little prima ballerina there’s Ballet Club (Reception to Year 2), while budding thespians can tread the boards in the Performing Arts Club (Reception to Year 2 and Years 3-6).

There’s theatrical workshops galore at Norwich Theatre Royal. Tots of 3 months to 5 years can join in the Imagination Walk (above) whilst older kids aged 12-16 to have a go at creating humorous characters at the Improvisation Station, both on Tue 14 Feb. Then 8-11 year olds can shake their funky stuff at Mini Dance Lab on Fri 17 Feb. There’s more where these came from here.

Half term SOS! 60+ things to do with the kids this February in Norfolk

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