FEBRUARY HALF TERM & EASTER HOLIDAYS: What to do in the school holidays in Leeds, West Yorkshire?

Before you know it February half term and the Easter Holidays will be upon us, so what is there to do for the family in Yorkshire? Here Leeds Galleries and Museums share a range of events from free days out to paid for experiences across Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Abbey House Museum

February Half Term

18-21 February

 

During February half term celebrate the Leeds Year of Reading with selection days inspired by family favourites. On 18 February there’s Alice in Wonderland creative crafts and silly science inspired by the wonderful world of Roald Dahl on 19 February. Say ahoy to another classic on Wednesday with Treasure Island themed crafts and murky murder mysteries in the Victorian streets. Round off the week with tropical fun inspired by the Jungle Book on Friday 21 February too!

DJ Workshop

20 February, 12-3pm

Calling all aspiring young DJ’s aged from 11–15. Come along and meet Melodies Music and DJ Academy, take over the decks, cue your track and get spinning in an introductory session to DJing.

Entry is included in museum admission, all equipment is included and no experience needed. Advance booking required via youth.curator@leeds.gov.uk

 

 

Easter Holidays

7-17 April

 

Bounce into Easter with adorable animal crafts in the Victorian streets. On 10 April from 10am–4pm hop along to meet the Easter Bunny. Choose a treat from his basket, pick up a trail and find the golden eggs hidden around the streets. Don’t miss amazing real life animals from Lion Learners each Wednesday too, including creepy crawlies and fluffy Easter bunnies!

 

Leeds Art Gallery

School Holiday Arts and Crafts

Selected dates, 11am-4pm

Between 18 & 20 February come along and make space-shifting sculptures in Artspace. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the Easter school holidays, Leeds Art Gallery will be joined by their artist in residence for painting, drawing, crafting and collage! On 21 February and 17 April check out their family friendly pop-up event looking at art in 3D with the Henry Moore Institute.

Leeds Young Film Festival

7, 8, 9 & 11 April

 

Experience Leeds Young Film Festival at Leeds Art Gallery this Easter for the UK’s largest family film event! It features premieres and special film screenings for the whole family to enjoy and explores the world of film through workshops at pocket-money prices.

For more information visit www.leedsfilm.com  

Leeds City Museum

February Half Term: Clever Clothes & Fabulous Fashions

18-21 February, 10am-12pm & 1-3pm

Reuse and recycle craft materials to design funky fashions for your favourite toy and parade them down the table catwalk. Create a rainbow using plate weaving and take the textile trail around the museum to discover how clothes have been used, recycled and made here in Leeds!

Sensory Room for Families with Additional Needs

20 February & 9 April, 10.30-11.30am

For those who may find a trip to the museum a little overwhelming, Leeds City Museum will be hosting a pop-up sensory room with bubble tube, dark tents and tactile toys for a calmer moment on your museum trip.

Booking essential via Eventbrite

Recycle Runway

15 April, 10.30-11.30pm

Get crafty with activities inspired by the new exhibition, Fast x Slow Fashion. Create a brand new outfit from old clothes and recycled materials and learn all about reusing, recycling and reducing material waste.

Easter Holidays: Patterns & Prints

7-19 April

There’s a whole load of activities on offer during the Easter holidays with workshops and drop-in sessions suitable for visitors of all ages. Create patterns and prints from 14 – 17 April, try your hand at embroidery for children on 7 April and take the daily trail through the museum. Explore patterns through the museum collections from textiles to tiles and animals to Ancient Egyptian jewellery.

Leeds Industrial Museum

Mystery Matinees

Every day in school holidays, 2pm

Watch a classic film in one of the UK’s smallest cinemas. The Art Deco Palace Picture House will be screening family favourites and vintage classics every day during the holidays. Grab a family ticket for just £9 which includes entry into the museum and the Leeds to Innovation exhibition.

Build: Code: Create: Innovate with Programmable Lego

18-20 February, 12.30-3pm

 

Come get hands on with the collection! See cogs, wheels and engines up close before building your own innovative creation from Lego. Add a motor, get coding and the make your creation move, bleep, bloop and trigger images! No coding experience is necessary, just come down and learn something new.

Armley Print Fest

21 March, 11am-4pm

Armley Print Fest is back by popular demand! Celebrate a little bit of local Leeds heritage with family fun activities, beginner workshops, a local craft fair and live demonstrations to suit every age, interest and ability!

Necessity

7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16 April, 12.30–3pm

 

“Necessity is the mother of invention” Follow in the footsteps of Leeds innovators and ask what you could design in order to solve a problem that’s been bugging your brain! Get hands on and design and build a model inspired by the Leeds to Innovation exhibition.

See the Mill Engine in Steam

10 & 13 April

 

Did you know that Armley Mills was powered by engines as well as by waterwheels? A marvel of Victorian engineering, the 1887 steam engine is still in working order. Experience the museum’s mill engine in full steam and discover fascinating facts from the expert engineer. Learn about its history and the mechanics behind this ground-breaking machine.

 

Thwaite Watermill

Crafts & Experiments

Tuesdays & Thursdays during the school holidays

During February half term and the Easter holidays, there’s a whole load of family fun with Crafty Tuesdays and Experimental Thursdays in Thwaite House. Show off your scientific side and get messy with paper, glue, stickers and sparkles! Don’t forget to grab an explorers pack from reception during your visit and hit the nature trail by the canal. What wildlife will you spot by the waterfront?

Thwaite Easter Fayre

12 April, 12-4pm

Hop along to the annual Easter event with tea dances, pop-up cake stalls, traditional fete related games and a whole load of springtime fun! This year there’s new farmyard friends so come along and pet some animal pals or take a trip on one of the bright and beautiful canal boats!

Lotherton

Love Birds

15-23 February

 

Love Birds returns to Wildlife World for February Half Term. See the Humboldt penguins being fed at 11am and 3pm daily. Take part in feathery crafts and follow the Love Birds trail to learn more about your feathery friends. Make a nest box for new baby birds on 16, 19 and 23 February too.

Really Wild Spring

4-19 April

 

A wild spring to make your heart sing! Enjoy Easter at Lotherton with zany zoo animals, hidden house creatures and fantastic flowery gardens. Follow the Wildlife trail, take part in crazy animal crafts, try out seed planting and keep an eye out for special family days too!

 

St George’s Weekend

25-26 April

Head to Lotherton for St George’s Weekend with a dragon trail to conquer, dressing up, medieval crafts, mythical beast activities and explosive experiments. Sit back in the formal gardens and enjoy the sounds of a brass band each afternoon.

Temple Newsam

February Half Term Fun

15-23 February

Design, decorate and take home your very own treasure or trinket box fit for a mansion. Follow the trail through the house and discover other weird and wonderful treasures from the past along the way. There’s springtime sunflower planting on 19 February too. Get stuck in and see your tiny creation grow into a bright and beautiful flower!

Potty Pots

21-22 March, 10.30am-4pm

Follow the Mad Hatter’s trail and take inspiration from the unique designs of teapots from the past to make a teatime card for someone special. Become a butler, maid, master or mistress of the house and prepare afternoon tea for important guests.

Easter Holidays & Majestic Eggs

4–19 April

 

Get involved with family fun crafts, take on the majestic Easter egg hunt and visit new born farmyard friends at Home Farm. Head to the Walled Garden on 8 April for some pumpkin sowing. Plant your seeds and come back to carve them in October, just in time for Halloween!

Anything Could Happen

8 April, 1.30-2.30pm

Join in with giggles in the gallery! The most unpredictable kids performance is returning to Temple Newsam after a series of hit shows. This improvised children’s performance is suitable for anyone over the age of 5 with a wild imagination and a wicked sense of humour!

Kirkstall Abbey

Make a bird feeder and bird crafts

20 February, 2-3pm

Make a natural bird feeder to help out our feathered friends who might be struggling at this time of year. Be prepared to get messy with creative fun for the whole family to enjoy!

Easter Holidays Bunny Fun

7-19 April

 

The Tuesday under 5s session will be getting a fluffy makeover with lots of creative Easter themed fun. Fancy bagging yourself a sweet treat during your visit? The bunnies have gone hopping mad and hidden all over the abbey! Hunt them down and earn yourself an Easter treat!

Kirkstall Abbey Markets

28–29 March, 25–26 April

Don’t miss out on the fantastic monthly markets and be sure to stock-up on treats from local suppliers. With over 40 stalls, it’s the perfect place to find quality Yorkshire produce, handmade crafts, collectables and grab freshly cooked food from around the globe.

Leeds Discovery Centre

Behind the Scenes Tour

Every Thursday, 11am & 2pm

A Leeds hidden gem, the artefact store is filled with over one million objects from across the world and millennia. Join knowledgeable guides for a free tour to see everything from fabulous costume to vacuum cleaners, African masks and taxidermy. Don’t forget to look up and see the giant squid hanging from the ceiling as you enter!

Minibeasts & Crawly Critters

19 February, 10am-12pm

Explore the huge collection of insects and creepy crawlies, with some critter themed crafts and a tour of the amazing store which is crammed full of beastly bugs and other weird and wonderful findings!

Booking required. Call 0113 378 2100 or email discovery.centre@leeds.gov.uk

 

Easter Holidays

8 & 15 April, 10am-12pm

 

On 8 April bring along your tired old t-shirt for a tie dye refresh! This activity ‘ties’ in with the new exhibition Fast x Slow Fashion at LeedsCity Museum. On 18 April come along and take inspiration from the ceramic collections to create your own masterpiece in a messy play session for creative kids of all ages!