It’s the first halfterm of the school year and it’s still fairly mild or cold, but our accessibility reporter Dan has found some attractions you could go to for this February halfterm:
- Walk around Kirkstall Abbey and then visit Abbey House museum in Leeds:
This walk explores the ruins of a former Cistercian monastery on the River Aire in Leeds.
There’s some nice paths to follow around the grounds of the 12th century abbey with views of the River Aire and woodland trails to enjoy on the way.
There’s also a visitor centre with interactive exhibits where you can find out about the lives of the monks who made the abbey their home. You’ll also learn about the history of the site which was constructed in 1152 and is now a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument.
You can start your walk from the large free car park situated next to Abbey House Museum on Abbey Walk. Entrance to the ruins is also free.
To continue your walking in the area you can pick up the Leeds Canal Walk which takes you along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal into the city centre.
On the way you can visit the nearby Kirstall Valley Nature Reserve and the Rodley Nature Reserve where there are more nice trails and lots of wildlife to see.
- Valentines Fair in Millennium Square Leeds takes place from February 10th to February 19th . There’s rides, attractions and games for families to enjoy. These include Booster Ride, The Devil, dodgems and Leeds wheel of Light. Food stalls serving hotdogs, doughnuts, candy floss, hot chocolate and cocoa.
- Harewood house– families can explore adventure playground and wander through woods but also halfterm events, adventure baby sessions run alongside Harewood Art club. The latter on Sunday Feb 19th.
- White rose crafts– free craft events will be run in the atrium of White rose, supplies come courtesy of The Works with small ones can create a selection of spring themed animals and outdoor scenes. From Mon 13th to Fri 17th Feb.
Free and cheap things to do over halfterm
- Take advantage of kids eat free offers- numerous restaurants and supermarkets run kids eat free offers and these include Bella Italia, Hungry House, The Real greek. Supermarkets offer it at certain times such as Asda, Tesco, Morrisons. A example is during Feb halfterm, Asda are offering a warm breakfast in its cafes, children can get a warm bowl of Quaker porridge from 8am to 12pm, in addition to their current £1 kids main meal deal.
- Learn something new at a museum or gallery- galleries and museums are free entry and an easy way to entertain for a day out.
- Watch latest films at a discount- Some cinema chain offer discounts for family films at certain times, and these are usually in the mornings. Odeon’s Odeon’s kids, Vue’s “Mini mornings” and Cineworld’s “Movies for juniors all offer discounts for both adults and children. An example is Vue’s mini mornings tickets cost £2.49 or £2.99 if you buy online.
- Take advantage of local libraries- most libraries allow users to borrow e-books and audiobooks. Some also grant access to digital magazines and newspapers. Check local library offers via council website and sign up for free.
- Explore great outdoors- take advantage of free parks up and down the country. Check out Which’s guide to best national parks in UK. Those who want adventure could try geocaching – track co-ordinates on a smartphone app to find hidden boxes called “caches”.
