As if it’s half term already! It feels like only yesterday the kids were going back to school but now they’re off for the week and you…have to entertain them. The thing with half term is it tends to fall just as the clocks go back and just as it starts getting colder and darker meaning that no one really wants to spend the week outside. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit your kids in front of the iPad all day, Brighton and Hove has so many great things on for kids this week, and they’re all things to do that involve being in the warm.
The Sea Life Centre: You can always trust the Sea Life Centre to host some great activities for kids over the winter months, especially during half term and of course, this week is no different. There are two special events that fall in half term week, one of those is the Octonauts Training Academy, where pre-schoolers will become Octonauts Cadets, and go through different zones to master each character’s speciality. They may even get the chance to meet Captain Barnacles and Kwazii before collecting a certificate for completing the cadet training. It will be popular this week though, so they recommend booking your tickets in advance, get them here. The Sea Life Centre also have an exhibition new for 2015 which you may not have checked out yet. The Jurassic Seas experience lets you see the creatures that out-lived the dinosaurs, and with incredible new computer technology, you can feed the deadly Plesiosaurus!! Discover the awesome creatures that are still around today, and learn about the Megalodon, one of the most powerful and deadly creatures of the Jurassic seas!! It looks like it would be such a great experience and if I wasn’t working, I would be first in line!! Find out more about Jurassic Seas here.
The Booth Museum: Tomorrow is the last day to see the ‘Jaws ‘n’ Claws’ Event at The Booth Museum. There are three sessions, and it’s a live mini-beast handling with Phil and his menagerie of animals, from snakes and lizards to giant bugs. Find out more about the times and fees here, just pray that your kids don’t come out of it asking for a pet snake.
The Hove Museum: The Booth Museum isn’t the only one that’s putting on activities for kids this week, as The Hove Museum has countless activities this week, including a ‘Crazy Critters’ workshop and an activity trail. The ‘Crazy Critters’ workshop (all about bugs this half term) is a free workshop running twice daily that involves making ‘crazy critters’ in paint, collage and 3D. It’s first-come-first-served for free events so make sure you get there early to guarantee a place! Find out more here. Animal Tracks is something everyone can take part in and all it takes is just a visit to the Museum. All you have to do is find the animals on the trail, and draw them if you’re creatively inclined. This is an event that takes place all day, so no need to book. But for more information, head here.
The Curiosity Hub: The Curiosity Hub always have some great activities going on, and they’re all so cool I’m sort of jealous I can’t take part myself. Unfortunately, most of the events are sold out but there is one event that still has tickets going so get them fast!! Send your kids off to make their own Claymation movie, paired with another child a similar age, they will learn how to make a stop-motion movie. They will create their characters out of clay, and learn how stop-motion is used to make some really cool affects. They will also be creating their own sets out of different craft supplies. After the workshop, their movie can be emailed home. You’re also allowed to bring your own props!! Find out more, and book a place here. Although I said many events this week at The Curiosity Hub are sold out, there’s no harm in popping yourself on the waiting list in case a space opens up!!
A Pocketful of Grimms: Story Pocket Theatre are an award winning theatre group that are bringing their new show to Brighton. The Brothers Grimm are famous for their dark and wonderful fairy tales, from Hansel and Gretel to Rumpelstiltskin as well as many other lesser-known, but equally as great, fairy tales. The Story Pocket Theatre makes these stories come to life, with a mixture of puppetry, music and physical theatre, ensuring fun for all the family. Get tickets here
There is so much going on this week, and all the events above are fairly central to Brighton, are indoors, and will be fun for everyone. Have a great half-term!
