The school holidays are almost upon us once again, meaning most parents will be on the hunt for places to take the kids.
You never quite know what the weather is going to bring in February, so it's always good to have some indoor and outdoor attractions lined up.
Thankfully there are plenty of both in and around Greater Manchester and we've put together a list of ideas with something for kids of all ages to enjoy.
Here's what's happening in and around the region this February half term.
Trafford Centre Fair
A huge fairground is returning to The Trafford Centre this February half term.
The return of the fairground outside The Orient follows the success of events held there last year and over Christmas and new year.
The rides making a return are The Wave Swinger, Apple Coaster, Fun House, Starflyer, Rock Rage, Ghost Train, Jumping Frog, the Crazy Mouse roller coaster and Flying Elephants.
Reverse bungee will also be back, as well as a selection of children's including bungee trampolines and the balloon ride.
It opens from Saturday, February 19 to Sunday, February 27, from noon until 9pm.
Tickets will soon be available to purchase online and you can buy them on arrival too.
If prices stay the same as previous events there's a £3.50 entry fee (£3 if booked online) and rides operate on a token system, costing £1 per token, and ranging from two to three tokens per ride.
You can get 25 tokens for price of 20 by booking online for a three-hour slot.
See the website here for more details.
RHS Bridgewater, Salford
Families can enjoy feeding time with the pigs and a whole lot more at RHS Bridgewater this half term.
Zoolab are back with their Animal Encounters - offering visitors the chance get up close and handle various creepy-crawly mini-beasts, there's the chance to make a mini wormery, join planting workshops and interactive storytelling.
Activities run from Saturday, February 19 to Sunday, February 27 and are all included with garden admission fees - children aged five to 16 £5.50, adults £11, family £26. Salford residents can visit the garden for free every Tuesday.
For more details and to book, visit the website here.
Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
From bodies to computing, hard hats to moving machines, the Science and Industry museum has a busy programme of things to do and see for families over the break.
Fans of the 1965 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang can discover the 'charming' final work of one of Britain’s best loved artists and sculptors, Rowland Emett, the creator of the inventions of Caractacus Potts in the classic film.
On display in Manchester for the first time in the museum’s Textiles Gallery visitors can see two scenes from the fantastical work of art named, A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley, telling the story of a journey aboard the imaginary ‘Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway,’ based on one of his cartoons.
The two scenes - Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway featuring the ‘Wild Goose’ locomotive, and Oyster Creek - come to life four times a day (11.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm and 2pm), treating visitors to the whirring of cogs and characters toasting teacakes and diving, while also revealing what this whimsical sculpture has in common with the museum’s thundering textiles machinery.
For more details and to see what else is happening over half term - February 12 to 27 - visit the website here, where free tickets can also be in advance.
Urban Playground, Manchester Arndale
The new Urban Playground has opened in Manchester Arndale just in time for half term.
The multi-million pound entertainment complex is home to The Cube Live, where families can play the ITV game show in real life - with a number of extraordinary mental and physical challenges in the show's iconic perspex boxes.
But as well as that there's also a new tech-infused mini golf course Putters with the option of a 9-hole or 18-hole course, alongside the first UK branch of international burger bar The Butcher.
It is the first time ever that fans of The Cube can get to experience it live, and offers teams of up to four the chance to play the games.
The Urban Playground venue has taken over the former Dorothy Perkins/Arcadia stores on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale centre, and stretches over two floors and 4,000 square metres.
Children must be aged 12 or over to play The Cube, while participants at Putters golf must be aged nine or over.
Tickets to play The Cube Live start from £30, golf is £7 for children and £9 for adults. Visit the website for more details and to book.
Imperial War Museum North, Trafford
Families can get hands on with real artefacts and learn about the global impact of conflict, from the First World War to the present day.
Dig deeper into the museum’s collections and 'uncover the moving stories they tell, from people who braved shark-infested waters to ingenious nurses'.
Story Seekers is running daily from February 14 to 18 and every weekend in January and February. Drop-in sessions are free and from 10am to 3pm.
See the website here for more details.
Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Families can take a step back in time by visiting the museum's Lark Hill Place, an atmospheric re-creation of a typical northern street during Victorian times.
Check out the upstairs galleries and pick up a Let's Explore trail map, offering activities and challenges for little ones - £2 each.
Visitors no longer need to book, but the museum is asking people to book online where possible to give them an idea of numbers.
Visits (free but donations welcome) available from 9.30am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 11.30am to 4pm at weekends.
Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester, Trafford
Families are invited join Alicorn on his epic adventure in Lego Mythica, a new 4D movie coming to Legoland this half term.
'Experience enchanted forests, raging seas, hidden caves, fire and ice and find out if our hero is in time to save this mystical world'.
The movie will be shown at various times throughout the day and youngsters will be able to join in all the other fun at the attraction, including finding the Mythica creatures in Mini Land and building their own Alicorn (extra charge for creative workshop).
The event is running from February 12 to 27 and tickets, from £16.95, can be booked online. You can get a combi ticket for Legoland and Sea Life to make it cheaper and these can be visited on different days.
Sea Life Manchester, Trafford
PJ Masks are at Sea Life this half term, with youngsters tasked with helping them to defeat the nighttime baddies.
Stop the Marine Mayhem features an activity trail for families to follow through the aquarium.
Help defeat Romeo, Luna Girl and Ninjalino and receive a hero badge at the end.
Character meet and greets are available with the series’ resident superheroes, Catboy, Owlette and Gekko. Usually one character each day.
The event's running from now until February 27. Tickets, from £16.95, can be booked online.
I'm A Celebrity Jungle Challenge, Salford Quays
Another place you can take shelter from the typical drizzle of February half term is inside the I'm A Celebrity Jungle Challenge at Salford Quays.
Families are invited to face their fears as they 'enter the eerie depth of the Jungle' to navigate a series of fun-filled physical challenges, inspired by the ITV blockbuster show.
Don’t look down as you scale over 8m of vertical rock in The Ascent and reach 'spine-tingling' heights racing across the suspended Treetop Trail. Take the ultimate leap of faith on Get a Grip, balance on beams and complete the Jungle run collecting stars as you race against each other.
Campmates could even find themselves taking on Kiosk Kev and a multiple-choice Dingo Dollar Challenge, if the iconic telephone boxes ring out.
Tickets, from £20 if you visit early evening, can be booked online.
Knowsley Safari
If you do fancy heading to the great outdoors there's lots to see and do at Knowsley Safari this half term.
Explore the Russian-inspired Tiger Trail on the Foot Safari and get up close to Amur Tigers, Miron and Sinda through the large viewing screens.
Bush dogs, meerkats and giraffe are also in this area, as well as a new covered Food Court where you can fill up on hot food, drinks and snacks.
You can also journey onto the UK’s longest Safari Drive and see white rhino, African lions, European bison, Mongolian camels, yaks and more within the 550 acres.
Tickets for a family of four cost from £48. Guests must pre-book tickets on the website here.
Superhero takeover at Printworks, Manchester
A 10ft Hulk and other famous superheroes will be descending on the Printworks this half term.
Seven of our favourite comic book and movie Superheroes will take over the Pump Yard to offer fans 'the ultimate super selfie'.
The venue is offering fans the opportunity to brush shoulders with the likes of Captain America, Spiderman, Batman and more.
They'll be in place from February 19 to 27. For more details see the website here.
Tatton Park Scarecrow Festival
The annual Scarecrow Festival is back at Tatton Park this half term.
Dozens of mythical and magical scarecrows will be on display across the Farm and Gardens, including a unicorn, troll, witch, wizard and fairy.
Spot Tatton's Loch Ness Monster at the Farm or cast a spell on Dumbledore in the Gardens - how many will you find?
The event's running from February 19 to 27 and normal admission applies - adults £8, children £6, family £21. Tickets can be booked online.
There's lots more on offer at the park too, including the Percy the Park Keeper parkland trail.
Buy a trail sheet for £1 at the Welcome Building and then head over to Dairy Wood, where an interactive trail awaits you, inspired by Nick Butterworth’s Percy the Park Keeper story ‘After the Storm’.
As you make your way through the woodland, children can have a go at forest play activities such as building a den, playing with the mud kitchen and music wall or creating animal art. The trail includes illustrations and excerpts from the book and asks children to help find Percy’s animal friends a new home, after the storm.
See the website here for more details.
Superworm trail at Delamere Forest
A Superworm family activity trail is coming to Delamere Forest and opens in time for February half term.
The new trail is based on the children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler and follows the premiere of the popular animation which aired on Christmas Day.
From the creators of The Gruffalo, the Superworm story will be brought to 26 forests across England, with the other closest ones being Gisburn Forest in Lancashire, Grizedale Forest and Whinlatter in Cumbria, and North Yorkshire's Dalby and Guisborough forests.
For £3.50, families will be able to buy an activity pack featuring a forest superhero mask, a paper bag to colour in, seven creature fact cards, an activity sheet, stickers, a pencil and crayon, and the trail leaflet.
It's the latest partnership between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures, with the trail aiming to showcase 'the unsung heroes of the forest' by highlighting the small but mighty creatures in the Superworm story, such as toad, beetle and Wizard Lizard, and shows their amazing abilities as they make their home in the forest.
The trail, which opens in Delamere on Friday, February 4, should keep little ones entertained for about an hour, leaving time to explore the rest of the forest, which is also home to Gruffalo characters mouse, snake, fox, owl and squirrel.
The Gruffalo sculpture itself is currently away as it was in need of some TLC, but he's due to return this spring.
Superworm trail launch dates differ between forests, for more details visit the website here.
Dino Falls Adventure Golf, Trafford
If you fancy your chances at some adventure golf this half term there's a special treat in store for Manchester Family followers.
Simply show this article on arrival at the Trafford attraction and you'll get a free kid's hot chocolate per playing child.
The venue, near the Trafford Centre, features a Rapids course and a Volcano course, featuring a six-metre walk-through spouting volcano.
It's the biggest adventure golf attraction outside of London and features everything from a Tyrannosaurus Rex and baby Triceratops to Velociraptors and a Diplodocus.
The free drink offer is available midweek from Monday, February 14 to Friday, February 25.
The site is open 7am to 10.30pm daily, with tickets costing £9 for adults, £7 for under 16s, or £28 for a family of two adults and two children. Additional children £5 each. Book online.
Trafford Treetop Adventures
The treetop adventure outside the Trafford Centre is open over the school break.
Tucked away at the side of the Regent Crescent car park at the former Debenhams end of the mall, there are two courses to complete - one higher and longer than the other - and you get to do both within the £14.97 ticket price.
Billed as 'the ultimate test of coordination, balance and determination', you'll need a head for heights to swing, climb and hop your way through the courses.
Minimum age for the course is six, but children under 1.4m (4ft7) must be accompanied by an adult.
To book visit the website here.
Inflata Nation, Trafford
Kids can get their bounce on at Inflata Nation over half term and bag a discount while they're at it.
From February 21 to 25, bouncers at the Trafford site can get 15% off by booking in advance.
The inflatable theme park includes everything from a Gladiators-style duel and assault course to bouncy bubbles, a giant ball pool and thrilling drop slide.
There is also a dedicated area for under-fours with a slide and ball pool.
The venue is open even longer over half term too, from 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 7pm at weekend.
One-hour bounce sessions cost £5.95 for under-fours and £9.95 for everyone else. Use the code MANC2022 for 15% off jumps when you book online.
People's History Museum, Manchester
This February half term People’s History Museum (PHM) will be rolling out the red carpet for families and will be opening seven days a week for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
There will be plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy including three family trails to choose from.
PHM’s Passport Trail is designed for children aged 9+ and their families to explore stories of migration either as a refugee, asylum seeker or economic migrant. This is a really interactive journey with a passport to complete, animated films to watch and real life stories to discover.
More in Common: in memory of Jo Cox has been one of the most impactful exhibitions ever seen at PHM. Jo’s life, legacy, values and how she lived her life as an MP and personally are explored in a way that’s meaningful to families in a trail created by the museum’s learning team aimed at children aged 5-10.
Finally, you can enjoy the full museum experience with a fun game of I Spy that’s suitable for anyone aged 5+.
With an array of fascinating stories and objects you’ll need to be eagle-eyed to follow the clues and find the treasures.
All the interactive features at the museum are now back in operation (having been removed as part of Covid-19 guidelines), so you can once again have a go at playing shop, making a badge, dressing up, completing puzzles and much more.
And if you want to stop for a bite to eat the Open Kitchen will be serving a special family-friendly menu, with prices for kids starting from just £1 for a sandwich, or £2 for a main.
For the weeks commencing February 14 and 21, the museum will be open seven days a week from 10am to 4pm. The museum and its exhibitions are free to visit with a suggested donation of £5.
Monster Hunt, Manchester Arndale
There'll be more educational fun on offer over at the Arndale over half term.
United Utilities is hosting an interactive exhibition highlighting the nasty things that are being put down drains and toilets causing 22,000 sewer blockages a year and 7,000 incidents of sewer flooding to homes and gardens.
As well as giving families the chance to spot posters of sewer monsters dotted about the Arndale, United Utilities is taking along collections of some of the most bizarre things found in its sewers.
The exhibition, along with the posters of Franken-Foods, Greasy Ghoul, Toiletry Terror and Wet Wiper, will be there from Tuesday, February 22 to Friday, February 25.
Among the highlights will be a huge video screen showing a cartoon of the monsters getting up to mischief in the sewers.
For more details about the campaign and to download a sewer monster quiz and some colouring sheets, visit the website here.
Van Gogh Alive, MediaCityUK
Families have one last chance to visit the Van Gogh Alive experience before it closes after half term.
The attraction finally arrived at Salford 's MediaCityUK in October, after already being seen by more than eight million people worldwide.
It has been seen by 120,000 visitors in Salford but will be closing on February 27.
An immersive experience - where organisers promise 'no one will be shushed or told not to touch' - its features include a Sunflower selfie room, which is mirrored on all sides and filled with hundreds of sunflowers.
And you can literally step inside the artist's work as one of his most famous pieces, Van Gogh’s Bedroom, has been recreated in life-size, giving visitors the chance to sit on Van Gogh’s bed and chair, use his mirror, and pose for a photo in one of the most recognisable bedrooms in history.
Tickets are available at vangoghaliveuk.com/mediacity and cost £23.50 for adults and £16.50 for children aged five to 16. Under fives go free but still need a ticket. A family discount is applied for two adult and two child tickets, bringing the cost to £60.
Carousel funfair at Heaton Park
A funfair is running at the popular park over half term.
Rides are available from £1 or you can get a wristband for unlimited rides for a three-hour slot, either 12pm to 3pm or 2pm to 5pm.
The Carousel Funfairs event is running from February 12 to 27. See the Facebook page here for updates.
Totally Roarsome, Cheshire
An outdoor woodland trail featuring all kinds of dinosaur is opening near Manchester.
Totally Roarsome has found a new home for its latest event, at Arley Hall in Cheshire, and it opens this Friday, February 18.
There will be more than 200 individual models making up the trail, which is aimed at families with primary school children.
Little ones will be able to get up close to the raptors, brontosaurus, spinosaurus, woolly mammoth, triceratops and stegosaurus.
And there will be all kinds of other creatures and animals to keep them company, from sea creatures and unicorns, to aliens and farm animals.
The event runs from Friday, February 18 until February 27 and then during weekends in March.
On entry, families are given a quiz sheet, featuring different levels of questions aimed at different age groups and the answers are on the fact boards as you make your way around.
Tickets, costing £8.95 each (under twos free), can be booked online. Entry price includes a free group photo to take home.
Peter Rabbit Explore and Play, Blackpool
The new £1m Peter Rabbit attraction is opening on Blackpool's sea front in time for half term.
Peter Rabbit Explore and Play is opening next door to the famous Madame Tussauds.
Based on the much-loved animated television series produced by Silvergate Media, it joins Merlin’s six other attractions including The Blackpool Tower and Sea Life Blackpool.
Visitors will be invited to hop into the over-sized world of Peter and his friends to 'embark on an adventure across five fluffy-tailed themed zones'.
Tickets have now gone on sale, priced £8.50 for adults and £11.50 for children. Under ones and carers go free, but still require tickets.
For more details and to book tickets, visit the website here.
