February Half Term for All the Family

February Half Term For All The Family

February Half Term 2022 for All the Family

This year, Valentine’s Day is on Monday 14th February, which is also D Day for London’s half term break. This seriously reduces the risk of coping with disappointed offspring – ask any parent who has seen what can happen when heartache is added to the academic calendar.

Luckily there is enough going on to distract most age groups and the city centre offers the best sight–seeing and entertainment, especially given the number of affordable luxury hotels in London, that can offer a great getaway deal for the family.

And anyone who has tried to herd the kids on an outing knows the value of staying close by the main attractions. The less time spent planning a long, complicated (expensive) journey to any destination, the greater the chances of success, which is another reason to opt for those central London hotels. Here are a few of the events this February:

Vets in Action at ZSL

London Zoo

They say this event is best for primary school children ages 5 and up, but a lot of adults would enjoy it: work alongside vets, nurses and zookeepers; see how to check up on the animals’ health (using soft toys, not the real thing!). Examination, diagnosis, treatment, it’s all here. Become a junior vet complete with hairnets and masks; microchip a meerkat, sedate a sloth. Buy tickets on website.

12th – 20th Feb.

The Green Planet AR Experience

55 Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus W1.

David Attenborough pops up in holographic form to give us more insight into the essential role that plants play in our world, following the BBC’s Green Planet series. These tickets are likely to be in great demand, not least because they are FREE. Watch out for the ticket release on Feb 10th. See website for details.

Feb 11th – 9th March.

Imagine Children’s Festival

South Bank Centre

Events for all ages, spread out over 12 whole days, 50% of which are free. Theatre, dance, pop-up projects, comedy and a bit of wellbeing and mindfulness. Also a “Palaver Party.” And even hip-hop for five year olds. 160 events in all. Express yourself, is the message.

9th – 20th February.

Samsung Digital Family Activities

British Museum

Activities centring around artefacts from ancient Egypt and Peru, plus photo editing skills using green screen technology. In the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. Book a free timed ticket, then see the permanent collection afterwards.

14th, 17th and 18th Feb.

Brilliant Birds at Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square, London W1.

Free, fun, family drop-in event for bird lovers. All ages. See the birds who live in the city centre, make bird feeders you can take away, plus bird related craft activities. Binoculars and ID sheets provided (and sanitised). 20 minute walks at 11.30am, 12.15pm, 1pm, 1.45pm and 2.30pm. No need to book but first come, first served. 

12th February.

Lego Store, Leicester Square

3 Swiss Court, W1.

The flagship UK store with something for pretty much everyone. Browse or buy, its central location makes it very handy for a quick visit. There are also special Valentine’s Day offers to explore, including cards and Valentine’s Hearts to build (neither of which can be bought). Opens late. Check for masks. Features: Pick & Build Wall; Build a Minifigure; Demonstration Table.

Family Sketching Salon

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square.

Drop in sessions over two days, where you’re invited to sketch together as a family: “capture paintings and places in playful ways.” All ages welcome. “Sketch your thoughts and feelings.” Book your free gallery entry ticket to gain admission.

15th and 16th Feb.

It’s a Wild Life

WWT London Wetland Centre

Free drop–in session called Mud Kitchen. Lots of mud, pots, pans, wooden spoons. Perfect for little ones in waterproofs and wellies. 10am-4pm. But always check website to confirm dates and details.

Also an Adventure Workshop for older children (ages 7+). Tickets £5 per child plus paid admission to the Centre. Booking essential. Comprises 90 minute workshop: how to build a secret den, safely light a fire, tie the right knot for any survival situation. Toast marshmallows around a campfire, too. 

12th – 20th Feb

Welcome to Roman London Family Walk

City of London

Interactive family friendly tour that takes you back 2,000 years to Londinium: visit the remains of the Roman city wall, locate a long lost fort, and a hidden amphitheatre where gladiators and acrobats gave the performance of their lives! Suitable for ages 5+ and the tour lasts an hour. Advance bookings only: £12 adults, Children £6.

Check website for dates and places.

Rainbow Week

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Half term family workshops to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and discover related histories around the museum. Various dates, including 15 Feb: create your own signal flags with Pride (what word or message do you want to send?). 20th Feb: Badges to tell a story of YOU. See more on website.

13th – 20th Feb

Titanic: The Exhibition

Canada Water, SE16

Discover the personal stories of the doomed ship’s passengers in this new exhibition. You can find it at Dock X in Canada Water, where its collection of passengers’ possessions, recreations of the ship’s interior, and accounts of survival and heroism inject a sense of realism and added poignancy into this historic disaster. Eight rooms replicate life-size ship’s areas, from third class to first. Powerful. Tickets from £9.

Uniqlo Play at Tate Modern

Tate Modern, Bankside.

Suitable for all ages, and taking its inspiration from the current Turbine Hall installation by Anicka Yi. How would we live with machines (and vice versa) if they could live in the wild? Children will be encouraged to build big sculptures using recycled materials, resulting in a room full of work that can be built on or added to. Timed (mostly free) tickets required for all visitors.

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature

V&A, South Kensington SW7

The highly skilled artist, naturalist, conservationist, and author comes to the Victoria and Albert Museum where those famously cute pictures of rabbits and hedgehogs sit beside Potter’s scientific studies of the natural world, and her speciality – fungi. Suitable for all ages. Tickets £14.

From 12th Feb

The Stonehenge Exhibition

British Museum, Great Russell St, WC1.

Stonehenge. What was it for? Who was it for? Plus a display featuring Seahenge, a 4,000 year old timber circle that was made at about the same time. Tickets £20

17th Feb – July 17th.

Kew Orchids

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9.

Costa Rica nurtures an astoundingly rich ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse on earth, within a comparatively tiny landmass. Now Kew Gardens has grown a miniature version of the exquisite and ecologically important Costa Rican rainforest. See website for tickets and access.

5th Feb - 6th March.

Tower Bridge

Some of the best views of London both from street level and up high over the river Thames. Plus a glass walkway that offers a bird’s eye view of the boats and the bridge traffic below (a big hit with a lot of children). Some grown-ups even go in for sunrise yoga classes from the glass walkway… magnificent Victorian engineering and history. A thrilling way to see the city.