The ultimate guide to February half term

You made it to February half term. But of all the parts of the year, the February holiday can be the hardest to fill. Spring feels impossibly far off, it’s still uncomfortably cold and you’re lacking in imagination. But fear not. Here are some ideas to help make this half term the best of the year.

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Out and about

There are plenty of events happening this February half term to keep the whole family occupied. Become a spy to Elizabeth I at Hampton Court Palace (hrp.org.uk), take part in Knight School at The Tower of London (hrp.org.uk), or plan a trip to space for Ted, the teddy bear, at the Royal Observatory Greenwich (rmg.co.uk).

Have tea with the tiger himself at Osterley Park, Middlesex, as part of their Tiger Who Came to Tea celebrations, or journey to see one of the 5,000 ponies in the New Forest. Enjoy floodlit swan feeds at WWT Welney Wetland Centre, Cambridgeshire, (wwt.org.uk).

Take a trip to find fairies at Brodsworth Hall, Doncaster (english-heritage.org.uk) and visit a Victorian high street at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds (museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk).

In the south west of England, learn about Tudor cooking at Buckland Abbey, Devon, and enjoy a day packed with things to do before you’re 11 3/4 at Lanhydrock, Cornwall (nationaltrust.org.uk).

A Peppa Pig live show is coming to Cardiff (newtheatrecardiff.co.uk) and there’s plenty going on this half term at We The Curious, Bristol (wethecurious.org).

In Edinburgh, get up close to a life-size skeleton of a T. rex at the National Museum of Scotland, (nms.ac.uk). Budding adventurers will love bouldering at the Glasgow Climbing Centre (glasgowclimbingcentre.com).

The NI Science Festival returns for its sixth year (nisciencefestival.com) and if you're in the area, be sure not to miss the Northern Ireland Puddle Jumping Championships at Castle Espie Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre, Antrim (wwt.org.uk). Make sure you take those wellies.

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Around the house

Time spent at home doesn't have to be boring. Paint rocks to make hedgehogs; decorate paper plates as snail shells and make a head using coloured paper; and create butterflies out of toilet rolls.

Get creative in the kitchen by making LEGO-inspired brownies. With the kids, whip up a normal batch of brownies, dip each brownie into a bowl of coloured icing and press six M&Ms in a matching shade into the icing. For a healthier alternative, whisk mashed up banana and yoghurt, place in muffin cases, top with dried banana chips and freeze for a tasty snack.

The garden can seem not so tempting in winter, but it’s a good chance to reinvent your summer garden equipment. Blow up the paddling pool and fill with cushions and blankets to make a cosy den and turn the climbing frame into a giant tent by draping over olds sheets. Make an outdoor noughts and crosses by crafting a board with masking tape on a tree stump and collecting fir cones and stones as the pieces. Before you recycle any large plastic bottles, decorate them and turn them into skittles.

Alternatively, get kids to gather natural materials from the garden, come inside and make sculptures with what they sourced, and then head back outside to lay them out as a sculptural trail. Invite friends round to view the art gallery and get kids to conduct a tour, giving little speeches about each sculpture.

Otherwise, write out a script for a simplified version of one of your kid’s favourite books, and suggest the children act it out as a performance. Create costumes, prepare an interval snack, make up a programme and invite family round to watch. A whole afternoon will fly by in no time.