Keep young minds curious during the February half term holiday with our pick of family friendly educational attractions across town.
People’s History Museum
Aimed to inspire visitors of all ages to get involved with ideas worth fighting for, the People’s History Museum’s massive range exhibitions are a staple educational stopover for schools and families all year round. Revealing the handiwork of those who fought for modern rights with a colourful selection of historic and contemporary banners, the 2023 Banner Exhibition is filled with striking messages and motifs for visitors to remember long after their visit.
Phm.org.uk
Mackinnon & Saunders – 30 Years and Beyond | Waterside Gallery
The Altrincham-based animation studio, Mackinnon & Saunders, will launch a special exhibition celebrating 30 years of work in the business. Showcasing a rare selection of original puppets and models created for some of the world’s most successful studios and filmmakers including Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, and Guillermo Del Toro, visitors will get a behind the scenes demonstration into how their favourite iconic characters and stories come to life from the workshops of skilled local animators and model makers.
Watersidearts.org
At Home with the Pankhurst Family Pankhurst Museum
The Pankhurst Museum’s latest exhibition immerses visitors into the life and work of radical history-maker Emmeline Pankhurst and the beginnings of the suffragette movement. The self-led museum trail is packed with family-friendly activities from interactive questions, craft workshops, and pavement chalking to eventually taking part in a suffragette dress-up before exploring the suffragette garden.
Pankhurstmuseum.com
Science and Industry Museum
From steam powered cars to working textiles machinery and in-house lectures, the Science and Industry Museum packs in a busy programme of activities with plenty to see over the holidays. The focus is on computers during the half term, where visitors can have a hands-on interactive gaming experience at the Power UP exhibition and learn how the very best video games were developed over the decades. A replica of the world’s first stored-program computer built in Manchester will also be demonstrated by staff to show how the machine led to the making of modern commercial computers.
Scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk
Mindful Art: The Garden in Winter RHS Bridgewater
Young artists are invited to wrap up warm and join RHS staff during their outdoor learning programme designed to hone visitors drawing skills and encourage mindfulness. Led by therapeutic arts practitioner Steffie Elhassan, the workshop aims to nurture an early connection with nature as families use pencil and charcoal to engage with the natural lines and structures of the Bridgewater Garden.
Rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater