What To Do In West Yorkshire This February Half Term

Though the kids love half term, it can be difficult trying to think of new ways to occupy them every day. If you’ve already had your tried and tested movie day, baked some cakes and visited your local park, you might be feeling the pressure. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you. Here are some fantastic ways to spend a day this February half term near you.

Solve a mystery

What better way to explore your town than by solving a murder mystery, becoming a spy or hunting for pirate treasure? Treasure Trails have created this fictional fun task in 11 places in West Yorkshire. Either choose somewhere local, or use this as a way to explore a different town or city.

You’ll be guided along an easy-to-follow route and tasked with solving clues on the way. It’s an exciting way to see your town’s most interesting sights – some of which you may pass every day without a second glance!

The trail costs £6.99 for the map which serves 4-5 people. This can be printed off at home, so you can start your trail straight away. Alternatively, you can have it posted to you.

If you aren’t able to walk for long, trails are also available on bike or by car. Visit the site for more details on what you can expect during your trail. Good luck!

Embrace the magic

If you or your children are fans of Harry Potter, don’t miss the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at Wakefield Library. The exhibition will celebrate the magic that your local town has to offer.

With objects selected by experts from Wakefield Museum and local history panels, the exhibition looks at folklore and magic traditions of the area. Within the exhibition you’ll see books on witchcraft, dark arts, mythical beasts and herbology. You’d be forgiven for mistaking them as film props!

The exhibition is free, so make sure to catch it before it ends! You have until 28^th February to see the kind of books that would have inspired J.K Rowling on her journey to creating one of the greatest book series of all time.

While you’re there, why not spend an hour or two reading some new books? Or let your children choose some to take home for themselves.

Eureka! Children’s Museum

Rainy or cold days are inevitable in the February half term. You probably won’t want to be spending a lot of time outside on these days, so Eureka! would be a fantastic place to spend the day.

Britain’s only fully interactive museum encourages children aged 0-11 to explore, play, learn and have fun. There are 6 zones to get lost in, from climbing inside a giant nose in the ‘All About Me’ section to creating new sounds in ‘SoundSpace’. For the little ones, ‘Desert Discovery’ allows them to stroke a coyote and they can dress up as a butterfly in the ‘SoundGarden’.

There’s a special Circus Showtime exhibition on this February half term where you can try juggling, stilt-walking and tightrope-walking as well as meeting a range of characters such as The Fire Man Dave.

Tickets for the museum are £12.95 for adults and children over 3, £5.25 for children aged 1-2 years and under 1s go free. This ticket is an annual pass, so once you’ve paid you can return for free for a whole year! So, you can make the most of every school holiday by returning time and time again.

Location: Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Discovery Road, Halifax, HX1 2NE

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Take a stroll through some artwork in this exciting park. Children and dogs are allowed, so keep your eyes peeled for sunshine and head here for a free day out.

Current exhibitions include Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads. Touring the world since May 2011, the collection of 12 bronze animal heads have landed here until April.

March through the soldier-like figures of Zak Ové’s Black and Blue: The Invisible Men and the Masque of Blackness. This collection of 80 identical masked figures is striking and can look quite eerie in the right light.

There are different events on most days, so check the schedule before you go and plan your perfect day.

Tip: the park can get muddy in wet weather, so wear appropriate shoes!

Location: Set your SatNav to WF 4JX. The park is located next to Bretton Hall.

We hope this gives you some inspiration of things to do this February half term!