If you’re wondering what to do with the children during the upcoming half-term holidays, here’s a two-part guide to some of the more interesting places to visit.
Ironbridge Gorge Museums
Here you’ll find all kinds of hands-on half term activities. At Enginuity (20 October- 4 November) make Techno-Terrors from mini-motors and craft materials, these creepy creatures scamper across the floor. Get arty at Coalport China Museum (22-26 October and 29 Oct- 2 Nov) and make Ceramic Halloween Monsters or at Jackfield Tile Museum (23-26 October and 29 October- 2 November) you can decorate a Terrifying Tile.
An Annual Passport Ticket offers unlimited day time access to all ten museums for 12 months. £23.25 adult, £18.75 60 Plus, £15.25 Child (5-18 in full time education) and £64 Family (two adults and all your children- T & C apply). Activities vary day to day and have extra costs to admission.
On the evening of 27th October visitors to Blists Hill Victorian Town will discover that the friendly Victorians have been replaced by ghosts and ghouls. The town’s shops and cottages will be decorated in spooky fashion and visitors should come dressed in their most frightening costume. Tickets must be purchased in advance and Passports are not valid for this event. Adults £9.50, Child (3-15) £6.25, Family (2 adults and 2 children) £29. A joint Family Ticket for Ghostly Gaslight and Fireworks night (3 November) is available at £52.
For more information about the Ironbridge Gorge Museums call 01952 433424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk
West Midlands Safari Park
Spooky Spectacular at West Midland Safari Park is an evening event full of entertainment and autumnal fun theming for October half term and Halloween. Starting on 20th October and running each evening until 2nd November everyone is encouraged to dress up and take part in a variety of hands on activities and animal encounters to celebrate the spookiest of seasons – all for fun of course.
Spooky Spectacular opens at 5.30pm, with last admission at 8.00pm and the Park closing at 9.00pm. As the daylight fades the Park comes alive with over 50 exhibits that feature all kinds of scarecrows – from Pete the Pumpkin Head Pirate to Tommy the Toy Soldier – there are pumpkin scarecrows galore. Animal illuminations will brighten up the darkness; there will be crafts and hands on activities and thousands of pumpkins decorating the walkways.
Special prices apply for Spooky Spectacular – £6.99 adults, £4.99 children (amusement rides are charged extra in all cases).
For further information on West Midlands Safari Park please contact 01299 402114 or visit www.wmsp.co.uk
Cadbury World
Visitors to Cadbury World in Birmingham this Halloween are in for a few surprises as the popular family attraction hosts a spook-tacular programme of entertainment.
From 20-28 October, Cadbury World will host a series of frighteningly fun Halloween themed activities including a spooky fancy dress competition for children and family entertainment shows in the outdoor marquee. Elsewhere, the attraction’s staff will be getting into the spirit dressed as ghosts and ghouls, while the Cadbury Café will be serving up a terrifyingly tasty menu including sludge casserole, witches’ broth and werewolf eyes! Visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase chocolate treats and limited edition handmade chocolate pumpkin novelties from the World’s Biggest Cadbury Shop.
In addition to these themed activities, visitors can also enjoy Cadbury World’s 14 amazing zones which offer something for the whole family. Starting at the ancient Aztec Jungle families are taken on a fascinating journey through time to discover the history and magic of the chocolate-making process.
For more information or to book your trip, please visit www.cadburyworld.co.uk.
Drayton Manor
Families looking for a fun-filled and money-saving day out during half should visit Drayton Manor Theme Park, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, as visitors who book online via www.draytonmanor.co.uk will receive reduced entry prices. Tickets purchased from the park’s website currently cost just £20 for adults, £12 for grandee (60+) and children aged 4 – 11 years old and free for children aged under four. There will also be free parking for those booking in advance.
But that’s not all. The discount prices also apply during the two nights of spectacular firework displays on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th November. This means families can spend a whole day in the park and then experience the fireworks in the evening starting at 7pm. Visitors will also get to enjoy a host of rides that will be open until 9pm, including G-Force, a rollercoaster that subjects riders to 4.3Gs, and Apocalypse, the 54-metre drop tower. For younger visitors, Drayton Manor has Europe’s only Thomas Land™ attraction, which features a variety of rides themed around the popular Thomas & Friends™ series.
Further information about Drayton Manor please contact 0844 472 1960 or visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk
Black Country Living Museum
Horrible historians at Black Country Living Museum are set to disgust and delight with a Halloween Gore and Grime Trail which takes places during the half term holiday, from Saturday 20 – Sunday 28 October, 2012.
Ghost busting visitors can follow a revolting route around the Museum site encountering putrid props, scary spiders, repulsive rats and a hidden mystery surprise to win a prize. Unleash your wicked side and make Wicked Winged Puppets during creative workshops held in the Museum’s Workers’ Institute. Paper craft activities will be taking place throughout the day with bat, ghost , bird and firework designs and scary kites to choose from.
Swap classrooms for cobbled streets and a timetable of holiday fun with a history lesson like no other and keep children absorbed for hours! Travel back in time to the early 1900s where modern conveniences like washing machines, cookers and bathrooms are just a twinkle in the eye and dolly tubs, black leaded grates and ‘buckets and chuck its’ are the must-have gadgets of the era!
Tickets cost £14.95 per adult, £11.95 for concessions, £7.95 Child (5-16). Discounts are available by booking online.
For more information about the Black Country Living Museum please contact 0121 557 9643 or visit www.bclm.com
Heritage Motor Centre
The Heritage Motor Centre is inviting families to enjoy ‘Model Planes, Creepy Crafts, The Big Draw and more!’ during October half term from 27 October – 4 November. With half term coinciding with Halloween, the HMC is also organising a special Halloween themed Museum Trail for children plus family craft activities including making spooky pom-pom bats and bean-bag witches on Tuesday 30 October.
As part of the National Big Draw campaign, the HMC is encouraging families to come along and ‘doodle, draw, stick, paint and create’ on Thursday 1 November. Children will also have the opportunity to use their imagination to produce their own works of art! This year the HMC is including ‘Doodle Doors’, cut-out 3D Minis, Land Rovers and the chance for children and parents to contribute their artistic flair to the half scale Land Rover model. Activities are free but normal museum admission applies. Don’t miss the return of the ‘Large Model Aircraft Show’ on Sunday 28 October, organised by the Large Model Association. Museum prices are: Adults £11, Child £8 (5-16 years) under 5 free, Concessions £9 & Family £34 (2 adults & up to 3 children).
For more information about the Heritage Motor Centre visit www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk or call 01926 641188.
[otw_is sidebar=otw-sidebar-1]
