February Half Term

The awesome power, beauty and dark side of the sun is revealed in a major new exhibition this Autumn. Spectacular interactive experiences, unique artefacts, and stunning imagery shed fresh light on our evolving relationship with our closest star.

This exhibition will explore the design and culture of videogames since the mid-2000s, investigating ground-breaking contemporary design work, creative and rebellious player communities and the political conversations that define this movement.

Totem takes you on a stunning journey into the Evolution of Mankind – from our original amphibian state to our ultimate quest for flight. Featuring Cirque du Soleil’s mind-blowing signature acts, Totem is an unforgettable spectacle for all ages.

Explore today’s home through the prism of yesterday’s imagination. Are we living in the way that pioneering architects and designers throughout the 20th century predicted, or has our idea of home proved resistant to real change?

The Science Museum's exhibition explores how society is responding to the enormous challenge of antibiotic resistance, featuring scientific research from across the globe and the personal stories of those waging war on the superbugs.

A new theatre in the Jerwood Gallery will be unveiled for the premiere of award-winning drama The Wider Earth. The play, about the story of a young Charles Darwin, features a cast of seven, remarkable puppetry, an original score and cinematic animations to bring to life uncharted landscapes.

Available to borrow from Level 1, Sackler Centre, the V&A's award-winning backpacks are recommended for 5-12 years, whilst under 5s can explore sounds and textures with the Agent Animal bag. Discover curious ceramic objects, architectural inventions and incredible interiors.

Play the Museum with our digital games. Go online to seek out the V&A’s secrets, get creative and take the apprentice challenge.

Uncover the hidden views and go on a visual treasure hunt with a range of exciting trails to guide your family through this amazing museum. Suitable for ages 3+

Meet creatures that thrive at night, in the total darkness of caves and deep in the ocean. Get up-close to specimens with fascinating adaptations and find out how they navigate their environment, hunt, mate and evade predators. Discover nocturnal animals through sight, sound, touch and smell.

Seasoned storytellers Paul Rubinstein, Becky Dixon, and Samantha Sutherland deliver a series of sessions for babies and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between parents/carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, movement and stories.

This research event invites visitors can take part in a series of experiments exploring the science behind managing money in the museum’s Who Am I? gallery, ‘What does your spending say about you?’ Is part of the Science Museum’s ongoing Live Science project, that sees scientists carry out research in the museum with the help of visitors.

Complete chemical experiments to solve a mystery and win a prize. Hands-on workshop for ages 6+, Free

Discover the wonderful world of chemistry in this explosive show. With experiments including everything from party balloons to cake, we promise you’ll have a blast. Interactive science show for ages 6+, Free

Find out how chemistry mistakes brought us some of the most colourful, loud and lifesaving inventions in our family storytelling. Storytelling for ages 3-6, Free

When the Banks family suffers a tragic loss, Mary Poppins reappears magically to bring back some joy and wonder with the help of the always optimistic lamplighter.

Create your own design using a wide range of materials inspired by the V&A's collection. Please download their Programme for further details on what the children have the opportunity to do on each day.

Discover a series of playful, recreational & instructional digital sessions, where we explore the potential that video games and apps may hold. In French, ages 6-12

This February half term, create a community garden around a model tower block, in this special paper-craft activity. Join the Design Museum for an afternoon of playful paper-craft activities, suitable for the whole family, to build a model of a common community garden and green spaces for a tower block.

Come and watch the Nightingale Game: a re-invention of a classic tale; a world where the real and the virtual meet; a world of shadows and songs; an epic journey. Are you ready to play? Performance duration approximately 40 minutes.

Join the V&A for family activities during February Half-Term inspired by the Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt exhibition. Design a 3D sensory world for your own imaginary video game with artist Gayle Chong Kwan.

Play at the V&A and be part of an ever-expanding game. Designed with James Wood and Claire Morley.

Take on a three-day challenge, to build the future for the next generation. A young people's course. Experiment with architectural, interior and graphic design processes to develop 2D designs and turn them into 3D interactive spaces. Make your own rules, question current systems.

Dive down on an adventure thousands of metres below the waves to help our scientist explore life in the oceans. Kids will dive through a reef, come face-to-face with a giant squid and see if they have what it takes to survive 3,000 metres below the surface.

Shine a light on the amazing creatures that live in the dark. Make your way around the museum's Orange Zone and drop-in on games, shows and events that inspire and entertain. Kids can dissect owl pellets, get hands-on with real ocean specimens or become mystery detectives.

Join the Royal Albert Hall’s colourful troupe of musicians from Albert’s Band for some musical acrobatics on an action packed trip to the circus! Led by ringmaster Kevin Hathway this promises to be a musical extravaganza for all the family. Buggies, babies and budding musicians all welcome!

With food becoming scarce towards the end of winter, give the birds a helping hand at The LookOut Discovery Centre in the heart of Hyde Park! Drop in any time between 11am and 3pm to take part in a host of exciting activities including: Making a bird feeder to take home with you.

Every night, an arms race takes place between two enormous groups of night time animals – bats are on the hunt for moths. Over time, moths have evolved a variety of defensive strategies to use against their bat predators. Join Museum ecologist Steph West to learn more about an ancient arms race of the night.

Ages 4+. As part of the popular Chamber Music Festival, join the Royal College of Music as a family and hear fascinating stories from the RCM Museum brought to life by top RCM chamber musicians.

The deep sea is one of the least explored environments on Earth. Total darkness and extreme pressure make this a challenging environment for humans to explore. Museum scientist Maggie Georgieva talks about life in the deep dark and the challenges facing life in such an extreme place.

Join Curator of Palaeobiology Emma Bernard to discover how sharks have thrived on our planet for more than 400 million years. See teeth from a megalodon – the biggest shark ever to have lived. Discover the extraordinary goblin shark that extends its jaw when hunting and the bizarre tasselled wobbegong.

These interactive Kids sessions will bring a touch of magic to your Saturday mornings. Fun, educational and exciting discoveries in easy French.

Read, play, sing, grow! Whether you love drawing, reading, clapping or dancing there will be something to enjoy on Wednesdays & Saturdays!

Tim Peake is your guide for an out-of-this-world virtual reality mission that puts you in the pilot’s seat of a Soyuz capsule. As the European Space Agency’s first British astronaut, Tim Peake spent six incredible months aboard the International Space Station.

See the world through a new lens. Now in its fifty-fourth year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcases extraordinary animal behaviour and the breathtaking diversity of life on Earth. Explore the world's best nature photography, exhibited on 100 exquisite light panels.

Revealing the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, this unmissable experience will ignite your curiosity, fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways.

Based on the Apollo lunar landings, this film's exceptional 3D computer animation will fly you to the moon, where you can experience the sights and sounds of an Apollo expedition.

Pick up a family trail activity from the trail stand in White Court for a fun way to spend the day at Kensington Palace with children aged 5-11 years.

Help to explode some rocket-fuelled bubbles, melt some marshmallows, and learn all about the challenges of space in this free interactive family show. This show is suitable for children aged 5 and above.

From dinosaurs to mammals, explore the amazing diversity of life on Earth. Follow our planet's evolution and walk beneath a 25.2-metre blue whale skeleton. Take a journey through our spectacular Earth sculpture and find out about the tremendous forces that shape our planet. See scientists at work in the Darwin Centre and enjoy the tranquil habitats of our Wildlife Garden.

Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Come and explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work.

The trail will include creative looking, thinking and drawing activities as you explore the museum and exhibitions. The trail asks the user to consider what it's like to be a designer, maker and user of some of the wonderful objects in the collection. Takes 30 - 40 minutes.

Are you big on museums, but short on time? NHM's knowledgeable visitor assistants have designed just the dinosaurs tour for you. It will introduce you to some of the Museum's most famous and imposing specimens. One hour

Join expert science educators for a behind the scenes look at the Museum's fascinating zoology spirit collection.

Art and technology combine for a world first with Marina Abramović, the pioneering performance artist, and the presentation of her latest performance: The Life in Mixed Reality (a wearable augmented experience).

Create your own paper friend ship boat, who would you invite on board, where would you sail and how would you get there? Let your imginations run free and help us build a beautiful world out of paper and found materials, for your ships to sail in.

Explore the meaning of friendship through this playful story with lots of fun and games to join in with along the way! Aimed at children under 7 years old and their families.

Queen Anne has two favourite friends who have helped her through the highs and lows of being Queen. But are things really as happy as they may seem? Anne has had a terrible falling out with her oldest friend Sarah. What advice will you give her?