What’s On in Cheltenham This Half Term: 10th - 18th February
Half term is on the horizon and this February 'holiday' is usually a tricky customer, with the weather often decidedly parky and funds still recovering after the Christmas splurge.
Thankfully, Cheltenham's funsters have cooked up a fab week of things to do to keep boredom at bay and we've rounded up some great value activities, with daily events below, but first up a selection of things to do running all week...
ALL WEEK
Get your bounce on at Airborne Trampline Park. Toddler Trampolining continues into half term, (but just one session a day on weekdays 10-11am and Saturday and Sunday 9-10am). After that it's over to the big kids, ages 5 and upwards, to test their skill on the reaction wall, try the ninja run, and tackle the 3 metre jump tower. Airtime sessions cost £10 per hour (and £5 for an extra hour). Find out more.
Last month the Play Farm in the Brewery received a huge facelift under new ownership. There's more tables, a MUCH bigger toddler area (with racing slides), baby sensory area and a lip-smacking new menu. Don't just take our word for it.. The new look Play Farm was recently featured in the Daily Mirror's top 30 things to do this Febraury half term. Find out more.
Also in the Brewery... if you've not been to Mr Mulligan's Lost World Golf yet, it's time to get your swing on. Two 18 hole courses to choose from, a UV area, fab food and drink. Find out more.
Lambing season is upon us at Cotswold Farm Park and everyone's invited. With the first bleats of new arrivals and the anticipation of many more in the air, lambing is such a wonderful time of year. A flock of over 660 ewes are due to give birth, and there’s a lot going on at the park, with daily talks, access to the lambing shed, bottle feeding and maybe even a birth! Open from 10:30am - 5pm, usual entry rates apply. Find out more.
Climb the rolling hills and enjoy the view from the Crickley Hill Valentine’s Nature Trail. Pick up your trail sheet at the Cafe anytime throughout half term, from 8am - 5pm, with a £1 donation suggested. Find out more.
In a first for Cheltenham, this half term some of our most iconic buildings (old and new) will be lit up for the week. Don't miss the launch of Light Up Cheltenham on Saturday with spectacular street theatre drumming group 'Spark!' setting the scene outside the Cosy Club at 5pm. The buildings will then be lit up over the week for all to enjoy. Find out more.
Saturday 10th February
Free football? Who can say no to that?! Cheltenham Town LFC Youth is hosting a FREE football festival for girls year 1+ to learn how to bend it like Beckham. Skills, drills, games and fun ensured. From 10am - 11:30am at All Saints' Academy. Find out more.
For a day of quirky retail therapy head down to the Vintage Kilo Sale at Cheltenham Ladies College, doors open for general entry at 12pm (early bird tickets now sold out) until 4pm. Supplied by Europe’s largest vintage wholesaler, The Vintage Clothing Kilo Sale lets you pick from thousands of vintage, retro and branded items from late 60’s to early 00’s! Roll up your sleeves and rummage through tonnes of vintage bargains, with no minimum spend. Find out more.
Have you heard the tale of Beowulf, the bravest of the Anglo-Saxon monster-fighting heroes? Nine year old Sophie has, and she must learn to be brave and fight some of her own monsters in this modern-day retelling of the Anglo-Saxon poem. From 6pm at Everyman Studio Theatre, tickets £8.50. Suitable for children age 7+. Find out more.
Sunday 11th February
Not sure if you've heard the news but love is in the air. The Under 9's Valentine's Disco at Stoke Orchard Community Centre provides the chance for little ones to dance and celebrate a themed-disco, with refreshments, games, face painting, music, and a raffle! Adults £2.50 and children £5, with all proceeds going to Amelia’s SDR fund. Find out more.
Saturday 10th & Saturday 11th, Saturday 17th & 18th February
Colesbourne Park’s historic snowdrop collection is now open to the public, with a collection of 350 varieties throughout the ten acre garden, woodland and lakeside paths. The surrounding park, arboretum and nearby church are also open. You can also bring your best friend - dogs are welcome! Gates open at 1pm, adult entry £8, under 16’s free. Colesbourne Park gardens are also open Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th February. Find out more.
Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th February
Time to bounce and party at Elim Church! Bouncy castles, an inflatable slide, sumo-suits, and free refreshments for excited kids and worn out parents! Activities suitable for ages 2 - 11, with a choice of session times from 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. Running Monday and Tuesday, £5 per family. Find out more.
The fun continues at All Saints Academy with bounce and play - indoor inflatables and bouncy castles, suitable for children aged 0-11 (with parental supervision). Daisy from Cheltenham Face Painting will also be on hand. Sessions run between 10am - 4.15pm on Monday and Tuesday, £5 per child and £3 for babies and crawlers. Find out more.
Tuesday 13th February
Investigate natural dyes, such as turmeric, with help from Trudi Price at this child-friendly event at Cheltenham Science Centre. Learn how to use natural dyes and experiment on fabrics. From 10am - 4pm, £2 per person (over 4), £7.50 per family (up to five people) or FREE with an annual family pass. Find out more.
The Bacon Theatre will be showing a special screening of Despicable Me 3 (U) especially for a young audience! The mischievous Minions hope that Gru will return to a life of crime after the new boss of the Anti-Villain League fires him, but will he decide to remain retired after travelling to Freedonia to meet his long-lost twin brother for the first time?! All will be revealed in this 90 minute showing at 2pm. Tickets cost £6, family ticket £20. Find out more.
Create your own miniature home with card furniture at the Holst Museum. Children are free with a paying adult. Find out more
Ready, set, bake! Join Josie's Bakery for a special Valentine's workshop to create sugarpaste teddy bears. Your child will learn lots of creative skills as well as making new friends and having lots of sugar-fueled fun! Suitable for children aged 4 - 14 years, from 2pm - 3pm, £10 per child. Find out more.
Wednesday 14th February
Come and have a dance, play fun games and eat cake in your party frocks at the Miniature Music Valentines Disco! Props lights and bubbles, with child-friendly music! From 10am - 11:30am at St. Phillips & St. James Church House, costs for adults £2.50, 1 child £5, 2 children £8, 3 children £10 and 4 children £12! Find out more.
Cheltenham Synchronised Swimming Club offers an exciting hybrid of dance, gymnastics and swimming in this one day synchronised swimming course, held in Leisure At’s teaching pool. From 1pm - 1:45pm for ages 5 - 8 years, or 1pm - 2:30pm for age 9+ years, £5 per child. Find out more.
Cheltenham Science Group has just got some new programmable LEGO at the centre and kids are loving it! Come and have a play on Wednesday (sessions also available on Friday). There is no minimum or maximum age, advised as suitable for 5 - 10+ as younger children may struggle with the Lego. Ticketed sessions run from 10am - 4pm, £2 per person over 4, £7.50 for a family of up to 5 people. Find out more.
Thursday 15th February
Disney's Bedknobs & Broomsticks is a wonderful children's classic not to be missed, and it’s showing at the Playhouse Theatre. Angela Lansbury stars as apprentice witch Eglantine Price who, with the aid of three children, takes on talking animals and the invading Nazi army during WWII! Singing along is encouraged! 11am in the Main House (film duration 2 hours and 19 mins), £3.50 +75p online booking fee. Find out more.
Cheltenham Science Group is hosting an informative, fun and experimental ‘Crane building’ session, Anna Birt is returning to the science centre with the Canal and River Trust's 'Build a Crane' workshop. Learn about gear trains and mechanical advantages by building, then experimenting with a crane to find ways to make it more efficient. £2 per person (over 4), £7.50 per family (up to five people). From 10am - 4pm. Find out more.
Strap on your safety goggles boys and girls, due to popular demand, science’s greatest and most volatile live show is returning with a vengeance! Based on the multi-award winning TV show, Brainiac Live! is back! Expect exploding dustbins, combusting microwaves and loads of live daredevil stunts! Age recommendation 6 years +. From 2pm - 3pm at The Bacon Theatre, adults £14, child £12, family ticket £48. Find out more.
Totally addicted to bake? Then the Children's Cake Baking & Decorating Workshop is for you! Join Josie's Bakery for a special Valentine's 2 hour workshop to bake a classic Victoria sponge, decorated with edible pink fondant roses! Your child will learn lots of useful skills including measuring and weighing ingredients, lining tins and shaping fondant. Suitable for children ages 4 - 14 years, from 10am - 12pm, £20 per child. Find out more.
Unleash your inner Indiana Jones at one of Crickley Hill Nature Reserve's Mini Archaeology Dig sessions at the cafe! Pre-booking not required, just bring your imaginations and messy clothes! Taking place from Thursday 15th - Wednesday 28th February between 8am - 4pm, £1 minimum suggested donation. Find out more.
Cheltenham Library is hosting a free 2 hour bookbinding workshop with local bookbinder Ursula Jeakins. Suitable for Age 11+ and adults, create your own handmade book, explore the history of 'commonplace' books and discover how you can use them to inspire your reading and writing. From 10am - 12pm at Cheltenham Library. Find out more.
Friday 16th February
Playhouse Theatre is showing Tangled especially for the half term crowd! This Disney epic tells the tale of the long-haired Rapunzel, as she discovers the outside world for the first time and who she really is! 11am in the Main House, tickets £3.50 +75p online booking fee. Find out more.
Friday 16th, Saturday 17th, Sunday 18th February
Welly Walks in Pittville Park are back! If you did this last year, you'll know what a wonderfully wholesome, low-cost activity this is. With packs available to purchase at the Boathouse with everything you need for bug hunting, bark rubbing, duck feeding and stick-sticking! Find out more.
Saturday 17th February
The Boardroom games meeting is back for 2018! Family board gamers - this one's for you! Come along and play games with friends or family, kid’s puzzles, games, toys, and plenty of space to run around while the 'grown-ups' play! Free refreshments available, open from 12pm until 4pm at St. Paul's Church Cheltenham, and it’s free! Find out more.
Drop-in STEM Club is offering some messy bath bomb making - learn how to hand-make and personalise your very own fizzy bath-time treat to take home! £2 per person (over 4), £7.50 per family (up to five people) between 10am - 4pm at Cheltenham Science Centre. Find out more.
Watch Back To The Future 1, 2 and 3, all in one day at the Playhouse Theatre! This unmissable film series tells the story of Marty McFly who must face his high school nemesis in various forms, win the heart of his true love and save his family with the help of Doc Brown - all in 24 hours?! Entry costs £7 per film or £15 when booking all 3, showing from 10:30am - 9:45pm with 2 hour breaks between films. Find out more about the first showing, find out more about the second showing, find out more about the third showing.
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th February
Ever wondered where treasures are from, how they were formed or how they’re found? Well now you can find out at the Rock ‘n’ Bead Show at Cheltenham Racecourse. Spectacular mineral specimens, sparkling polished and carved crystals of every colour, truly ancient and rare fossils, gemstones, meteorites, jewellery and beads! Free parking, with hot and cold refreshments available throughout the weekend. Open Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm. Entry for adults £4.50, seniors £2, children (8-16 years) £1, under 8’s free. Find out more.
Sunday 18th February
Playhouse Theatre are screening Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and singing along is encouraged! A classic film for children and parents alike (who aren’t scared of the Child Catcher), Dick Van Dyke stars as the inventor who uses his magical flying car to rescue his father and free the children of Vulgaria. 2:30pm in the Main House, £3.50 + 75p online booking fee. Find out more.
Out Of Town Suggestion
The Puddle Jumping Championships are back at Slimbridge. The competition will commence each day throughout the holiday at 2pm in Wellyboot Land, with the winners announced after each competition. With the help of Dusty Duck, children will be encouraged to make waves and create the biggest, craziest splash possible. Find out more.
