Leeds is a great city for May half term adventures, not just because it has a host of activities and days out lined up for you ? but because you?re within easy driving distance of everything from theme parks to museums.
So if you?re looking for ways to entertain the little ones over the half term holiday, Leeds is the perfect starting point.
Science, photography & film
Want to turn your kids into culture vultures? Take them to the National Media Museum in Bradford this half term holiday. You can learn about the science behind photography and TV in an interactive, playful setting. The animation gallery shows you how your favourite Toy Story characters are brought to life and you can visit family workshops, like the Indian Folk Tale Shadow Puppets or Dance Fusion Workshops.
You can even watch films for ?3 at the Family Fun Fundays (Finding Nemo in 2D and 3D) or have a gander at the Ray Harryhausen display, the stop animation artist who brought classics like Jason and the Argonauts to the big screen. In fact, there?s so much to see and do here that you might not be able to squeeze it into one visit ? luckily, it?s within easy reach of Leeds, so you can come back again over the half term holiday.
National Media Museum, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 1NQ,
Exotic plants & animals
Nestled in Roundhay Park, Tropical World is a fun and educational land of the exotics right in the heart of Yorkshire. It?s just been refurbished, making it the perfect day trip for your May half term in Leeds.
Home to orangutans, meerkats, tropical birds and even crocodiles, the kids are sure to love it. And the park also home to the biggest range of tropical plants outside of Kew Gardens. The Amazon House, Creature Corner and Butterfly House are all available for you to explore and learn more about. In the dwellings of the Australasia House, you can find terrapins cooling under the waterfalls, next to the rare Jade vine.
Tropical World, Roundhay Park, Princes Ave, Lidgett Park, Leeds, LS8 1DF.
Mummies, dinosaurs & more
Capturing the life of hundreds of cultures across five continents, as well as galleries, sculptures and a 3,000 year old mummy, the Leeds City Museum is a half term treat for children and parents alike. Whether you?re a history buff or not, you?re sure to learn something new; be it the Romans, the Greeks or the dinosaurs, history is waiting to be explored.
Superstitious? You don?t have to be ? exhibitions running throughout the year include Fate and Fickle Fortune, looking at people?s attitudes to lucky charms, gambling and risk. A collection of items are on show including a 1960s Ouija board, Ancient Egyptian amulets and an old cauldron that was recently found embedded in the walls of a house to protect the family from bad luck. A must-try half term day trip for families in Leeds.
Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8BH,
Learn to play the ukulele
Wouldn?t it be great to get your kids to learn a musical instrument? How about something a bit more unconventional like the ukulele? Take them down to Musicroom Leeds for a free half hour ukulele lesson on 25th May 2013, and if they express any child prodigal talents, take advantage of their deals with up to 10% off instruments and 20% off tuition. You can even join in playing the Hawaiian instrument yourself, so why not give it a this half term holiday?
Musicroom Leeds, Unit A15, The Light, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 8TL, 0113 2343423.
Discover the Magic of Medicine
An exhibition exploring the power of medicine and its magical qualities through the ages, this is one to entertain and educate all the family. There are opportunities to participate in street magic and marvel at magical illusions, while learning how your mind can be tricked by such sorcery.
It even looks at how magical medicine has been incorporated into the Harry Potter books, examining the history of medicine in a refreshing and exciting way. A free event for all, and ideal for the half term adventures in Leeds, The Magic of Medicine will show children the sheer power of the human mind, demonstrating how easily you can be tricked by light and other illusions.
Thackray Medical Museum, 141 Beckett St, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7LN.
Head to the beach
There?s so much to see and do Whitby that you?ll be spoilt for choice; be it a shopping trip in the cobbled streets or a visit to the Captain Cook Museum, there?s enough to keep the whole family entertained for the day or even the whole half term.
Via car, the journey lasts a good hour and forty minutes, so it?s best to set off early to make the most of the quaint, seaside town. It?s got an interesting histroy. The gothic architecture inspired Bram Stoker to use Whitby as the setting for his novel ?Dracula?. And the explorer Captain Cook became the first person to sail the world from east to west and then west to east, using a Whitby ship to complete the journey.
Why not take the family on a boat trip ,where you can see whales in their natural habitat? The Whitby Abbey is always worth a visit too, particularly on a sunny day, as is the Pannett Park and Museum where you can find some fascinating objects from the Bronze Age.
Whitby, North Yorkshire.
Explore Bronte country
The perfect attraction for any literature buffs out there is the Bronte Country in Haworth, the home town of one of the most talented families Yorkshire has ever produced.
The lives of the ?Jane Eyre? and ?Wuthering Heights? writers can be explored in the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which is actually the former house of the family where Charlotte and Emily?s dresses, boots and even bridalwear is on display in their former bedrooms.
The nearby church where Emily Bronte was married is just a short walk away from the house, as is the hearty Black Bull pub, where the chair of Branwell Bronte, the talented yet sometimes forgotten brother, has been carefully cornered off for the public to see.
Although they led short and tragic lives, the family captured British life during the 19th Century in a poignant, insightful way and it can now be thoroughly appreciated with the likes of the museum. On a nice half term day, pack a picnic and go for a walk through the hills, past the waterfall of ?Bronte Falls? and up the hill to the barn house which is thought to have provided inspiration for ?Wuthering Heights?. This fun and educational adventure is just a 50 minute drive from Leeds, making it the perfect May half term day trip.
Bronte Parsonage Museum, Church St, Keighley, BD22 8DR.
Get the adrenalin pumping
The best part of any kid?s school holiday always centres around a trip to a theme park. So why not take a trip to Lightwater Valley and try out the Black Pearl? This landmark, pirate-themed ride is 85 feet high, turns you fully upside down, 360 degrees!
But if that?s enough to get your palms sweating as you read this, you may want to take the easier route with your little ones on the pedal boats across Swan Lake, the spinning teacups or the Caterpillar Coaster.
On the 25th May the UK?s first Angry Birds Activity Park opens up for younger folk and big kids alike, with 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor play. Slingshots, Red Bird and Yellow Bird dance zones, slides and tunnels are waiting to be delved into.
Once you?ve worked up an appetite head over to the healthy Granary Restaurant, or the two food courts for something a bit naughtier where you?ll find plenty of fast food counters. There are rides to suit everyone from adrenaline junkies to those seeking something more relaxed, it?s the perfect stop on your May half term holiday adventure trail and is within easy reach of Leeds.
Lightwater Valley, North Stainley, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 3NB.
Take the plunge
For some nautical nonsense head to ?Barnsley?s hidden treasure? where the Calypso Cove plays homage to a wave pool and Terror Torrent, one of the fastest water slides in the country. The water slides Eruption and Kraken run through the pirate themed indoor water park with the Splash Ahoy! attraction for younger water babies.
Sunken Galleon and Coconut Creek will also help keep the little ones entertained over the half term holiday, while the older kids can practice their diving skills as they walk the plank into the pool. For a more educational turn, venture over to the 25m pool where there are also swimming lessons for all ages. It?s everything you could want from a school holiday adventure.
Barnsley Metrodome Leisure Complex, Queens Ground, Queens Rd, Barnsley, S71 1AN.
See a princess on stage
Once you?ve exhausted yourselves with theme parks and water slides, it?s time to relax with an entertaining theatrical performance. The Girl with the Iron Claws is a coming of age tale about a young princess who feels estranged from her family and embarks on a journey into the depths of the forest.
Using puppetry and skillful humour, this dark fairy tale has come to Leeds after sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. An enchanting play for young and old, it shares an affinity with Beauty and the Beast and is brought to you by the Wrong Crowd, a production company creating thought-provoking and enthralling shows. Perfect for a spot of May half term entertainment and right in the centre of Leeds.
The Girl with the Iron Claws is on 29th May 2013?at Howard Assembly Rooms, New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU.
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That?s our list of half term holiday adventures to keep you and the kids entertained this May. Whether you?re staying in Leeds or exploring Yorkshire, let us know what other activities and day trips you?ve got planned.
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