DAYS OUT

Feb Half Term is Eco Week at Hever Castle, running Sat 10 – Sun 18 Feb, to inspire future generations to be more sustainable. Take part in a craft activity and have a go at origami in the Garden Exhibition. As you wander through the gardens, meet Forest friends, Fox and Beaver and discover more about what Hever Castle does to be sustainable.

You won’t be bored at Kent Life Heritage Farm in Maidstone this Half Term. There’s tons to do like; meeting their pigs, sheep, alpacas, owls, and meerkats, feeding sessions, owl flying demos, farm rides, indoor and outdoor play areas, exploring their Vintage Village and farmer-themed shows in their undercover theatre area. Phew!

February means it’s lambing season – the perfect excuse to head to Rare Breeds Centre in Ashford to see some newborn cuteness. Mon-Fri during Half Term week, they have a ‘Meet the Lambs Hour‘ where you can meet the little ones and give them a pet in the lambing tunnel. Aww.

Penshurst Place Grounds and Gardens have got a brand new Garden Trail for young explorers, discover Batoor The Dragon’s lost supplies and see if you can help him complete his mission to make an Apple Pie. Why not finish your trip in the Adventure Playground?

Kids go FREE at Howletts Wild Animal Park, housing some of the world’s most endangered and wild animals with over 390 animals, including Kent’s only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, and the introduction of the adorable lion cubs, Zemo and Zala. Children aged 0-15 years can enter Howletts for free and receive vouchers to claim at sister park, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve. A fun-packed, wild day out for the whole family. Maximum of 3 children per booking and on advance online bookings only.

OUTDOORS

There’s more happening at the local National Trust sites than you can shake an umbrella at this Feb.

Enjoy a stomp around Emmett’s Garden with its wide-open views and fun wild play area with balance beams, stepping logs, swings, and the Old Stables Tearoom on hand for a warming treat.

Find all the animals hiding around the garden on their Garden Trail Ightham Mote (free with admission from Sat 10 Feb til Sun 17 March). Afterwards, make sure you visit the café for a warm cup of hot chocolate!

Or put your detective skills to the test and complete the murder mystery at Scotney Castle, running 10-18 Feb and if you can solve it, there’ll be a small reward waiting for you in the shop. Trail costs £3 and normal admission applies.

There’s always plenty of fun to be had at Bedgebury Pinetum in Goudhurst with its 128-hectare forest, play areas, Go Ape, and nature trails including their brand new activity trail, The Gruffalo Party Trail. It’s filled with party-themed activities and games so follow the trail to help find the missing party items to give the Gruffalo a birthday to remember. Pick up your pack for £4 from the information point and away you go!

Or visit Romney Marsh Visitor Centre between Sat 10 – Sun 18 Feb and join their Heart Trail. Explore the reserve and look out for the hearts, each will contain a letter clue that spells out a word (or two!), solve the puzzle, and win a prize.

THEATRE & SHOWS

FebFEST is back at The Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone, Mon 12 – Fri 16 Feb, expect 5 days filled to the brim with Performing Arts for all ages. Sing, dance, and act from hit musicals such as Mean Girls, Shrek, and Hamilton! Click here to see the full timetable. Workshop costs vary from £5 – £15.

For fab family theatre head to The Malthouse in Canterbury and go see the epic musical, Les Misérables (School Edition), 15 – 17 Feb. Based on the novel by Victor Hugo and with an unforgettable score, presented by JGH Associates Musical Theatre School.

There’s no stopping there with more family theatre to be found at The Gulbenkian with Camp Phoenix, 22 – 23 Feb, packed with adventure, new music, and vital life lessons, featuring a dynamic cast of professional performers and local young people. Tickets are £6.

CRAFTS & ACTIVITIES

Loads of fun to be had at the Millbrook Garden Centres this Half Term with the award-winning Trainmasters for a track-filled play session (Mon 12 & Thurs 15 Feb), LEGO fans will love Masters Builders and their free play-building workshop in Gravesend (Fri 16 Feb) and Birds of Prey at Staplehurst (Tues 13 Feb) and brilliant bird craft from The Creation Station (Weds 14 Feb).

Join Macknade for their free Valentine’s Biscuit Workshop in Faversham on Fri 14 Feb. Decorate your own heart biscuits and keep for yourself or gift to a loved one for Valentine’s Day. No need to book, just drop in between 11am – 2pm to take part!

If you’re feeling crafty, look no further than Made in Ashford with this epic line-up of craft-tastic fun; Fairy Garden Workshop (Mon 12 Feb), ECOCraft’s God’s eye weaving workshop (Tues 13 Feb), Cool Keyrings Workshop (Tues 13 Feb), Sew a LOVE Brooch (Weds 14 Feb), Hand Sew a Heart Workshop (Fri 16 Feb) or enjoy 45mins of painting and fun at the Painting Party Session (Fri 16 Feb). Tickets from £6-£12.

Or let them make and paint Airfix models at the Battle of Britain Memorial on Sun 18 Feb for £15. All the materials are included so just turn up, get creative, and leave with your own Airfix model. Just choose from a Fokker Triplane, Sopwith Camel, or a WW1 male tank. Open to all ages, big kids and parents too.

Got a budding yogi? Simeon aka The Yoga Man is holding a Kids Yoga Class at VWell Studio in Hythe on Thurs 15 Feb, 9:15 – 10:15am. A place where children can be positive, feel calm, grow and have fun. Suitable for years 5+. Tickets are £10. Book their spot now.

Get those kids out of the house and off their screens with Betteshanger Park’s half-term activity clubs. There’s two suitable for different ages:

The fantastic Betteshanger Basecamp is suitable for 9-13-year-olds where they can expect a jam-packed day full of outdoor activities and games from mountain biking, battle zone archery, fossil hunting, geocaching, orienteering, and target archery. Includes snack and drink breaks throughout and a lunch break in the afternoon which is BYO. 9am – 3pm. £30 per day.

Or there’s Wild One’s Forest School for children aged between 5-11 years, days in the forest will be jam-packed with learning like lighting fires, campfire cooking, building dens, climbing trees, and enjoying woodland crafts. Lunch is not included. 9am – 3pm. £30 per day.

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITIONS

Go see Sculpture Playscape from Sat 3 Feb til Mon 6 May at the much-loved Turner Contemporary in Margate. Designed to encourage all ages to play, interact, and explore sculptural artworks on display, alongside the children’s art library of over 400 books, or take part in a creative workshop. Everything in the space is made to be interactive so move things around, stack, link, and play away! Plus it’s free.

Head to the Hornby Visitor Centre in Margate for classic toys galore, train sets, and a little bit of nostalgia! A museum dedicated to the history of Britain’s best-loved toys from the Hornby, Scalextric, Airfix, and Corgi archives. Tickets start at £2.50 for a child or £5 for an adult (family tickets are £12.50).

Spring into The Powell-Cotton Museum and get outside with a range of family-fun activities to take part in. Explore the winding paths of Quex Gardens that lead you to find monster faces amongst the trees, get arty with bold colouring activities, or enjoy competitive games like bug-bingo and memory-match ‘bug edition’. Just pick up one of their free animal-buddy backpacks full of activities and games to enjoy all day. Running Sat 10 & Sun 11 and Sat 17 & Sun 18 Feb, 11am – 3pm.

Or join author, Paul Deslandes, for a captivating storytelling session with his children’s story The Garden Monster on Sat 10 Feb at 12pm.

Meanwhile, in Canterbury at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge discover their ancient Egyptian mummified cat, victorian toys, and artworks from legendary Anthony Van Dyke and Pop Artist David Hockney. That’s not all! Starting this Half Term is their 50 years of Bagpuss family trail, explore the museum, solve the puzzles, and help round up the party guests to celebrate 50 years of Canterbury’s most famous cat. £5 per trail.

Need more ideas? Check out our bumper local February guide or our 2024 culture planner.