Ways to Play 2025: February Half Term
Families are invited to enjoy affordable days out at museums and galleries
Families across the region can look forward to exciting, budget-friendly adventures at their favourite cultural attractions, thanks to Ways to Play - an ongoing collaboration between North East Museums and Tyne and Wear Metro.
With rising costs affecting many households, this award-winning partnership provides an opportunity for families to enjoy high-quality, low-cost activities at some of the region’s most-loved museums and galleries.
From South Tyneside to North Tyneside, and Newcastle to Gateshead, all of North East Museums’ venues are easily accessible via Metro stations and/or the Shields Ferry.
Plus, children under 11 travel free on the Metro, Bus and Shields Ferry when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, thanks to the initiative from the North East Combined Authority, covering: County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland during school holidays.
Ways to Play campaign invites children to get active, creative, and imaginative with a variety of engaging, free experiences designed to make the school holidays memorable. Highlights of the February half term programme include Curiosity Sparks at Discovery Museum, Heritage Train Rides at Stephenson Steam Railway, and family crafting sessions at Shipley Art Gallery.
Since its launch in summer 2021, Ways to Play has won several awards, including the Best Arts and Business Partnership at the North East Culture Awards in 2022 and the Not-for-Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards the same year. It was also shortlisted for Partnership of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards in 2023.
About North East Museums
North East Museums (formerly Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums) is a regional museum, art gallery and archives service.
We manage nine museums and galleries across Tyneside and the Archives for Tyne and Wear, attracting around 1 million visits a year. We run these venues and services on behalf of the local authorities of Gateshead, Newcastle, North and South Tyneside, and Newcastle University.
We are partially funded by these partners and also by Arts Council England (as a National Portfolio Organisation). The rest of our income is generated through our commercial enterprises including our shops, cafes and venue hire, and via fundraising.
From 1 April 2025 Northumberland County Council will join our partnership, and we will manage Woodhorn Museum, Hexham Old Gaol and Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum on its behalf.
We care for over 1.1 million objects - many of international importance - in archives, art, science and technology, archaeology, military and social history, fashion and natural sciences.
Our award-winning formal and informal learning activities focus on natural history, local heritage, art, science, technology, engineering and maths, and inspire over 100,000 children and young people each year.
We work with partners to engage local communities, offering creative activities inspired by our collections to help them to improve their health and wellbeing.
Our venues
Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort
Discovery Museum, Newcastle
Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle
Hatton Gallery, Newcastle
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Stephenson Steam Railway, North Shields
Click to view the Ways to Play webpage.
The full list of events include:
Small fee
Tuesday 25 + Thursday 27 February
Join the team in Play + Invent to take on the Chain Reaction Challenge. Roll, build and knock your dominos and marbles to create crazy chain reaction creations. Advanced booking is recommended.
Small fee
Friday 28 February
Join early years specialist Amy for stories and crafts. Small children of preschool age can listen to a story and then get crafty, as they design and decorate wonderful creations, inspired by the story.
Family Twilight: Nature-Friendly Futures
Free
Friday 21 February
Join the team for an unforgettable night of fun, creativity, and connection. Perfect for families with tweens and teens, this event is all about imagining a brighter, more sustainable future together.
Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole
Until Sunday 27 April
Free
Permanant experience
Spin the wheel in six of our permanent galleries and you'll be given a challenge to complete.
Free
Permanant experience
Download the Mythquest app before or during your visit and experience an interactive journey as you explore the museum and learn about myths from around the world
Free
Permanent experience
Free museum entry, train rides from £6
Sunday 23 February, Thursday 27 February and Sunday 2 March
Take a nostalgic journey with a four-mile return trip along the historic route once taken by coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne.
Make and Take Thursday: Create a Train Character
Free
Thursday 27 February
At Stephenson Steam Railway, you will see lots of people working on our old locomotives and waiting on our platforms! Try designing your own railway station worker or passenger character.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery:
Tremendous Tuesday: Marvellous Meals
Free
Tuesday 25 February
Let our SCRAN: Food & Drink in South Tyneside exhibition inspire you to create your own favourite meal using collage materials.
Marvellous Monday: Make a Roman Dagger
Free
Monday 24 February
Roman soldiers often liked to carry elaborately designed daggers with them. Design and make your own unique replica Roman dagger.
Children’s Workshop: Create a Plate Design
Free
Monday 24 February
Taking inspiration from the work in the Sustainable Clay exhibition create your own design on a paper plate. For 4-11 years.
Young People’s Workshop: Drawing from Ceramic Sculptures
Free
Thursday 27 February
Create a large scale mixed media drawing based on artworks in the Sustainable Clay exhibition. For 11-18 years.
Fused Glass Light Catcher Workshop for Families
£30 per participant
Saturday 22 February
Led by a friendly tutor from Kimoci Glass, you’ll be shown how to make a stunning light catcher using Bullseye sheet glass, frits, and metal inclusions.
Saturday 22 February
£4.50 per participant
At this art class, you'll make a Mardi Gras mask using collage, paint, coloured pencils, and mixed media.
Tuesday 25 and Thursday 27 February
£3 per participant
Join the team during February half term to create portraits in surprising ways. Your portraits could be of yourself, a loved one, or a character from your imagination. There are two creative activities available on each day.
Lego Coding Workshop with the Kids-Hub
26 and 28 February
£10 per participant
Use Lego and plastic components to build a model, then programme it using an iPad. Using Scratch block coding, you’ll be able to make your model move, make noise, light up, play music, and more! You’ll learn coding, digital literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking – all through play!
ENDS -
Media contact: sallie.ball@northeastmuseums.org.uk
