SCHOOL'S out!

And a host of Hampshire attractions are offering special events for youngsters this half ter.

Here's our pick of the bunch:

At Mottisfont...

DISCOVER your inner artist on Scribbles and Sketches, a creative activity trail packed with things to make, draw and do, inspired by Mottisfont’s Rex Whistler exhibition. If you need a bit of inspiration yourself before you set off, nip into the house to see Rex’s glorious trompe l’oeil artwork - on permanent display in the Whistler room.

At Winchester City Mill

Scavenger hunt, 18 - 26 February

PUT on your explorer’s hat to unearth answers, track down items and complete missions on a scavenger hunt around this fully restored working watermill. You’ll need to look high and low not to miss anything.

There are lots of other activities on offer every day - view the fast-flowing river Itchen as it roars beneath the Mill, powering the huge waterwheel – an experience known as ‘the thrill of the Mill’. There’s also a chance to watch the latest CCTV footage of the mill’s resident otters. On Wednesdays and weekends you can watch millers turning grain into stoneground flour. On Friday, bakers make a variety of seasonal sweet and savoury treats. Take home recipe cards and try some baking at home, using the Mill’s very own flour from the shop.

At Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium...

Illuminate their imagination at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium this February Half Term with an enlightening extravaganza all about the brilliant science of light.

The Science Centre will have a bumper programme of live shows, demonstrations, busking activities and lots of hands-on fun to illuminate inquisitive minds.

A live presenter-led science show, Brilliant Light, will take the audience on an exciting journey through the science of light. Spectators can expect to be wowed by lasers, intrigued by new unseen worlds and get involved with lots of opportunities for audience participation.

Visitors can also pay a visit to the UK’s largest standalone planetarium, where they will be able to enjoy a special extended programme of shows, including live, presenter-led shows and 360o fulldome films every day.

Live shows include The Planet Show, where visitors will find out how to spot planets in the night sky before taking off on an unforgettable journey through a 3D virtual scale model of the solar system; and Simply Stars, a traditional style planetarium show with tricks and tips for how to find constellations and interesting objects in this season's night sky. Fulldome films include Polaris, Secret of the Cardboard Rocket and and Black Holes.

At Go Ape...

TURN boredom into buzz at the forest adventure at Itchen Valley and Moors Valley.

Let your tribe unleash their inner Tarzan next week.

Children as young as six can enjoy the Tree Top Junior course while older children can choose from the Forest Segway experience and Tree Top Adventure.

At Theatre Royal Winchester...

THE popular Musical In A Day returns this half term with another opportunity for 7 to 17 year olds to rehearse and perform their own potted version of a West End musical.

The youngsters will spend the day working with a professional musical director and choreographer to create a show. Friends and family are invited to watch the resulting performance at the end of the day. It’s a day of fun and learning for any young person who loves stage musicals.

At Milestones Museum...

YOUNG crime-fighters have the chance to stop a fiendish plot to steal the Crown Jewels at a brand new, all-action exhibition at Milestones Museum.

Around the World Brick Adventure, is a live-action LEGO® challenge, where The Tiger Club – an international crime-fighting club just for children – has discovered a plot to steal the Crown Jewels.

100 incredible LEGO models have been built by Bright Bricks, the UK-based professional LEGO building company, including scale models of world-famous landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building and Sydney Opera House, as well as exotic animals and fabulous treasures. There are also fantastic life-size models of a pouncing tiger, a kangaroo family, and king of the sands, Tutankhamun.

Hidden in amongst the models is a trail of clues left behind by the Tiger Club, which globetrotters can use along with their very own Around the World Brick Adventure map to stop the thieves and save the Crown Jewels. Historic objects from the collections cared for by Hampshire Cultural Trust will be displayed alongside the LEGO models to complement the exhibition theme.

At Mayflower Theatre...

THERE will be two fun workshops for young and old at Mayflower Theatre this February half term. A Mayflower Adventure based upon We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Dance with Layton exploring Billy Elliot with one of the original Billys.

Layton Williams, star of Bad Education, School For Stars and one of London’s West End original Billy’s offers this fun and exciting workshop, exploring the music and dance of the hit musical Billy Elliot.

Join Professor Hunch & his trusty side-kick Doctor Tongue-Tied on their adventure to find Skiff the Mayflower Theatre Bear. in A Mayflower Adventure. Whether a Cub, Mummy or Daddy discoverer, you can take part in fun and exciting activities whilst on a quest to find Skiff!

At The Museum of Army Flying...

THERE will be ‘Lights, Camera and Action’ at the Museum of Army Flying this February half-term as Arts and Aircrafts returns with all new animation sessions.

Stop motion is an animation technique that physically manipulates an object so that it appears to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a fast sequence.

Families will be able to build their own models and storyboard their own short film ahead of shooting it.