SCHOOL'S out - for a week at least and there's plenty of bank holiday and half term fun to be had in Hampshire.
The sun is set to shine and a day out is the perfect way to keep the kids entertained.
Here's our pick of five of the best things to do.
At Mayflower Theatre...
Disney’s iconic Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, and Owl (oh... and don’t forget Tigger too!) have come to life in a beautifully crafted musical stage adaptation.
Featuring the Sherman Brothers’ classic Grammy Award-winning music with further songs by A.A. Milne, this beautiful fresh stage adaptation is told with stunning life-sized puppetry through the eyes of the characters we all know and love, in a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Created by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller, this new adventure heads to the U.K. following a record-breaking New York premiere in 2021.
It's in Southampton from Wednesday to Sunday.
Tickets from mayflower.org.uk
On The Watercress Line...
Peep, peep! Join Thomas & Friends for a day of family fun at The Watercress Line.
Take a steam train ride and meet Thomas and some of your favourite characters, and join Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty & Dusty for a trainload of excitement!
Take in three new Rusty & Dusty outdoor entertainment shows with Sir Topham Hatt, Percy, Diesel and Toad, have bubbling fun in the bubble zone and enjoy creative play in the sand pit.
Your ticket gives you access to the railway for the whole day with unlimited travel on the big trains from Ropley to Alton, meet and gree t with Sir Topham Hatt, Rusty & Dusty and enjoy the miniature railway and vintage fairground rides.
There's a host of play zones, story sessions and Thomas & Friends giveaways for every child. Book at watercressline.co.uk
At Beaulieu...
The National Motor Museum’s thought-provoking exhibition looking at future visions of motoring from the past has opened in time for half term.
Motopia? Past Future Visions showcases a journey through 130 years of future thinking about automobility.
Concept cars, visions of the future from the start of the 20th century and previous ideas on how we travel and power our vehicles are on display, with visitors encouraged to consider future ideas for an ideal way of living and getting about.
The exhibition will have four key themes; vehicle visions will look at car design concepts, propulsion asking how our vehicles are powered – particularly timely when there is a resurgence of electric vehicles, architectural dreams which will include science fiction visions, and urban solutions showing how vehicles have constantly been re-imagined to suit our needs and surroundings.
A pop-up family event, ‘Motopia? Are we nearly there yet’ will be at the museum during the half-term holiday with activities and demonstrations related to the future of motoring.
See beaulieu.co.uk
At Marwell Zoo...
Guests are invited to explore the many wonderful trees of Marwell as well as the zoo’s animal inhabitants.
Some of the trees on the Marwell estate date back to the early 14th century, more than 100 years before the Wars of the Roses.
The Yew trees behind Marwell hall have survived this and two World Wars, one of which saw the estate host an airfield for spitfires and other fighting aircraft that had been modified in Eastleigh.
Guests will be able to find out how old some of the most impressive trees in the park are, as well as picking up some interesting facts (and a few jokes – you can take them or leaf them) along the way!
Can you guess which of our tree species have been used as medicines in the past? And which trees are as rare as the animals that live around them?
Trees from Marwell were even transported to Winchester for use in the building of what is now Winchester cathedral!
In total there are 9 different species of tree included in the trail, which is available via the Marwell Zoo app.
Book your day out via marwell.org.uk
At Winchester Science Centre...
Step into a world of weird science, curiosity and investigation at Winchester Science Centre this May half term during Mysteries & Mayhem.
Until June 5, there’ll be all the usual Science Centre fun, plus even more to excite all ages, all included with admission.
Head outside to discover what the mischievous dormouse has been up to during some dormouse orienteering, explore mysterious insects and animals through intricate x-rays in Bio:Space, marvel at the wonder of the magnetic ferrofluid in Science Live and experience the exciting live science demos of brand new science show, Chemistry Crime Squad.
Plus there’s even more fun when the doors close at Science Explained: Myth-busting Creatures on Thursday 1st June. meet real-life beasties such as snakes, tarantulas and lizards, and to discover the truth about these fascinating creatures in a hosted Planetarium talk.
Book at winchestersciencecentre.org
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