Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024

Dover Castle

Secrets & Spies Mon 18 – Fri 22 Feb 2019 10am-3pm Calling all super sleuths, secret agents and investigators! Sharpen your detective skills with hands-on training in disguise, code cracking and clues. Adults: £20.00 / Concessions: £18.00 / Children (5-15): £12.00 / Family: £50.00: www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

King Henry’s Tudor Court

Tudors in Love  Half Term Activities at The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth 16th – 24th February 2019 11:30-15:30 £2 to take part in Tudors in Love  The Mary Rose is delighted to announce its exciting half-term activity, King Henry’s Tudor Court: Tudors in Love, which will take place at the Museum from 16-24 February following Valentine’s Day. You will find out how King Henry’s courtiers captured hearts and put their well-established Tudor craft skills into practice. For further details, please visit www.maryrose.org before your visit.

Entertainment for the whole family at Bluewater

Monday 18th to Thursday 21st February, families are invited to enjoy Story Time with The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Taking place every day between 10am-6pm, the classic tale will be brought to life with a free, 20-minute theatre performance. Children can also take part in a craft activity after the show. Places are limited so guests should head to the event box office outside M&S (lower level) on the day to reserve a slot.

Adventure-loving little ones will be able to travel back in time at Dinotropolis where they can play, learn and discover in an epic soft play adventure with interactive games and animatronic dinosaurs. Kids will come face to face with a host of different dinos, from the king of dinosaurs himself, the T-Rex, to a friendly grazing Diplodocus. Plus, with Raptor Racing karting, Discovery Cove arts and crafts and Dino Jungle soft play, it’s the ultimate activity for aspiring young adventurers or archaeologists.

GraVity Trampoline Park is the perfect activity for friends looking to experience the ultimate trampoline park in Kent. Hop over to the lower hall of Bluewater’s Plaza (near the cinema) and enjoy 25,000 square feet of bouncy fun. Guests of all ages can jump around to their heart’s content between the interconnected trampolines, challenge friends to a game of slam-dunk or dodge ball, or hone their skills on the big air bag. For bookings and further information, visit www.gravity-uk.com/bluewater-dartford

For those looking to catch the latest blockbusters, visit Showcase Cinema de Lux at Bluewater this half term. The cinema offers the ultimate immersive cinema experience, with 17 screens including a wall-to-wall XPLUS. Families can catch an array of amazing movies, including animated sequels such as The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden Worldbluewater.co.uk

Wildwoods

Saturday 16th February – Sunday 24th February Wildwood is celebrating the beauty of the woods in winter with a variety of free activities, talks, four special bushcraft events and an exciting detective trail

Free Activities Touchtables Bird Nourishment Whose Nest? Whose Poo? Daily Talks 11.00 Reindeer | 12.00 Wolves | 13.00 Otters | 14.00 Arctic Foxes

Animal Tracks Trail Can you find the animal tracks and figure out which animal made them? Join our free trail, get all the correct answers and then enter our prize draw for a chance to win vouchers.

Woods for the Trees Children are welcome to join our bushcraft expert, Steve Kirk, to explore how our ancestors survived in the woods. Thurs 21st Feb 11.00-12.30 – Shelter Building 14.00-15.00 – Fire Lighting Fri 22nd Feb 11.00-12.30 – Camouflage 14.00-15.00 – Fire Lighting

01227 209621 or email help@wildwoodtrust.org Limited Spaces. Min Age 7. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Robin Hill Country Park

On the Isle of Wight and is set to transform into Spirit of the Orient, an award-winning electric woods event, and one of the UK’s biggest festivals celebrating Chinese New Year.

From 15th and 23rd February, a dazzling fusion of sound, colour, illuminations and oriental flavours will mark this global event amid ancient, 88-acre woodlands, capturing the spirit of one of the world’s most popular celebrations. Featuring impressive new light exhibits, a 12-metre long dragon procession, new interactive woodland light shows and traditional lion dances to mark the year of the Earth Pig.

Britain’s biggest festival lantern 
A dazzling array of coloured oriental statues, lanterns and over 4,500 lights will bring the woodlands to life. Discover amazing 3D magical water projections that ‘float’ on lakes, Britain’s biggest Chinese festival lantern (made of smaller lanterns) and a new ‘Cascading Bridge’ light exhibit including impressive omni-directional sound, light, projection and pyrotechnics.

Traditional Chinese lion dancing goes digital
Overlooking projections on the woodland ponds, four white lion performers accompanied by a 50-strong pride of digital lions, sound effects and pyrotechnics will take to an LED-lit stage for a spectacular, illuminated dance show. Expertly choreographed, the performances are based on the traditional Chinese lion dance, in which performers mimic a big cat’s movements while dressed as a lion to bring good fortune.

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By Penny McCarthy

Penny McCarthy is a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of Parents News UK, a pioneering publication launched in 1993 to serve the needs of busy parents in Southwest London. Alongside her husband, Fergus McCarthy, Penny played a crucial role in the rapid expansion of the printed edition, which grew from a local startup to a widely circulated monthly publication with a reach of 192,000 copies across Kent, South London, and beyond. Under Penny’s leadership, Parents News quickly became a trusted resource for families, providing valuable information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly events. Her vision helped the publication extend its influence with franchises in Northern Ireland and Cornwall, catering to a growing demand for accessible, family-oriented content. In 1997, recognising the importance of digital media, Penny spearheaded the launch of Parents News UK Online. The website initially mirrored the content of the printed editions and has since evolved into a comprehensive online resource for parents, achieving significant popularity with up to 700 daily hits. In 2017, the publication transitioned fully to an online platform, continuing to inform and engage families across the UK. Today, Penny remains deeply involved in the ongoing success of Parents News UK, focusing on innovative advertising opportunities and future growth plans. Her dedication to supporting families through accessible and practical content has made Parents News a cherished name in households across the country.

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