Half Term Events For Families In The NorthWest

I have been sent a bazillion press releases about things that will be happening over half term, here are a few of the ones I like best for families...

Have an Icky, Yucky, Sticky half term at Eureka!
 Dr Frankenstein will be hosting a Halloween half term with a difference at Eureka! in Halifax from 24 October through to 1 November 2015. The infamous doctor will be exploring the ickier, stickier, distinctly yuckier side of the human body along with his notorious monster and a few unusual medical professionals.

Visitors to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum this half term will have the chance to join Dr Frankenstein for regular shows to meet his latest creation, discover some disgusting facts and delve deeper into the workings of the human body. Blergh!

If you’re feeling brave you can head into the Eureka! Gross Lab to get hands-on and grossed out! Mix and stir to make your own slime and test your luck on a disgusting Halloween Trick or Treat game – not for the faint-hearted! Lots of fun (and a bit of mess) guaranteed.

Icky, Yucky, Sticky Stuff special activities will be free with standard admission or a Eureka! Annual Pass.
 

Halloween beneath the Ocean!
If you are looking for a scare, look no further, SEA LIFE, Manchester offers more mysterious creatures and spooky delights than your average Halloween party.
Although everything is not what it seems, some of the scariest looking creatures are actually some of the most sensitive creatures in the ocean.
The list of creatures on display includes; Vampire Tang, Blood Shrimp, Rays and Sharks, bioluminescence (glow in the dark) Pinecone fish, Black Durgeon (which have ‘wings’ that make them look like bat vampires), creepy crabs, Porcupine blowfish, Venomous Lionfish, Moray Eel, Moon Jellies and even the famous giant Japanese Spider Crab with a claw span of 1 metre.
Despite the appearance of this vast array of creatures, visitors will learn a key message that in the sea, it is we humans who are the real monsters!
In addition to the nations attempts to reduce plastic bag use, they will highlight some of the horrors that pollution, over-fishing and other human follies are inflicting on the marine world.
There will be lots of fishy fun too, of course…including a novel pumpkin hunt, a Yucky Dip, spooky fact finding, paper lantern making, crafts and fancy dress. To find out more visit www.visitsealife.co.uk/manchester

Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
If you’re looking to keep the kids entertained this half term or want to treat the children to some festive Halloween fun without the scares, then ‘Brick or Treat’ at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre in Manchester is the event for you – there’s even free entry for little monsters in costume on 31st October*!

On arrival, you’ll be given a special Halloween Hunt card that needs to be completed during the journey around the attraction. You’ll come nose-to-brick with not one but three giant spooktacular castles, which have been built by the resident Master Model Builder and his Creative Crew, but be warned, they’re each haunted by LEGO® zombies, ghosts and skeletons.

Guests who take part in the Halloween Hunt will be given the chance to win some scarily good prizes including a LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre family annual pass (for 4 people) worth over £120.

If pumpkin scooping and carving sounds like messy business with little ones in tow, fear not, you can build your own special LEGO pumpkin in the designated Halloween building area. But that’s not all, as an extra treat you’re invited to get hands on and help to theme the spooky LEGO® ghost train that will be chugging its way past the haunted castles.

Children that get into the Halloween spirit and dress in costume on All Hallow’s Eve itself (31st October) will get free entry into the attraction when accompanied by one paying adult! Once inside they can seek out the spooky monsters lost in haunted MINILAND®.

To guarantee your entry and save up to 40% book your tickets online before you visit at www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/manchester. *Free entry is available for all children aged under 11 that are wearing a full Halloween costume and accompanied by one paying adult. Masks will not be accepted as costumes. One free child only per paying adult. Valid on 31st October 2015 only. 

The Met Theatre in Bury
On Tuesday 27 October at 2pm Big Telly Theatre Company present Gulliver. When Gulliver returns from another of his travels his family are more than a little perplexed. They had just about coped with the giants, the tiny people, the floating islands and outlandish inventions. But a world rules by horses?  Gulliver is an uproarious theatrical adventure suitable for ages 12+. Tickets £6. ‘A hilarious sequel in which the classic tale is completely turned on its head. Think Modern Family meets the Simpsons.’ The MAC (on Gulliver)

On Wednesday 28 October Publick Transport bring We Are Brontë to The Met. We Are Brontë is a visually comic family friendly introduction to the world of the Brontës. Part play, part enquiry into the act of putting on a play, this promises to be no ordinary Brontë adaptation. The performance of We Are Brontë will begin at 7.30pm and is suitable for ages 12+, tickets £10/£6 concessions.

Kid Carpet brings his new show Kid Carpet and the Noisy Neighbours to The Met on Thursday 29 October at 1pm. Using music, puppetry and projection Kid Carpet and the Noisy Neighbours looks at what it’s like to move into a new house in the city and find your place there. Kid Carpet and the Noisy Neighbours is suitable for ages 6+, tickets £6.

Returning to The Met on Friday 30 October is Artful Playground with The Toothy Adventures of Davy Denture, an imaginative and interactive musical journey for children. Everyone expects Davy to be a dentist when he grows up, but he wants to be…something else. Off he goes with Grandpa and Robot on a special adventure where he makes toothy discoveries, learns about love and loss, and finally decides what he wants to be. Artful Playground’s interactive stories are aimed at young children ages 3+ and children with special educational needs. Performances of The Toothy Adventures of Daviy Denture are 11am & 1pm, tickets £6.

Join Les Enfants Terribles at 7pm on Thursday 5 November for the Imaginary Menagerie. Join Dr Longitude in his quest to discover how many legs a Decapus has, or if the fabled Massive Paw is a myth. Find out is anyone has ever seen a Bumblewasp or what you feed a Whistling Pank. Packed with puppets, music and magic Imaginary Menagerie is the world’s weirdest wonder emporium. Imaginary Menagerie is suitable for ages 6+, tickets £10/£6 concessions.

For more information on any of these events or to book tickets phone The Met’s Box Office on 0161 761 2216 or go online at www.themet.biz.