If you’re looking for inspiration for the perfect February school holiday, check out these great ideas for the best things to do in Half Term! Coming up with ideas to keep the kids entertained is always a challenge. That’s especially true when the weather keeps them indoors. So we’ve come up with the perfect rainy day treats for a family friendly day out!
Jungle Rumble
Take a walk on the wild side with this brand new family musical adventure! Perfect for younger kids from 4 – 10 years old to take the grown-ups to. A great way to introduce kids to the magic of live theatre. Meet Eeli the Ancient Elephant, Zella the shy zebra, and cheeky monkey Boo. Journey deep into the heart of the jungle on a quest to save Snow, the last white lion on earth. Packed with jungle songs, groovy dance moves and thrilling storytelling, this is guaranteed to keep the kids on the edge of their seats!
Find tickets for Jungle Rumble from £18.00
Travel tip: Keep the family entertained on journeys with the Alphabet game. Pick a subject – Animals, Job titles, Boys names etc, and take it in turns to find an example with the next letter of the alphabet, eg Ant, Bear, Chipmunk, etc…
Magic Goes Wrong
The only thing better than a truly great magic show is one where everything goes completely wrong! Hilarious from start to finish, with illusions designed by legendary comedians Penn & Teller*. Meet an accident-prone gang of determined amateur magicians at this charity fundraiser. As the disasters spiral out of control, so does their fundraising. Magical fun for the whole family.
*Penn & Teller do not appear in the show – they disappeared when one of the tricks ended in catastrophe!
Find tickets for Magic Goes Wrong from £24.00
Wicked
If you want an even more magical experience, wrapped in an award-winning musical, Wicked is a must see. One of the best things to do in half term is a gravity-defying trip to the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Witness the story of Elphaba, the Witch of the West and find out just what turned her wicked. Step into the magical land of Oz, where all is not what it seems.
Find tickets for Wicked from £18.00
Mary Poppins
Another musical packed full of half term magic is the sensational Mary Poppins. Everyone’s favourite nanny recently flew back into the West End. So pack an umbrella and fly down to the Prince Edward theatre before the wind changes. Practically perfect in every way!
Find tickets from Mary Poppins from £24.00
‘Free’ Best Things to do in Half Term
Make a day of it – combine your trip to see a West End musical with a visit to nearby St James’ Park. Totally free and if you bring your own birdseed, it won’t even cost you tuppence a bag to feed the ducks, swans and pelicans. Fab views of Buckingham Palace too!
Matilda
Musicals and magic go hand in hand. Roald Dahl knew that the best magic comes in small packages when he created Matilda. Matilda is no ordinary schoolgirl – but then neither is her terrifying teacher, ex Olympic hammer-thrower Miss Trunchbull. Can Matilda triumph over the horrid headmistress of Crunchem Hall? This family favourite is the West End’s most revoltingly raucous musical!
Find tickets for Matilda from £20.00
Cinderella
Teenagers will love this turned-on-its-head fairytale. This Cinderella is a bit of a bad*ss, and definitely has her own unique ideas about love. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Oscar winning writer Emerald Fennell unite for this brand new musical. Revolutionary staging literally makes the earth move for a whole section of the audience! Contains adult themes and strong language.
Find tickets for Cinderella from £23.40
The Woman in Black
Another awesome show for the older kids (too scary for little ones), The Woman in Black is still terrifying audiences 30 years after first hitting the West End Stage. The perfect ghost story, told by just two actors, proves that you don’t need special effects to scare the bejeezus out of an audience!
Find tickets for The Woman in Black from £25.80
‘Scary’ Best Things to do in Half Term
If you and your kids love to be scared, just across the street from The Woman in Black is the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Take a backstage tour of Drury Lane, one of London’s most haunted buildings, bookable through LW Theatres.
Cirque du Soleil Luzia
Is your idea of terrifying being dangled from the ceiling of the Royal Albert Hall by a rope? If so, sit back and enjoy the spectacular acrobatic skills of Cirque du Soleil from the safety of your own seat. Their new show is a celebration of Mexico’s latin rhythms, love and light.
Find tickets for Cirque du Soleil Luzia from £48.25
Merlin Attractions
London has truly world class family attractions. The kids will love you for treating them to any of these phenomenal days out:
Shrek’s Adventure! Be part of the movie with this brilliant immersive journey through Far Far Away.
London Dungeon. Step inside London’s horrible history, from Jack the Ripper to Guy Fawkes.
Madame Tussauds. Get up close and personal with A-List Movie Stars, Royals and Superheroes.
The lastminute.com London Eye. Enjoy 40km views across the greatest city on earth.
SEALIFE London. Enter a magical underwater world of sharks, octopus and coral reefs.
If you’re planning more than one visit to these Merlin Attractions during half term, you can save even more money by booking one of the many Merlin multiple entry tickets from just £45.00.
Best things to do in Half Term (and beyond)…
Looking for great family day out later this spring? Check out one of the UK’s great theme parks. Take our Theme Park Ride Quiz: Which Ride am I – and see which Rollercoaster Ride is your perfect match! Guaranteed to provide inspiration for when the warm weather returns.
Well, Wicked actually is a good suggestion here——-when I was 12, I saw Wicked at The Gershwin Theater, and it totally changed my life. A spectacular musical- in total saw it 5 times- once was Broadway and four times was the US Tour. Feels so magical and well, OZian (no matter where you see it)