Airfix model making at RAF Museum Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is inviting families to participate in a fun model making activity this February half term.

There’s plenty of family fun to be had in Shropshire this February half term holiday – find an event near you!

Taking place from Monday 16 to Friday 20 February, visitors will have the opportunity to build a First World War Airfix kit.

Children can choose from either an Airfix 1:72 Sopwith Pup or an Airfix 1:72 Albatross and will build their models alongside the full sized aircraft on display at the Museum in a communal and fun atmosphere. Suitable for children aged 8+, you don’t have to be a skilled modeller to take part as staff will be there to lend a hand and to ensure visitors get the most from their modelling. Plus, if you need a little inspiration as to how to paint your Airfix model, take a look at the real Sopwith Pup on display in the new ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibition.

If building an Airfix kit is too fiddly for your little ones, families with younger children can opt to assemble and decorate a wooden biplane. Each kit contains pre-cut wooden pieces, plastic screw and easy to follow instructions. To give your wooden kit the wow factor, the Museum will provide all the colours and accessories needed to help personalise your model.

To participate in the model making activity purchase your ticket from the Visitor Centre on arrival. The event will take place in the Museum’s Hangar 1 next to the famous 1:1 scale Airfix model Spitfire built by TV Presenter James May. Sessions will run from 11.30am to 3.30pm each day and participation is just £3.00 per person. All materials including glue, paints and brushes will be provided by the Museum. (Children will need to be supervised by an adult and may require assistance with the model making.) All participants will receive a 10% discount voucher to use on plastic model kits for sale in the souvenir shop.

A Fairytale February at Stokesay Castle (17th – 18th)

Budding knights and princesses wanted for a time-travelling day out at Stokesay Castle this half term!

Running on Tuesday and Wednesday of the holidays, between 11am – 4pm, children of all ages can become the hero of their own fairy-tale adventure in Stokesay’s Knights and Princesses Academy.

Young citizens of Shropshire and beyond are invited to sign up and discover what life was really like in a medieval castle. They can hear tales of chivalry, dashing knights and fearsome battles, see how their manners would have fared in courtly etiquette classes, and even test their own heroic credentials as they learn how to handle a sword and compete in a joust. Perfect for parents looking for a family friendly day out, this is a fun and hands-on way for children to discover days gone by.

Once you’re ready to put down your swords, be sure to take some time to enjoy the Castle’s picturesque grounds and immaculately preserved medieval great hall. An audio tour will help you imagine Stokesay as the centre of medieval life, and children will love climbing to the top of the south tower. The cottage garden and moat walk are also the perfect place for the whole family to let off some steam, play king of the castle and really shake off the winter blues!

The beautiful manor house, a tearoom serving warming seasonal dishes and the Castle shop for unique gifts make it an ideal day out for all the family.

Prices (includes entry to Castle and Grounds): Adults 6.40 / Concessions £5.80 / Children £3.80 / Family £16.60 / Members Free.

Half term at Severn Valley Country Park

Staff at the Severn Valley Country Park near Alveley are currently preparing for February half term.

The visitor centre and tea shop will be open every day between Saturday 14 February 2015 and Sunday 22 February 2015, from 11am-4pm. Tasty cakes, made to order sandwiches, homestyle soup and many other delicious snacks will be available daily.

The rangers are getting ready for a number of fun-filled children’s events.

On Wednesday 18 February there will be two sessions (10am-12pm and 1.30pm-3.30pm) full of wild weather experiments. The children can make their own tornadoes, see how hot air rises, make a cloud in a jar and play musical thunder! Then, on Friday 20 February, you can join rangers for an exciting nature trail around the park. There will be fun games to play and cool facts to learn about the plants and wildlife. There are two sessions, either 11am-12.30pm or 2pm-3.30pm.

For all events booking is essential and you can call 01746 781192 to book your place. The cost is £3 per child (adults free), and under 8s must be accompanied by an adult.

Chinese Year of the Goat activities at Coalport China Museum

Oriental themed family workshops and activities celebrating the Chinese Year of the Goat are being staged at Coalport China Museum in Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge during the February school half-term.

Join drop-in workshops from Monday 16 – Friday 20 February and decorate your own Chinese design on a clay plaque or try your hand at sculpting a goat, dragon, pagoda or lotus blossom from clay. You can also paint a delicate china flower or fridge magnet, or join in paper based activities.

The half-term workshops at Coalport China Museum will be held from 11am until 1pm and 2pm until 4pm; ceramic activities carry an additional fee from £2 unfired or £4 plus a postage charge from £3.50, if you want to have your creation fired and sent home after.

Open 10am to 5pm Coalport is one of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing entry into all ten museums, valid for twelve months and unlimited return visits, costs £27.50 per adult, £21 for the 60 plus, £16.50 for students and children and £68 for a family of two adults and all their children aged up to 18 years in full time education (terms and conditions apply); under 5s free.

All at Sea for Half Term Fun (19 & 20th)

Arts Alive serves up a generous helping of fun this half-term for children age 4+ and their families, when Squashbox Theatre brings The Sea Show to Shropshire.

The Sea Show is a quirky and hilarious mix of puppet show, natural history and comedy cabaret. Meet crazy characters like Morwenna the ‘beautiful’ mermaid, Ruan the reformed seagull and salty seadog Captain Pemburthy, as well as a cast of mischievous sea-squirts, anemones, limpets, crabs and pilchards. Come and celebrate the sea with tall tales, silly slapstick, fantastic facts, live music and songs – unmissable fun for all ages!

The Hive, 5 Belmont, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TE, 2pm Thursday 19 February
Tickets £8/£6 on 01743 234970 or via www.artsalive.co.uk

Alveley Parish Memorial Hall, WV15 6JT, 3pm Friday 20 February
Tickets £6/£4 on 01746 780478 or via www.artsalive.co.uk

New sweet-themed event at Blists Hill Victorian Town (14 – 22)

Go along to Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge during half term, Saturday 14th to Sunday 22nd February, and join in a new sweet-themed event.

Make boxes for your favourite sweets and find out more about the history of sweets in the daily Sweets Talk. Using simple craft materials, the Sweethearts workshops will be held in the Goods Shed and are best suited for 5-15 year olds.

There will be daily sessions between 11am-1pm and 2pm- 4pm; activities carry a small charge in addition to the museum admission fee.

Blists Hill is open from 10am to 4pm. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing entry into all ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums, valid for twelve months and unlimited return visits, costs £27.50 per adult, £21 for the 60 plus, £16.50 for students and children and £68 for a family of two adults and all their children aged up to 18 years in full time education (terms and conditions apply); under 5s free. Activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee. Individual museum entry tickets are also available.

Tile decorating at Jackfield Tile Museum (14th, 16th – 21st)

Let your imagination run wild this half-term at informal tile decorating workshops at Jackfield Tile Museum in Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge.

Create your own designs at these fun drop-in sessions, which will take place on Saturday, 14th February and again from Monday 16th to Saturday 21st February. The Victorian tube lining technique will be used to decorate the tiles, which are priced from £5 per tile (p&p extra to have your tile sent home after firing) plus the Museum admission fee. Workshops start from 10am, but allowing up to 1½ hours to decorate your tile, last admission is at 3.15pm.

Jackfield Tile Museum is open 10am to 5pm. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing entry into all ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums, valid for twelve months and unlimited return visits, costs £27.50 per adult, £21 for the 60 plus, £16.50 for students and children and £68 for a family of two adults and all their children aged up to 18 years in full time education (terms and conditions apply); under 5s free. Activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee. Individual museum entry tickets are also available.

Create pneumatic rockets and discover the fun of flying at Enginuity

Design and build a pneumatic rocket from craft materials and discover the fun of flying during the February half-term week at Enginuity, near Ironbridge.

From Saturday 14 until Sunday 22nd February families can join drop-in workshops between 10.30am and 3.45pm where paper, card and plastic nose cones will be used to create model rockets of around 30cm in length. The rockets can then be ‘fired’ through a selection of suspended targets from Enginuity’s pneumatic (air powered) launcher.

Enginuity is open 10am to 5pm. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing entry into all ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums, valid for twelve months and unlimited return visits, costs £27.50 per adult, £21 for the 60 plus, £16.50 for students and children and £68 for a family of two adults and all their children aged up to 18 years in full time education (terms and conditions apply); under 5s free. Activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee. Individual museum entry tickets are also available.

Half term football coaching sessions in Shrewsbury

Budding Beckhams are invited to master their football skills during half term at a series of coaching sessions being held in Shrewsbury.

Pass Master coaching, in association with Shrewsbury Town Council, will be offering sessions at Monkmoor Recreation Centre, on the outdoor astroturf, between February 16 and 20.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there will be two sessions, mornings from 10am until 12.30pm and afternoons from 1.30pm until 3pm. Sessions are open to ages five to 11 and players require suitable footwear for playing on astroturf (no screw in type studs permitted).

Morning sessions cost £6 and afternoons £3. All day places are available for £9 with discounts for siblings. Early drop-off from 8.30am available Monday, Wednesday and Friday for an additional £2 per child.

There will also be two free girls only taster sessions on Tuesday from 11am until 1pm and Thursday 1pm until 3pm for ages six to 11 years.

For all sessions shin pads must be worn and children should bring adequate clothing which should include a sweatshirt/rain jacket as well as plenty of drinks and a packed lunch where applicable.

Sessions are run by FA qualified coaches with CRB, First Aid and Safeguarding Children certificates.

Booking is essential as places are limited. Call Steve Green on 07503 260041 or email stevepassmastercoaching@gmail.com

February Half Term Adventures at Attingham Park

Shake off the winter blues at Attingham Park this February half term.

There’s plenty to keep the family entertained from Rugby in the Park to family trails and a magical illuminated walk through the woods on an Evening Snowdrop Walk.

There’s a chance for visitors to get up close to our deer herd every day of the half term holiday and watch them being fed by our Wardens at 2pm. The team at Attingham are continuing the traditions of the eighth Lord Berwick who loved his fallow deer herd so much he would often feed them himself.

All week families can stretch their legs and explore the grounds with a themed holiday trail from 10am – 4pm each day, £2.50 per trail including a prize, or follow the self-guided snowdrop trail to find Attingham’s snowdrop hot spots.

Warm up and have a go at Touch and Tag Rugby up by the Playfield on Sunday 15 February, where there will be demonstrations and taster sessions for all the family to take part in from 11am-3pm

Tuesday 17 February will see the launch of the new holiday activity club ‘Attingham Adventures’ with a Campfire Celebration. Head up to the Shoulder of Mutton Playfield from 1pm – 4pm to toast marshmallows, make some popcorn, and learn about stargazing. There is an additional charge of £5 per child to take part and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Challenge your family at Attingham’s ‘Sporty Wednesday’ events on the 18 February. Keep warm and race each other around the self-guided orienteering trail in the grounds (map available from Visitor Reception) or to the top of the Climbing Wall in the Playfield (11am – 3pm, £4 per climb, suitable for 4+ years at instructor’s discretion).

Families can also see Attingham’s extraordinary snowdrop displays in a different light on the Snowdrop Evening Walks on Friday 20 – Sunday 22 February from 5.30 – 8pm. On these evenings visitors will be able to enjoy a magical walk through the atmospheric woods lit up with hundreds of candles and discover the Walled Garden lit for the evening. Afterwards they can step into the warmth of the Bothy and visit the Greedy Pig (open 6pm – 7.30pm) to warm up with hot drinks, snacks and sausage and bacon baps (cash payments only). There is a charge of £2 per person, plus standard grounds admission charge for non-members. Last admission will be at 7.30pm and as this is an evening event, a torch is essential.

Grounds admission charges apply for all events, National Trust members and under 5s go free. For further information please visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attinghampark or call the property on 01743 708162.