Things to Do At May Half Term 2024
Image Credit: Ilona
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May Half Term in 2024 falls between Monday 27th May 2024 and Friday 31st May 2024.
Hopefully by now there is some good weather to look forward to in the UK, so when the kids have a week off from school, you are going to need some ideas for things to do!
School holidays may vary so always double check your children's school holiday dates before booking anything. You can check out UK school holiday dates here.
Events and Places To Go in May Half Term 2024
So here is a whole lot of ideas of places to go and things to do during the May Half Term holiday.
Family events happening across the whole of the UK during the school May Half Term holidays this year.
- Down On The Farm
- National Trust
- Seems a bit Fishy..
See the life aquatic at one of the best aquariums in the UK see anything from fish to sharks, seals and otters. There are locations across the UK.
As well as experiencing Britain's amazing sea creatures you can learn about the underwater realms around the world.
Animal lovers will have a brilliant time at one of the UK's Top Farm Parks, whether you love sheep and goats, cows, horses, chickens and rabbits. Some places include more exotic animals such as llamas and meerkats.
The National Trust properties across the UK will be holding events over Half Term, so check out your local venus for events, including lots of way to tick items off your 50 things to do before you're 11 ¾ list.
There are events that are happening across the UK, then you can find out what is happening where you live.
- May Half Term Events in England
- May Half Term Events in Scotland
- May Half Term Events In Wales
- May Half Term Events in Northern Ireland
- CBeebies Land At Alton Towers is 10!
The UK's only CBeebiesland is 10 years old, so between 25th May and 2nd June 2024 you can enjoy brand-new LIVE entertainment, fun filled activities, exciting food, drinks, and surprise appearances by special guests!
In the CBeebies land location at Alton Towers you can meet some of your favourite CBeebies friends including Evie Pickerill, Gyasi Sheppy, Joanna Adeyinka-Burford, Rhys Stephenson, George Webster, Dodge The Dog, Rebecca Keatley and Ben Cajee.
Plus on selected days see special guests including Mister Maker, Andy Day and Justin Fletcher.
- Treason & Plot
- LEGOLAND Discovery Centres: NINJAGO Dragons Rising
- The Eden Project - Cornwall
- ‘Get, Set, Grow’
- The Manchester Flower Festival
- Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery
Head down to the National Railway Museum this May to try out Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery, an unmissable new interactive experience for families - where nothing is off limits.
Play your way through 18 hands-on challenges and fuel their curiosity with amazing live experiments.
Test your engineering skills as you step into the human wind tunnel, launch a rocket, and build big—then immerse yourself in an explosive live show to reveal the science behind the fun.
- Edinburgh International Children’s Festival
- Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye
- National Museum Cardiff
- Meet The Gruffalo In Llanarthne
- Medieval Festival at Beaumaris Castle
- Fairbourne Railway
- Bing's Nature Explorers
In Co Down, Northern Ireland, the WWT's Castle Espie become one of Bing’s Nature Explorers as you join Bing and Flop to become a Nature Explorer with activity trails, storytelling, character appearances and much more.
All activities are included in admission ticket or free for WWT members. It runs from 23rd March to 2nd June 2024, so all over Easter and through until May Half Term.
May Half Term Holiday Events In England
Family events happening across England during the school May Half Term holidays this year.
London's The Gunpowder Plot is an immersive experience, which is located at the iconic and historic Tower of London.
The experience promises a chance to step back into 1605 and be part of the Gunpowder Plot as it unfolds. Book The Gun Powder Plot Immersive Experience Now
Lloyd must train a new generation of Ninjas to help find the most powerful elemental dragons before evil Empress Beatrix and her brutal Claw Hunters do. It’s time to rise up with Lloyd at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Birmingham, find your dragon power and help save this amazing new world this May Half Term.
You’ll need to find six missing Ninja in Miniland to solve a word puzzle and gain a burst of dragon power. Learn the ancient art of Spinjitzu with Lloyd and our playmakers.
To find out more or book visit Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham
In Cornwall you can join Festival of Imagination at the Eden Project for a fantastic family fun event from 25th May – 2nd June full of theatre, dance, music and literature.
Create a buzz this May half term at RHS Wisley in Surrey and RHS Rosemoor in Devon, and learn how to encourage these fantastic pollinators into your garden. There will be a garden trail, daily activities and interactive performances to help you discover more about our garden visitors.
You would bee mad to miss it, and if you join the RHS now 2 adults and 2 children can get into any of the Royal Horticultural Society's five gardens free for the whole year.
The Manchester Flower Festival is a fantastic FREE event all over Manchester City Centre with floral installations, outdoor dining, live music and entertainment, you’re in for a bloomin’ amazing long bank holiday weekend from 24th to 27th May.
Follow the Floral Trail with tributes to Manchester's finest Icons, From floral installations to outdoor dining, live music and entertainment, you’re in for a bloomin’ amazing long weekend in Manchester city centre. Free and open to all, come along and see Manchester in flowers.
May Half Term Holiday Events In Scotland
Family events happening across Scotland during the school May Half Term holidays this year.
The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival takes place over May Half Term and celebrates the best of children’s theatre and dance from around the world.
From 25 May – 05 June 2024 there is a full programme of performances, activities and pop-up events that are dedicated to entertaining and engaging children from toddlers to teenagers at locations across Edinburgh.
May Half Term Holiday Events In Wales
Family events happening across Wales during the school May Half Term holidays this year.
Image Credit: Chris Athanasiou
The Hay Festival is one of the UK's biggest and most prestigious literary festivals in the UK, and they have a huge programme of bookish events for children and families.
The program for 2024 will be announced in March.
The festival runs in Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh border from 25th May to 4th June 2024.
Fet down to the The National Museum in Cardiff where you can Wallow in The Fossil Swamp
This new exhibition reveals a snapshot in time from 300 million years ago - when a vast tropical swamp covered what is now Wales. The Fossil Swamp had monster plants, giant insects, thunderstorms and floods.
Opening on 18th May, you can see some of the fossils on display, including the huge 3D centrepiece Stigmaria, come from the world-class heritage site at Brymbo in north east Wales. The Brymbo fossils reveal exactly how some of these giant plants grew.
Image Credit: NBGW
A new Gruffalo Trail has opened at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne Carmarthenshire.
It features five larger-than-life sculptures of characters from the ever-popular books created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and the Gruffalo.
Plus you can visit British Bird of Prey Centre, the only bird of prey centre in the UK that focuses solely on our native species along with The Great Glasshouse which houses some of the most endangered plants on the planet.
Visit Beaumaris Castle over the bank Holiday weekend Sat 25 May - Mon 27 May 2024 and be transported back to medieval times, where knights, lords and ladies, musicians and jesters take you back to what life was like at the time in Wales.
At the Medieval Festival you can experience medieval life at its best. Visit the medieval encampment, learn about arrow making, leather work, medieval cooking, weapons, games and more.
Fairbourne Railway is a little hidden gem in North Wales, running from Fairbourne village to the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary, connecting with the ferry to Barmouth for over 100 years. Children go for just £1.
They also have a miniature railway where from May 27th to 29th they have a Steam and Diesel Gala, with model railways and miniature train rides.
May Half Term Holiday Events In Northern Ireland
Family events happening across Northern Ireland during the school May Half Term holidays this year.
If you need some more ideas here are 5 Free Things to Do in any Town, City or Village.
Staying Indoors
If the weather is bad or you just fancy a cosy day at home, here are some more ideas.
- Make your own Playdough from ingredients that you will already have stored in the kitchen.
- Don't let the kids brains get rusty over half term with our free printable Wordsearches and Anagrams.
- Try some retro fun and teach the kids to make a pillow fort.
- Teach the kids a useful skill that you will have for life with our 7 Tips for Teaching Kids to Knit (or find a crafty friend who can help) then get the kids knitting.
- Catch up on some classic kids books with these 20 Children's Classics that You Can Download for FREE Now. Everything from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Treasure island to Heidi, The Jungle Book and Little Women.
- I can hear the groans from here, but some kids may just have some revision to do.....
Plan out your half term week with our FREE printable School Half Term Holiday Planner which is free to download and print off in PDF format.