Supporting the local community
With thanks to Essex & Suffolk Water for funding support of this website through the Abberton Reservoir Community Fund.
February Half Term 2016
With February half term next week Colchester Museums, Leisure World and Essex Outdoors are all running extra activities to keep the kids occupied:
Colchester Museums
Colchester Museums have events running every day with art and craft workshops at Hollytrees Museum, storytelling and castle making at the Castle and monkey and fossil activities at the Natural History Museum:
| Date | Venue | Description | Times | Cost | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 15 Feb | Hollytrees Museum | Portraits in Shadow Work as a group to turn your shadow into a striking silhouette portrait. Minimum age 4 years old | Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | £3 per person | Required, please call 01206 282941 |
| Mon 15 Feb | Colchester Castle | Queen of the Iceni Come and meet Boudica, the brave warrior Queen. | Storytelling at 11am, 1pm and 3pm | Free after normal admission price to the Castle | Not required |
| Tue 16 Feb | Hollytrees Museum | Mini Model Homes Be inspired by our Victorian doll’s house and make your own room in miniature. | Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | £3 per person | Required, please call 01206 282941 |
| Wed 17 Feb | Natural History Museum | Monkey Business Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Monkey with us at the Natural History Museum. Create, personalise and take home your own glove monkey. | Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | £3 per person | Required, please call 01206 282941 |
| Thurs 18 Feb | Natural History Museum | Go Live! Fantastic Fossils Are you fascinated by fossils? Come and meet the fossil experts and have your own fossils identified. | Drop in 10-12pm and 2-4pm | Free event | Not required |
| Fri 19 Feb | Colchester Castle | Crafty Castles From rubbish to ramparts, discover how the Normans built Colchester Castle out of recycled material. Make your own castle out of recycled items. | Workshops at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | £2 per person after normal castle admission | Required, please call 01206 282941 |
Leisure World
As well as its regular activities, Leisure World (call 282000 for bookings and more information) offers further half-term ones including art & craft and sports related as follows:
| Date | Times | Activity | Ages | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 15 Feb | 1.30 – 3.00 | Arts & Crafts – Fun and mess with hands on activities using creativity and imagination | 5 – 11 yrs | £5.80 |
| Tue 16 Feb | 3.00 – 4.00 | Creative Dance – Come along and sing and dance. Use your imagination while developing skills of movement and dance | 1.5 – 4yrs | £4.20 |
| 4.00 – 5.00 | Mini Street | 5 – 7 yrs | £4.20 | |
| 4.00 – 6.00 | Whiz Kids – Fun activities for children with disabilities, including trampolining, bouncy castle, basketball, football and much much more | 0 – 16 yrs | £4.60 | |
| Wed 17 Feb | 1.30 – 3.00 | Team Games – Join in with a variety of sports and games: running, jumping, throwing and catching, but most off all having fun! | 7 – 12 yrs | £6.50 |
| Thurs 18 Feb | 1.30 – 3.00 | Badminton & Short Tennis – Two fun ways to enjoy racket sports and learn new skills | 7 – 12 yrs | £6.50 |
| Fri 19 Feb | 1.30 – 3.00 | Arts & Crafts – Fun and mess with hands on activities using creativity and imagination | 5 – 11 yrs | £5.80 |
Base Camp
With different activities every day including such as multi sports, leisure pool, cinema visit etc., Base camp runs from 58am until 5:30pm for £30 a day.
Kid’s Camp
For school years 1 – 6 only these offer action packed days running from 9am to 3pm for £25 or 8am to 5:30pm for £30 per day.
Essex Outdoors
Essex Outdoors’ action-packed activity day experiences run at our 4 centres during the school holidays and are the ideal way for young people aged 8-16 to try exciting new experiences in the outdoors!
Working in groups of around 10 young people, your child will have the opportunity to take part in up to four fun and challenging activities each day, ranging from archery, canoeing and climbing to mountain biking, high ropes and zip wire.
Constant supervision during the day by our professional instructors will give parents peace of mind and ensure kids have a memorable day! All technical equipment is provided – participants just need to bring, comfortable (and waterproof!) clothing and footwear as well as a packed lunch and a drink.
Special offer for February Half Term – School Holiday Activity Days will be just £15 per child, per day, a saving of 50%.
Bradwell
- Tuesday 16th February – High Ropes & Archery. Book online.
Danbury
- Monday 15th February – Archery, Aerial Trekking, Bushcraft & Obstacle Course
- Tuesday 16th February – BMX, Zip Wire, Problem Solving & Climbing Wall
- Wednesday 17th February – Low Ropes, Climbing Wall, Archery & Zip Wire
- Thursday 18th February – Mountain Biking, Orienteering, Bushcraft & Aerial Trekking
- Friday 19th February – Archery, Bushcraft, BMX & Zip Wire
Mersea
- Monday 15th February – Aerial Runway, Archery, Climbing & Team Challenge
- Thursday 18th February – Climbing, Aerial Runway, Low Ropes & Team Challenge
- Friday 19th February – Adventure Course, Aerial Runway, Archery & Caving.
Short Breaks for Disabled Children
- Saturday 13th February – Activity Day at Mersea
- Thursday 18th February – One Night Break at Bradwell
More information here.
Essex County Council
| Fri 12 Feb 5.30pm | Lantern Walk on Hadleigh Downs, Hadleigh Park | Make a colourful lantern then join other families in a lantern-lit walk across the Olympic mountain bike venue. | £5 per child Book now to attend phone 0345 603 7624. Suitable for age 3+ |
| Sat 13 Feb 10am – 5pm | Raspberry Pi Event, Chelmsford Library | We will have interesting activities for all ages and abilities and activities suitable for primary school children/beginners upwards in using a Raspberry Pi. Put on by Essex Libraries and the Southend Raspberry Jam. | Book now to attend for free. Phone 0345 603 7628 |
| Sat 13 Feb to Sat 21 Feb 10.15am – 2pm | Secret Story Walk, starts from Thorndon Country Park South Pavilion Café | Explore and experience the woods on this this self- guided trail. The story of your own creature develops as you enjoy our play activities in the outdoors. You can really use your imagination. | £3 per trail guide. No need to book. Suitable for children ages 3-9 |
| Sat 13 Feb to Sat 21 Feb 10am – 3pm | Mini rangers trail, Weald Country Park | Buy a Trail booklet from the Visitor Centre, follow the map and stamp each page as you complete your Ranger jobs. Then return to the Visitor Centre to collect a well done gift. Please dress for a walk in the park with lots of mud. Body carriers are advised for small children as not all paths are suitable for buggies. | £3 per booklet, no need to book |
| Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 3pm | Art Workshop at Loughton Library | Come along to lessons in drawing and colouring, held by professional artists. | £6 per person. Book now by phoning 0345 603 7628 Suitable for Ages 7+ (Parents welcome although they must book and participate) |
| Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 3pm | Recycle Themed Dinosaur Events, Witham Library | Come and visit Steggy, the Stegosaurus Rex made up completely from recycled electronic materials. Come along for quizzes, treasure trails and more | No need to book; drop in any time for free entry |
| Mon 15 Feb 2 – 3pm | Harry Potter Night of Spells, Wickford Library | Join us to celebrate the magic of the Harry Potter series with crafts, colouring, and activities to entertain young witches and wizards aged 7 and up. It would be Riddikulus to miss this! | Ages 7 and over. No need to book; drop in any time for free entry. |
| Mon 15 Feb | Pop up Drama, Harlow Library | A unique drama and art workshop that will stretch your child’s imagination, build their confidence and teach them invaluable art and drama skills. | Book now by phoning 0345603 7628. £10 per child |
| Mon 15 Feb 11am | Teddy Bears picnic at Southminster Library | Make your own Paddington Bear, quiz trail and other activities. Bring a snack and decorate a cake for a teddy bears picnic storytime. | Free of charge, no need to book. Suitable for under fives However elder siblings are welcome. |
| Mon 15 Feb 10.30am – 12 noon and 1.30pm – 3pm | How to Draw and How to Colour, Loughton Library | Children’s workshops | Must book before-hand. Phone 01992 564000 |
| Mon 15 Feb to Fri 19 Feb | Bear Hunt, Great Baddow library | Going on a Bear Hunt’ themed week including Teddy bears story time – bring your teddy, find the famous bear trail and teddy bear crafts. | Open to all children aged 0-11 years old. No need to book. Drop in for free. |
| Mon 15 Feb to Sat 20 Feb | Harry Potter Week, Chelmsford Library | Drop in to participate in a load of fun, Harry Potter related activities such as word scrabble, colouring, and making your own Hogwarts tie | No need to book. Drop in any time for free entry. |
| Tue 16 Feb 10am – 12pm | Knex workshop, Frinton Library | Create Knex models using your problem solving skills, imagination and communication. | Limited spaces. Pop in or phone to book a place on 01255 672581. |
| Tue 16 Feb 10.30am to 12.00pm | Bugs and Other Creepy Crawlies, Maldon Library | Event will involve story time, making bug related craft, and making fresh fruit kebabs. | Children up to 11 years old. Free entry and no need to book. |
| Tue 16 Feb 2pm – 3pm | Real Life Fireman, Sible Hedingham Library | Come and meet a REAL fireman, hear some great stories and make your own fire engine! | Aimed at under sevens and is free of charge. No need to book. |
| Tue 16 Feb 2pm to 4pm | Knex Workshop, Clacton Library | Create Knex models using your problem solving skills, imagination and communication. | Ticketed event. To book, phone 0345 603 7628. |
| Wed 17 Feb 10am – 11.30am | Where’s Wally? trail, quizzes, crafts and fun, Broomfield Library | Be the best dressed Wally in red and white | Free entry and no need to book. Suitable for ages up to eight. |
| Wed 17 Feb 11am – 1pm | Harry Potter Event, Rayleigh Library | Come in costume and join in with the activities for children | No need to book. Drop in any time for free. Suitable for children ages 5-9. |
| Wed 17 Feb 11am – 2pm | Wild Wednesday, Danbury Country Park | Free children’s activities, including making dens and mud pies, wading in the stream, splashing in puddles, kicking leaves, forest crafts, finding fish and more. | Free of charge. No need to book. |
| Wed 17 Feb 3pm | Paddington Bear story time and Activities Event, Wickham Bishops | Join in with story time, colouring and craft activities | Free entry and no need to book. Suitable for under fives. However, elder siblings are welcome. |
| Wed 17 Feb 2pm | Family Bike Ride, Hadleigh Park | This is a fun ride for families, taking in the beautiful landscape of the Hadleigh Downs and Thames estuary. Helmets MUST be worn – “no helmet, no ride”. Please ensure your bike is in a safe riding condition. | Book now to attend. Phone 01702 551076. This event is free if you bring your own bike. Alternatively bike hire is available – please reserve a bike in advance by phoning 01702 551076. Suitable for families with children aged 10+ (all children must be accompanied) |
| Thu 18 Feb 10am – 12 noon | Kite Making, Hadleigh Park | Make your very own kite with the help of the rangers, then send it soaring over the downs. | Suitable for ages 4+£5 per kite. No need to book. |
| Thu 18 Feb 10am – 12 noon | Drop in Pirate and Princess Event, Brightlingsea Library | Drop in Pirate and Princesses Event at Brightlingsea Library. Children welcome to dress up. Story time at 11am. Crafts between 10 –12. | No need to book. Drop in anytime for free. Children of all ages welcome. |
| Thu 18 Feb 2pm | Harry Potter Event, Brentwood Library | Come along and take part in our Harry Potter quizzes and join us as we make a spell trail | No need to book. Drop in any time for free entry. |
| Fri 19 Feb 2pm – 4pm | Owls From Plop to Hedwig, Danbury Library | Free children’s crafts – make an owl. Share a story. Learn more about owls by following our puzzle trail. | No booking required. Drop in for free. |
| Sat 20 Feb 10am – 12 noon | Hour of Code Event, Rayleigh Library | Take the opportunity to spend a fun hour learning to code with Star Wars, Minecraft or Frozen. | For children aged 7-11. |
| Sat 20 Feb 2.30pm – 4.30pm | Reading Dangerously, Colchester Library | Come along to an afternoon with the Year of Reading Dangerously team, who will be sharing their enthusiasm for writers from around the world, through a number of activities, including speed- dating with books. Includes afternoon tea and a chance to chat to other readers. | Drop in for free. No booking required. |
| Sun 21 Feb 1pm – 3.30pm | Iron Age Roundhouse Open Afternoon, Hadleigh Park | Explore our replica Iron Age roundhouse and learn how your ancestors lived 2000 years ago. Find out how charcoal was made – without it, there wouldn’t have been an Iron Age. Drop in event. | Free entry to Roundhouse. |
