Half Term activities in South London

Surrey Docks Farm

As usual there are plenty of family activities lined up at this working farm. Family sessions include cooking, nature crafts in which those taking part can make a bird feeder or grow an edible cress field complete with a scarecrow, a piglets club for young farmers and a baby music class.

Elsewhere there is a chance for those aged between eight and 13 to become the ultimate survivalist with Wilderness & Survival Skills. Those taking part can learn how to build their own fire, do some wilderness cooking and make shelters from plants and trees.

There is also a Ceramics Workshop for those aged between five and 13 to learn how to mould and create objects from clay.

Throughout the week the livestock team will be on hand to introduce visitors to rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and poultry on the farm.

Visit www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk/half-term-holiday-activities-15th-19th-february-2016/ for listings.

Herne Hill Velodrome

The weather may not be great but that doesn't mean kids should be inside. The Herne Hill Velodrome has sessions for children aged between eight and 16 this half term. The sessions run from 10am to 3pm, and are suitable for all abilities, from complete beginners to track riding and mountain biking, to experienced racers. Riders will be able to choose between mountain-biking and track cycling.
It costs £15 per child per day. Bike and helmet hire included. Those taking part need to bring a packed lunch, plenty to drink and warm, suitable clothes.

Visit www.hernehillvelodrome.com/ or email bookings@hernehillvelodrome.com to book a place.

Horniman Museum

An exhibition which shows what great parents dinosaurs were is set to open at the Horniman.

Dinosaurs: Monster Families aims to reveal the fascinating family life of dinosaurs through interactive exhibits, authentic specimens from around the world and life-size models. Visitors will be able to view an amazing collection of fossils including the longest dinosaur eggs ever discovered, meet a replica of Baby Louie which is the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur hatchling, dig in the discovery pit and get face-to-face with T-Rex’s relative – a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast.

Alongside bird and crocodile specimens from the Horniman’s collection, visitors can also see a fossilised egg of the extinct Elephant Bird, on loan from Sir David Attenborough’s private collection.

Tickets cost £4.40 for children, £7.70 for adults or £18.70 for family tickets. Visit www.horniman.ac.uk for listings.

Design Museum

Visitors to the Design Museum in Shad Thames will have a chance to see two exhibitions this half term.

Cycle Revolution showcases famous bikes, the latest cycling innovations, and the voices of celebrated cyclists, both professional and amateur, to tell the powerful, personal and sometimes remarkable stories of cycling today.

There are also free Insight Tours running alongside the exhibition. People can join a volunteer-led 20 minute tour of the Cycle Revolution exhibition, featuring personal insights behind selected bikes and exploring key design features unique to the bikes of the four tribes featured in the exhibition.

Designs Of The Year showcases 76 projects and encompasses architecture, fashion, graphics, product, transport and digital design. It features some of the industry’s biggest names alongside rising stars and little-known practices.

Explore Kits for children aged five to 10 will guide them through the Designs of the Year exhibition. Full of fun design activities and challenges, they are available free of charge from the admissions desk.

Email tickets@designmuseum.org or call 020 7940 8783 for full listings.

The Albany

SMASHfestUK will make a welcome return to the Albany in Deptford this half term.

Essentially it's a mash up of science, technology and maths with the arts in which kids and their families will be shown how to survive with no means of electrical communication - no internet, no electricity, no phones or computers and no social media.

Among the attractions will be a human power station, comedians, poets and astronomers, human-sized mutant fruit flies, Cracking the Code: The Genetics of Superheroes, solar storytelling, solar graffiti, Cosmic Jives, electric paint, an Aardman animator and a Mutant Generation Unit.

There will also be events running all week at the Deptford Lounge library, including the SMASHfestUK planetarium, the Mechanical Mobile Phone Exoskeleton, a code-club, a solar exhibition, an artist's residency and a film programme, all themed around the imminent solar storm.

There will also be a chance to stay, play and bounce after the show.

SMASHfestUK takes place at the Albany between Thursday, February 18 and Saturday, February 20. All events are either free or ticketed on a Pay What You Want basis with 20 per cent of tickets non-bookable so audiences can drop-in on the day. Visit www.thealbany.org.uk/ or www.smashfestuk.com for details.

Imperial War Museum

Over February half term, families can get political and create a collage or drawing in the Lambeth museum's Family Art Workshop − Protest and Survive. They'll hear from celebrated political artist Peter Kennard, subject of retrospective exhibition Unofficial War Artist, about how he creates his work, and get hints and tips on creating protest artworks. All materials are provided and no previous art experience is required.

The free workshop takes place between 2pm and 4pm from Saturday February 13 until Sunday, February 21. The exhibition runs until May 30.

As well as the free workshop the rest of the museum will be open offering a chance to visit some of the ongoing free exhibitions.

Visit www.iwm.co.uk for listings.

Woodlands Farm

Youngsters will have a chance to turn sparrow detective, visit animals or go wild in the woods at the Woodlands Farm this half term.

Sparrow Detectives featuring activities to explore why the numbers of house sparrows in London have decreased will be held on Wednesday February 17 from 1pm until 3pm.

Families can just drop in for the event, which costs £2.50 per child, and also includes a farmyard trail.

A day inspired by the story of Farmer Duck takes place on Thursday February 18 with slots from

10am to 12noon and 1pm to 3pm which cost £4 per child and must be booked in advance.

On Friday February 19 children over the age of seven can have a go at wild cooking and shelter building at the Get Wild in the Woods event. Tickets cost £4 per child and must be booked in advance.

Email education@thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org or visit www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org or call 020 8319 8900 for details and full listings.

Southbank Centre

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roald Dahl, Southbank Centre will host a series of events and activities in homage to the great man as part of its annual Imagine Children’s Festival.

The centrepiece of the celebrations is a new interactive experience The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl which takes visitors on a magical journey through seven different immersive worlds that explore the writer’s life and the world of his iconic books.

There will also be a day long reading of his famous book Matilda and a performance of his final book The Minpins accompanied by live animation and the music of Sibelius performed by the London School’s Symphony Orchestra.

Elswhere there will also be plenty of workshops giving children the opportunity to try their hands at a range of activities including making animated films, clay sculpture, writing poetry, illustrations and learning sign language.

Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk for full listings.

Vault Festival, Waterloo

This weekend children and their families can disappear into the leake Street tunnels underneath Waterloo and take part in a whole host of activities as part of this year's Mini Vault Festival.

Amongst the many events - many of which are free - are a magic show in which Michael Jordan treats audiences to astonishing illusions, the BAC Beatbox Academy, A Pony For Your Thoughts, a new physical comedy show for children and Poetry Pie in which one of Britain's best loved poets Roger McGough will entertain all the family with puns, word play and sharp observations on all aspects of life. There are also free workshops on dance, magic and drama, circus shows, storytelling, games, live music and interactive installations not to mention face painting and theatre shows.

Visit www.vaultfestival.com/mini-vault/ for full listings

SEALIFE London Aquarium

Join the Sealife staff this February half term for Clownfish Clues, a fun and educational family trail around the aquarium featuring these bright and colourful fish who inspired the characters in hit film Finding Nemo. All Child tickets include an activity booklet to complete whilst exploring the attraction. Will you spot all the clues?

Don't miss our daily talks and feeds, including our Coral talk at 3:30pm in Nemo's Kingdom.

February is also Turtle Month at the Aquarium. From the largest, the Leatherback sea turtles that visit UK waters each year to gorge themselves on jellyfish to the smallest and rarest, Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, and everything in between staff will be on hand to teach visitors more about these incredible animals and fundraising for turtle conservation.

The trails are on between February 13 and 21.

Visit www.visitsealife.com/london for listings.