Family fun for half-term in Sunderland

Sunderland's museums have a range of family activities to help half-term fly by.
Sunderland Museum and Winter GardensSunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens

Both the City Museum and Winter Gardens in Burdon Road and the Monkwearmouth Station Musuem in Bridge Street North are hosting events covering everything from the tropics to transport, toys to art and crafts.

City Council Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture Coun John Kelly said: “With school holidays coming up it is great to see such a wide range of activities, for the young and young at heart.

Monkwearmouth StationMonkwearmouth Station
Monkwearmouth Station
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“It is a fantastic opportunity for everybody to make the most of the top class facilities we have here in Sunderland.”

Sunderland Museum, Library & Winter Gardens has a rainforest family trail every day from Saturday, February 18, to Sunday, February 26.

Entry is £2.50 and children can discover the amazing animals and plants from the world’s rainforests and find the clues and solve puzzles to claim a themed prize.

Wednesday, February 22, see an Amazing Art Family Day, with a host of drop-in activities between 11am and 3pm.

Souter LighthouseSouter Lighthouse
Souter Lighthouse
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The event is free but donations are always welcome. Participating children can be entered for a Discover Arts Award for a fee of £3 per child.

The museum is holding a rainforest family day on Friday, February 24, with drop-in sessions between 11am and 12.30pm and 1.30pm and 3pm.

Make a rainforest layers hat decorated with jungle plants and animals. Explore real rainforest seeds and fruits and make a tropical pin badge. Again, the event is free but donations are welcome.

Monkwearmouth Station Museum has a transport toys trail between Saturday, February 18, and Sunday, February 26.

Monkwearmouth StationMonkwearmouth Station
Monkwearmouth Station
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Entry is £2.50 and children have to find all the transport toys and clues hiding around the museum to claim a themed prize.

The museum is holding a Victorian Family Day on Tuesday, February 21, between noon and 2pm.

Children can dress as a Victorian child, explore the station to find out about life in the past and try different activities including washday, going to school and playing with Victorian toys, as well as making a toy rocking horse to take home.

And Thursday, February 23, sees a messy art drop-in session between noon and 2pm in the Platform Gallery.

Souter LighthouseSouter Lighthouse
Souter Lighthouse
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For more information please contact the Museum Learning Team on 0191 5612323 or e-mail [email protected]. @SundMuseum

Half-term activities at Souter Lighthouse are strictly for the birds.

The National Trust property is holding bird box building sessions between 11am and 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and bird-themed craft sessions between the same times on Tuesday and Thursday.

*One half-term is over, the City Museum, Library and Winrter Gardens will partly close for spring cleaning.

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From February 27 to March 18, the first, second and third floors of the Museum will be closed to the public for essential maintenance. The ground floor, Winter Gardens, café and library will all remain open.

“It’s traditional to have a spring-clean and this is a perfect time to keep our museum in a top-class condition,” said Coun Kelly.

“As well as routine maintenance of the fire alarm system, including renewing the ‘sounders,’ we will take the time to do some re-decoration of the main stairwell.

“The ground floor will stay fully open throughout the works and I’d encourage everyone to continue to go along and enjoy the library, winter gardens and café in the meantime.”