From twilight sessions at a city's museums to pancake-making and puddle-jumping, there is something for all the family this half-term across Cambridgeshire that won't break the bank.
Here are 10 things families can enjoy for around £20 for a family of four or less, with many of the activities FREE, and with most close to home.
For those who don't mind a bit of dirt, then the WWT Welney centre on 10 Mile Bank is the place to be, as it is hosting its annual Mudfest 2026.
Running from now until February 22, it is urging visitors to get ready to dive into the muddy magic of our wetlands!
Mud isn’t just messy - it’s marvellous. It’s the stuff our super-powered wetlands and great family adventures are made of.
Embrace the mess and discover just how brilliant mud can be with these hands-on activities:
- Cook up a muddy masterpiece in our mud kitchen (just don’t taste it!).
- Splash through puddles of every size - because clean clothes are overrated!
- Mix up a seed bomb with natural ingredients to take home and plant.
- Discover the tiny creatures that live beneath the surface of our wetlands.
- Take aim in our mudslinging contest - scoop, sling, and score!
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Feel the mud between your toes in our barefoot squelch area
Step into the world of fossils this February half term at Flag Fen in Peterborough and travel back in time to learn about Mary Anning, the legendary fossil hunter whose discoveries changed our understanding of the prehistoric world. (Image: Flag Fen)
Tickets are available via the website for £3.60 per child, £6.30 for an adult, or a family of four for £18 - under threes go free and there are concessions for young adults and over 65s.
For those who prefer their play less messy then March Library is hosting a series of free events, including on Wednesday, February 18, LEGO robotics from 1pm to 3pm.
Join the 20Twenty team for a hands-on, action-packed two-hour session where you will build, code, and bring LEGO creations to life using LEGO Education SPIKE Prime kits.
Take on exciting build-and-code challenges, test your ideas, and have loads of fun along the way!
For children aged 8—12 years. A maximum of two children per adult. Places are limited, book your free place at the library counter.
You may also like on Monday, February 16, Marvellous Bookmarks also at March Library from 10am.
On Wednesday, February 18, the Little Miracles Charity is hosting a morning of children's entertainment at their centre at 16 The Horsefair in Wisbech.
Tickets for the event, which runs from 10am to 12pm are £2.50 per child and include refreshments. Booking is via Eventbrite.
For craft lovers March United Services Club in New Road is holding a Children's Half-term Craft Club.
The event, which will run from 10am to 1pm, will have a Valentine's theme. This hands-on event will introduce children of all ages to use their minds whilst enjoying and utilising their creative skills.
All will be welcome, and admission is £3 child, which will include a snack lunch for the children. So why not pop along and mix with other parents - tea and coffee will be available.
For those who prefer their fun a bit gruesome, then Wicken Fen visitors centre has just the thing.
On Monday, February 16, the centre is offering the chance for visitors to delve into the fascinating world of owl pellets to discover what’s on the menu for the owls at Wicken Fen.
This is a great workshop for children and adults alike. All the necessary equipment is provided (including the all-important owl pellet), so you'll soon be sorting out the jaws, skulls, leg bones and ribs of the tiny creatures that are such an important food source for Wicken Fen's owls.
All tickets £5, call 034429 1895 to book.
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With Easter fast approaching, what better time to learn the art of pancake making?
The Ferry Project's Cooking School is offering a pancake-making session for under-17s at its centre, 10a to 12a South Brink, in Wisbech.
There will be a chance to make three different types: English, Greek, and Irish, and you get to take home your creations.
Tickets are £12 per child, adults are free - all children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available via Eventbrite through the school's website.
Flag Fen in Peterborough is offering fossil hunting fun from now until February 22.
Step into the world of fossils this February half term and travel back in time to learn about Mary Anning, the legendary fossil hunter whose discoveries changed our understanding of the prehistoric world.
Hear the story of Mary’s remarkable life and groundbreaking finds, then get hands-on with real fossils to discover what they can tell us about life millions of years ago. This interactive experience is perfect for curious minds and budding palaeontologists.
This fun encounter brings Mary Anning’s story to life as children discover how she found incredible fossils, why she was so curious about the past, and how her passion turned beach walks into amazing discoveries. It’s a chance to step back in time, spark curiosity, and feel like a real fossil hunter alongside Mary herself.
There are various sessions throughout the day, starting from 10.30am, with the last one at 2.45pm.
Tickets are £7.40 per child, £6.80 per adult, with under-fives free, they are available on the Flag Fen website.
Wisbech and Fenland Museum is opening its doors for three days of fun activities – each running from 10.30 to 1pm, starting on Wednesday, February 18, with a workshop where anyone aged five plus can get stuck into clay-modelling their version of the Museum's own grotesque medieval stone head of a man. At the same time, they'll be learning about how and why he was carved to look scary.
The next day, Thursday February 19, is for older children of eight-plus who will design and make their own bead bag charm, recreating one of the figures of colourful creatures like bright parrots and tiny lizards in the Museum's collection.
The last workshop on Friday is suitable for anyone over five who'd like to explore the world of anything that flies, from butterflies and birds to gryphons and dragons, and create their own imagined winged creature to take home.
Admittance to the museum is always free for children who must be accompanied by an adult. Adults can buy an annual pass for £5 for a year of free entry.
If you want to get your kids more active during the holidays, then the three Fenland swimming pools have various sessions with both Wisbech and Whittlesey leisure centres, boasting a training pool ideal for younger children.
Check the Freedom Leisure website for times, prices are £4 for adults and £2.90 for children. You can book a session online or simply turn up and pay.
Cambridge museums are opening their doors and turning the lights down low for a fun-filled evening of torchlit trails, hands-on activities, performances, crafts, storytelling and more.
Most of the twilight events are being held on Wednesday, February 18, some of the events will need to be pre-booked in advance, while others you can just drop into on the night.
Most are free, and many of the museums are within easy walking distance of each other, so you can fill your evening with many activities.
Among the museums opening their doors is the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, it is offering a prehistoric night safari from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. It is free.
Get ready to embark on a wild night-time adventure. Are you brave enough to search for prehistoric creatures lurking in the dark?
The Museum of Zoology is offering visitors a chance to explore the creatures of the deep. Follow a trail to find out more about amazing marine animals, and see the galleries in a new, under-the-sea light.
The evening starts at 4.30pm, with last entry at 7.30pm. Bring a torch. Tickets are free but need to be booked via the Twilight at the Museums 2026 website.
Finally, the Museum of Classical Archaeology is asking: Can you escape from Hades, the Greek underworld? Join the museum from 5pm to 7.30pm for an ancient adventure.
No booking is required, but there may be queues.
For a full rundown on what the museums are offering, visit the Twilight at the Museums website.
From twilight to sunshine, Peterborough Cathedral is currently hosting Helios, a spectacular new touring artwork by internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram.
Measuring an astonishing seven metres in diameter, this illuminated sculpture brings the Sun into full view, revealing extraordinary detail at a safe and awe-inspiring scale.
Created using real solar imagery from NASA and leading astrophotographers, Helios allows visitors to explore the Sun’s surface up close, from glowing sunspots and filaments to the source of the solar flares that lit up the UK’s skies with the Northern Lights in May 2024.
Set to an immersive surround sound composition, the installation combines art, science and myth, taking its name from Helios, the ancient Greek god of the Sun.
Both visually stunning and deeply atmospheric, this is a rare opportunity to experience our nearest star as never before.
A must-see celestial spectacle. Viewing is by suggested donation of £5 per person during normal Cathedral opening hours.
After-dark viewings (£6 per person suggested minimum donation) and early evening viewing (4.30 – 6pm – no booking required): February 15, 22 and March 1.
Late Night Viewing (6.30 – 8.30pm – no booking required): February 16, 17 and 26.
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