Families looking to keep children entertained during the school holidays will find plenty on offer across Swindon next week, with a packed programme of half-term events taking place at the town’s cultural venues.
Museum & Art Swindon (MAS), STEAM Museum and Lydiard Park are all hosting family-friendly activities between 23 and 31 May, ranging from creative workshops and exhibitions to outdoor cinema screenings.
At Museum & Art Swindon, based at the Civic Offices on Euclid Street, visitors can take part in free drop-in craft sessions on Saturday 23 May and Wednesday 27 May, inspired by both the National Year of Reading and the venue’s current William Morris exhibition.
Families will also be able to watch the newly released short film Kahaani by CREATE Studios during their visit.
On Tuesday 26 May, visitors can join bag printing workshops where participants will design and create their own tote bags to take home, priced at £5 per person.
Elsewhere in the museum, the How You See Me portrait exhibition will give visitors the chance to make their own 3D portraits while exploring galleries charting millions of years of history.
At STEAM Museum, families can discover the stories behind Britain’s railway heritage before designing their own personal or family emblems during a special creative workshop on Wednesday 27 May.
Meanwhile, Lydiard Park and House will host several outdoor activities across the week, including a Weaving With Nature event on Thursday 28 May. Participants will gather natural materials from around the park before creating their own woven artwork during one of four available sessions.
Outdoor cinema screenings will also return to Lydiard Park across the bank holiday weekend, with films including The Greatest Showman, Sing, Mamma Mia!, The Gruffalo & Stick Man, Pretty Woman and Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration showing between Friday 29 and Sunday 31 May.
Lydiard House Museum will also open to visitors on Thursday 28 May from 10am until 4pm.
Kate Wyatt, Swindon Borough Council’s Head of Culture, Heritage, Arts and Special Events, said the programme reflected the wide range of family activities available across the town.
“There’s so much taking place over half-term that the kids might feel they didn’t get time off at all,” she said.
“We’ve got some amazing activities at our museums and some great outdoor cinema screenings at the amazing Lydiard Park.”
Further information about events, tickets and timings can be found via Swindon Borough Council’s official website.
