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Family things to do in the North

Shekina Rose, Families Editor

It’s officially holiday season, and Manchester and the North’s arts and cultural calendar is packed with brilliant events and activities for families, from theatre to museum trips and creative crafting!

Winter events coming up include the Light Lab at the Science and Industry Museum, Christmas at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, On My Merry Way to Mersey Way in Stockport, Kids Christmas Crafting at Springwell, and Raver Tots New Year’s Eve Party at Freight Island.

And moving into 2025, we’ve got our eyes on Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians at Palace Theatre, plus outdoor art activities, LEGO experiences, museum visits and more.

Our top picks

Little Penguin’s First Christmas at The Lowry

Little Penguin's First Christmas at Lowry, Manchester, 28 December 2024–5 January 2025, from £15 - Book now

Get ready for a magical, wintry experience with the little ones, as Little Penguin’s First Christmas comes to The Lowry. 

Find out more
Little Penguin's First Christmas at The Lowry
Image supplied by Quay Tickets

Light Lab at the Science and Industry Museum

Light Lab at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 4 January 2025, free entry - Visit now

Brighten up your winter with the Light Lab at the Science and Industry Museum, packed with free activities and experiments to explore light, colour and sound.

Find out more
Boy watching hands making shadow puppets on a screen The Light Lab at the Science and Industry Museum
science and Industry Museum

The Bear at Waterside Arts

The Bear at Waterside, Manchester, Until 29 December 2024, from £14.50 - Book now

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to get up close to a polar bear? What about sitting on its lap, or riding across snowy deserts on its back? Join Tilly and the Bear in this special, snowy event for families.

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Tilly and the bear
Paul Blakemore

Stick Man at The Lowry

Stick Man at Lowry, Manchester and online, Until 5 January 2025, from £19 - Book now

Everyone’s favourite Stick Man is back in town and heading to The Lowry this festive season, and he is having a TERRIBLE day!

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The Stick Man at The Lowry
Stick Man at The Lowry

New Year’s Eve Party at Legoland Discovery Centre

New Year's Eve Party at Legoland at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Manchester and online, 31 December 2024, from £25 - Book now

Party your way into 2025 with towers of bricktastic LEGO® celebrations!

Find out more
New Year’s Eve Party at Legoland
Legoland Manchester

Raver Tots New Year’s Eve Party at Freight Island

Raver Tots New Year's Eve Party at Freight Island, Manchester, 31 December 2024, from £15 - Book now

Welcome in 2025 with Raver Tots New Year’s Eve Party at Freight Island! Kids and adults from age zero to a billion will love this super fun, special family rave.

Find out more
Raver Tots at Escape to Freight Island
Raver Tots

Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians

Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians at Manchester Opera House, Manchester, 6 February–11 May 2025, from £15.00 - Book now

Get ready for a hilarious and educational adventure that makes history fun for the whole family – kids, parents, grandparents included!

Find out more
Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians
Image supplied by ATG Tickets

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Manchester Barton Square, The Trafford Centre, Manchester, M17 8AS - Visit now

The ultimate indoor playground! LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is an immersive indoor attraction where iconic sites from Manchester’s skyline and other famous UK buildings can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

Find out more
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum

Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 30 September 2025 - Book now

Whether you’ve half an hour or a full day, you’ll always find something new to discover at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

Find out more
Discover and Explore at the Science and Industry Museum
State of Mind installation at the Science and Industry Museum. Image courtesy of Orbie Pullen Photography.

Wicked at Palace Theatre Manchester

Wicked at Manchester Opera House, Manchester, Until 12 January 2025, from £32.00 - Book now

Have you ever considered that the Wicked Witch of the West might not be so… wicked?

Find out more
Wicked at Palace Theatre Manchester
via ATG Tickets

Sleeping Beauty at Stockport Plaza

Sleeping Beauty at Stockport Plaza Cinema, Stockport, Until 5 January 2025, from £19.80 - Book now

Experience the magic of Christmas with Sleeping Beauty at Stockport Plaza.

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Sleeping Beauty at Stockport Plaza
iStock/Radist

Power Up at the Science and Industry Museum

Power UP at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 30 March 2025, from £8.00 - Book now

From Mario to Sonic and Pong to Fortnite, play your way through five decades of the best video games. Fun and educational. Win-win.

Find out more
Boy playing retro arcade games in Power Up.
Image courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum.

PHM’s Playful Protest Space

PHM's Playful Protest Space at People’s History Museum (PHM), Manchester, Until 30 December 2024, free entry - Visit now

Explore activism through fun crafts and activities, including games and films, all inspired by the museum’s collection.

Find out more
Children sat at a table and colouring
People's History Museum

More families events

The Stick Man at The Lowry
Until
ChildrensThe Quays
Stick Man at The Lowry

Touching, funny and utterly original, Freckle Productions’ adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stick Man is back in town.

from £19
Sleeping Beauty at Storyhouse
Until
FamiliesChester
Sleeping Beauty at Storyhouse

Chester’s cultural hub has pulled out all of the festive stops this year – with a spectacular performance of Sleeping Beauty topping the bill.

from £15.00
See all families events
Spotlight on

Things to do in Blackpool

Fancy a festive day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.

Take me there

Family things to do in the North

Manchester
Park
Platt Fields Park

Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield is steeped in history, the land having been acquired by the Platt family in 1225.

HOME Manchester
Manchester
Theatre
HOME Manchester

Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.

The MerseyMade building in Liverpool
Liverpool
Shop
MerseyMade West Kirby

In the MerseyMade shop you’ll find bottled gin from the likes of Turncoat Gin, Anfield Gin, Albert Dock Gin and Three Graces Gin. Yep, Liverpool REALLY likes its gin.

Cumbria
Event venue
Penrith Old Fire Station

Main venue for Eden Arts, an artist-led organisation based in Eden in Cumbria creating projects around mass participation, local distinctiveness and digital engagement, from Picnic Cinema to The Winter Droving.

See all places

Destination Guides

Things to do in Blackpool

Fancy a festive day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.
Things to do in Bradford: Kala Sangam
Things to do in Bradford

Our guide to the dark horse of Bradford, full of eye-opening exhibitions, independent shops and authentic curry houses.
YSP
Summer of Sculpture and Performance Art in Wakefield

Wakefield is the place to be this summer, with fantastic family activities, ambitious street performances and amazing art on display.
York Castle Museum
Things to do in York

We take a closer look at York, one of the UK’s most beautiful heritage cities with a wealth of contemporary culture.
Burnley's Singing Ringing Tree
Things to do in Lancashire

Our guide to the culturally rich coastal county of Lancashire, encompassing Lancaster, Morecambe, Blackpool and Blackburn.
Chester
Things to Do in Cheshire

Our guide to the best things to in Cheshire, including culture, shopping and food and drink in Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.
Things to Do in Cumbria

Our guide to the best things to do in the Cumbria and the Lake District, including Penrith, Kendal, Carlisle, Keswick and Cockermouth.

Culture Guides

Music in the North

Warm, intimate storytelling is the thread connecting our new picks, which include a number of brilliant folk artists.

A sculpture of a dark brown dog looks to the right, hanging out of its middle and the back are what appears to be its insides (in cream) spilling out.
Exhibitions in the North

From genre-defying art film to vibrant embroidery and Surrealist sculpture, check out the best winter exhibitions to see right now.

A man is dressed as an Elf in a decorated department store.
Cinema in the North

Get ready for animated classics, Muppet mayhem and a whole host of New York movies -- it's Christmas time in the cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

From contemporary dance to ballet classics, and cult rock ‘n’ roll musicals to new writing, our theatre guide spans the festive season and beyond.