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Family things to do in the North

Shekina Rose, Families Editor

As we edge towards spring and the February half-term holidays, Manchester and the North’s arts and cultural calendar is packed with amazing events and activities for families to enjoy, from theatre to festivals, dinosaur adventures to family raves.

Read our highlights below, including half-term events like The Super Duper Family Festival, Soft or Spiky? at Z-arts, family fun at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, The Big Jurassic Storm at Stockport Plaza, The Little Prince at Waterside Arts and more. Looking ahead into March and April: Pig Heart Boy at The Lowry, World Book Day celebrations and Good Fridaze family rave!

Our top picks

Soft or Spiky? at Z-arts

Soft or Spiky? at Z-arts, Manchester, Until 21 February 2026, from £9.50 - Book now

What would you ask your baby? And what might they ask you? Soft or Spiky? playfully explores these questions, guiding babies and their grownups through a sensory journey of discovery and fun.

Find out more
Image of actor within the set, wearing green pom poms. Soft or spiky? at z-arts
Half Moon

World Book Day 2025: Musical Storyland at Z-arts

World Book Day 2025: Musical Storyland at Z-arts, Manchester, 3 March 2025, free entry - Find Out More

Celebrate World Book Day with a musical storytelling experience, inviting children who love books and stories, or those who could use a little reading inspiration, to discover the magic of storytelling through music and performance.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is for school groups.

Find out more
Musical Storyland - Storyteller Jan Blake with animated backdrop Musical Storyland at Z-arts
BBC Philharmonic

Pig Heart Boy at The Lowry

Pig Heart Boy at Lowry, Manchester, 26–29 March 2025 - Book now

Grab your tissues and get ready for an unmissable, deeply moving stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s award-winning novel, Pig Heart Boy.

Find out more
Pig Heart Boy at The Lowry

Good Fridaze Family Social at Freight Island

Good Fridaze Easter Family Social at Freight Island at Freight Island, Manchester, 18 April 2025, from £8.50 - Book now

Enjoy a fun-packed family knees-up this Good Friday at Our Kids Social’s Good Fridaze Family Social, packed with fun, music, and exciting activities.

Find out more
Good Fridaze Family Social at Freight Island

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 4 January 2026, from £10.00 - Book now

Get ready for a sense-sational adventure packed with super-sized science and brilliant biology!

Find out more
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You Dr Chris, Dr Xand and Dr Ronx sitting on a hospital bed
Science Museum Group

The Parent Agency at Storyhouse

The Parent Agency at Storyhouse, Cheshire, Until 2 March 2025, from £23.50 - Book now

David Baddiel teams up with Dan Gillespie-Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) to bring his best-selling children’s book to the stage.

Find out more
The Parent Agency at Storyhouse
TPA - ProdPhoto 1 – photo supplied by the production.

Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show at Lowry

Olaf Falafel's Stupidest Super Stupid Show at Lowry, Manchester, 2 March 2025, from £19.50 - Book now

Olaf Falafel is back and he’s more stupid and hilarious than ever before! Expect ridiculous family friendly comedy as Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show comes to Manchester this March.

Find out more
Olaf Falafel

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Palace Theatre

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Palace Theatre, Manchester, 11–16 March 2025, from £15.00 - Book now

Our favourite flying car is brum-brumming over to Manchester for a fun-filled musical adventure to magical, faraway lands.

Find out more
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Palace Theatre
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

Mary Poppins at the Palace Theatre

Mary Poppins at Manchester Opera House, Manchester, 9 April–17 May 2025, from £15.00 - Book now

A supercalifragilisticexpialidocious family treat awaits as the world’s most loved nanny flies over to Manchester in April 2025.

Find out more
Mary Poppins at the Palace Theatre
Mary Poppins. Image courtesy of Daniel Boud.

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.

2025 Banner Bingo at PHM

2025 Banner Bingo, Until 29 December 2025, free entry - Visit now

Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism. 

Find out more
Two young visitors looking up at a banner in a case, holding pencils and an activity sheet.
People's History Museum

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.

More families events

Pig Heart Boy at The Lowry
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FamiliesMediaCityUK
Pig Heart Boy at The Lowry

A Children’s Theatre Partnership, Unicorn Theatre and Sheffield Theatres Production
Based on the novel by Malorie Blackman
Adapted by Winsome Pinnock
Directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu

Is it better to have a pig’s heart that works … than a human heart that doesn’t?

Two young visitors looking up at a banner in a case, holding pencils and an activity sheet.
Until
ActivityManchester
2025 Banner Bingo at PHM

Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism.

free entry
See all families events
Spotlight on

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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.

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.

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.

See all places

Destination Guides

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Fancy a day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.
Birkenhead Priory
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YSP
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Burnley's Singing Ringing Tree
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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.

Culture Guides

Imran Perretta: A Riot In Three Acts
Exhibitions in the North

Cinematic sets, 90s nightclub photography and even new gallery - we have a great mix of exhibitions for you this month.

Poet Evan Jones
Literature Events in the North

Some of our favourite leftfield live literature regulars are back with their first events of the year – we’ve picked a weird and wonderful heap we think you’ll love.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Feminist farce, a magical circus show and Oldham Coliseum return with a brand-new off-site show. All in our latest theatre guide.

Section of Tapestry depicting a couple eating fish and chips
Tours and Activities in the North

While spring takes its sweet time to arrive, we've assembled a selection of indoor Tours and Activities that will have you feeling cosy and comforted.

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Cinema in the North

Street art, LGBTQ+ History Month, and the first film festivals of the year are amongst our cinema highlights this month.

FKA TWIGS
Music in the North

Masters of minimalism, leftfield electronica and cutting edge pop. We bring you the lot in our latest live music round up.