What’s on for Children – May half-term 2022 at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
This May half-term, families are invited to come and join the fun across museums and galleries on Tyneside.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) venues will be offering activities and events to entertain, educate and inspire children and their families. During the May school holiday, visitors can take their pick from Jubilee crafts, art schools, outdoor performances and a community picnic.
Unless stated events are drop in and free to attend. Donations are welcome.
Entry to all TWAM venues is free, except for Segedunum Roman Fort where adults over 16 pay £5.95 and concessions £3.95 (including voluntary donation). At Segedunum, children under the age of 16 always go free, as do NE28 postcode residents.
TWAM is encouraging its visitors to use the Metro to travel to its venues, especially families looking for a good value day out. Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free on the Metro and the Shields Ferry with a fare-paying adult.
Check out our guide to loads of North East Museums, HERE
Find loads more North East half term and Jubilee ideas, HERE
Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort
Saturday 4 June
12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm (performances will last 30 minutes)
An interactive free event for all the family.
Amassing her army of Celts and marking their faces with Woad, Boudicca’s chariot and horse tear off across the countryside looking for Romans to punish.
Part puppetry, part sculpture and part performance, Boudicca is an exciting gallop with silly audience participation and plenty of comic improvisation.
The Wheelabouts create bespoke performance pieces built around wheelchairs. With a wealth of outdoor arts experience as performers and makers, they feel that being a wheelchair user should not inhibit creativity or performance opportunities. Taking the traditional idea of the street Walkabout, they have adapted this into The Wheelabout.
Arbeia South Shields Roman Fort
Sunday 5 June
12noon - 4pm
Visit Arbeia as it prepare celebrates the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Visitors can enjoy music provided by Westoe Brass Band, get involved in hands-on craft activities with GemArts, take part in Roman themed handling session with the Time Bandits and watch an interactive performance by Victor the Veteran.
A coffee cart will be on site. Visitor are also welcome to bring their own picnic.
Discovery Museum
Tuesday 31 May
10am – 12pm and 1pm -3pm
Visitors to Discovery Museum on 31 May, can get into the Jubilee spirit and decorate their own commemorative ceramic plate to keep, or create a string of bunting to take home.
These family crafts are suitable for children aged 6 and over, although younger family members are also always welcome.
£1.50, with free crafts available. No booking required, drop in.
Great North Museum: Hancock
Tuesday 31 May
9-10am
The Great North Museum: Hancock is offering a relaxed session especially for visitors with autism, learning disabilities or sensory and communication disorders, along with their families and carers on 31 May, 9-10am.
Free, booking essential.
Laing Art Gallery
Monday 30 May - Wednesday 1 June
10am - 3pm (early drop off available from 9.30am, late pick up available until 4pm.)
Over the course of 3 days (Monday to Wednesday) children (7-10 years old) can work with a professional arts educator to experiment with a variety of materials to explore and create artwork at the Laing’s Art Academy. Young people will use the Laing's collection as inspiration and explore and develop their artistic skills and techniques, to develop a portfolio of work.
General admission £75 (plus booking fee) General admission with Arts Award £100 (plus booking fee)
Laing Art Gallery
Monday 30 May - Wednesday 1 June
10am - 3pm (early drop off available from 9.30am, late pick up available until 4pm.)
Participants in the Laing's Art School for 11-16 year olds, will work with a professional arts educator to experiment with a variety of materials and create a portfolio of paintings, illustrations and prints.
General admission £75 (plus booking fee) General admission with Arts Award £100 (plus booking fee)
Segedunum Roman Fort
Monday 30 May
11am-3pm Marvellous Mondays – Get Building!
Visitors to Segedunum Roman Fort in 30 May can try their skills at building arches and making their own mini-centurial stone to take away. The craft activity is suitable for 5-12 years; younger siblings are welcome to join in.
Segedunum Roman Fort
Monday 30 May
11am-3pm
Visitors to Segedunum on 30 May can explore the science of water with Technology Tom. They will find out about Vitruvius and water powered inventions and try making their own miniature waterwheel to take away.
Segedunum Roman Fort
Sunday 5 June
Shows at 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm
An interactive free event for all the family.
Amassing her army of Celts and marking their faces with Woad, Boudicca’s chariot and horse tear off across the countryside looking for Romans to punish.
Part puppetry, part sculpture and part performance, Boudicca is an exciting gallop with silly audience participation and plenty of comic improvisation.
The Wheelabouts create bespoke performance pieces built around wheelchairs. With a wealth of outdoor arts experience as performers and makers, they feel that being a wheelchair user should not inhibit creativity or performance opportunities. Taking the traditional idea of the street Walkabout, they have adapted this into The Wheelabout.
The Shipley Art Gallery
Tuesday 31 May
10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm
Visitors can celebrate the Jubilee by designing and decorating their own fabric flag at Shipley Art Gallery on 31 May. There are plenty of patterns and colours in the artworks on display for inspiration...
£3 per participant + booking fee. Booking essential.
The Shipley Art Gallery
Wednesday 1 June
10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm
On 1 June visitors can celebrate the Jubilee by designing and decorating their own crown using card and stick-on decorations.
£3 per participant + booking fee. Booking essential.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Tuesday 31 May
11am-12:30pm and 1pm-3pm
Visitors can celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery on 31 May by creating their own celebration pinwheel to take home and joining in a royal scavenger hunt inside the Museum.
Stephenson Steam Railway
Sunday 29 May, Thursday 2, Friday 3 & Sunday 5 June
Heritage train rides will be available at Stephenson Steam Railway providing a four-mile return trip in a 1950s passenger carriage pulled by a vintage locomotive. Pre-booking advised to avoid disappointment. Prices from £4 per person
Saturday 28, Sunday 29 & Tuesday 31 May
Thursday 2 through to Sunday 5 June
11am – 4pm
Stephenson Steam Railway
Thursday 2 June
11am – 3pm
On 2 June visitors can make a crown, inspired by Stephenson Steam Railway’s oldest steam locomotive, Billy, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.