15 family-friendly events in and around Cardiff in March 2016

How did it get to March already?! Here’s my regular round-up of what’s going on for families this month in and around Cardiff over the next few weeks. I’ll be publishing another post later this month of events taking place in the Easter holidays – but this should keep you going in the meantime. Please note, all events are subject to change so I recommend checking ahead with the organisers to avoid any disappointment. Do feel free to add any more events you know of in the comments section below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page  or by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy

FREE Clore Explorers

National Museum Cardiff

Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm

Free workshops give families the chance to find out more about objects from the museum and take part in a crafty activity.

FREE Toddler Time

National Museum Cardiff

Every Friday during term-time, 1.30pm-4pm

The museum welcomes pre-schoolers every Friday afternoon, with special boxes of toys, games and books hidden in different galleries to help parents and children explore the museum through play.

Treasures: Adventures in Archaeology

National Museum Cardiff

Tuesday 26th January until Sunday 30^th October 2016

Adults £7, concessions £5, 16s and under free – book online beforehand

An Egyptian mummy, Roman treasures, a crystal skull from the film India Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, plus human skulls from Viking-age burials on Anglesey are among key exhibits in this celebration of archaeological discoveries.

FREE Community Fun Day

Grangetown Hub, Havelock Pace, Grangetown, Cardiff

Thursday 3^rd March, 2pm-5pm

A free event for families including story time and balloon modelling, food stalls, Bollywood Zumba and an animal corner.

Toddler Day – Spring Time Sunshine

Techniquest, Cardiff Bay

Friday 4th March

Spring time sunshine is the theme this month as the famous hands-on science centre opens its doors to the pre-schoolers of Cardiff and beyond. As well as over 100 exhibits, you can expect drawing, colouring and crafts with a fairy tale theme, as well as story time and a disco. Under 4s are free, with accompanying adults paying £5 entry.

Rapunzel

Richard Burton Theatre, Royal Welsh Collage of Music and Drama, Cardiff

Saturday 5^th March, 2.30pm and 5.30pm

Tickets £9, family ticket £30

A witty, tongue-in-cheek retelling of the classic fairy tales gives us a possessive mother who happens to be a witch, a tentative young man who happens to be a prince and a strong-willed but naïve girl with the longest hair you’ve seen.

The show is created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, best known for the television show Friends.

FREE Women of the World Festival

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 5th March, 11am-5pm

The third WOW Festival celebrates the achievements of women across the world and looks at the obstacles that may achieve women and girls from achieving their potential. Some of the events are costed, but there’s plenty of free activities going on throughout the day for youngsters, including a range of family-friendly performances and badge making, fabric printing, zine making, and craft workshops.

FREE Senedd Family Weekend

Y Senedd, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th March

To celebrate its 10^th anniversary, the Senedd will host a weekend of free family-friendly activities. Entertainent will inc;ude performances by S4C’s Sioe Cyw, No Fit State Circus, Britain’s Got Talent finalists Ysgol Glanaethwy, City Voices Choir, as well as poetry and storytelling workshops from Literature Wales and the Children’s Poet Wales, Anni Llyn. There will also be crafts, face painting and soft play, as well as the chance to tour one of Wale’s most iconic buildings.

FREE Win with Hamleys This Easter

Hamleys, St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff

Every weekend in March

The famous toy store has a series of free family events every Saturday and Sunday during March, where you can take part ina Bouncing Bunny Easter Hunt, sing along with the Hamleys Experience Team, Win Spot Prizes every Saturday (2-2.15pm), the Jelly Beanboozled Challenge (2.30pm-3.30pm) have a Selfie With Bunny Bear (3.30pm-4pm) the Candy Grabber Challenge (all day) and Hamleys Scratch and Match (all day).

Baby and Toddler Tuesdays

Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran

Tuesdays 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th March

As well as all the usual animal attractions at this community farm park, the baby and toddler days include fun music and movement and other activity sessions throughout the day, all included in the usual entrance fee (on a first-come, first-served basis).

FREE Dinky Dragons

The Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff

Friday 11^th March, 10am-3pm

The Cardiff Story is a fascinating hands-on exhibition exploring the history of Cardiff. If you’ve never been before, we really recommend it. You can read our review here. If you have pre-schoolers, then the monthly Dinky Dragons free family fun days are great fun. Held on the second Friday of each month, between 10am and 3pm, there will be toys to play with, detective trails, crafts, messy play and rhyme time and story time at 11am and 1pm.

FREE Cardiff University Brain Games

National Museum, Cardiff

Sunday 13^th March, 10am-4pm

Flip your eye sight, feel the force of your brain and try our DIY brain surgery in this family-friendly event, which is particularly aimed at Key Stage 2 children aged 7-11. As part of Brain Awareness Week, which wants to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research, The Cardiff University Brain Games highlights the range of brain related research undertaken at Cardiff University.

Welsh National Opera Family Concert

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Sunday 20^th March, 3pm (pre-show activities from 1pm)

Adults from £10, children 5-16 £5, children under 5 free

Star Wars, Carmen, Frozen, William Tell and James Bond will be on the repertoire as WNO’s orchestra plays a selection of their favourites from opera, film and TV. Additional activities will include wig, make-up and costume demonstrations, giving young audiences a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at the world-renowned opera company.

CINEMA

I’m focussing here on cheaper weekend screenings, rather than the big films.

Family-friendly films

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff

Saturday 5^th and and Sunday 6^th March, Inside Out

Saturday 12^th and Sunday 13^th March, Minions

Saturday 19^th-Thursday 31^st March, Pinocchio (U)

Sunday 20^th-Thursday 31^st March, The Jungle Book (U)

Sunday 27^th-Tuesday 29^th March, Labyrinth (U)

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff

Family-friendly screenings of a range of popular films in Chapter’s intimate cinema screens.

Odeon Kids

Odeon Cinema, Red Dragon Centre Cardiff Bay

The 10am weekend and half term showings are £2.50 per person. Films to be announced; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Movies for Juniors

Cineworld, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and half term showings are just £1.75 per person. Films to be announced; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases

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For more ideas on local family-friendly days out, see the Cardiff section of Cardiff Mummy Says.