After a super-short four-week half term it’s time for another school holiday, not to mention a bank holiday weekend. Most Cardiff schools finish this Friday for the week – and as ever there’s plenty going on to entertain the children.

I’ve collated everything I can find here, although do let me know anything I’ve missed in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or you can tweet me on @cardiffmummy. Plus don’t forget to follow Cardiff Mummy Says on Instagram.

All events are subject to change and cancellation so do check ahead with the organisers to avoid disappointment.

These listings are organised into the following categories and listed in date order within their category. Some activities appear in more than one category. Clicking on the event name will take you to the website for further info. Categories as follows:  Theatre and performance; Arts and crafts; Family fun; Museums, Castles and Historical; The great outdoors and nature-themed events; Cinema and film

As always I would be so grateful if you could help me out by giving this post a like, a share or comment on social media to ensure Cardiff Mummy Says keeps showing up in people’s timelines.

The main photo comes from Circus Extreme who will be at Cardiff City Stadium from Friday 24 May-Saturday 2 June. Full details below.

*Paid collaboration with The Restaurant at House of Fraser Cardiff

This guide has once again been produced in association with the lovely people who run the second floor Restaurant in House of Fraser, Cardiff.

Over May half term, they will be running their brilliant offer where you can buy a child’s meal for just £1 with every adult meal purchased. The offer runs from Saturday 25 May until Sunday 2 June – and they will also be doing the same over the summer holidays, from Saturday 20 July until Sunday 1 September. See in store for full-details.

The Restaurant at House of Fraser offers a fantastic kids’ menu and has a great kids’ corner, packed full of toys to entertain your little ones, including building bricks, easels, abacuses and even a slide.

Theatre and performance

Circus Extreme

Cardiff City Football Stadium

Friday 24 May-Saturday 2 June

£12-£36

Death-defying circus stunts from some of the most talented performers in the world come to Cardiff as part of Extreme Circus’s European tour. Merging modern and contemporary styles with extreme stunts and classic clown escapades expect show-stopping performances that will have you on the edge of your seat, when not falling off it with laughter. Acts include the Danguir Troupe, who will be preforming a high wire and double wheel of death stunt which has never been seen before in the UK; the extreme FMX team and their jaw-dropping stunts as pilots fly through the air displaying cliff-hangers, nac nacs and supermans to name a few; a stunt riding team performing the Globe of Death, the most death-defying act ever completed, as they loop vertically and horizontally all while encased in a mesh sphere; and Henry the World famous Prince of Clowns, a legendary figure in the circus industry, keeping the audience amused throughout the show.

Call the box office in advance on 0203 753 970 and quote EXTREME241 for two-for-one tickets on any day and any price tickets.

Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May

This glamorous production will bring together some of the BBC TV show’s much-loved Strictly Professional dancers. Audiences will enjoy the incredible talent of these world-class dancers as they perform exquisitely choreographed Ballroom and Latin routines with all the sequins, sparkle and stunning production values we have come

Shrek The Musical

New Theatre, Cardiff

Wednesday 29 May-Sunday 2 June (Wednesday-Saturday 7pm; Wednesday-Sunday matinees 2pm)

Cardiff’s amateur company Orbit present the magical fairytale adventure based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film. Shrek The Musical brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage as unlikely hero ogre Shrek finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue.

Fame Junior 

St Cyres School, Penarth

Thursday 30 May-Saturday 1 June, 7.30pm

Adults £10, £8 children

Barry amateur dramatic society Billboard Ensemble Juniors present Fame Junior, based on the classic film and musical about the legendary New York High School of the Performing Arts. Fame Junior features a high-energy, contemporary pop score (which includes the hit title song) and a touching coming-of-age story. Set during the last years of New York City’s celebrated High School for the Performing Arts in the early 1980s, Fame JR. is the bittersweet, but ultimately inspiring, story of a diverse group of students who commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.

Oliver!

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff

Friday 31 May, 7.30pm and Saturday 1 June 12pm

Actors Workshop bring Lionel Bart’s much-loved musical to the stage in this amateur production. Based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, and adapted from the Tony and Olivier-Award winning show, a cast of 7 to 16 year olds will perform such classic songs as Consider yourself, Pick a Pocket, As Long As He Needs Me and Where is Love?

Wallace & Gromit’s Musical Marvels

St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Saturday 1 June, 1.30pm and 6pm

Join the famous dynamic duo as Wallace prepares to perform his musical masterpiece My Concerto in Eee Lad with help from his faithful canine companion Gromit… what could possibly go wrong?! This interactive experience features specially created animations as well as live orchestral accompaniment and escapades from the Picture House Orchestra and presenter Matthew Sharp. The show will be followed by a screening of the Academy Award®-winning Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers with the soundtrack performed by the orchestra live on stage. Ticket holders can also book onto a Gromit Modelling Workshop at 12pm, 3pm and 4pm priced £10 per person.

Arts and crafts

FREE Big Build

Glanfa Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June, 11am-4pm

Help to create a large, ambitious collaborative art project in the centre’s foyer area.

FREE Half term family art workshops

National Museum Cardiff

Tuesday 28-Friday 31 May, 12pm-4pm

Unleash your wild creative side with these half term workshops based on the amazing works of art by David Nash in the exhibition Sculpture Through The Season.

Design your own penny

Aberdulais Falls, Neath

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2nd June, 10am-5pm

Adults £6.50, children £3.25, family £16.25, free to National Trust members

Design a new copper penny. Learn how Ulrich Frosse perfected a new method of smelting copper to turn into a coin of the realm. Design your own paper-plate coin, and take part in our half- term ‘Copper-Opolis.’

Smelt your own slime

Aberdulais Falls, Neath

Tuesday 28-Thursday 30 May, 11am-12.30pm and 1pm-3pm

Adults £6.50, children £3.25, family £16.25, free to National Trust members

Ever wonder how smelting copper turned into an Industrial boom at Aberdulais?

Why not bring all the family along to make your own copper slime, uncover secrets that revolutionised Aberdulais, and see what happens when you mix vinegar with copper!

Craft at the Museum

Cardiff Story Museum, The Hayes, Cardiff

Wednesday 29 May, 10am-3pm

£1 per child

Get creative in these drop in family craft sessions at the city centre museum.

Family Fun

CoedLan – High Ropes

St Fagans National Museum of History

Friday 5 April-Sunday 3 November, 10.15am-4.30pm

£12 per person;

Tackle CoedLan’s 18 obstacles, including a balance beam, zig zag bridge, cargo net and a zip wire. No need to book in advance – buy your tickets on the day from the CoedLan desk. However if you’d like to guarantee a spot, you can book in advance by calling 029 2057 3322.

Participants must be 110cm tall and aged 6 or over in order to take part. Children between 110cm and 130cm must be accompanied by an individual over 130cm and aged 12 years old or over. The maximum weight is 18 stone. Read our review of the experience here (paid collaboration as part of our role as family blogger ambassadors with National Museum Wales).

FREE Mermaid Quay Pop Up Park

Tacoma Square, Mermaid Quay

Saturday 4 May-Sunday 2 June (weather dependent)

Grab a deck chair and play some of the giant games.

Urdd Eisteddod 2019 Cardiff and the Vale

Cardiff Bay

Monday 27 May-Saturday 1 July

Welsh youth movement the Urdd presents its annual celebration of Welsh language and culture. Music and performance competitions will take place inside Wales Millennium Centre (tickets events) while the surrounding areas in the Bay will be filled with stalls and activities for families, many of them free.

Pawprints in the Summer Sky/ Star Tours / Don’t Do This At Home/ Generation Games / LEGO WeDo Workshops

Techniquest, Cardiff Bay

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June, 10am-5pm

Adults £8.20, children £6.40, family £29, under 3s free (cheaper when booked online in advance and without Gift Aid)

Planetarium shows, £1.50 per person extra

As well as two-floors of hands-on science fun, get ready for Don’t Do This At Home, a live science show of thrilling experiements. Star Tours is the Planetarium show for ages 7+ were you can learn more about some familiar constellations, the planets and how stars are born and die. Pawprints in the Summer Sky is the Planetarium show for under 7s where you can learn where the sun goes at night and why it gets dark. Generation Games  showcases games consoles all the way from 1972 to the present day. Lego WeDo Workshops (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 only) are hands-on workshops and an excellent introduction to coding (age 7+).

Ponty Lido

Ynys Angharad Park, Pontypridd

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 1 September*, open daily 7.30am-7.15pm.

£2 per adult, children under 16, free

The open air swimming pool is open for the Easter holidays with swimming sessions bookable online in advance and with a limited number of spaces available on the day from 9am. The heated pools include an area for lane swimming and more relaxed swims, a splash pool for young children and water activities available for an additional £2.50 per person, including fun inflatables, Aqua Scooterz, Aqua Peddlerz and Water Walkerz.

*It will then be open at weekends until September 22, as well as daily for morning sessions only from 7.30am until 9am.

FREE Splash Pad

Victoria Park, Canton, Cardiff

Open daily from Saturday 25 May, 10am-7pm during school holidays and weekends; 12pm-7pm weekdays during term-time

Set inside a beautiful grade 2 listed park, the splash pad has 33 exciting features for children to enjoy, including sprays, jets, a tipping water bucket and a tunnel, with three zones for toddlers, juniors and families.

FREE LEGO Toy Story 4 Minifigure Hunt

Hamleys, St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff

Friday 24 May-Sunday 2 June

Find the famous Toy Story 4 characters hidden throughout the store to receive a free Toy Story 4 Poster and Sticker as a reward for all your hard work!

Captain Henry Morgan’s Pirate Weekend

Tredegar House, Newport

Saturday 25-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £11.20, children £5.60, family £28, free for National Trust members

Captain Henry Morgan has returned from his latest voyage with an impressive bounty and he’s inviting you to celebrate with a fête at the home of his ancestors. Wear your best buccaneer costume for a full weekend of fun and sea shanties.

Blaenavon Heritage Railway Running Day

Blaenavon

Saturday 25 May

Adults £9, children £5, family £23

The 3½ mile Blaenavon Heritage Railway is set in the heart of a World Heritage Site on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Travel from the main station at Furnace Sidings to the Big Pit National Mining Museum for an underground tour. The second journey takes you to Coed Avon and Blaenavon (High Level) where you can alight to explore the Heritage Town and Ironworks (This is a long walk of 15-20 minutes each way and has steep hills to be climbed. Prices above are for all-day rover tickets; single journeys are also available.

PLUS: Coal Train Weekend

Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday 27 May; Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June

Adults £10, children £6, family £25

A new event for 2019, will see a mixture of passenger and freight trains operate with steam and diesel locomotives. This is the first chance to witness the new ‘mini-windcutter’ Mineral Wagon set operating on a public open day.

Heath Park Miniature Railway and Tramway

Heath Park, Cardiff

Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 1pm-5pm

£2 entry per person; rides £2 each; children 3 and under free

Cardiff Model Engineering Society opens its doors for the public with miniature train rides – steam, diesel and electric – and tram rides available. See website for further dates for 2019.

Knight School

The Royal Mint Experience, Llantrisant

Bank Holiday Monday 27 May-Friday 31 May

£5 per child; £1 per adult spectator, or included when you book a tour, priced £13 adults, £10.50 children 5015, under 5s free, family 2+2 £38.50. Additional charge for striking your own coin, £6.90.

Age guidance: 3-12

Learn to sword fight, plan battle attacks and defend your castle before graduating from knight school and receiving your commemorative knight coin.

Minecraft

Riverfront, Newport

Wednesday 30 May, 10am

£8; ages 6-11

A way to enjoy Minecraft in a social – and safe offline – environment. Children can join worlds and work in teams to complete exciting challenges.

Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival

Around Cowbridge

Sunday 26-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 10am-7pm

£5 for one day; £8 for two days

As well as food and drink stalls, there are plenty of activities for youngsters to including crafts, music and dance with Happy Hands With Emma, magician Simon Sparkles, cookery classes with Arty Cooks (free but must be pre-booked) and lots more.

Fonmon Medieval Festival

Fonmon Castle

Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 10.30am-4pm

A family-friendly day out including medieval re-enactment, a tour of a real Norman castle, falconry by Hawks of Steels, as well as archery, sand play area, formal gardens, stamp trails, dino walks and more. Charges apply for car parking, castle tours and some activities.

Vale of Glamorgan Classic Car Show

Sully Sports and Leisure Club, Penarth

Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 10.30am-5pm

Adults £3.50, accompanied under 14s free

Now in its seventh year, The Rotary Club of Dinas Powis’s Vale of Glamorgan Classic Car Show welcomes classic car enthusiasts to share their passion for classics. The show will raise funds for the Prostate Cymru and Barnardo’s Cymru and local community good causes.

Themed afternoon teas and other family events

Bedwellty House, Tredegar

Groovy UV Show

Tuesday 28 May 28, 12pm and 2pm

£6.50 per person, must be pre-booked

Join Krazy Kris and Friends for a groovy ultraviolet puppet show featuring original songs and music and, a whole host of puppets!

Practically Poppins

Wednesday 29 May, 12pm-1.30pm; 2.30pm-4pm

£16 per person; must be pre-booked

Join a Mary Poppins tribute host as she brings you the magic and mischief of everyone’s favourite nanny with tricks, games and singing. After enjoying a delicious afternoon tea, party guests will be amazed as Practically Poppins reveals what she has brought in her magic bag of secrets, and kept entertained throughout with songs from the movie, Poppins-themed games and dancing.

Fortnite Themed Nerf Wars

Thursday 30 May 30, 10am-11.30pm, 12.30pm-2pm, 3pm-4.30pm

£15.50 per child; must be pre-booked

Ages 5+

This boogie bomb of a session will lead you and your fellow flossers into a Fortnite inspired Nerf Battle Royale incorporating teamwork, honour, loyalty and dancing.

Louby Lou’s Itsy Bitsy Bugs Story Trail

Thursday 30 May, 11am-12.30pm under 4s; 1pm-2.30pm over 4s

£12.50 per child; pre-booking essential

Join Louby Lou for a fun filled story trail. The worms have stopped squirming, the bees have stopped buzzing and the garden seems a little quiet. Can you follow the critter clues and find out where all the bitsy bugs have gone? You may need some shrinking potion to help you on your way! After the trail,enjoy so me fun crafts.

Sprint Fair

Amelia Trust Farm, Barry

Wednesday 29 May

£2 adults, £1.50 children, under 2s free, £5 family

Lots of family activities as well as the usual farm fun. Expect food and gift stalls, bouncy castle, face painting and games. Meet the animals with various animal activities, take a tractor and trailer ride, take a fairground ride, plus more.

FREE ENTRY The Friendship Tree Festival

Knap Gardens, Barry

Sunday 2 June, 11.30am-6pm

Art4U’s annual festival celebrating nature, peace and friendship, brings together musicians, artists, poets and dancers.

Museums, Castles and Historical

FREE David Nash: Sculpture through the Seasons

National Museum Cardiff

Until Saturday 1 September

David Nash is one of Britain;s most important artists and this exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of him living and working in Capel Rhiw – a former Methodist chapel in Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales. David Nash: Sculpture through the Seasons is the largest and most ambitious exhibition of David Nash’s work ever presented in Wales. It features key sculptures from the late 1960s to the present day, exploring the different ways the artist has cut, carved and manipulated wood to produce sculptures that sit between the abstract and figurative.

Museum ExplorAR: A living guide to the galleries

National Museum Cardiff

£10 per hour plus refundable deposit

A new way of looking at some of the museum’s most famous exhibits – thought augmented reality (AR) which brings the exhibits to life. Pick up a handset at the museum’s shop and use the handset for Monet’s Waterlilly Garden Experience; Underwater Life Experience; and Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures Experience in either Welsh or English. Read our full review of the AR experience here.

FREE The Fossil Swamp

National Museum Cardiff

Saturday 18 May 2019-Saturday 17 May 2020

Discover what life was like 300 million years ago – before humans, even before dinosaurs – when a vast tropical swamp covered what is now Wales. The Fossil Swamp had monster plants, giant insects, thunderstorms and floods. Beautifully preserved fossils tell us about these ancient tropical wetlands. See the remains of strange plants which lived millions of years before flowers and fruits ever evolved. The prehistoric animals were also very different to those living today. What strange creatures will you find lurking in the swamp?

FREE Half term family art workshops

National Museum Cardiff

Tuesday 28-Friday 31 May, 12pm-4pm

Unleash your wild creative side with these half term workshops based on the amazing works of art by David Nash in the exhibition Sculpture Through The Season.

St Fagans Makers Market

St Fagans National Museum of History

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June, 10am-5pm

Pick up something special that you’d never find on the high street. There’s a chance to meet the makers and find out more about their crafts as they run workshops and demonstrations throughout the week. Making activities for children available at some stalls for an additional cost.

Traditional Fairground

St Fagans National Museum of History

Saturday 25-Sunday 26 May, 10am-5pm

From £1 per child per ride; ages 2-11

Visit the Traditional Fairground and experience the magic of a bygone era.

FREE Meet the Objects: Twenty Years of the National Assembly

St Fagans National Museum of History

Saturday 26 May, 11.30am English, 1pm Welsh, 2.30pm English

Themed free sessions led by the Museum’s curators and archivists will take a closer look at the objects from within the museum’s collections and archives and uncover the many stories they can tell. To mark 20 years since the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales, visit the Wales is… Gallery to learn more about the banner made for the YES campaign by the artist Mary Lloyd Jones.

FREE Wildlife Walks: Dragonflies

St Fagans National Museum of History

Sunday 2 June, 2pm-3:30pm

Age 7+; the event is not suitable for pushchairs

Look for aquatic life in the ponds and tannery pits. Learn how to identify the different species of dragonflies, damselflies and newts. A chance to find out which is which, and who lives where.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales will be at St Fagans this summer with three special free guided walks. No need to book in advance – meet your guide at the main entrance. There will be a bi-lingual (Welsh/English) facilitator leading this walk

The series continues with Brilliant Bumblebees on 17 July and Bug Hunt on 11 August.

FREE Virtual Reality Experience

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

Tuesday 2 April 2019-Thursday 2 April 2020, 9.30am-5pm

Featuring real characters from Blaenavon’s industrial past, the Time Travel in the Blaenavon World Heritage Site experience uses audio storytelling and three-dimensional technology to display the town’s rich industrial history through three virtual reality films ― showcasing life at Big Pit, the town primary school and the home of a local family in Blaenavon Heritage Town.

Using smart devices, the immersive content can be viewed at three iconic locations across the internationally celebrated region, including Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and Blaenavon Heritage Town, which all feature in the immersive films.

The films can be viewed with or without an accompanying VR headset, which are available to borrow from Big Pit National Coal Museum( deposit of £5 required) or Blaenavon World Heritage Centre or can be simply viewed using a mobile phone.  Plus, visitors can revisit the on-site experience and view the digital package at home using a desktop browser.

Read our review here.

FREE The Winding Engine

Winding House Museum, New Tredegar

Saturday 25 May; 12pm

The Winding House Museum is built on the site of the former Elliot Colliery and its centre-piece is the original Victorian winding engine. This remarkable piece of machinery was used to operate the cages that transported men and coal between the surface and the mine below. The museum’s dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers maintain and run the engine for the public on the last Saturday of the month.

Let Battle Commence

Caerphilly Castle

Saturday 25-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £8.70, children 5-17 £5.30, family (2+3) £25.70; members free

Meet the men and women of the 13th century as Historia Normannis return to Caerphilly Castle. Fashion, combat, food and fun, the characters of the castle’s past will take you back in time.

Meet The Dinosaurs

Raglan Castle

Sunday 26-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; members free

Travel back to Prehistoric times and meet Tiny the baby Stegosaurus. Mr and Mrs Ug and their fellow prehistoric pranksters will be leading the fun.

Summer of Stories

Castell Coch, Tongwynais, Cardiff

Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; Cadw members free

Chepstow Castle

Tuesday 28 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; Cadw members free

Tintern Abbey

Wednesday 29 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; Cadw members free

Blaenavon Ironworks

Friday 31 May

Adults £5.80, children 5-17 £3.50, family (2+3) £16.80; members free

Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths

Saturday 1 June, 11am-4pm

Adults £4.20, children 5-17 £2.50, family (2+3) £12.20; members free

Summer of Stories is a celebration of Wales’s oral traditions, held across several Cadw sites (here are the ones within easy reach of Cardiff; see website for ones not in South Wales). Wales is renowned worldwide for its literature and poetry, and this summer you will be able to experience the best of Welsh tale spinning. Join a storyteller and listen to stories based on historical characters, legends and myths from across Wales. No booking required.

Crafternoon

Caerphilly Castle

Tuesday 28-Friday 31 May, 2pm-4pm

Adults £8.90, children 5-17 £5.30, family (2+3) £25.70; members free

Families can take part in a variety of themed arts and crafts drop-in workshops.

Castle Make and Take Day

Chepstow Castle

Wednesday 9 May, 10am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; members free

Drop-in family craft activities where you can make something you can play with at the castle and then take home.

Roman Helmet Make and Take Day

Caerleon Roman Baths

Thursday 30 May, 10am-4pm

Adults £4.20, children (5-17) £2.50, family £12.20, members free

Make a Roman helmet.

Let’s Discover: Step Back in Time 800 years

Chepstow Castle

Friday 31 May, 9.30am-4pm

Adults £7.30, children 5-17 £4.40, family (2+3) £21.20; members free

Discover what life was like in Chepstow castle 800 years ago. How did people dress? What did they eat? How did they defend the castle?

Nature-themed and the great outdoors

Italian Garden Trail

Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June, 10am-5pm

Adults £12.10, children £6.05, family £31

Celebrate 110 years of Dyffryn Garden’s Pompeiian Garden being built, see little tastes of Italy across the house and gardens. Discover Italian fruits, vegetables, architectural features, statues and plants all over the gardens in our Italian family spotter trail.

Half term activities

Greenmeadow Community Farm, Cwmbran

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June

All the usual farm attractions, plus a full daily programme of events, including cuddle corner, milking demonstration, pig washing, shearing, meet the giant rabbits and more. See the website for full times and days.

Half term events

Cantref Adventure Farm, Brecon

Saturday 26 May-Sunday 2 June

Adults and children over 93cm £10.50-£12.50, children under 93 cm free. Cheaper if booked online in advance.

Live shows every half an hour including bottle feeding, pig racing, tractor and trailer ride, along with Europe’s largest Super Sledge Ride.

Unicorn Day – Saturday 25-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May

Advance booking recommended

Meet Spirit the Magical Unicorn, pamper my pony – come and groom a pony, Unicorn Pony Rides (*Additional £2.50 Child must be 93cm and over), Unicorn Craft.

Dino Day – Thursday 30 May

Learn how to tame the Terrific T-Rex and stomp with the Spine Tingling Spinosauraus as they parade through the farm park with their Rangers. Fossils, dinosaur games, fun dinosaur facts, and more.

Half term events

Tredegar House, Newport

Saturday 25 May-Sunday 2 June, 10am-5pm

Adults £11.20, children £5.60, family £28

Pick up an Explorer Backpack from the visitor reception and get closer to nature with our handy one-stop shop for nature explorers.

Exercise those green fingers and join our gardener’s to plant your own sunflower in the Orchard Garden. Planting will take place between 11am and 12.15 and 1.15 and 2.15pm from 29-31 May.

Also: Captain Henry Morgan’s Pirate Weekend

Saturday 25-Bank Holiday Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

Adults £11.20, children £5.60, family £28

Captain Henry Morgan has returned from his latest voyage with an impressive bounty and he’s inviting you to celebrate with a fête at the home of his ancestors. Wear your best buccaneer costume for a full weekend of fun and sea shanties.

Mud Magic

RSPB Newport Wetlands

Bank Holiday Monday 27 May to Friday 31 May

Drop in from 10.30am-12pm or 2pm-3.30pm

RSPB members £4.40 / non members £5.50

A mudtastic activity where you can find out who lives at the bottom of the boggy pond or slithers in the slimy soil. Make mud sculptures and mud paintings of the creatures that you find on your exploration and finish off with a bit of mud flinging to round off your mudtastic adventure!

The Gruffalo 20 Years Celebration

Mountain View Ranch, Caerphilly

Bank Holiday Monday 27-Friday 31 May, 9.30am-5pm

£7 per person over the age of 2; family of 4 £27, family of 5 £33

All the usual free-range attractions, plus an action-packed schedule of Grffalo games, stories, crafts and the daily Great Gruffalo Picnic Photo Competition with prizes to be won. See website for full details. on the day. All events included in the price other

FREE Bute Park Bees and Honey

Bute Park Education Centre, Cardiff

Tuesday May 28, 11am and 1.30pm

Age 3+; must be booked in advance

Bee-themed storytelling, arts and crafts and activities. See footage of the bees via the park’s camera system and taste their honey.

Giant Sunflowers! National Children’s Gardening Week Workshop

Pughs Garden Village, Radyr

Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 May, various sessions available

Pughs Garden Village, Wenvoe

Thursday 30 and Friday 31 May, various sessions available

£7 per child, must be booked in advance

Ages 3-12 with adult supervision

Celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week with hands-on gardening activities for little ones. Plant giant sunflower seeds to take home and watch grow and craft sunflower windmills to pop in the pots.

Half term events

Margam Country Park, Port Talbot

Tuesday 28-Friday 31 May and Sunday 2 June

Tuesday – Super Soapy Socks and Have a Go Archery

Margam Park is free to enter, with parking costing £6.50. Some events incur an extra charge. See the website for full details.

Wednesday – Buzzy Bees and Have a Go Archery

Thursday – Bushcraft Activities and Have A Go Model Boats

Friday – Tree Day

Sunday – Butter Slime: Slime Factory

(Please note Margam Park Kite Festival, a ticketed event on Monday 27 May, is fully-booked.)

FREE RSPB Cymru Wild Challenge

Roath Park Lake, Cardiff

Wednesday 29 May, 10am-3.30pm

The RSPB Cymru marquee will be near the Terra Nova Café at Roath Park, inviting visitors to spread their wings into the wonderful word of birds and see what they can spot.

FREE Ponds at Night

Heath Park, Cardiff

Wednesday 29 May, 8.30pm-10pm

Come with the Community Park Rangers to look for newts breeding at night in the ponds at Heath Park. Meet at the Model Railway Car Park, Heath Park.

Pond Dipping

Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend

Wednesday 29 May

£4 per child

What underwater creatures will you find living in the murky depths of Bryngarw’s pond? Find out in this pond dipping session. Booking is essential.

Holiday Wildlife Watch

Parc Slip Visitor Centre, Tondu, Bridgend

Thursday 30 May, 10am-12pm

FREE Forest Farm Summer Open Day

Warden’s Centre, Forest Farm, Whitchurch, Cardiff

Saturday 1 June, 10am-4pm

A day of wildlife activities including pond-dipping, bug hunting and bird spotting, plus a fun dog show lead by the Community Park Rangers and RSPB Cymru.

FREE Tree Walk

Summerhouse Café, Bute Park

Sunday 1 June, 11am-12.30pm

Bute Park’s arboretum is home to some amazing ornamental trees. Join Malcolm Frazer to explore and learn about some of the 3,000 trees in the green heart of the city.

FREE Wildlife Walks: Dragonflies

St Fagans National Museum of History

Sunday 2 June, 2pm-3:30pm

Age 7+; the event is not suitable for pushchairs

Look for aquatic life in the ponds and tannery pits. Learn how to identify the different species of dragonflies, damselflies and newts. A chance to find out which is which, and who lives where.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales will be at St Fagans this summer with three special free guided walks. No need to book in advance – meet your guide at the main entrance. There will be a bi-lingual (Welsh/English) facilitator leading this walk

The series continues with Brilliant Bumblebees on 17 July and Bug Hunt on 11 August.

Cinema and film

I’m focusing on special film events and cheap family screenings at holidays and weekends here, rather than regular cinema screenings.

Odeon Kids

Odeon Cinema, The Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay

The 10am weekend and school holiday 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, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Mini Mornings

Vue Cinema, Millennium Plaza, Cardiff

The 10am weekend and school holiday Movies for Juniors showings are just £2.49 per person. Check online for schedule; films are usually a few months old rather than new releases.

Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff

A different family film every week

£4/£3 booked in advance; see website for full listings.

Memo Arts Centre Barry

A selection of family-friendly films at weekends and during school holidays.

Adults £6; concessions £4; under 16s £3 when booked in advance. £6.50/£4.50/£3.50 on the door.