50 Ways To Keep The Kids Busy In May Half Term

3. Go see a matinee - there are plenty of family friendly theatre shows in the West End during the May half term. Try The Lion King - brilliant music, stunning sets, a fantastic cast in an array of costumes. or the magical Matilda, which is really funny. London's off-West End and fringe theatre scene is also great for kids, and even has venues devoted entirely to younger audiences. Islington's famous Little Angel Theatre has puppet shows suitable for ages 3-11, while the Unicorn Theatre's The Hunting Lodge is aimed at tweens and teens. 4. Comedy Club 4 Kids features well-known comics, performing special child-friendly sets, in venues around London - including Wimbledon, Deptford, Hayes and Soho. There will also be shows during the half-term week in Chichester, Guildford, Brighton, Salford, Leicester, Ipswich and Norwich. 5. Grab the kids for a James Bond-esque experience on the Thames Jet Boat Rush. Along with the speedy bits there is also a bit of irreverent commentary on the London riverside landmarks. Or head up high and visit the View from the Shard.

6. Use your loaf and feed the ducks in St James's Park for free. The Royal Parks always have some half-term wildlife activities on offer, many of them free. To discover our picks and find out what's on - read our post on London parks. 7. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford is home to the London Aquatics Centre, one of the finest swimming pools in the world. You can also try cycling at the Velodrome, tennis at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, and lots of other sports over the school holidays. 8. While you're in the park, take the lift up to the top of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, see the sights, and then climb (or slide) back down.

14. Challenge the kids to some vintage board games at Draughts in Haggerston - they have more than 500 games to choose from. 15. There's loads of free half-term activities at the Museum of London - including Mudlarks sessions at the Museum of London Docklands. 16. Take a jaunt around ZSL London Zoo and get to know over 650 species of wildlife, including many exotic and endangered species. Make sure you check when the feeding times and daily demonstrations are by the keepers.

20. Get the guided Harry Potter Bus Tour of London for Two and visit the sites used in the film - including Gringotts Bank, and Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross. 21. Buy an Oyster card and spend the day taking the bus around town. Routes 24, RV1, and 11 are good, cheaper alternatives to a sightseeing bus. 22. Visit your local library to pick up some books. Even better, make a day of it and visit the world renowned British Library, it's modern and right near Kings Cross St Pancras. Their current exhibition looks at pantomimes, circuses and entertainment in the Victorian era. 23. Head out of town to Surrey and visit the Maze, Henry VIII’s State Apartments, the vast Tudor kitchens and more at Hampton Court Palace.

Bedfordshire26. Stroll across acres of beautiful English countryside and watch lions, tigers, elephants, hippos and giraffes out and about in one of Europe's largest conservation areas at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, in Dunstable. 27. Get out of the cold and visit Bodyflight near Milton Keynes, where you can try indoor skydiving and fly around the specially-built chamber. You could go for an adventure pass and also try indoor surfing and climbing on a day experience pass. Birmingham 28. @ Think Tank is the is a series of events for kids at the Birmingham Science Museum, which includes workshops, animation and story telling. Lots of activities are free or under £10. East Sussex 29. Meet racoons, meerkats, lemurs and snakes at the animal experiences at Drusillas Park in Alfriston. You can feed some of the animals, while others you have the chance to pet and get to know on your behind-the-scenes tour. Dorset and Hampshire30. Saddle up this half-term and mosey on down to the New Forest and try the Cowboy Riding Trail. This two-hour horse trail will give you a chance to discover more about the wildlife in the forest as well as having a barbecue at the end to share your experiences. If you fancy making at longer break out of it with your posse - we've found plenty of things to do in this beautiful county, including Poole Harbour, Bournemouth and more things going on in the New Forest - Dorset weekend breaks.

Peterborough33. Every half term the Peterborough Museum has activities for youngsters of all ages. This half term, there'll be a... Cumbria34. Get your walking boots on, grab a packed lunch and take the kids for a stroll around The Lake District - home to children's author Beatrix Potter and The World of Beatrix Potter. If you're planning on going for more than a day - read our suggested places to visit in the Lake District - England's largest National Park. West Somerset 35. Get the family on the historic West Somerset Railway train. You'll visit the Exmoor Coast and Quantock Hills on your tour as well as Dunster Castle and Minehead on this hop-on-off steam train. Durham36. Diggerland is a fun-packed theme park with 18 different rides, drives and attractions using real full sized construction machinery set in 15 acres of adventure park surroundings. They also have parks in Devon, Kent and Yorkshire. East Yorkshire37. The Deep in Hull is one of the biggest aquariums in the UK and has more than 3,500 fish including sharks and rays. If you have small children and live fairly locally - get a day plus pass which allows unlimited entry for a year (some t&cs apply). Hull has also been named 2017's UK City of Culture, and there'll be several family-friendly events happening over the holidays, including the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition.

Hertfordshire38. Head to Hertfordshire and Kings Langley for The Warner Bros. Studio Tours - the Making of Harry Potter. See the Great Hall, Hagrid's Hut and the Knight Bus, and discuss all this over a butterbeer at the end of the tour. West Yorkshire39. Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax have a whole range of activities for disabled children, with their Access all Areas programme.