Ways to Play Autumn Term
09 October 2024
Half term fun at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
Families can look forward to a fun and affordable day out at their favourite museums and galleries across Tyneside, thanks to the continued partnership between Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) and Tyne and Wear Metro.
As rising costs affect many, this award-winning collaboration offers families the chance to enjoy a range of high-quality, low-cost events at some of the region’s most-loved cultural destinations. From South Tyneside to North Tyneside, Newcastle to Gateshead, all TWAM venues are conveniently located near Metro stations, making it easy for families to travel. Children under 11 can travel for free on the Metro and Shields Ferry when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Since launching in Summer 2021, the ‘Ways to Play’ campaign has received widespread recognition. It won Best Arts and Business Partnership at the North East Culture Awards in 2022, and secured the Not-for-Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards later that year. Additionally, it was shortlisted for Partnership of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards in 2023.
Click to view the Ways to Play webpage.
The full list of events include:
Small charge applies
Friday 25 October, 8 November, 15 November, 22 November and 29 November
Spark your child’s imagination with stories about science and curious objects. This is an opportunity for tiny engineering, inventing, discovering, designing and investigating.
Small charge applies
Saturday 26 October - Sunday 3 November
The Discovery Museum spiders have been hard at work weaving new homes on some of the artefacts in the galleries.
Small charge applies
Friday 1 November
Dress in your coolest creepy costume to stomp away to tunes like the Monster Mash at the Spooky Silent Disco.
Curiosity Sparks: Spooktacular Catapults
Small charge applies
Tuesday 29 October
Fearsome families can step into the spinetingling Great Hall and build their own spooktacular catapult to fire the spiders back into their web.
Free
Permanant experience
Download the Mythquest app before or during your visit and experience an interactive journey as you explore the museum and learn about myths from around the world
Free
Permanant experience
Come along and meet Georgina and Albany Mouse for Mouse Tales. Mouse Tales will include an interactive storytime, songs, and object handling. This activity is aimed at under 5s and their families.
Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole
Free
Tuesday 29 – Thursday 31 October
Free
Tuesday 29 – Thursday 31 October
Make an upcycled hedgehog with members of our Learning team or create a paper cat with our Keeper of Geology.
Spooky-themed Heritage Train Rides
Tickets from £6
Thursday 31 October
Take a heritage train ride with a spooky twist. Embark on a four-mile round trip (35-40 minutes) tracing the path of coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne, all while riding in our vintage 1950s passenger carriages. But this Halloween, the journey gets an eerie upgrade, travel in a specially themed spooky carriage for a hauntingly fun experience.
Tickets from £6
Sunday 3 November
Get ready for a spooktacular experience aboard the Halloween Ghost Train at Stephenson Steam Railway. Come along and take a trip aboard our Halloween Ghost Train, whilst you enjoy tales of terror from Newcastle's weirdest wordsmiths, the monstrous Mosstroopers.
Make & Take: Free craft activities for kids
Free
Thursday 31 October
Join the Learning team on Thursday 31 October and Sunday 3 November to create a free Halloween-inspired craft. On Thursday 31 October, kids can create a Halloween Lantern and on Sunday 3 November, kids can have a go at creating spooky painted rock.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery:
Angela’s Ark: Animal Handling Session
Tickets £8
Thursday 31 October
Angela and her team provide a unique animal learning experience to enrich mental health and wellbeing whilst igniting and enhancing a passion for learning about animals and wildlife.
Tremendous Tuesdays: Free craft activities for kids
Free
Tuesday 29 October
Visit the spiders in the museum’s Creature Corner and then head to the learning room to create your own spooky spider to scare your family and friends on Halloween.
Marvellous Mondays: Free craft activities for kids
Free
Monday 28 October
Let your imagination run wild and be inspired by the spookiness of the season to create your own Halloween clay model. How scary will you make yours?
Free
Permanent trail
Eight of our Roman soldiers have gone missing on the fort site. Can you find them all? Make sure to pick up a trail leaflet from reception and explore the fort site to find all the missing soldiers.
Free, donations welcome
Tuesday 5 November
Bring your oohs and aahs to fireworks at the fort and see the night sky light up over the River Tyne where Swan Hunter used to launch its ships.
Technology Tom: Building Roman Cranes
Free
Monday 28 October
Technology Tom is back for the autumn half term holiday. This time he's making models of cranes that the Romans used in construction, the largest type being the Polyspaston.
Free
Thursday 31 October
Children can drop into this workshop throughout the day on Thursday 31 October to create a variety of Halloween-inspired crafts, including: Halloween cards, masks and spooky pictures.
Free
Monday 28 October
In this free session, children can create a seasonal collage inspired by the colours of autumn.
Free
Wednesday 30 October
Drop in to this free creative session to create an artist’s book, using print and collage.
Charge applies
Friday 18 October
Enjoy fun, imaginative, and educational activities at the Shipley. There will be drop-in activity stations amongst the artworks that you can explore at your own pace. Everything is tailored to little ones and our friendly Early Years specialists are on hand to guide you.
Small charge applies
Every Tuesday until 10 December
A fun-filled one hour session led by our friendly Early Years specialist, Steph. Each session is based around a theme found in the artworks, such as colour, texture, line and animals, and designed especially for 2-5 year olds.
Small charge applies
Check website for dates
Join us for a monthly Saturday art class for 7-12 year olds. At each session you'll be guided by a professional artist to discover a different art technique, such as watercolours, ceramics, mixed media, drawing and more.
Small charge applies
Check website for dates
ENDS -
Media contact: sallie.ball@twmuseums.org.uk
About Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM)
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) is a major regional museum, art gallery and archives service. We manage a collection of nine museums and galleries across Tyneside and the Archives for Tyne and Wear. These include the Great North Museum: Hancock, Laing Art Gallery, Hatton Gallery and Discovery Museum in Newcastle; South Shields Museum & Art Gallery and Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort; Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum in Wallsend; Stephenson Steam Railway in North Shields; and Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead.
TWAM is supported by the four local authorities in Tyneside and Newcastle University. TWAM is also a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England.
TWAM holds collections of international importance in archives, art, science and technology, archaeology, military and social history, fashion and natural sciences.
Tyne and Wear Metro’s take the kids for free offer:
