Ways to Play – Easter events at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
27 March 2024
Ways to Play – Easter events at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
(All images available to download here)
This Easter families are invited to enjoy a great value day out across museums and galleries on Tyneside.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) and Tyne and Wear Metro are continuing their award-winning partnership to offer families low-cost fun days out.
At a time when everyone is conscious of rising costs, Tyneside’s museums are offering a range of high quality, low-cost events at well-loved family destinations across South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead. All of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ venues are near a Metro station, so families can take advantage of free travel for children under 11, with a fare paying adult.
The Ways to Play campaign is inspired by the range of ways a child can play, and encourages children to be active, creative and imaginative. Highlights of the Ways to Play programme include:; a Family Arts Festival at Shipley Art Gallery; a train ride with the Easter Bunny at Stephenson Steam Railway; and the newly launched exhibition, Spirit of Invention, at Discovery Museum.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums first partnered with Tyne and Wear Metro on the Ways to Play campaign in Summer 2021. The campaign has since received recognition at the North East Culture awards in 2022 by winning Best Arts and Business Partnership, as well as the best Not for Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards in December 2022. It was also shortlisted at the Museum + Heritage Awards in May 2023 for Partnership of the Year.
Click to view the Ways to Play webpage.
The full list of events include:
Join our dedicated Early Years expert Amy as she reads stories from your children’s favourite authors. Small children (accompanied by their grownups) can listen to a story and then get creative with an associated craft and simple play activities, in the wonderful Victorian/Art Deco Great Hall space.
Family Challenge: Zooming Zip Line
Inspired by the Spirit of Invention exhibition from The National Archives – discover if you have the skills to be an inventor. A stranded family of LEGO® figures need help to descend the treacherous zipline. Can you build a carriage to help them descend safely and quickly?
Family Challenge: Parachute Drop
Discover if you and your group can work out how to protect your chocolate egg, design your parachute and dare to let go. Will it survive the journey down?
Discover what’s on at Discovery Museum
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.
Space Investigators North East
This immersive exhibition takes you on a multi-sensory journey into the hidden worlds of the Universe. There's so much to learn about how advances in technology are constantly unveiling new areas of the Universe for us to investigate.
Discover what’s on at Great North Museum: Hancock
Enjoy Easter at the Railway. Join the Easter Bunny and take a ride on the Easter Eggspress. Follow an Easter trail around the museum (£1) to win a chocolate egg prize at the end of the trail.
Take a four mile return trip following the route of the coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne behind a vintage locomotive in our 1950s passenger carriages.
Make & Take Thursday Craft Activities
Join the museum’s learning team for two craft sessions during your Easter break. Make and design your own Easter Mask. Children can choose between designing a cute Easter bunny mask, or a festive Easter chick mask.
Discover what’s on at Stephenson Steam Railway
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery:
Tremendous Tuesday Craft Activities
Visit the Museum's Vince Rea exhibition for craft inspiration and then make your way into the Learning Room to make a 3-D abstract picture using coloured card.
Discover what’s on at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Marvellous Monday: Easter Family Crafts
Roman soldiers often liked to carry elaborately designed daggers with them. Design and make your own unique Roman dagger inspired by the Romans.
Discover what’s on at Segedunum Roman Fort
Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort:
Crafty Romans: Easter Family Crafts
Taking inspiration from Flora, our latest exhibition about all things plants, from decoration to medicine to celebration during the time of Roman Britain, get ready to join in with our creative activities this Easter.
Discover what’s on at Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort
Drop in to the many free crafting sessions at Hatton Gallery over the Eater break. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Wednesday 3 April: Create a Spring collage,
Thursday 4 April: Painting with Acrylics
Monday 8 Apri: Spring artwork craft session
Thursday 11 April: Mixed media and drawing workshop
Discover what’s on at Hatton Gallery
Come and get creative at these fun holiday sessions for all ages. Each day has a different theme, and you'll take home something special you've made.
Tuesday 2 April: Make a cardboard sculpture of an Easter egg hiding in the grass.
Thursday 4 April: Transform a paper plate into a bunny hat to wear.
Tuesday 9 April: Make a freestanding vase of flowers, using paper and card.
Thursday 11 April: Use watercolours to make a 'flower power' style flower. Cut it out and display on your wall to celebrate spring.
