Ways to Play

Funtastic free and low cost events across Tyneside at your favourite family destinations during school holidays.

ENCOUNTER

Halloween Ghost Train

Stephenson Steam Railway (ticketed)

Train rides and spooky entertainment.

ways to play discover

Mouse Tales

Great North Museum: Hancock (FREE)

Drop-in storytime for under 5s and their families.

BUILD

Curiosity Sparks: Spooktacular Catapults

Discovery Museum (ticketed)

Fling a scary spider back to its web.

ways to play discover

Spooky Museum Trail

Discovery Museum (ticketed)

Take part in a spider webs trail!

IMAGINE

Discover a Story

Discovery Museum (ticketed)

Stories and crafts for young children.

Ways to Play - encounter

Tiny Sparks!

Discovery Museum (ticketed)

Events for 3-5 year olds and their grown ups.

MOVE

Spooky Silent Disco

Discovery Museum (ticketed)

A spooky disco for our youngest visitors.

ways to play experiment

Steam to Green: A North East Energy Revolution

Discovery Museum (FREE)

Exploring the story of energy in the North East.

CREATE

Tremendous Tuesday: Create a Stick Spider

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (FREE)

Create a Spooky Spider.

MAKE

Family Arts Festival

Shipley Art Gallery (ticketed)

Halloween with spooky craft activities.

Ways to play - ride

Heritage Train Rides

Stephenson Steam Railway (ticketed)

Pay once, ride all day on a heritage locomotive.

ENCOUNTER

Animal Handling with Angela's Ark

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery (ticketed)

Animal handling and interactions.

MAKE

Marvellous Monday: Spooktacular Clay Creations

Segedunum Roman Fort (Free entry for under 22s)

Create something scary using clay.

MAKE

Technology Tom: Building Roman Cranes

Segedunum Roman Fort (Free entry for under 22s)

Build a model crane with Technology Tom.

Ways to play - collage

Children's Autumn Collage Workshop

Hatton Gallery (FREE)

For children 4-11 years.

MAKE

Polymer Clay Workshop: Halloween sculptures

Shipley Art Gallery (ticketed)

Make a spooky sculpture from clay.

CREATE

Young People's Art Book Workshop

Hatton Gallery (FREE)

For young people 11-18 years.

DESIGN

Children’s Halloween Facemask Craft

Hatton Gallery (FREE)

Design a scary Halloween face mask.

DESIGN

Create an Upcycled Hedgehog

Great North Museum: Hancock (FREE)

Get creative with this recycling craft!

ways to play - play

Under 5s Fun Day

Shipley Art Gallery (ticketed)

A variety of fun activities for under 5s.

Ways to Play - explore

Spooky themed Heritage train rides

Stephenson Steam Railway (ticketed)

Explore the spooky railway!

CREATE

Make & Take Thursday: Spooktacular Rock Creations

Stephenson Steam Railway (FREE)

Free crafts every Thursday during school holidays.

CREATE

Make & Take Thursday: Lantern Making

Stephenson Steam Railway

Free crafts every Thursday during school holidays.

CREATE

Crafty Kids

Shipley Art Gallery (ticketed)

Stories, songs, and fun creative activities.

Ways To Play - Sketch

Family Art Class

Shipley Art Gallery (ticketed)

A monthly Saturday art class for 7 - 12 year olds.

MAKE

Family Arts Festival

Shipley Art Gallery

Get excited for Halloween with spooky crafting.

DESIGN

Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole

Great North Museum: Hancock (FREE)

Create an upcycled craft.

Travelling to our venues by Metro

Make your ‘Ways to Play’ adventure a great value day out by travelling to our venues by the Metro and/or Shields Ferry. Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free on the Metro and the Shields Ferry with a fare-paying adult. Metro is the convenient, fast and frequent way to get to your favourite attractions and now it’s even more affordable. Find out more.

Ways to Play is sponsored by Tyne and Wear Metro.