Ways to Play: Free and low cost family activities across North East Museums this Easter
Free and low cost family activities across North East Museums this Easter
Families across the region can look forward to exciting, budget-friendly adventures at their favourite cultural attractions, thanks to Ways to Play - an ongoing collaboration between North East Museums and Tyne and Wear Metro.
(All images available to download here)
(Full list of Easter events below press release)
An exciting update for the Easter holidays, is the addition of three new venues. On 1 April North East Museums extended its reach into Northumberland and now manages three venues on behalf of Northumberland County Council: Woodhorn Museum in Ashington, Hexham Old Gaol, and the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum. This expansion enables North East Museums to connect with even more families across the region, enhancing its offer of affordable family activities during school holidays.
Ways to Play programme invites children to get active, creative, and imaginative with a variety of engaging, free experiences designed to make the school holidays memorable. >span class="eop">
Highlights this Easter include a series of special workshops at the Great North Museum: Hancock inspired by Newcastle’s Puppetry Festival, eco-friendly family activities at Discovery Museum inspired by its Steam to Green exhibition, and the Easter Bunny will be visiting Woodhorn Museum.
With rising costs affecting many households, the opportunity for families to make savings on travel costs makes visiting museums and galleries more affordable. North East Museums’ venues are easily accessible via Metro, Bus or Shields Ferry. During school holidays children under 11 can travel free on Tyne and Wear Metro, the Shields Ferry and buses when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Ways to Play has won several awards, including the Best Arts and Business Partnership at the North East Culture Awards in 2022 and the Not-for-Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards the same year. It was also shortlisted for Partnership of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards in 2023.
About North East Museums
North East Museums (formerly Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums) is a regional museum, art gallery and archives service.
We currently manage nine museums and galleries across Tyneside and the Archives for Tyne and Wear, attracting around 1 million visits a year. We run these venues and services on behalf of the local authorities of Gateshead, Newcastle, North and South Tyneside, and Newcastle University.
We are partially funded by these partners and also by Arts Council England (as a National Portfolio Organisation). The rest of our income is generated through our commercial enterprises including our shops, cafes and venue hire, and via fundraising.
From 1 April 2025 Northumberland County Council will join our partnership, and we will manage Woodhorn Museum, Hexham Old Gaol and Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum on its behalf.
We care for over 1.1 million objects - many of international importance - in archives, art, science and technology, archaeology, military and social history, fashion and natural sciences.
Our award-winning formal and informal learning activities focus on natural history, local heritage, art, science, technology, engineering and maths, and inspire over 100,000 children and young people each year.
We work with partners to engage local communities, offering creative activities inspired by our collections to help them to improve their health and wellbeing.
North East Museums includes:
Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort, South Tyneside
Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne
Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Hexham Old Gaol, Northumberland
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, Northumberland
Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend, North Tyneside
Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, South Tyneside
Stephenson Steam Railway, North Shields, North Tyneside
Woodhorn Museum, Ashington, Northumberland
Tyne & Wear Archives
Click to view the Ways to Play webpage.
Easter events include:
Friday 25 April
Small fee
Join early years specialist Amy for stories and crafts. Small children of preschool age can listen to a story and then get crafty, as they design and decorate wonderful creations, inspired by the story.
Tuesday 15 April
Free
An Easter egg hunt with a difference - robots! Can you help code and direct your robot bunny to make sure everyone gets to the correct eggs. Join the museum's learning team in the magnificent Great Hall in this family fun activity for Easter, with a different take on an egg hunt.
Thursday 17 April
Free
Can you help deliver all the eggs to the bunny's basket? Roll the marbles through the LEGO™ maze to reach the basket at the end.
Moving Parts Puppetry Festival
Saturday 19 – Sunday 27 April
Variety of free and low-cost activities available
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Underground Adventures with Murray the Mole
Until Sunday 27 April
Free
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Free, Permanant experience
Spin the wheel in six of our permanent galleries and you'll be given a challenge to complete.
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
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12-27 April
Included in annual pass admission
Join in the Easter trail and find the hares taken from medieval manuscripts hidden around the site.
12-27 April
Included in annual pass admission
Have a go at making your own bouncing bunny.
Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum:
25 - 27 April
Free
Join in the annual festival of Northumberland’s traditional music, dance, dialect, crafts, stories and heritage.
Family Crafting: Easter Holidays
Tuesday 15, 17, 22 and 24 April
£3 per participant
Join the team on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Easter holidays to create springtime crafts. From Easter Egg sculptures to decoarive spring headbands, there’s a craft for everyone to enjoy and get involved in.
Lego Coding Workshop with the Kids-Hub
Wednesday 23 April
£10 per participant
Use Lego and plastic components to build a model, then programme it using an iPad. Using Scratch block coding, you’ll be able to make your model move, make noise, light up, play music, and more! You’ll learn coding, digital literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking – all through play!
6, 13, 17, 24 April
Free museum entry, train rides from £7
Take a nostalgic journey with a four-mile return trip along the historic route once taken by coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne.
Thursday 24 April
Free
Join in with free family crafts every Thursday during school holidays. Crafts are always inspired by the things you can see and touch around the museum.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery:
Free craft activities for kids
Tuesday 15 and 22 April
Free
Join in with free family crafts, inspired by exhibitions in the museum, every Tuesday during school holidays.
Monday 21 April
Free
During Roman times, wreaths and garlands of flowers and greenery were worn by men and women on festive occasions. Drop in and try designing and making your own flower garland.
Monday 21 April
Free
Can you help find and record as many species of plants, animals and fungi that live on the Segedunum site, as part of The Natural History Society of Northumbria’s (NHSN) National Lottery Funded ‘Gosforth Wild Web’ project. Wallsend falls within the research area of the project and your discoveries will help us the team to understand the biodiversity of the area.
Thursday 17 April
Free
Learn how to use and develop a sketch book. There’s a free sketch book to take home for those attending. Suitable for 12 – 18 years old.
Wednesday 23 April
Free
Create your own spring artwork inspired by the colours, plants and animals of spring. Suitable for 4 – 11 years old.
18-21 April
Included in annual pass admission
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12-27 April
Included in annual pass admission
Create a picture of a Victorian Cooking Range using the craft materials provided.
ENDS -
Media contact: sallie.ball@northeastmuseums.org.uk
