1. NATIONAL GALLERY : Imaginary Worlds Festival : All Ages
Half term family fun at the National Gallery : Sunday 17 and Monday 18 February 2013 : FREE
Us that work at the Bus Depot, are quite excited about this ‘first time’ event at The National Gallery. It’s such a brilliantly located museum, right by all the major bus and tube routes, that it can take under 30 mins from door to door for all us NW London gang, and that is something not to be sniffed at, when you might need to get home in time for a lunch-time nap, and as for the kids needing a nap, well they can go to bed early!
The festival is designed to spark your imagination, transport you to faraway lands and introduce you to new stories and characters. You can take part in a range of events for children and accompanying adults, including puppet shows, art workshops, film screenings, concerts and more. They promise to make the gallery an inviting space ready for you to look, hear, explore, make and relax in the free drop-in sessions running across both days.
There is a wide range of art workshops, puppet shows, concerts, movies scheduled for the 2-day festival, they are taking bookings now, so we advise you get clicking, and choosing, as they will get sold out quickly. Book here.
2. ROYAL HISTORIC PALACES : Hampton Court Palace : : All Ages : TICKETED
Venture west to the impressive, and stately Hampton Court Palace, bang on the river Thames in the leafy South West of London Town. Check on the website for various travelling options. If you want to avoid the rush hour, every hour traffic in West London, you can take the train from Waterloo to Hampton Court (35 mins) and use your Oyster card for the privilege. The palace is a 200m stroll across the bridge from the station. If you go over ½ term, you can join in the Horrible Hampton ½ term event, and head for the Tudor court, where they will be recruiting children as apprentices for the dirty jobs needed to make the beautiful palace run smoothly. Have you got what it takes to be a gong scourer or a laundress? Could you pull rotten teeth or diagnose the King’s illnesses? A strong stomach is certainly an advantage!
TICKETS : Hampton Court Palace offers an excellent value family ticket at £43.46 (£39.50 without the voluntary donation) for up to 2 adults and up to 6 children aged 5-15 years (or £36.50 if you book online). Children under 5 years old are admitted free of charge. Horrible Hampton runs between 16th – 24th Feb
Your ticket includes access to the palace, maze and gardens, plus a multi-language audio guide, costumed guided tours, children’s activity trails, the Tudor Kitchens, the Young Henry VIII exhibition and much more!
3. LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE : Shows & Workshops : TICKETED 
* PIED PIPER : Age 3 + with baby friendly shows
| When the Pied Piper plays his flute the rats run, the greedy mayor rubs his hands and the children dance… |
Norwich Puppet Theatre’s humorous and irresistible one person show combines a skillful mix of puppetry, foot-tapping live music and storytelling which will hold audiences under its entrancing spell.
Tickets : £10 (£8conc) Friday Fives, £5 for 5pm show. Age : Suitable for ages 3+. Babies and children under 3 will only be admitted at the Baby Friendly performance (Thurs 14 Feb 10am & Sun 17 Feb 11am).
| * A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: Age 6 + |
 |
| For two weeks only this sell-out production returns to Little Angel during its national tour. Inspired by Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s story this is a startling world of ruined beauty and magic reality where everyone dreams of their five minutes of fame and riches, and the extraordinary takes flight. |
Tickets : Wednesday 20 February to Saturday 2 March (no show Monday 25 February)
£14 / £10 concessions // Friday Fives: all tickets £5 for 5pm show on Friday. Please note babies and children under 6 will not be admitted.
| Half Term Fun Day : Puppet Making Workshop |
 |
| Fun Day – A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings For age 6-12 Wednesday 20 February, 10am – 4.45pm Participants will make their own puppet inspired by the show in the morning and after lunch (please bring a packed lunch) they will watch a performance of our highly acclaimed production of A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Participants are looked after by our staff for the day, but parents or carers may wish to book a ticket for the performance in the afternoon (book in advance to avoid disappointment). Participants must be aged 6 or over. £45/£35 concession |
4. THE FORGE, Camden (photo): MUSIC STORYTELLING : Ages 1- 4 : TICKETED
The Forge in Camden hosts children’s interactive music workshops and Storytelling with Music on Saturday mornings. It is a great venue just off the high street (corner with Sports Direct) on Delancy Street, and is a space that was designed by the award-winning Burd Haward Architects. It’s brief was to build a venue with natural acoustics for live musical performance. They have a great bar and restaurant which serves kids friendly food, and delicious food, as well as space for buggies and a lovely courtyard area.
The Children’s Interactive Music Workshops are a great way to introduce and encourage your children aged 1-4 years into music. Run by experienced workshop leaders, activities include singing, dancing, rhythm work, movement and percussion playing.
The Children’s Storytelling with Music events are enchanting sessions of storytelling and live music. Come and rediscover some of the nation’s favourite children’s stories and bring them to life with songs and music. Featuring classic works like The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, these are a lovely experience for all the family!
Feb 9 – Children’s Interactive Music Workshop & Feb 16 – Children’s Storytelling with Music : Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae & Feb 23 – Children‘s Interactive Music Workshop & March 2nd – Children’s Storytelling with Music
Tickets :Sessions start 11am : Drop in £6 online / £7 on the door
The Camden Arts Centre is running a series of 4-day clay workshops between 19-22 Feb. Inspired by the film and performance works within the exhibition, this course will explore themes of time, repetition and movement. During the four day workshop children will look at the ways in which clay changes over time, using photography, drawing and performance to capture these shifts in material, colour and texture.
Times & Tickets : 10.30-1pm : Full price is £140 (£70 conc.). NB> The Clay for Infants is already sold out, but there are still places on the Clay for Juniors for ages 8-11 years. ( Book fast to avoid disappointment).
Creative Bus Stop 