Fill your May half term with a week of adventure with National Trust …
Fill your week with family activities and events at places we care for across Wales. From storytelling in the garden and wild play areas, to family trails and nature art and crafts, there’s lots to enjoy with the whole family this May half term.
Get closer to nature and make the most of longer spring days, May half term is also the perfect time for having a go at some of the ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’.
North Wales
Stepping stones at Bodnant Garden Clwyd. Credit: John Millar
Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Discover the willow ‘worm’, a natural maze made from living willow trees which change through the seasons. Pack a hamper and find the best spot to enjoy a family picnic in The Dell.
Play a traditional game of family I Spy in the garden. How many dragonflies can you count hovering over the water on the Lily and Canal Terraces? How many steps does it take to walk from one side of the Pin Mill to the other? If you’re lucky you might see a kingfisher by the Waterfall Bridge. Look out for ducks, little grebes, and robins along the way.
Half term family fun at Chirk Castle. Credit: James Dobson
Chirk Castle, Wrexham
Visit the Adam Tower to discover signs of the castle’s medieval past. Have fun dressing up in armour, go on the hunt for the medieval garderobes and murder holes, and venture down into the dungeons.
Young explorers can run off some steam in two play areas at Home Farm and along woodland trails. Pick from a variety of family-friendly walks through the woodlands – it’s the ideal spot to tick off some ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities. Explore the parkland at your own pace, spot wildlife from the quiet bird hides along the way with benches to rest weary feet at Home Farm, Kitchen Garden and in the meadow.
Erddig, Wrexham
From 27 May to 4 June, search high and low for clues on the Alphabetical Scavenger Hunt. Find interactive stations around the garden and scavenge the area to complete the alphabetical brain teasers. On Tuesday 30 May and Thursday 1 June, get inspired by garden nature and craft your own butterfly, spider or ladybird using a variety of materials provided.
Wolf’s Den wild play area at Erddig Wrexham. Credit: Arnhel de Serra
Let your little explorer’s run wild in the Wolf’s Den, Erddig’s natural play area. Wobble over balance beams, let loose on rope swings or have a go at building a den out of sticks. Spot lambs playing in the fields, look out for ducklings on the lake, and swans in French Meadow. Take the family-friendly waymarked red trail into Big Wood to spot Kingfishers along the Black Brook.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor
Discover the magic of meadows this May half term at Penrhyn Castle and immerse yourself in the world of wildlife that live there. Play a game of noughts and crosses with the ladybirds and bees, pop on some wings and join the butterflies in flight or try and find the mice in the meadows. From 27 May, celebrate Children’s Gardening Week by planting a sunflower to care for over the summer. Go wild in the natural woodland play area at Rook Wood or take a stroll along the boardwalk that runs along Afon Ogwen, with views towards the Bethesda and Y Carneddau mountains.
Plas Newydd House and Garden, AngleseyThe adventure playground in Dairy Wood is perfect for a wild time with the family and great for ticking off some of the ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’. Explore Dairy Wood and find the best spot to build your den tucked away amongst the trees in the Arboretum.
Bring a Frisbee from home or purchase one from the shop and see if you can master the Frisbee golf course that is open every day. Throw your Frisbee and try to land it in the basket – it’s not as easy as it sounds.
MID WALES
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Come out and play this May half term at Llanercheron, there is nothing quite like playing outdoors. Enjoy a day out exploring a traditional Welsh farming estate. Visit the animals in the farmyard, there are lambs, pigs, and Welsh ponies to meet. Find a messy play area by the old stable block. Mix some imagination with a sprinkle of sand and a dash of water to cook up mud pies in the children’s outdoor kitchen.
Family trails at Powis Castle Welshpool. Credit: David Levenson
Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool
From 27 May to 4 June, follow the Maybees trail around the garden to find ten stations and discover the fascinating lives of pollinators. Enjoy tucking into your sandwiches surrounded by nature on a family-friendly day out with a picnic. Find the perfect spot to roll out your blanket amongst the fragrant azaleas in the Wilderness. A picnic in the wild is no. 9 on our list of ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’.
SOUTH WALES
Outdoor play at Colby Woodland Garden Pembrokeshire. Credit: National Trust Images
Colby Woodland Garden
Every day throughout May half term, tune into nature’s sights and sounds on a self-led family trail to discover all the sensory delights in the woodland garden. Head to into the lower part of this giant outdoor play garden to jump across giant stepping-stones and spot the wildlife that live around the stream running through the meadow. Discover the sky gazing glade at the top of the woods or have fun building a den under the trees.
Dinefwr, CarmarthenshireOn Monday 29 May, join local artist Serene Stacey in a family art workshop. Make paints and drawing tools from natural materials and then sketch and paint wildflowers in the parkland.A free family event but booking is essential.
The White Park Cattle have returned to graze the parkland and are calving throughout spring and summer, so come along and meet the new arrivals. On a sunny day, find garden games on the lawn, or head into the grand Drawing Room in Newton House to find a range of board games to play. There are also plenty of wet weather activities to keep little ones entertained in the playroom.
Doulacothi, Carmarthenshire
Pull on your walking boots and gather the family for a world of adventure at the UK’s only known Roman Gold Mine.
Find the best spot for a picnic along the riverside and explore one of the many estate trails on a family walk with winding footpaths through meadows and woodland teeming with wildlife.
Dyffryn Gardens, Cardiff
This half term, get lost in the wonderful world of make believe with Louby Lou’s roaming performances in the garden.
On Tuesday 30 May, help butterflies collect their magic, bubble up potions with a spellbinding witch and watch out for cheeky goblins in ‘The Enchanted Garden’. On Thursday 1 June, help Jack find the giant’s hidden gold with the help of the garden fairy in the classic tale ‘Jack and the beanstalk’. Booking is essential. Tickets £8 per child. Accessible for wheelchair users.
Two log stack play areas near the Welcome Centre and in the Arboretum offer plenty of space for youngsters to run, jump, explore, and play.
Tredegar House, Newport
From 27-31 May, pick up a Blossom Creative Kit filled with everything a young artist needs to draw and design their own memories in the formal gardens. Every day, there are Explorer or Sensory backpacks available to borrow, young explorers will love getting closer to the natural world with all the useful tools they need to look for wildlife around the gardens.
Shadow puppets at Tredegar House Newport. Credit: Trevor Ray Hart
Head inside Tredegar House to look for blossom-inspired decorations and motifs hidden in the paintings, carvings, and objects on a self-led blossom spotter trail. You’ll also find lots of period costumes in the dressing up box. Don’t forget to get together for a family photo in the Brown Room.