The February half term can be a difficult one to enjoy and fill because the weather is still cold, and the winter festivities are over! But Spring is in the air and in this blog post I’m going to give you the best things to do in Manchester in February half term 2026 including lots of Manchesters’s indoor activities, new activities and February half term specific events, indoors and outdoors!
So get some snacks packed, and let these ideas put a spring in your step!
Family-Friendly Things to Do in Manchester February Half Term
I’ve broken this post down into sections including specific events that are on in for the Manchester February half term, and that don’t have specie February events on but are good to go to all year round, indoors and outdoors!
Do kids these days know about Pinocchio?? If yours haven’t heard of it, it’s a good chance to get them familiar with this adaptation of the classic story. The Lowry states its suitable for families and many children age 3 – 10. See times and book here!
2. Museum of Illusions
📍Market Street, Manchester City Centre 🗓️All Week
The first Museum of Illusions in the UK is here in Manchester on Market Street and this is one of the great things to do in Manchester this February half term for both kids and adults to get some funny photos, have a laugh and learn something new.
I went this weekend with my stepsons aged 10 and 12, and toddler, and we all really enjoyed it, especially the older ones. It took us about an hour to go around the 65 exhibits which include the Vortex Tunnel which really tests your balance, and the upside down house which gave us hilarious family photos.. I’d always wondered how people got these photos! And lots of small exhibits that really blew our minds.
It’s open all week, just book your tickets in advance by heading to Museum of Illusions here!
3. Into the Wild Bushcraft Play Area
📍Hale, Altrincham – 🗓️All Week 9:30-16:30
Get outside this February half term and enjoy a play area with a difference! Into the Wild Bushcraft have a brilliant ethos and it’s a great place to get outside with little ones.
Hidden in the woods on the outskirts of Hale, Altrincham is a bushcraft play area with zip lines, climbing frames, sand pits, pedal go-karts and so much more, all for a low budget friendly price. In addition they do movies in their Tipi, have a coffee shack for the adults and do wood fire pizza on selected days.
One of the unique things about this place is that it is by foot access only so you have to do a bit of a walk up a country lane between the fields to get there which really adds to the magic! You don’t need to book and pay to enter but you do need to book and pay for the play area and on school holidays you should book in advance to get a spot, you can find out more and book tickets here!
4. Bubble Planet Manchester
📍Depot Mayfield – 🗓️All Week
Is this family friendly?? Well, it depends what adults see as fun, but the kids are going to love it.. and I think I will too! A brand new attraction in Manchester opening in February just in time for the school holidays is Bubble Planet Manchester!
Packed with colourful bubble rooms, interactive displays and playful photo spots, it’s a great option for keeping kids entertained during February half term indoors by offering a fun and immersive day experience for families. See more details and book tickets here!
5. Reddish Vale Farm
📍Stockport – 🗓️From Saturday 14th February
Reddish Vale Farm is a really nice family fun day out around Manchester and although they don’t have a specific February half term event happening (they go all out during the other school holidays!), they are reopening after the winter on 14th February so that’s a good enough reason to go!
Let the kids pet the farm animals, play in the indoor soft play and role play area and enjoy the outdoor play grounds! For more info and to book tickets, click here!
6. Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos
📍Science and Industry Museum – 🗓️From Friday 13th February
Horrible Science is the brand new exhibition opening at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester ready for the February half term school holidays!
It opens on Friday 13th February to the public offering surprising science, interactive experiments and playful challenges, based on the hit TV show Horrible Science!
Although the Science and Industry Museum is free to enter and explore, this exhibit does require a paid ticket from £10 with family discounts available. See more and book tickets here! And if you can’t get here in the Manchester February School Holidays, you have all of 2026 to visit as it’s on for the next year!
7. Lunar New Year Fair
📍Various Locations in City Centre🗓️ Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th February
Start off February half term by heading into town and celebrating the Lunar New Year marking the arrival of the Year of the Horse. There will be more than 120 diverse vendors located in Market Street, Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street offering food, shopping and performances letting you celebrate and participate in this celebration.
8. Manchester City Stadium Tour
📍Ethiad Stadium – 🗓️ All Week
The Manchester City Stadium Tour at the Etihad is a great half-term activity for football-loving families. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, including the players’ tunnel, dressing rooms and dugouts, with interactive displays that help bring the club’s story to life.
It’s especially good for families, with plenty to keep kids engaged and under-5s going free. Even non-football fans will enjoy seeing inside one of Manchester’s most famous landmarks, making it an easy win for a February half term day out.
The stadium tour is not always available as it depends when games are on, but currently, there is availably Monday to Friday with time slots all day. You can book your tickets on Get Your Guide here and best of all, you can cancel up to 24 hours before free of charge if plans change!
February Half Term Events in Manchester
Here are some events that are on around Manchester specifically for February half term!
9. Pizza-Making Masterclass
📍Franco Manca Piccadilly – 🗓️Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February
This is a super cool, unique and free February half term activity in the city! Franco Manca’s Manchester Piccadilly restaurant is offering a free drop in session from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Monday to Friday during half term so little ones can make their own pizza with the team and feel like a little chef in hats and aprons!
10. Carousel Funfairs
📍Heaton Park – 🗓️Saturday 14th to Sunday 22nd February
Perfect for families, thrill seekers and all ages, the Carousel Funfair is coming to Heaton Park for the week.
It’s free to enter and you just pay for the rides. To make it cheaper, you can get unlimited rides for £14.99 at specific times on Tuesday and Wednesday. See all of the details on the poster here!
11. Dino Den
📍Manchester Museum – 🗓️Tuesday 17th to Friday 20th February
If you’ve been meaning to take the kids Manchester Museum’s exhibition Triceratops: Eat, Roam, Repeat but haven’t made it yet, the February half term is the last time to enjoy it so make sure you get a visit planned in!
For one of the family friendly things to do in Manchester in February half term, Dino Den will be full of free activities for kids to enjoy including junk model dinosaur-making, re-creating scenes from the time of Triceratops, and looking at fossils, and these activities will run 10.30am -12.30pm and 1-4pm on 17, 18, 19 and 20 February. Find out more here!
12. Imperial War Museum – A Taste of Home
📍Imperial War Museum 🗓️ All Week
A Taste of Home at Imperial War Museum North is a hands-on family activity running during this February half term, exploring how food, culture and migration have shaped everyday life in Britain. With interactive challenges and creative activities for children, it’s an engaging and educational for families looking for something a little different to do during the school holidays in Salford Quays. Find out more here!
13. National Football Museum – Black in the Game
📍Manchester City Centre – 🗓️All Week
If you’re football fans and haven’t been to Black in the Game at the National Football Museum, February half term is the chance to go as it’s been on since October and finished in March 2026.
It’s is a powerful, family-friendly exhibition that celebrates Black excellence and the cultural impact of African and Caribbean communities in English football. Featuring inspirational stories, iconic objects and untold moments from trailblazers to modern stars on and off the pitch, it’s a great educational and engaging experience for football fans of all ages during February half term.
See more and get ticket info here!
Free Things to Do in Manchester in February Half Term
Looking for something free to do in Manchester this February half term? Of course there are lots of walks on offer and I’ve given a few free and easy walks below, but there’s also some free fun to be had, especially at The Super Duper Family Festival!
14. The Super Duper Family Festival
📍Manchester City Centre – 🗓️Wednesday 18th February to Saturday 21st February 2026
There will be 4 days of free family fun in various locations in the city centre with public spaces being transformed into play zones with crafts, dancing, games, movies, performances and more!
Click here to see all of the locations and what’s happening where in the city for free!
15. Under the Sea Crafts with Yuki Kihara
📍The Whitworth – 🗓️Wednesday 18 February & Thursday 19 February
A free drop in crafts session is happening at The Whitworth Museum on the above 2 days of the February half term from 10:30 to 13:30 with sessions like creating under-the-sea collages, drumming, storytelling sessions, and dress up to celebrate ocean life and the Under the Sea exhibition by artist Yuki Kihara.
To see more about this free event in Manchester in the February half term, click here!
16. Wythenshawe Community Farm
📍Wythenshawe Park – 🗓️All Week 11:30 to 15:30
Wythenshawe Park constantly surprises me with just how much there is to do there! As well as their newly refurbished play area they have bike trails and tracks and a community farm that’s free to enter.
The farm is only small but paired with the play area, cafe and a nice walk around the park, it’s one of the good free things to do in Manchester this February half term… and the park is perfect for prams and strollers for the little ones! See more info on the farm here.
17. National Trust Site Walks For Free
📍Dunham Massey, Quarry Bank, Alderley Edge
You may think of National Trust sites and think of paid entry but you can actually access most of Manchester’s National Trust sites for free, here’s how:
Quarry Bank – Well located by the Airport, you can actually park in the main National Trust car park for free and enter through the gates for free for a walk around the nearby woods and paths, and a visit to the bottom ice cream shop. You can actually walk in this area for hours! It’s’ one of our kids favourite places! You need to pay to enter the gardens and the house but you can still fully enjoy Quarry Bank for free without doing this.
Dunham Massey – To park in their car park you do need to pay (and it’s quite pricey) but you can park on a small road of Woodhouse Lane opposite the park area (google maps location here!)and cross over the style for free which is what many regular dog walkers do and walk all round the park for free, visit the cafe and spot their deer!
Alderley Edge – There is a main National Trust car park for Alderley Edge by The Wizard Tearoom but it costs money to park in here. For free Alderley Edge parking, park in one of the lay-bys further along the road (Google maps location here)and there is direct access into the woods and to the edge from here!
Indoor Things to Do in Manchester in February Half Term
Finally, there are lots of indoor activities in Manchester that are great to visit in February. These don’t have any February half term specific events on and are open as normal so I’m listing them quickly below for you and you can check out their websites for more info!
18. Bean and Brush Arts Cafe
📍Sale Town Centre ⏰ All Week
Another one of our favourite activities in Manchester is heading to Bean and Brush to do some Pottery painting and they also offer clay imprints. Their new location in Sale is super nice with a cafe selling drinks and food, so you can sit back with a coffee, or join in with some art too! Find out more and book a slot here!
19. Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City
📍Transmission House, City Centre ⏰ Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd February
This Manchester attraction has been on since December but it is finishing on 28th February 2026 so the February half term is a great time to learn about this ancient wonder without leaving Manchester! This is a one of a kind virtual reality opportunity for families to step inside history like never before! Read more and book tickets here!
20. InflataNation
📍Trafford Park ⏰ All Week
This is one of our favourite indoor activities in Manchester, whether you let the kids run around on their own and you watch from the cafe above or you join in too, it is a lot of fun bouncing and hiding in all of the inflatables. There is also a small under 3’s area for young ones. Find out more and book tickets here!
21. Total Ninja
📍Trafford Park ⏰ All Week
This is the UK’s largest indoor Ninja Obstacle Course! Total Ninja is a lot of fun but also a challenge! They have 2 sections (plus a small third under 3’s toddler section) – The Ninja Inflatable Course and The Park. Both can be enjoyed at your own pace and fun but you can also challenge each other too, perfect for things to do in February half term in Manchester! Find out more and book tickets here!
22. Head Over Heels Soft Play
📍Wilmslow & Chorlton ⏰ All Week
The most epic soft play award has to go to Head Over Heels, especially their Wilmslow location.. this is the cleanest, nicest soft play you will surely find in the UK and I love going with my baby / toddler.
For things to do in Manchester indoors with young children, this soft play is a great option and they have locations in Chorlton and Wilmslow although if you can make it to Wilmslow, I would recommend it! Find out more and book tickets here!
23. LEGOLAND Discovery
📍The Trafford Centre ⏰ All Week
The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester is a popular February half term choice for families, especially on colder or rainy days. With hands-on LEGO play areas, including the Traffic Centre, plus rides and build zones, it’s an easy win for keeping younger children entertained during the school holidays. Find out more and book tickets here!
LEGOLAND and SEA LIFE are right next to each other so book both for a full day out!
24. SEA LIFE
📍The Trafford Centre ⏰ All Week
SEA LIFE Manchester is a great half-term option for families, where kids can see at sharks, rays and colourful fish in immersive underwater displays. With interactive rockpool zones and plenty of photo moments, it’s a fun, educational indoor outing that works well on chilly February days. Find out more and book tickets here!
25. Treetop Golf Manchester
📍Printworks, City Centre ⏰ All Week
With 2 themed 18-hole mini golf courses to choose from, Treetop Golf in Printrworks is one of our favourite families activities all year round and especially on colder days! It’s great for young children up to teenagers and adults and one of the perfect things to do in Manchester in February school holidays! Find out more and book tickets here!
26. Snow Fun at The Snow Centre
📍Trafford Park ⏰ All Week
Previously the Chill Factore, the Snow Centre is offers lessons for children (and adults!) all week for skiing and snowboarding so let them learn a new skill whilst you join in too.. or sit and watch them from the warm cafe above! Find out more and book here!
I hope this list has given you some ideas of things to do in Manchester in the February half term this year!