Swindon Borough Council is providing a range of family activities at the Museum & Art Swindon and the STEAM Museum in Swindon, Wiltshire, for the February 2026 half-term. These events include fossil-themed storytelling, engineering challenges, and free creative sessions for children during the school holidays. The programme aims to provide affordable education and entertainment while encouraging residents to visit the town’s cultural venues.
Professional storyteller Kirsty Hartsiotis will host a Fossil Hunters session at Museum & Art Swindon on February 17, 2026. For £5 per person, families can take part in storytelling, fossil handling, and clay model making between 2:00 pm and 3:15 pm. This museum recently moved to its new home at the Civic Offices in July 2024 following a £520,000 renovation project that replaced the previous site at Apsley House.
The museum is also holding free creative drop-in sessions on February 18 and February 21, 2026. These activities are inspired by the current Henry Orlik and Fossil Hunters exhibitions. The Fossil Hunters exhibition features local geological finds such as 150-million-year-old Jurassic specimens, while the Henry Orlik display showcases works by the surrealist painter. These sessions are open to all visitors and do not require advance booking.
At the STEAM Museum, children can take part in a Be an Engineer! event on February 18, 2026. This activity is part of the Festival of Tomorrow, a town-wide celebration of science and innovation running from February 14 to February 21, 2026. Participants can visit the Great Western Hall between 11:00 am and 3:30 pm to try out various engineering tasks.
To mark Shrove Tuesday on February 17, 2026, the Mayor of Swindon, Councillor Fay Howard, is hosting a pancake decorating session. This free event will take place at the Mayor’s Parlour and is open to local families. These community activities are part of a wider effort by the council to support local culture and its ongoing bid for UK City of Culture 2029.
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