Plenty to see and do during the next month
13 January Wood Green Family Dog Workshop
Cosying up with the family is one of the great joys of winter, but there comes a point when what’s needed is a run around in the great outdoors and a few lungfuls of fresh air. Take a stroll at Wicken Fen, the National Trust’s oldest nature reserve and England’s most famous fen. It’s one of Europe’s most important wetlands, home to more than 9,000 species, including wigeons (medium-sized ducks with chestnut and yellow heads) and short-eared owls. Easy to spot are the large flocks of starlings, whose stunning ‘murmurations’ signify their intention to settle down for the night.
6-10 February Worst Witch
Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch series of books comes to life at Cambridge Arts Theatre next month. Join Mildred Hubble, an ordinary girl who finds herself in a school for witches, jealous Ethel Hallow, and Miss Hardbroom, who is against all fun, in this action-packed stage adaptation. Featuring original songs, and suitable for ages seven and up, catch The Worst Witch at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 6 to 10 February, with tickets starting at £17.
Arts Picturehouse
For something on the big screen, Saturdays at 11am is time for Kids’ Club at the Arts Picturehouse. Each week, a family-friendly movie, from fairly new ones to all-time classics, gets an airing. Tickets are just £2 each, for both children and grown-ups – though grown-ups without children are not allowed in. The cinema also screens Toddler Time short films, for preschool children and their parents or carers, at either 10am or 10.30am on most days. Children’s tickets are £3, adults go free.
Museums
For a bit of culture, a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum is also completely free. You could easily spend a day exploring the impressive permanent collection and the latest exhibitions, which includes Sampled Lives (running until 13 January), which showcases beautifully embroidered and stitched samplers illuminating the lives of girls and women from mid-17th century English Quakers to early 20th century school pupils. Also free to explore is the Museum of Zoology, which reopened last year with a stunning new look. Dating back to 1814, the museum is home to one of the largest and most important natural history collections in the country, holding some two million objects and showcasing an awe-inspiring diversity of specimens from across the animal kingdom.
