As the school year slowly comes to a close, there is just one more half-term break to go until the big one arrives – the Summer Holidays. While the older students get some revision in for their upcoming exams, it’s important to also find the time to relax with friends and family.
This May, there are more than enough ways to unwind and enjoy the week off. From getting some sun (fingers crossed), to getting everyone involved in family-friendly activities, we’ve got plenty to keep you occupied this half-term. Read on for our recommendations!
Let’s be honest, the weather this year hasn’t been the best. More often than not, a couple days of good weather have been bookended by rain, cold, or both. But the end of May can only mean things are about to get a lot warmer. So, what better time to get outdoors and enjoy the sun we’ve been missing?
There’s no better place to start than Eaton Park. Across the 80 acres of this park, you’ll find a large children’s play area, a model boating lake, tennis & basketball courts, outdoor table tennis, a skatepark, pétanque terrain, as well as a delightful café. With so much to do, the day can truly be yours to enjoy. Settle down with a picnic, get active with a game or two of your choice, or sit back and soak in the sun sat outside the café.
And that’s not all. If you’re feeling particularly competitive with your family or friends, why not see who comes out on top in a game of Eaton Park Crazy Golf? Open every day 10am – 6pm, there’s plenty of opportunity to swing by this 18-hole course. Adults can play for £5, while children play for £4, with further discounts available for groups. Find out more here!
Get a game in at Eaton Park Crazy Golf!
For little ones in need of a fun day of exploration, Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure is the perfect day out, and just a 25-minute drive from Norwich. Throughout the half-term and beyond, every attraction is open at Roarr! including a full theatre schedule at Dippy’s theatre, the Dino-Hunter at the park, Dippy’s Raceway open, and additional activities on offer! Plus, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? Tickets are available from £19.95 for adults and children over 90cm, while children under 90cm go for free. Find out more and plan your day here!
If you’re looking to go somewhere a little closer to the centre of Norwich, Plantation Garden is a great choice! A hidden treasure of the city, Plantation Garden is a Grade-II English Heritage registered garden, right here in Norwich. Established over 100 years ago in an abandoned chalk quarry, this beautiful oasis features a huge gothic fountain, flower beds, lawns, Italianate terrace, ‘Medieval’ terrace wall, woodland walkways, 10-metre long Victorian-style greenhouse and a rustic bridge. There’s also plenty of flora and fauna to admire.
Plantation Garden is a must-visit for those who haven’t seen it before. You can find it right beside the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Earlham Road. A minimum donation of £2 per person is suggested, and more than worth it. Enjoy a picnic in these Victorian surroundings, or just take a walk and put your phone on silent – it’s the perfect way to connect with nature.
Explore the beauty of Plantation Garden
Luckily, there’s tonnes around Norwich that bad weather won’t stop you from enjoying. Norwich Arts Centre alone have a great calendar that you won’t want to miss! If you’re looking for some infectious live music, you’ll love PONY UP’s two gigs of Pale Blue Eyes (Wednesday, May 31, 8pm, tickets from £13) and The Shucks (Saturday, June 3, 8pm, tickets under £10). They’re the perfect introduction to the concert experience too!
Want to test your music knowledge (and maybe show it off a bit)? Pull together a team up to six people strong and get involved in the NAC Music Quiz Night for a good cause! Challenges in this quiz night will include Norwich’s only LIVE music intros round, with prizes including Norwich Arts Centre merchandise and guest list tickets to a future show. All money raised on the evening will be treated as donations towards the Arts Centre bringing future talent to Norwich.
Admire the Flint Light Installation while visiting the Norwich Arts Centre!
Keeping on theme with performing arts, Norwich Theatre will be hosting ‘Breakin’ Convention‘, the world’s groundbreaking festival of hip hop dance, on Saturday, May 27. Celebrating 20 years, Breakin’ Convention are touring with an all-new international lineup, including South Korean group MOVER, the Netherlands’ Ghetto Funk Collective and Yvonne Smink. Local acts will also be taking part, including Fly No Filter, Garage Friday Crew, Legacy Dance Company, and Parallel Dance Studios!
This one-day festival will be free to enter, with the exception of paid performances in the auditorium (Tickets from £10-£25). Join Breakin’ Convention for an all-day BBQ from 11:30am – 7pm, with DJ sets, Graffiti Showcases, Stencil Workshops, and Dance Battles also available! Find out more about this incredible day of music here.
For a good few activities in one, Mulligans is the place to be. Here, there are all the makings of a good day out. Get involved in some pool, ping pong, electro-darts, or shuffleboard! The choice is yours.
Though, their main attraction will be their crazy golf, which has some of the most creative holes you’ll find in Norwich. Try to knock your ball down a foosball table as the other players try to knock it back, or make some music as you hit your ball down a series of drums, it’s seriously good fun for all ages.
Admission to crazy golf costs £10 per adult and £7.75 for under-18s in off-peak hours, and £11 per adult and £8.25 for under-18s in peak hours. Please note Mulligans also becomes over-18s only from 8:45pm.
Everyone can learn something new from the amazing museums around Norwich. Whether you’re visiting the Castle, the Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts, or the South Asia Collection, it’s all incredibly fascinating. And if you haven’t visited the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell, you’re missing out!
We don’t call Norwich the City of Stories for nothing, and this museum shows that. Learn more about how Norwich was England’s second city in the 1700s, the city’s rich industrial heritage, 200 years of shopping and trading, and about the bridewell building itself in its time as a prison.
The Museum of Norwich is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 4:30pm. Adults can get in for £7.40, or £6.60 with a paid child ticket, while children’s tickets cost £6.30. Good news for the students of City College, NUA, and the UEA, admission is free!
Learn all about the city at the Museum of Norwich
Of course, if you’re visiting Norwich, chances are you’ll need somewhere to stay. Fortunately for you, Norwich has some of the finest hotels you can find. One of these is No 82 The Unthank. Located close to the centre on Unthank Road, these 19 freshly renovated apartments give you the perfect mixture of luxury with independence to live as if it were a home away from home.
Each apartment is equipped with a modern kitchen, washing machine, private bathrooms, and deluxe double beds. They’re great value too, with individual offers on throughout May and June. Book your stay in May and you can enjoy a £10 discount per night, or book on a Friday or Saturday in June and you’ll receive two breakfast vouchers along with the room for just £99. Find out more and book your stay on the No 82 The Unthank website here.
Or you can stay in the Georgian luxury of the Assembly House, enjoying another city centre hotel (and possibly an afternoon tea while you’re there, we won’t tell!). The rooms here are all individually decorated, and each one is beautiful. But be quick, only a few rooms remain available. Book your room now!
One of the luxurious rooms at The Assembly House
Finally, if you’re looking for some family activities outside of Norwich, there’s more than enough of those too! Enjoy the fantastic attractions such as Pensthorpe Natural Park, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, AmazonaZoo, BugzUK, Holkham Hall, Wroxham Miniature Worlds, BeWILDerwood, Thursford Steam Engine Museum, Bure Valley Railway, and so much more!
For more information on what you can do outside of Norwich, check out our ‘Less Than an Hour from Norwich’ blog!
