May Half Term in Hampshire 2026
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If you’re looking for things to do this May half term in Hampshire then you have come to the right place. You may be looking for a lovely family friendly day out or just somewhere to go for walks or you might prefer an organised event or school holiday activities, put on especially for May half term. Read on to find out everything going on in Hampshire this half term.
When is May Half Term in Hampshire?
May half term, in the middle of the summer term 2026, in the Hampshire school holidays runs from 25 May to 29 May 2026 which is the same as many of the neighbouring county half terms this year. Make sure you check term dates on your school website.
Days Out in Hampshire
If you’re just looking for a day out to enjoy over the May half term holiday dates then we have a lot of inspiration for you and these posts should be helpful:
If you’re happy to go a little further afield then these posts may be helpful too:
- Family Days Out in the South East
- Educational Days Out in the South East
- Educational Days Out in London
- Things to Do on a Family Trip to London
- Things to do in London on a Rainy Day
Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
If you fancy going for afternoon tea as a half term treat there are plenty of places to choose from and these guides may help you find somewhere perfect!
- The Best Places to Have Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
- 14 Options for Children’s Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
National Trust Trails
National Trust sites often have fantastic trails to keep children entertained. Here are the ones on this half term in Hampshire:
The Vyne – Vyne Rd, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke RG24 9HL
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt at The Vyne – 16th May to 28th June 2026 – Free with admission
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, is coming to The Vyne this spring. The award-winning animation, based on the much-loved picture book, will be brought to life through a series of interactive installations. Get ready to swish, splash and squelch your way through this new sensory trail as you search for the bear.
You can read about our time at The Vyne here
Mottisfont – Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0LP
Outdoor fun this May Half Term – 23rd to 31st May 2026 – Free with admission
Visit Mottisfont to let off steam and get giggly outdoors with lots of family friendly play and games inspired by nature. Take part in a sack race slalom or choose a hobby horse and challenge your family to a horse racing derby! Select your bean bags to send sailing through the air to hit the big target and wobble your way across the stepping logs. Tap into the joys of natural play in both the wild play area and den building areas.
You can read about our trip to Mottisfont here
Days Out with Half Term Activities in Hampshire
Winchester Science Centre – Telegraph Way, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1HZ
May Half Term – Not yet confirmed for 2026
Get set for some Jurassic sized mayhem this May half term! Experience hours of action-packed fun for the whole family this May half term where you can get hands on with science across 2 floors of exciting interactive exhibits, watch as science comes to life in a free 20-minute live science show, The Dino Show, be wowed by huge ‘don’t try this at home’ demos in Science Live and so much more!
You can read about our time at Winchester Science Centre here
Beaulieu – Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7ZN
May Half Term – 23rd to 31st May 2026
Step back in time this May half-term at Beaulieu! Horrible Histories is coming to Beaulieu this May! Dive into the connections between Beaulieu and its Victorian past and uncover facts you may wish you’d never learned – if you’re brave enough.
Read about our last visit to Beaulieu here
Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line – Station Road, New Alresford, Hampshire SO24 9JG
Day Out With Thomas – 23rd to 31st May 2026
Peep, peep! Join Thomas & Friends for a day of family fun at The Watercress Line. Take a train ride with Thomas, meet some of your favourite characters and join Sodor Station Sweepers Rusty & Dusty for a trainload of excitement!
Read about our Day Out With Thomas here and about the Wizard Week event here
Finkley Down Farm Park – North Way, Andover, Hampshire SP11 6NF
May Half Term Fun – 23rd to 31st May 2026
Celebrate the May Bank Holiday with farm-tastic play and adventure for all the family! All the amazing live children shows and hands-on animal activities are included in the all-day entry to Finkley Down Farm. There’s so much to see and do!
You can read about our day at Finkley Down Farm here
Longdown Activity Farm – Deerleap Lane, Ashurst, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 7EH
Tractor Time – 30th and 31st May 2026
If you like tractors, you’ll love Longdown during this special tractor weekend when The New Forest Vintage Tractor and Engine Club will be at the farm. Tractor enthusiasts will be delighted to have the opportunity to see a variety of tractors from yesteryear featuring names such as Ferguson, Fordson, Nuffield, and many more.
You can read about our trip to Longdown Activity Farm here
Butser Ancient Farm – Chalton Lane, Chalton, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO8 0BG
Viking Reenactment Weekend – 30th and 31st May 2026
The Vikings are here! Explore their encampment as they bring the early medieval meadhalls to life. Discover their weapons, their crafts, and their way of life. Join the Vikings as they march to battle, and see them in combat!
You can read about our time at Butser Farm here and a more recent review of Butser Ancient Farm here
Milestones Museum – Basingstoke Leisure Park, Churchill Way West, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG22 6PG
Sherlock Holmes: Adventure of the Missing Thornycroft Blueprint – 23rd to 31st May 2026
Step into a brand new Sherlock Holmes case this May half term at Milestones! A top secret submarine design has been stolen from Thornycroft Engineering Works, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
You can read about our trip to Milestones here
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 3LJ
May Half Term at the Mary Rose – 25th to 29th May 2026
Continuing the Portsmouth 100 centennial celebrations, this May half term the Tudor townsfolk will be in residence in the museum once again, getting to grips with flags and symbols and what it all meant!
Museum Magical Mystery Tours – 23rd to 27th May 2026
Take part in a historical Magical Mystery Tours for an entertaining, story-filled journey through the hidden secrets and legends of the Royal Navy.
You can read about our time at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard here
Osborne House – York Avenue, East Cowes, Isle of Wight PO32 6JT
Mystery Mission at Osborne – 23rd to 31st May 2026
A top-secret message has gone missing at Osborne – and you need to find it before it falls into the wrong hands! Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to follow the trail, track down the clues and crack the codes to uncover the secret message.
Carisbrooke Castle – Castle Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1XY
Mystery Mission at Carisbrooke Castle – 23rd to 31st May 2026
A top-secret message has gone missing at Carisbrooke – and you need to find it before it falls into the wrong hands! Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to follow the trail, track down the clues and crack the codes to uncover the secret message.
Blackgang Chine – Ventnor, Isle of Wight PO38 2HN
Wild West Week – 23rd May to 31st May 2026
Fancy yourself the next Sheriff or Outlaw of Cowboy Town? Take in the adrenaline-inducing live action Cowboy show, and round-up those dastardly outlaws this Wild West Week!
Treasure Trails
If you want to get outside but you don’t really know where, we love Treasure Trails. It’s an adventure that the whole family can get involved in for less than £10. Solve a mystery, save the day or be a spy! It’s great fun and we always really enjoy it. Here are some of the Hampshire Treasure Trails – you can see the full list here.
- Aldershot – Military Driving Trail
- Basingstoke
- Beaulieu Station to Beaulieu Village
- Brockenhurst
- Fordingbridge
- Gosport
- Historic Southampton
- Lyndhurst – Alice’s Wonderland?
- Petersfield
- Southampton Gardens
- Winchester City and Castle
You can read about one of our Treasure Trail adventures here.
Half Term Activities in Hampshire
Wherever you are in Hampshire, there’s bound to be somewhere nearby with organised family activities or events to keep your children entertained over the holidays. Here are a few suggestions of things to do in May half term in Hampshire:
The Arc – Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8SB
Various activities throughout half term:
- Decorate a fairy toadstool door – 27th May 2026 – Age 4+ – £12 per child
- Build and decorate a bug hotel – 27th May 2026 – Age 7+ – £15 per child
- Weave a rainbow trinket basket – 28th May 2026 – Age 7+ – £12 per child
- Summer wreath making – 28th May 2026 – Age 7+ – £15 per child
SeaCity Museum – Havelock Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 7FY
Southampton Culture Club for Kids – 26th May to 28th May 2026 – 9am to 4pm
A day of investigation, imagination and discovery for children aged 7 to 12yrs who love being creative and learning through fun activities. Led by the experienced cultural services learning team, at Kids’ Club children will explore the past, experience the museum and gallery and make really cool things!
SeaCity Art Gallery and Museum – Havelock Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 7FY
Various activities throughout half term:
- Bugs in Boxes – 26th May 2026 – All ages – £6 per child
- Art for All: Clay Capybaras – 27th May 2026 – Age 5+ – £8 per child
- Art for All: Birds, Beetles and Butterflies with Watercolour – 28th May 2026 – Age 7+ – £8 per child
- Art for All: Clay Stitch – 28th May 2026 – Age 4+ – £8 per child
- Art for All: Minecraft Mosaic World – 29th May 2026 – Age 7+ – £8 per child
- Toddler Time: Under the Sea – 29th May 2026 – Age under 4 – £6 per child
- Mini Monets Art Club – 30th May 2026 – Age under 7 – £7.50 per child
Army Flying Museum – Middle Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 8FB
May Half Term Family Fun – 23rd to 31st May 2026 – Included with admission
- Discover the stories of real life Secret Agents as part of a fun code cracking trail around the Museum.
- Visit the craft tables to put your Secret Agent skills to the test. 10:00–12:30 every weekday from Monday 25th to Friday 29th May.
- Make and paint your very own scale plastic model to take home with you under expert guidance from Models for Heroes. 10:00 to 15:00 Tuesday 26th & Sunday 31st May.
Theatre Shows in Hampshire
Going to the theatre is a great activity that the whole family will enjoy and Hampshire has a lot of great theatres to really make the most of. Here are the family shows on during May half term:
Theatre Royal Winchester – Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8SB
- Sing-Along-A Musicals Live – 29th May 2026
- Taylor Swift Tribute by Xenna – 31st May 2026
Princes Hall – Princes Way, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1NX
- Peter Pan – 23rd May 2026
- Fun for Little Ones – 27th May 2026
- Play in a Day – 28th May 2026
- Flowers and Friendship Bracelets – 29th May 2026
Mayflower Theatre – 22-26 Commercial Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 1GE
- Braniac Live – 26th May 2026
- Fun for Little Ones – 28th May 2026
- Family Fun Day – 30th May 2026
The Anvil Basingstoke – Churchill Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 7QR
- Ministry of Science Live – 30th May 2026
- Fireman Sam Live – 31st May 2026
Indoor Activities in Hampshire
If the weather isn’t great over half term then you may want to do something indoors that still gets you out of the house. Here are some ideas:
Libraries in Hampshire
There are many libraries across Hampshire and the vast majority of them have activities and events on for children on a regular basis but especially during school holidays. You can find your local library here and book available sessions online too.
Escape Rooms in Hampshire
Escape rooms are super popular and there are so many family friendly versions around. Here are some ideas for escape rooms in Hampshire:
Roller Skating in Hampshire
Roller skating is such a popular activity and there are so many places you can skate in Hampshire. Here are some suggestions:
Leisure Centres in Hampshire
Leisure centres can be a fantastic place to spend time as a family and they’ve come far over recent times, now having so much more than just swimming pools. Many have climbing facilities, soft play centres and even trampoline parks within them! Here are all the ones in Hampshire to choose from:
- Frogmore Leisure Centre, Yateley – Swimming – Badminton – Gymnastics
- Basingstoke Aquadrome – Swimming – Adventure Golf
- Charlton lakeside, Andover – Adventure Golf – Boating Lake – Playground
- Whitehill and Bordon Leisure Centre – Swimming – Junior Gym
- Hart Leisure Centre, Fleet – Swimming – Junior Gym – Football – Gymnastics – Badminton – Soft Play – Trampolining
- Alton Sports Centre – Swimming – Football – Basketball – Junior Gym – Climbing – Soft Play – Trampolining – Tennis – Squash
- Taro Leisure Centre, Petersfield – Swimming – Junior Gym – Basketball – Squash – Badminton – Football – Soft Play
- Winchester Sport and Leisure Park – Junior Gym – Basketball – Active Antz – Football – Swimming – Gymnastics – Football – Badminton – Climbing – Trampolining
- Romsey Rapids Sports Complex – Swimming – Soft Play – Crazy Golf
- Horizon Waterlooville Leisure Centre – Gymnastics – Trampolining – Sports – Swimming
- Horizon Havant Leisure Centre – Gymnastics – Trampolining – Sports – Swimming
- Totton health and Leisure, Southampton – Swimming – Junior Gym – Badminton
- Wildern Leisure Centre, Southampton – Swimming
- Knightwood Leisure Centre, Southampton – Junior Gym
- Andover Leisure Centre – Swimming – Soft Play – Gymnastics – Boating Lake – Adventure Golf
- Fareham Leisure Centre – Swimming – Junior Gym – Badminton – Dance – Gymnastics – Football – Climbing
- Holly Hill leisure Centre, Southampton – Junior Gym – Swimming
- Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth – Swimming – Climbing
- Gosport Leisure Centre – Swimming – Junior Gym – Trampolining – Football
- Meadowside Leisure Centre, Fareham – Football – Active Antz – Junior Gym – Badminton – Basketball
- Places Leisure Eastleigh – Swimming – Gymnastics – Soft Play – Trampolining
- Bourne Leisure Centre, Emsworth – Junior Gym – Active Antz – Basketball – Badminton – Football
- Lymington Health and Leisure – Swimming – Junior Gym – Gymnastics
- Tadley Health and Fitness – Swimming
- Ringwood Health and Leisure – Swimming – Junior Gym – Soft Play – Badminton
- New Milton Health and Leisure – Swimming – Junior Gym – Badminton
- BH Live Active Pyramids, Southsea – Climbing – Football – Soft Play – Junior Gym
Trampoline Parks in Hampshire
Trampolining is a fantastic activity that children love and it’s perfect for a wet weather day. Here are the trampoline parks in Hampshire – and many of the leisure centres above offer trampolining classes too. It’s great fun for all ages.
- Flip out Basingstoke
- Flip Out Portsmouth
- Flip Out Southampton
- Injoy Southampton
Soft Play and Indoor Play Centres in Hampshire
Soft play and other indoor play centres are fantastic for children and are great for bad weather days too. We have so many great indoor activity hubs in Hampshire from typical soft play centres to role play dressing up experiences.
- Injoy Southampton
- The Adventure Barn at Marwell Resort, Winchester
- Kids2day Indoor Soft Play Centre, Eastleigh
- Play Shack, Southampton
- The Play Park, Romsey
- Monkey Bizness, Southampton
- Jungle Jeans, Southampton
- Wacky Warehouse Vine Inn, Romsey
- Totcity Roleplay Centre, Andover
- Monkey Bizness Gosport
- Playzone Portsmouth
- Wacky Warehouse at The Sovereigns, Portsmouth
- JR Zone, Newport
- Active Monkeys Play Centre, Fleet
- Ignition Racing Simulators, Farnborough
- 360 Play Farnborough – Read our review here
Shopping Centres in Hampshire
Shopping centres are a great place to spend time. You can wander round the shops, grab some lunch and there are often organised activities and events in to make the most of as well.
- Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth
- Cascades Shopping Centre, Portsmouth
- Westquay Shopping Centre, Southampton
- Marlands Shopping Centre, Southampton
- Brooks Shopping Centre, Winchester
- Festival Place, Basingstoke
- Whiteley Shopping Centre, Fareham
- Port Solent, Portsmouth
- Westgate Retail and Leisure Park, Aldershot
- The Meads Shopping Centre, Farnborough
- The Meridian Centre, Havant
- Swan Centre, Eastleigh
- Fareham Shopping Centre
- Hart Shopping Centre, Fleet
Pottery Painting in Hampshire
Pottery painting is a fantastic activity for the whole family as well as being a calm and relaxed experience. Children of all ages will love it and it’s so nice to have something to take away with you afterwards – or pick up a few days later when it’s been fired! Here are our Hampshire pottery painting destinations.
- Pots To Doodle Do Pottery Studio, Basingstoke
- Get Crafty with Mismatch, Gosport
- Ceramics Cafe Basingstoke
- Chessell Pottery Barns, Yarmouth
Bowling in Hampshire
Bowling is another great activity for the whole family and perfect when the weather isn’t great. Here are the Hampshire bowling alleys to choose from.
- Hollywood Bowl Eastleigh
- Hollywood Bowl Southampton
- Hollywood Bowl Basingstoke
- Hollywood Bowl Portsmouth
- Tenpin Southampton
- Riverside Bowl, Andover
- Ryde Superbowl
You can read more about where to go bowling in Hampshire here
Laser Tag in Hampshire
Laser Tag was such a new thing when I was a child but they’ve grown massively in popularity over recent years and now laser centres are everywhere. Here are both indoor and outdoor laser tag sites across Hampshire.
- JR Zone, Newport
You can read more about where to play laser tag in Hampshire here
Climbing Centres and Aerial Adventures in Hampshire
Climbing is another great family activity and we have so many centres across the county – plus those included in the leisure centres above. Here are some more indoor and outdoor centres to give you some climbing inspiration.
- Rock Up, Whiteley
- Golden Gecko Climbing, Romsey
- QE2 Activity Centre, Burlesdon
- Boulder Shack Climbing Gym, Southampton
- Parthian Climbing Centre, Nursling
- Clip ‘N Climb Portsmouth
You can read more about climbing centres in Hampshire here
Cinemas in Hampshire
Most cinemas have reduced tickets at weekends and in school holidays, a great budget activity that the whole family can enjoy together
Vue – Mighty Mornings
At Vue’s Mini Mornings you can see the best kids and family films from only £2.49 each. Mini Mornings run every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10am plus every day in the school holidays.
Odeon – Odeon Kids
With special Odeon Kids screenings of the most spellbinding fairy tales and animated films, grown-ups pay kids’ ticket prices, making it a great value day out for the whole family.
There are many other cinemas in Hampshire – Everyman, Empire and Harlequin to name a few, but they all seem to have the same ticket prices and offerings during school holidays.
Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
If you fancy going for afternoon tea as a half term treat there are plenty of places to choose from and these guides may help you find somewhere perfect!
- 14 Options for Children’s Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
- The Best Places to Have Afternoon Tea in Hampshire
Holiday Clubs in Hampshire
If you need to work over the holidays and need childcare then holiday clubs are a really popular idea – and there are so many across Hampshire that you’re bound to find one perfect for your children that’s close to where you live or work. This post should help you find one:
I hope that helps with half term inspiration. I’ll be doing a roundup for each of the following school holidays too and if there’s anything I’ve missed please do get in touch and let me know. I hope you have a lovely half term!
