Top Picks
Twenty Top Family May Half-Term Adventures
This May half-term is jam-packed with family activities! From craft workshops, garden trails and live theatre, there’s plenty of options this half-term – whatever the weather!
This is just a snippet of what’s on this half-term – find more family events in the Family section on our website, all year round. You can also use the date range feature on our website to browse the whole week!
Header Image: National Trust Trengwainton Garden, Penzance
1. Giant Marble Runs
Eden Project, Bodelva
Daily
Discover brand-new Giant Marble Runs – an exhilarating play adventure woven through the Outdoor Gardens at the Eden Project.
Race giant wooden marbles down over 100 metres of handcrafted track, split across eight unique runs nestled across our landscape. Packed with clever engineering, problem-solving, hands-on interactions and satisfying sounds, this all-age immersive experience brings play right into the heart of Eden’s gardens.
2. Wildlife Encounters
Wheal Martyn, St Austell
Fri 22nd May — Mon 1st June // 10am
Take a walk on the wild side through the Wheal Martyn grounds!
Can you find all the animals, trees and plants that call our china clay works their home? Take a picture inside our wildlife ‘peep’ boards – you can be a caterpillar, a bumblebee and more! Scavenge for fallen leaves and natural materials to use in our creative activities. Fill in your nature spotter booklet as you go.
3. Become a Story Inventor!
Trevow Chapel, Helston
Sat 23rd May // 10am
Encounter colourful characters, enchanting worlds and costumes galore and have fun creating your very own characters and stories at The Writers’ Block pop-up.
All our Story Scientists have gone on strike! They’ve emptied our lab and taken all their story experiments with them. So now our Story Lab is missing a vital element: STORIES…!
Your mission is to help us invent some new ones.
4. All Ages Art Morning – Nature Diary!
Jackson Foundation, St Just
Sat 23rd May // 10.30am
Spend time in our gallery meadow and create a nature journal to celebrate the plants and animals around us. Conservation activities, stories and games for all ages.
This is a free activity for all ages and will run on a drop in basis from 10.30 – 12.30.
5. Shore Safari
National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May // 10am
What curious creatures will you find with The Rock Pool Project in their mobile rock pool at the Museum?
Each day there will be a chance to learn and uncover more about the sea life in our Cornish waters, including the best ways to explore rock pools and identify the creatures you discover.
6. Half Term at Cornwall Museum
Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, Truro
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May // 10am
Get creative with Cornwall’s captivating myths and legends this May half term.
Free family activities all week long – inspired by the Cornish Myths & Legends exhibition, tales of mermaids, giants, piskies and wizards are taking over this holiday.
7. Mystery Mission
Pendennis Castle, Falmouth
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May // 10am
A top-secret message has gone missing at Pendennis Castle – and we need you 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.
Keep your eyes peeled for the mysterious secret agent, who’ll be roaming around the castle. If you’re lucky, they might just be able to help you complete your mission…
8. STUDIO DO: Leach Pottery Takeover
Tate St Ives
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May // 11am
Join us in our Foyle Studio for a collaborative clay make with the Leach Pottery team.
Our holiday studio programme creates immersive installations and play-based activities that offer self-directed art experiences for children, parents and carers. Each STUDIO DO responds to the themes and broader art movements of our exhibitions or invites a contemporary artist to take over the space. This provides a space to test out making, experiment with ideas and take time out from the galleries. Make, play, rest, and use the studio in your own way to explore art at Tate St Ives.
9. Cornwall Open Studios 2026
Across Cornwall
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May // 11am (check individual studios for opening days)
From Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May, 322 artists and makers from across the county will welcome visitors to experience the cornucopia of colour and creativity that is Cornwall Open Studios.
In hidden hamlets, verdant villages and coastal communities – from Mousehole to Mawnan Smith and Tintagel to Torpoint – Cornwall’s creatives will showcase their skills, share their stories and exhibit artistic practice in all its forms.
Free demonstrations and workshops will also take place during the event.
10. Bobo’s Giant Seedling Trail
Helston
Sat 23rd — Sun 31st May
Something strange has happened – Bobo’s giant seedlings have escaped and are hiding all over Helston! Can you find them all?
Your mission: find them all, complete your trail, then head to Lakeside Cafe at Coronation Park to claim your prize!
Running throughout May half term, this free family trail is the perfect excuse to explore Helston’s shops and streets with your family before heading to Coronation Park.
11. Trebah Timeline Trail
Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith
Sat 23rd May — Sun 6th September // 9.30am
Travel in time through Trebah’s history, including discovering its past owners, their pets and plants.
Enter the free exhibition to start the first half of the 12 page trail booklet, then explore the garden to colour and create your way to finish it.
12. Trengwainton’s May Half-Term Fun
National Trust Trengwainton Garden, Penzance
Sun 24th — Sun 31st May // 10am (closed Fridays & Saturdays)
Spring is in full swing at Trengwainton and the garden is bursting with colour.
Follow the flower trail through the lower woodland walk and gather fallen flowers and leaves, then add them to the willow bird sculpture to help decorate its wings. Have a go at making an origami leaf and play nature-themed games and activities.
No need to book. Activities included with normal admission.
13. Disney’s The Little Mermaid
St Ives Theatre
Mon 25th — Thu 28th May
In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above.
Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages.
14. Spring Nature Walks
Wheal Martyn, St Austell
Tue 26th May // 9am
Enjoy a guided nature walk around the 26-acre historic Wheal Martyn grounds led by our site Ranger, highlighting the abundance of nature that calls the former Victorian clay works and wider grounds ‘home’.
You’ll also hear about some of the habitat improvements made during the past year and plans for the future. Price includes admission to the wider museum and breakfast after the walk.
15. Falconry at Trelissick
National Trust Trelissick, Feock
Wed 27th May — Sun 31st May // Displays daily at 11am, 1pm & 3pm
Meet the Victorian falconers and visit the traditional Hawk Mews where you’ll find a beautiful collection of falconry birds quietly at rest in the walled garden at Trelissick.
Raphael Historic Falconry will present a series of flying demonstrations about the revival of the ancient art of hawking in modern times. You’ll learn why hawks and falcons often featured at grand country estates, find out more about hawking for the table and listen to old tales of avian folklore.
16. Zine Making Workshop
The Basement, Helston
Fri 29th May // 1pm
Ever wanted to make your own mini magazine?
In this hands-on workshop, artist Karen Howse will show you how to create a zine – a DIY publication you design yourself, from scratch, in an afternoon.
Cut, stick, stamp, draw, collage, and even type on a real typewriter. No experience needed – just curiosity and a willingness to make a mess.
17. FailFailFailFailWin
Calstock Arts
Fri 29th May // 2.30pm
Mark and Loz are circus performers. But circus is REALLY hard.
Join the adventure and explore what happens inside Loz’s brain when she does a big FAIL. A family comic theatre and circus show reframing failure as positive and vital on a journey of learning.
18. The Great Estate
Scorrier Estate, Redruth
Fri 29th — Sun 31st May
Prepare for a weekend of music, mischief, and memories as Cornwall’s most “rambunctious garden fête” returns to the enchanting grounds of Scorrier House.
The Great Estate is a family-friendly affair, offering a dedicated kids’ activities including circus workshops, nature crafts, yoga and more!
19. Story Quest Day
Coronation Park, Helston
Sat 30th May // 10am
From coats with too many pockets, to weird and wonderful objects, to a cast of unexpected characters, Story Quest Day is a creative outdoor adventure where stories come to life across the park.
Solve the riddles to find hidden objects, create pocket stories, invent your own wild and wacky character and be entertained by the fabulous Story Republic!
20. Little Seeds Music: Cinderella Ice Cream Seller
AMATA Arts Centre, Penryn
Sat 30th May // 1pm
An exciting musical retelling of a fairytale classic, perfect for children and families alike.
A delightful blend of storytelling, stunning live music, and theatrical magic that will capture your heart and tickle your taste buds.
