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Head to the Isle of Wight for Fantastic Half-Term Value

With free kids activities and others costing from as little as £1, the Isle of Wight offers fantastic family value this February half-term.

At the Quay Arts in Newport, there's a range of creative workshops, including Two-
Faced, a drop-in mask-making event (free, all ages), a 'Clay Day' (£1, age 8+), and 'Create a CD Cover' (£12.50, age 13+)

Active types will enjoy searching the Island's 'Jurassic' coastline for Dinosaur footprints (www.dinosaurisle.com, age 3-15 years £2.30) or spending a day exploring the Island on two wheels (bike hire from £12/day). The Troll Trail, so-called because of the rumours of trolls living under the cycle track bridges, is a largely well-surfaced, traffic-free route making it ideal for families. This and other circular cycle route cards are available as a pack from Island Tourist Information Centres, or visit www.gifttonature.org.uk

Two-faced
Where: Quay Arts, Newport
When: Saturday 16 February
What: A must for creative kids of all ages, this drop-in, mask-making event takes place from 10am-2pm. Kids can choose to make happy/sad, rich/poor and beauty/beast hand-masks. Other events at Quay Arts include a Kids' Clay Day on Thursday 21 February.
Cost: FREE - just bring a packed lunch and dress for mess.
What else: Create a CD Cover (19 February, £12.50, age 13+)
Treasure Boxes (20 February, £12.50, age 8+)
Kids' Clay Day (21 February, £1 per glazed piece of work, age 8+)
Contact: Full details available on the website - www.quayarts.org or call 01983 822490.

Search for Dinosaur footprints
Where: Dinosaur Isle, Sandown seafront.
When: Thursday 21 and Friday 22 February at 2.30pm
What: A trip to see dinosaur footprints from the oldest rocks on the Isle of Wight. Cost: Adults £3.90, children (aged 3-15) £2.30, Family (2+2) £12.00, pensioner/student £3.50.
What else: Purchase your ticket from Dinosaur Isle and meet at south-west coast location - Dinosaur Isle staff will advise the location on booking. Booking and pre-payment essential. Shanklin Fossil hunt also available on Monday 18 February. Visit website for full details.
Contact: Tel. 01983 404344, www.dinosaurisle.com/events

The Troll Trail (cycle track)
Where: Merstone to Shide (5 miles, 10 miles return trip).
From Newport by car to get to Merstone follow signs for Sandown via Blackwater Road (A3020). Continue straight into A3056 then turn right into Merstone Lane. The Station is on the right after the village. For Shide follow signs to Sandown via St Georges Way (A3020), after less than a mile turn right into Shide Road, the Troll Trail is on National Cycle Route 23 next to the river.
By bus to Merstone the nearest stop is Merstone Station, for Shide it is the Barley Mow Stop.
By bike, the project is set along National Cycle Route 23 extending from Cowes to Sandown.
When: Any time.
What: All along the route, there are natural art installations, artistic seating and lasting conservation improvements which include Grey Wagtail nesting boxes under bridges and a House Sparrow palace to help this much-declined species.
Cost: FREE.
What else: Prices start from around £12 for a day's cycle hire - see www.islandbreaks.co.uk/site.sports-and-outdoor-activities
Contact: For more information about the Troll Trail, visit www.gifttonature.org.uk/trolltrail.php

Along with parks offering every sort of action to tire little legs and bigger legs out, the Island also hosts plenty of furry friends in its animal attractions, including:

- Fakenham Farm, Tel. 01983 872062
- Amazon World Zoo Park, www.amazonworld.co.uk
- Brickfields Horse Country, www.brickfields.net

And if it should rain, there's plenty of indoor fun to be had at the Island's very own Wax Works (Brading the Experience, www.bradingtheexperience.co.uk, £5.75 child, £6.75 adult) and the award-winning Brading Roman Villa where kids can borrow costumes, swords and hats from the dressing-up box (www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk, family ticket £12).

Car ferry return for up to 4 people from Portsmouth, Southampton or Lymington starts at just £29.50. Visit www.wightlink.co.uk and www.redfunnel.co.uk for full details.

Or why not let the train take the strain and hop over on one of the passenger-only ferries from Portsmouth, Southampton and Southsea? The hovercraft from Southsea takes just 10 minutes to get to Ryde and a HoverRover tickets (from £8.50 for a day) gives you unlimited travel on Southern Vectis buses covering the Island. There are also combination travel and attraction tickets such as the Hover & Skate ticket which includes travel to Ryde, ice skating at Planet Ice, situated right next to the hovercraft at Ryde for just £8.50 per child. Visit www.hovertravel.co.uk for full details.