Out and About – March

Doodle Tots at The Lowry
Friday 4 March, 10am and 11.15am
Paint, stick, play and make in this colourful workshop designed especially for toddlers and their parents or carers. Explore art, sound, texture and materials in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where you can spend time with your tot enjoying creative activities, having fun and getting messy.

The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ, www.thelowry.com, 0843 208 6000. Suitable for children aged 2 ½ - 4 ½. Tickets: £3.50 (£1.75 for Salford residents) for more information please visit the website.

Family Art Club at Manchester Art Gallery
Saturday 5 March, 1pm-3pm
Spend quality time together and learn new art skills. Play games, be creative and make things together. Relaxed two-hour workshop for you and your children. This month’s theme: Gold Fingered - create beautiful gold prints and jewel like marbled paper inspired by our Pilkington's pots.

Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, M3 3JL, www.manchestergalleries.org, 0161 235 8888. Suitable for families with children aged 6 – 11 years old. No need to book but can sign-up for places on this workshop from 12.30 on the day. There are limited places. Free.

Last month and a special finale event at Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures night at Museum of Museums, Trafford Centre
Saturday 19 March, 5pm – midnight – Final night
Thursday 10 March, 7.30pm – Professor Rosalie David OBE
Wednesdays and Sundays throughout March – Family Days
The Tutankhamun - His Tomb and His Treasures exhibition is about to enter its final four weeks at the Museum of Museums next door to the Trafford Centre. Over 150,000 people have visited it in Manchester so far – make sure you go before it moves on to Brussels.There are several special events taking place in its final month here. On Saturday 19 March from 5pm to midnight, it's the exhibition's finale night. You can say farewell to the Pharaoh on this special evening at reduced entry prices. There'll be family activities, eye-opener tours and refreshments – as well as the spectacular exhibition itself. On Thursday 10 March at 7.30pm, the exhibition hosts its final public lecture presented by Professor Rosalie David OBE of The University of Manchester. This leading Egyptologist will talk about Manchester’s links with Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun – it's expected to be a fascinating evening. The exhibition will also continue with its popular family days on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout March, offering customers 25% off entry. It means that a family of four can visit for just £27.

The Museum of Museums, The Trafford Centre, Phoenix Way (Off Barton Dock Road), Urmston, Manchester M41 7TB, www.tutankhamunmanchester.com or call 0844 249 1000. Booking essential. Suitable for children aged 3-11 years old. Adults: £8, children: £4, family (2 adults, 2 children): £20, students: £4.
For more information and tickets click here.

Star Wars Days - LEGOLAND
Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 March, 10am – 7pm (last admission 5pm)
The ultimate weekend for family and LEGO fans who have always dreamed of having their picture taken with a stormtrooper. All guests are encouraged to come dressed in costume – guests won’t be alone as there will be experts on hand to show how it’s really done. Other activities will include treasure hunts to spot the Star Wars characters hidden in MINILAND, along with free tickets on offer for the best costume of the day. Visitors can also take home a limited edition brick – perfect for those with a budding collection.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Manchester, Barton Square, The Trafford Centre, Manchester, M17 8AS. Click here for the website or call 0871 222 2662. Suitable for all ages, Booking advisable as space is limited. For full price information and to book please visit the website.

Big Saturday – The Body Experience at Manchester Museum
Saturday 19 March,11am-4pm
12 noon -1pm: Family Friendly Film screening
A day of hands-on activities about the body's organs and functions. Part of National Science and Engineering Week.
Come on a tour of the human body with scientists from the Faculty of Life Sciences and School of Computer Science at The University of Manchester. Collect your “passport” and travel around the body. Learn how the brain communicates with all the different organs in your body and how it controls your senses. See how the heart works and how your lungs help you breathe. Ever wondered what your liver and kidneys do? Come and find out. Travel through your gut and learn about the bugs that can infect it. Find out how your body heals wounds and what happens to your organs when we have diseases. Make your own mark and help us make a gigantic picture of the human body in our ‘Body Rangoli’.

Manchester Museum, 250 Oxford Road, M13 9PP, www.museum.manchester.ac.uk, 0161 275 2634. Suitable for all ages. No need to book, Free

Shipshape Saturdays at Imperial War Museum North
Saturday 5, 12, 19, 26 March, 1pm-4pm
Shipshape Saturdays are packed with family fun – from craft to theatrical performances. They include: Make your own Hide and Seek Sailor Toy (5 and 19 March), Sailor’s Secret Store – decorate your own treasure chest ‘ditty’ box (12 and 26 March), Get a feel for historic naval items in our object handling sessions, Watch dramatic films and footage from Imperial War Museum’s Archive and follow the trail to explore even more remarkable objects from war at sea, on permanent display in our Main Exhibition Space, by picking up a family friendly gallery pack.

Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf, Trafford Park, M17 1TZ, www.north.iwm.org.uk, 0161 836 4000. Recommended for ages 4 and upwards. Free.