Play time

Half term's here again. Make the most of the week with these three suggestions for constructive days out that the kids - and you - might find enjoyable and even educational.

Puppet Worlds It's one of the world's oldest theatrical traditions, but if you and your children's knowledge of puppetry is strictly limited to Sooty, head for the Horniman. This innovative and interactive museum in Forest Hill has chosen the spring half term to open its latest exhibition, PuppetWorlds, which runs until November.

This is a coup for the Horniman. Boasting puppets from three different continents, the exhibition features one of the UK's largest collections. 'Many of the puppets have never been seen before in this country,' says the Horniman's Andrew Willshire. 'We're showing everything from traditional Chinese and Indian models to Punch and Judy, Malaysian shadow puppets and glove puppets from Uzbekistan. And we have the original Andy Pandy from the Fifties, too.'

To tie in with the exhibition and make a real day out, the museum has called in the innovative Indigo Moon Theatre Company to perform family-friendly puppet shows on Wed 19 & Thur 20 Feb, 2.30pm, in the museum's Hands On base. It's a traditional Indonesian wayang golek show (that's wooden 3-D rod puppets) that can last up to six hours in west Java. You'll be relieved to know that this 50-minute production, The Worm That Squirmed, is a visual feast that's been adapted for Western audiences (more than enough for an audience aged 4+).

If hunger strikes while you're looking round, take the kids to the museum cafe. There's plenty of child-friendly food to choose from (starting at £2.90) including fishfinger whales, chicken nuggets, turkey dinosaurs - and a range of decent sandwiches to keep the grown-ups happy too.

Treasure Seekers

Last week, the Planetarium took a tentative step into the world of hi-tech movies. Disney's latest animated adventure Treasure Planet landed on the Marylebone Road, converting the London Planetarium into the Treasure Planetarium for the duration.

'It's been an interesting experience,' says Theresa Grafton, education officer in charge of the project. 'Disney originally came to us looking for a venue for the movie premiere party. But when they saw our show here they were wowed by the technology. It's the kind of thing that's featured in the film, so the idea just grew from there.'

So what can half-term visitors to the Treasure Planetarium expect? It all starts with a voyage on board the Legacy (as seen in the movie), taking passengers through the solar system, looking at each planet in turn. The destination is Treasure Planet (of course), but along the way you will witness supernova explosions, get sucked into a black hole, and end up back at base via a wormhole. As Grafton observes, 'there's an awful lot squeezed into one voyage'.

The real stars of the show though are the waxworks of Jim Hawkins and John Silver. Created for the Disney film and the interactive experience, this is the first time that Madame Tussaud's has created waxworks based on fictional characters. The 7ft high John Silver animatronic is a convincing cyborg with flashing eyes and an incredible bionic arm that children will find irresistible. If you're making a day out, it's worth noting that your admission fee also includes entry to the main waxworks. And if you're not packed-lunch people, there are two Costa Coffees on the premises, so you can still pick up a decent sandwich or toasted panini from £2.65.

Tussaud's London Planetarium, Marylebone Road, NW1 (pre-book on 0870 400 3000 or visit www.london-planetarium.com for a queue-beating timed-entry ticket). Mon-Sun 10am-5.30pm, £10-£16.95, under-16s £5-£12, under-fives free. Treasure Planet opens Fri 14 Feb. Ages 8-12