February Half Term: Snap Shot

About

Add a splash of colour to your day with our colourful activities and performances across February half term. Explore the museum while completing the sticker passport, cross the site on our train (weather permitting) and see how the lift was powered using steam.

Makers’ Shed

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, 11.30am – 3.30pm| Free

Be inspired by Face to Face: Portraits of an Industry, and create your own colourful portrait using wax crayons and oil pastels, and for under 5’s explore how light affects our ability to see colour underground.

Meet Ada Clough

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.30pm & 2.30pm

In 1895 Hannah Keen painted a Pit Brow Lass which will feature in our exhibition Face to Face. Our Pit Brow Lass Ada Clough will talk about her life at work and how she brought colour to her life.

Discovery Spots

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, until 2.30pm

Look out for our friendly volunteers across site who will be running interactive activities throughout the day.

Steam Winder Demonstrations

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, 11.30 – 2.00pm

See how a few puffs of steam can work with some giant machinery to move the mighty Pit Wheel.

Paddy Train (Weather Dependent)

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, 11:00am – 3:30pm

Travel in a train that used to carry miners at work. All Day Ticket £2.50 per person, available from Reception.

Blacksmith Demonstrations

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February ,11:30am & 2:00pm

See the Museum’s resident Blacksmiths demonstrating their skills.

Horsekeeper Talk

Saturday 11, Sunday 12 & Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 February, 12:00pm & 2:30pm

Discover more about our four-legged friends in the 12.00pm talk and see them being fed at 2:30pm.

Caphouse Creators: Wire Your Own Torch

Wednesday 15, 16, 17 February 2023, 11am – 12pm | £5 per child

7-12 year olds are invited to get creative at our monthly club, learning new skills and practical techniques! This session wire and solder your own torch based on the evolution of lighting used in modern mining and create a long exposure photograph.

STEAM Club: Gas Tests

16 February 2023¸ 11:00am-12:30pm & 1:30pm-3:00pm | FREE, We can offer help with transport costs to attend the session.

11-16 year olds are invited to join us for our hands-on monthly STEAM Club. Enjoy a creative twist on your STEAM subjects using authentic materials to explore the skills behind mining. Learn about toxic gases that can build up in mines, how these were tested with miner’s lamps and how these gases are tested in a lab. The re-create the gases to conduct the appropriate tests yourself.

STEAM Club: Gas Masks

17 February 2023, 11:00am-12:30pm | FREE, We can offer help with transport costs to attend the session.

11-16 year olds are invited to join us for our hands-on STEAM Club. Enjoy a creative twist on your STEAM subjects using authentic materials to explore the skills behind mining. Learn about the different protective equipment the miners wore through the ages, and the introduction of gas masks. Participants will make their own gas masks to protect from carbon particulates and toxic gases.

STEAM Club: Neutralising Mine Water

19 February 2023, 11:00am-12:30pm & 1.30-3.00pm | FREE, We can offer help with transport costs to attend the session.

11-16 year olds are invited to join us for our hands-on monthly STEAM Club. Enjoy a creative twist on your STEAM subjects using authentic materials to explore the skills behind mining. Learn about mine water drainage and how the acidity is neutralised naturally by natural rock. Take part in your own water neutralisation reactions.

STEAM Club was supported with funding with a Culture Grant by Wakefield Council.