So the excitement of Christmas is over, it’s one of the coldest months of the year and you’re probably feeling the financial pinch after buying all those presents. All of these factors can cause problems for families who want to find things to keep them occupied but feel the outdoors are out of bounds due to the weather, and that the cost of buying cinema tickets and popcorn for everyone is also out of reach!

If this sounds familiar and you’re asking yourself what’s on in Leeds that you can take the family to, don’t worry, because we’ve compiled a few ideas for you, with some great, free family events that will keep the little ones happy and your stress levels down.

Leeds City Museum

Always a popular choice, this free museum is jam-packed with awesome exhibitions, providing an immersive and educational experience for all ages. However, this venue is more than just a museum, with a selection of free family events that are well worth checking out, such as:

• Tiny Tigers – running every Friday until the 19^th of June, head down at 10 a.m. with your under 5s and you can spend nearly 2 hours engaging in some great craft activities. Not only will you get to flex your creative muscles, but it’s a great opportunity to make new friends – both you and the kids!
• Rory’s Saturday Club – these crafty drop-in sessions run every Saturday until the 20^th June, and are suitable for the whole family – although the teenagers might not be so keen! Themes change over the weeks, but all activities relate in some way to the exhibitions within the museum. Open from 11am till 12.15pm during term time.

• Tiny Tigers Story Time – these Sunday sessions are only half an hour long, but account for travel time and it’ll while away a couple of hours and stop the under 5s from getting bored at home! Starting at 2.30pm and running every weekend until the 28^th June, it’s the perfect, free treat for your budding bookworms.

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Jerwood Drawing Prize – free exhibition at the Tetley

If you want to inspire the kids to aspire to artistic pursuits, take them down to one of the newest education and art centres around – the Tetley on Hunslet Road. The Jerwood Drawing Prize exhibition is free to view and is open until the March 1^st. If you visit in January, you can also grab a 25% voucher off the internet for the cafe bar and warm yourselves up with a hot chocolate – or, of course, a beer for the grownups!

So don’t stay home and let the kids drive you up the wall – take note of these free family events, or look online for what’s on in Leeds over the winter, and you can drive them into town for a day out instead! It’s cheaper than a load of bus or train tickets, especially when you’ve got access to fantastic car parking at crazy prices here at Trafalgar Street car park. Leeds City Museum is within easy walking distance, and the Tetley not too much further – and with rates starting at just £3 for the whole day on Sundays, you can make the most of your day and find some other great stuff to do with the family too!