Roaming Romans - Stay and Play Sessions

Roaming Romans are back at Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum in Wallsend on Thursday 15 October, with a second session on Thursday 28 October. It's a stay-and-play morning for families with children under five, and it's one of the low-cost options on the half-term calendar for the North East.

The setup is simple: outdoor play for the little ones, cosy indoor spaces to retreat to, and a chance to meet the mascots, Rufus and Regina. There's tea, coffee and refreshments on hand too, so you can actually sit and have a proper drink while the kids do their thing. It's designed for under-fives and their parents or carers, and it's as much about the adults getting a bit of a break as it is about the children playing.

The sessions are part of 'Ways to Play', a collaboration between North East Museums and Tyne and Wear Metro that's been running for five years. The partnership focuses on free and low-cost cultural experiences across the North East, with an aim to get children active, creative and imaginative. It's picked up a few awards along the way, including Best Arts and Business Partnership at the North East Culture Awards in 2022 and the Not-for-Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards that same year, and it was shortlisted for Partnership of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards in 2023.

If you're in the Wallsend area with a toddler or a preschooler, it's a straightforward way to get them out of the house during the half-term break. Tickets are £3 standard, and you can choose between the 15th or the 28th of October.