Yay! Home Schooling is out for half term, but before itโs replaced with excruciating racket, higgledy-piggledy hullabaloos, and junior revolutionary uprisings, diligent stay-at-home parents teetering on the edge of wine oโclock should note, if the outside activity mountain won’t come to Muhammad, well, Muhammad has to get there online. Hereโs some โlitโ bodacious suggies to get him harnessing his cramponsโฆ.
No, Iโve no idea what that meant either, just hit me with your suggestions, homies, and Iโll add them here without beef!

Firstly, keep them well fed, and if you’re having difficulty…….
FREE SCHOOL MEALS ELIGIBILITY
Wiltshire Council is urging families who find themselves in difficult circumstances to check if they are also eligible for free school meals and the holiday food funding. Families can find out details of how to apply for free school meals support on the Wiltshire Council website including those families on: -โข Income Supportโข Job Seeker’s Allowance (income-based)โข Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)โข Support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999โข The Guarantee element of State Pension Creditโข Child Tax Credit – providing you are NOT entitled to Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income (as assessed by HMRC) is not more than ยฃ16,190 (as at 6 April 2012)โข Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment you may receive for a further four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Creditโข Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than ยฃ7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods) โข Better2Gether Funding (two year olds only) Universal Credit – if you and your partner are on a low income from work (this usually means a combined income of less than ยฃ15,400 a year after tax)Or if the two year old child: -โข Has a statutory statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) or an Education, Health and Care Plan.โข Has left local authority care through a Special Guardianship Order, adoption or a Residence Orderโข Is currently a Looked After Child, for example in foster careโข Is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)People should apply directly to Wiltshire Council if they are eligible but currently do not have free school meals by using the form on the Council website.
Morrisons Kids Meal and Pizza making Boxes Here!
Creative
Stuff!

Get Cartooning!
Thereโs always cartoon and comic workshops to get creative darlings budding. Enter Beano artist and charismatic comedian Kev F, whose Comic Art Masterclass usually travels the schools and libraries of the country, and ends with some seriously entertained kids each with their own homemade comic. The only need to travel is to grab some paper and pens now Kevโs class is online.
But check here for a number of different creators giving away their artistic secrets in comic workshopsโฆ




The End of the Pier Show
Jonny Fluffypunk presents a brand spanking new show for families, with poetry, puppetry, story, song and a healthy dose of ramshackle anarchy.
Cooking
Stuff!
The Farm Cookery School in Netherstreet
have their popular holiday clubs online, and are available to book NOW! They are only ยฃ10 – ยฃ15 per login and that includes LIVE Tuition as well as a Recipe and Ingredients Guide which will be emailed to you straight away. Just imagine, dinner may be served by your little horrors!

Learning
Stuff!
Family half term activities among online events at Chippenham Museum
Prior to lockdown Wiltshire Museum were really enjoying hosting Curious Kids sessions for under 5โs and their grown-ups. They have adapted sessions to deliver them on zoom. A chance for younger children to have some interaction with people from outside the home and for families to learn, create and play together โ supported by the museum.
February Half term session will focus on Saxon Crafts and will look at weaving jewellery.

STEM Venturi
February Half Term online coding courses for 7 – 12+ year olds. Also debuting Girls Who Code course…โฆ Lots of coding courses including Minecraft!
Music
Stuff!

– Learn from inspiring choir leaders with years of professional experience
– Explore music from different genres: musical theatre, pop, classical and more…
– Work towards performances in some of the countyโs top music venues
Join us for our next free virtual Come and Sing workshop on Thursday, 18 February, 10.00 – 12.00 via zoom.


Trending now….
BecFest2 โ Stonehenge Campsite, April 25th 2026
by Ian Diddamsimages by Sarah Bec Have you got an empty weekend coming? Fancy a last minute, first field festival of the year? Donโt wantโฆ
Phil Cooper & Friends to Play to at The Fold
Excitement for the rebirth of The Fold music venue at The Lamb in Devizes is building. As youโve probably seen me posting on social media,โฆ
Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival’s Full Line Up
Bradford on Avonโs Live Music Festival returns from Friday 29th May to Sunday 31st May; three days of live music from outstanding bands and artistsโฆ
โDevizes & Beyondโ โ Poetry & Photography by Gail Foster at St. Maryโs Church, Devizes April 18th – 26th 2026
by Ian Diddamsimages by Gail Foster ‘Devizes & Beyond’ is a collection of original poems in traditional forms and digital photography, inspired by life inโฆ
What Billionaire are you Feeding Drinking in a Pub?
A sad state of affairs and reflection on the era, to see village pubs dilapidated and closed, once thriving hubs of a community. I thoughtโฆ
Lavington Electronica Composer Moray MacDonald Releases a Wharf Theatre Production’s Soundtrack
Some four years since his last release under his own name, Lavingtonโs electronica composer Moray McDonald presents a soundtrack; the music he wrote and producedโฆ
Pewsey Moonrakers St George’s Cross Faรงade Stays
Can we please draw a red line under Pewsey’s Moonrakers St George’s Cross facade fiasco now Wiltshire Council has u-turned on a proposal forcing landlordโฆ
Experiencing Devizes Ways on Market Days; a Special Case for a Town of Culture 2028
Sketches and Written by Brian Edwards If not too distracted when bumping into townsfolk and village friends, you might remember to get more of aโฆ
The Voice of Hind Rajab; Film Screening in Swindon
The award-winning film, โThe voice of Hind Rajabโ will be shown for one night only on Monday 18th May at 7pm at Swindon Arts Centre…..โฆ
Tastebud Heaven on the Canal; Sunday Lunch at The Water Gypsy
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, theyโre lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, weโve returned from a deliciousโฆ



