Daily family activities include joining in a cannon demonstration, rope-making, brass rubbings of engines and railway plates, railway and air-sea rescue computer games, and ships in bottles. A new temporary exhibition, “Wales in the 1950s”, opens on August 6. Tel: 01222 4819191.

CAERLEON, GWENT: ROMAN LEGIONARY MUSEUM

Twelfth Night will be performed in the evocative setting of the Roman amphitheatre, August 7, 7pm. Tel: 01633 423134.

SCOTLAND

PERTH MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

Family fun days, August 6-7, 11am-3pm. See the mummy and its cases, help make animalsinsectsbirds for a Perth meadowland frieze, join in quizzes about skulls and other exhibits, set up an art exhibition, touch items used by the Romans, excavate hidden artefacts, try on Roman armour and sit in the stocks. Budding Indiana Joneses can join the Young Archaeologists’ Club. Tel: 01738 632488.

EDINBURGH

Traditional Highland Games at Stewart’s Melville playing fields, August 7 and 14, 5pm. Tel: 0131 319 2005.

NORTHERN IRELAND

PORTAFERRY, CO DOWN: EXPLORIS AQUARIA

Sea Week ‘96, August 2-11. Visitors can walk through a life-size model of a whale jaw, listen to the clicks and cries of dolphins and join the Coca-Cola beach clean-up. Tel: 012477 28062.

NORTHERN ENGLAND

SUNDERLAND MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

The museum is celebrating its 150th birthday with free art and craft activities for children aged 5 upwards. At “Lions and Lowrys”, August 5-6, they can make Wallace the Lion masks and pop-up Lowry pictures, and at “Sailors and skeletons”, August 12-13, a climbing sailor toy and spooky skeleton puppets. Under-8s must be accompanied by an adult. Tel: Jo Cunningham, 0191 565 0723.

SUNDERLAND: MONKWEARMOUTH STATION MUSEUM

An opening party for the “Stupendous Iron Bridge” exhibition on August 9, noon to 3pm, will include children’s activities and refreshments. Tel: 0191 567 7075.

DERBY MUSEUMS

Free Georgian activities for all ages at carnival day, “An Elegant Diversion”, August 4. Glass painting, August 8, two sessions for 8 to 12-year-olds; and “Fun with feathers”, August 9, two sessions for 4 to 7-year-olds At the Museum and Art Gallery. Tel: 01332 255580. Pickford’s House Museum is hosting an embroidery workshop for 8 to 18-year-olds, August 9, Pounds 1 (50p unwaged parents). Booking essential on 01332 255363.

CARLISLE:TULLIE HOUSE MUSEUM

August 5 is a drop-in day during which visitors will help construct a “tree tent” in the garden, followed by a story-telling session at 4pm. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Professional artist Paul Taylor will hold a cartoon workshop on August 10 for adults and children aged 8 upwards. Tickets: Pounds 8, Pounds 6, Pounds 4. Tel: 01228 34781.

KENDAL MUSEUM AND ABBOT HALL GALLERY

On August 8 the museum is holding sessions for 4 to 7-year-olds to discover how animals feed. 2-4pm. On August 13 there are sessions for 8 to 12s on dragonflies and garden insects, 11am-12.30pm, and coins, 2-3pm (Pounds 1.50). Abbot Hall is running sessions on August 6 for 8 to 12-year-olds on the “textures around us”, 11am-1pm, and lakes and rivers in art for 4 to 7s, August 9, 2-4pm. Most cost Pounds 2 (advance booking recommended). Tel: 01539 722464.

NORTHWICH, CHESHIRE:SALT MUSEUM

August 6, 10am-noon, wrapping paper printing. Over-7s. Pounds 2.50 bookable in advance. Tel: Sarah Hotter, 01606 41331.

LIVERPOOL

At HM Customs and Excise National Museum, find out how customs officers search for hidden contraband in demonstrations on August 4, 11, 18 and 25. Watch a bootlegging show, August 8-11, or listen to tales of past smuggling, August 15, 25 and 29.Tel: 0151 478 4747.

CENTRAL ENGLAND

LEICESTERSHIRE

Free activities in county museums for 7 to 12-year-olds include: “A Summer’s Day in 1604” at Donington-le-Heath Manor House, August 11, and story-telling and dance at Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery on August 9. Tel: 01530 510851.

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

BRIGHTON MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

“Colourful cloth”, August 5-6, 10am-12.30pm. A two-part workshop for over-12s and adults to explore the ancient techniques of spinning, weaving and dyeing cloth using natural materials. Tickets Pounds 3 in advance from 01273 713289.

BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS

Hands-on activities, trails, quizzes on plant and animal survival, August 5-18. Tel: Stephen Woollard, 0117 970 6176.

LONDON

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, GREENWICH, SE10

The days of Queen Henrietta Maria and Inigo Jones are recreated in Fit for a Queen, five days a week, 12.15 pm and 1.45 pm, in the 17th-century Queen’s House. Maidservant Alice Comfort and John Groves, master plasterer to Charles II, the creator of elaborate ceilings in the new rooms, are played by Spectrum actors. No extra charge. Details: 0181 293 9618.

LONDON ZOO, REGENT’S PARK, NW1

Get close to invertebrates at the zoo’s “close-up evening”, August 8. Tel: 0171 722 3333.