Head to the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden to celebrate all things Matilda this February half-term. Make a mini Miss Trunchbull out of clay or use some jumbly junk to create your own Matilda-style tricks. Take a peek behind the scenes and see some tricksy treasures from the archive or join in with a Matilda drama workshop and attempt to tell the story in one minute! Visit the very library Roald Dahl imagined Matilda visiting on our special guided walks or just enjoy the Crunchem Hall primary school games in the courtyard.

Enjoy Matilda storytelling throughout the week, find the pesky pigtails around the Museum, and explore the galleries with our Marvellous Matilda Challenge. Head to the craft room and help fill the creative wall with your child heroes or try out some optical illusions and tricks in the pop-up Magical Mind-Bending Room.

Feeling peckish after all that excitement? Then enjoy some pizzas from Pizzaficio who’ll be serving fresh, homemade pizzas in the courtyard all week. Yum!

Tickets can be booked at roalddahlmuseum.org

Matilda Storytelling
Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 February
Throughout the day – listen out for announcements
Listen to the Museum’s expert storytellers read from everyone’s favourite, Matilda. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you like music. Or, for the more energetic amongst you, join in with our actions and sounds!
Free with Museum entry

Magical Matilda Walks
Saturday 11 February

10am and 11.30am
Your expert Museum guide will show you the sights that inspired Roald Dahl’s books, including Matilda’s library, with readings from the book along the way.

You’ll begin your walk by our marvellous Matilda statue at the Museum and step inside Great Missenden Library – the very library Roald imagined Matilda visiting while her mum was playing bingo in Aylesbury.

£4 per person. All ages welcome but do bear in mind that the walk lasts 45 minutes to an hour. The walk is level, with some slight inclines, and on pavements throughout. The Museum and Library are step free.

 Trunchbull Clay Creations
Monday 13 February
10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
We all love to hate Miss Trunchbull! Find out about one of Roald Dahl’s most famous baddies, then make a statue of her in clay. You’ll discover how Roald tried out different versions of her when he was writing Matilda – maybe some of these alternative descriptions will inspire your sculpture?
£4 per maker. Suitable for age 5 and up. Approx 45 minutes.

 Matilda’s Crafty Tricks
Tuesday 14 February
11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm
There are so many marvellous tricks in Matilda, including the newt hiding in the jug! In this workshop you’ll find out about some of Roald Dahl’s inventive animal tricks and then use all sorts of weird and wonderful junk to make your own creations inspired by the book. Maybe you’ll invent a new way of hiding your own surprise animal?
£4 per maker. Suitable for age 5 and up. Approx 45 minutes.

 One Minute Matilda Drama Workshop
Wednesday 15 February
10.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm
Calling all budding performers! Join us for a very special drama workshop exploring the story of Matilda. You’ll work together to tell the entire story in just one minute! Don’t worry, it can be done! We’ll freeze important scenes from the book, decide how they should sound and explore how different characters show themselves to the world. A wonderfully fun, active and loud way to explore this classic book for children.
£5 per participant  Suitable for age 6 and above only. Approx 1 hour.

 Matilda’s Crafty Tricks
Thursday 16 February
11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm
There are so many marvellous tricks in Matilda, including the newt hiding in the jug! In this workshop you’ll find out about some of Roald Dahl’s inventive animal tricks and then use all sorts of weird and wonderful junk to make your own creations inspired by the book. Maybe you’ll invent a new way of hiding your own surprise animal?
£4 per maker. Suitable for age 5 and up. Approx 45 minutes.

 Discover Dahl’s Archives
Thursday 16 February
10.30am, 12pm and 2.30pm
Take a peek behind the scenes with our Archive and Collections Manager Rachel. She’ll show you some secrets from the archive, including some very interesting things about tricks. You’ll discover the origins of Matilda’s amazing powers, as well as other Roald Dahl characters who have similar spooky abilities and who use cunning tricks…
£5 per person, adults and children will need a ticket. Suitable for age 8 and above only. Approx 30 minutes.

 Trunchbull Clay Creations
Friday 17 February
10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
We all love to hate Miss Trunchbull! Find out about one of Roald Dahl’s most famous baddies, then make a statue of her in clay. You’ll discover how Roald tried out different versions of her when he was writing Matilda – maybe some of these alternative descriptions will inspire your sculpture?
£4 per maker. Suitable for age 5 and up. Approx 45 minutes.

 Discover Dahl’s Archives
Saturday 18 February
10.30am, 12pm and 2.30pm
Take a peek behind the scenes with our Archive and Collections Manager Rachel. She’ll show you some secrets from the archive, including some very interesting things about tricks. You’ll discover the origins of Matilda’s amazing powers, as well as other Roald Dahl characters who have similar spooky abilities and who use cunning tricks…
£5 per person, adults and children will need a ticket. Suitable for age 8 and above only. Approx 30 minutes.

Adults will need to stay with their children throughout for all activities. For our Matilda Magical Walks and Discover Dahl’s Archives all adults and children attending will need to pay for a ticket. For our craft activities adults are welcome to pay to make their own, but if they aren’t joining in we can accommodate up to 2 non-paying adults in the room per group.

Find all the Feb Half Term activities for kids in Buckinghamshire 2023