Great days out this weekend: Jan 2-3

Learn how astronauts live and work in outer space, follow a forest trail to find the Gruffalo, or go wildlife spotting

Game On 2.0, Life Science Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Explore one of the world’s biggest collections of computer games at the final weekend of this exhibition. Discover the history of gaming and what the future of technology may hold.
Saturday, 10am-6pm, Sunday, 11am-6pm, adults £12.95, children £7.50, under-5s free, life.org.uk

Tintin: Hergé’s Masterpiece, Somerset House, London WC2R
Discover the world of author Hergé and his Tintin books, from early drafts of text to illustrations, including character drawings, sketches, and original artwork from the stories.
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm, free, somersethouse.org.uk

New Year walk at RSPB Sandwell Valley, Birmingham
Join expert guides at Sandwell Valley for a wintery walk around the nature reserve spotting wildlife and learning more about the different species of birds there.
Saturday, 11am-1pm, £5, rspb.org

Pet puppet-making workshop, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Norwich
Make your own animal puppet at this family workshop, learning to create a basic puppet structure before turning it into a unique character to use in a show.
Saturday, 11am-12.30pm, £8.50, puppettheatre.co.uk

The Story of Children’s Television, Portsmouth Museum, Portsmouth
From Muffin the Mule to Morph, this exhibition explores the history of children’s television with seven decades of memorabilia, film clips, drawings and objects from iconic programmes.
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm, free, portsmouthmuseums.co.uk

Mr Mountford’s Kaleidoscopic Christmas, Battersea Arts Centre, London SW11
Follow an ancient map and join a quest to find a legendary giant kaleidoscope hidden underneath the town hall, before making your own kaleidoscope to take home.
Saturday and Sunday, 9.15am, 10.45am, 1.15pm and 2.45pm, £7,bac.org.uk

Destination Space Show, World Museum, Liverpool
Find out how astronauts prepare for space missions, what living and working in space is like, and how they get back to Earth safely with science activities and demonstrations.
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm, free, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

The Ugly Duckling, The Old Market, Hove
Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story will be retold with original twists using a mixture of shadow puppetry, actors and live music from string musicians.
Saturday, 11am, Sunday, 11am and 2pm, £8.50, theoldmarket.com

Toy Stories, York Castle Museum, York
See toys from the past 150 years, including bikes, computer games, dolls and Lego, plus a castle-themed play area, a traditional carousel and a teddy bear trail around the museum.
Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am-5pm, adults £10, children free,yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk

War Games, the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
This touring exhibition from the V&A museum explores how children’s war games have changed from the 1800s to today, with dressing up, games, activities and stories.
Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm, free, theherbert.org

Gruffalo Trail, Colin Glen Forest Park, Belfast
Follow the mouse character on a trail through the parks and woodland of Colin Glen Forest, ticking off sculptures of old fox, owl and snake on the way to find the Gruffalo at the end.
Saturday and Sunday, 9am-4pm, free, colinglen.org

Bedtime at Lackford, Lackford Lakes, Suffolk
It’s the perfect time of year to see thousands of birds flying in to roost on the nature reserve, and this weekend wildlife guides will be on hand to help spot and identify different birds.
Saturday and Sunday, 1pm-4pm, free, suffolkwildlifetrust.org