Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs, Horniman Museum

February half term is the best time to stay in London - at least in terms of family exhibitions, not weather.

This February, everyone's favourite museum, the Horniman, is opening an exciting new exhibition for fans of dinosaurs and beasts that roamed the earth hundreds of millions of years ago: Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs.

The exhibition takes us back in time - way, way, back to 252 million years ago - when incredible creatures roamed the earth... until a mass extinction paved the way for the dinosaurs to take over.

Photo: Titanophoneus, image: Gondwana Studios

Kids can see animatronic models of Permian animals - sabre-toothed predators, giant insects, strange-looking sharks, dinosaur-like reptiles - as well as full-size models and fossil skeletons, while immersing themselves in the time period by digging through interactive pits.

There's also an art area for crafts lovers, and the museum is hosting several workshops related to the exhibition over the half-term, where kids will learn all kinds of interesting facts, like how volcanoes led to a mass extinction (they'll also be able to transform a volcano on a colouring page into a 3D, interactive model).

For families who need a relaxed opening, book in for Thursday, 16 April, from 9am-10am.

Kids under 3 go free.

While you're at the Horniman, don't forget to check out the amazing living animals on site: there's a farm, a butterfly house and an aquarium.