Left: natural phenomena in Turbulent Landscapes at the Natural History Museum. © The Exploratorium

At last, it's that time of the year again. School gates have been flung open and kids are free to roam and adventure through those long, hot (well, we can only hope) weeks of the summer holidays.

Just in case those weeks seem too long and diary pages still need to be filled, here is a selection of exhibitions and activities to keep those huge smiles on your children's faces.

Young football fans will love a trip to see the Welsh Wizards at Bangor Museum and Art Gallery until August 31 2002. The exhibition looks at the history of Welsh football through its greatest players and features a fantasy football team made up of past heroes like Ryan Giggs and Billy Meredith.

Right: Sparky to his mates, Mark Hughes to everyone else. One of the all time legends of Welsh football.

Even though Wales didn't qualify for the World Cup 2002, the exhibition is a chance to see how well Wales has played in the past. There is no doubt that if the fantasy team made up of all the Welsh Wizards could have existed; they would have been difficult to beat.

There are also activity afternoons for children every Wednesday through August 2002 at 1.30pm, where they can design their own football t-shirt or banner.

On the other side of Wales, Genes Are Us at Techniquest in Cardiff Bay is a new theatre show, which tells us about the stuff that makes us the way we are.

Left: is this why we look the way we do? See for yourself at Techniquest.

The performances invite audience participation in challenges that may lead to a little genetic engineering! The show is free with admission to the science centre and runs until September 1 2002.

The popular science centre is also hosting workshops in the Laboratory. The over tens can Dabble with DNA until August 9 2002 by extracting DNA from a pea, and for the rest of the month the whole family can find out what stops our bodies wobbling like jelly in Bodyworks.

Right: forget the classroom, the best way to learn about science is right here.

The Bolton Museum is hosting an exhibition to celebrate the Commonwealth in conjunction with the Games, including objects and photographs from Commonwealth countries like New Zealand, India and Nigeria as well as illustrated stories of 19 people who have settled in Bolton from Commonwealth countries.

Every Saturday in August there will also be free children's drop-in art activities relating to the Commonwealth exhibition from 10.30am - 3.30pm.

Across the Mersey, the Prescot Museum is Discovering Dinosaurs until September 13 2002. You can meet the monsters that once roamed the earth by walking in the footsteps of an Iguandon, growling at the sabre toothed tiger and visiting the Tyrannosaurus Toddlers corner and trying on dinosaur costumes.

Left: you wouldn't want to meet this fearsome character walking into a museum.

The dinosaur theme is continued at Explore-At-Bristol with the exhibition DinoMites on until September 22.

As well as taking a journey back in time to discover the pre-historic landscape in which they lived and seeing life-sized models of all your favourite dinosaur families, you can also try dinosaur hunting by digging a fossil pit to find hidden remains.

At the same time you can follow a trail to hunt for shark teeth, dinosaur footprints and devil's toenails at Wildwalk-At-Bristol until September 1 2002.

If sun and sand is more your thing, try Seaside Fun at the Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green until September 9 2002.

Right: the UK's National Museum of Childhood in Bethnall Green, London. Photo Maja Kardum © Victoria and Albert Museum

The gallery is transformed into a seaside resort with a beach where you can build sandcastles, Punch and Judy shows, and even one of those cut-out thingamajigs that you put your face through for a photo.

A different type of geographical location is explored by Turbulent Landscapes at the Natural History Museum until September 15 2002. Natural events like the creation of sand dunes, the formation of clouds and the bubbling of a hot spring are the subjects of the interactive art-science exhibition.

Left: find out why this happens at the Natural History Museum.

A highlight of the exhibition is performers from Scarabeus Theatre suspended from ropes and harnesses to interpret the natural phenomena through movement, light and sound.

Click here for details of some of the best events going on around the country.