A HOST of activities has been laid on across the region to keep children - and other members of the family - amused over the holiday period.

Here is the Evening Press Guide to what's on where from tomorrow until the end of next week.

It is advisable to check times with the venues.

For closure dates over the New Year's Day holiday, please ring to check.

Friday, December 28

Children's Christmas Fair, Parliament Street Activity Area, York. Runs until December 31.

Speed to the West, National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York. Posters of the Great Western Railway. Runs throughout.

Rudolph Reindeer Treasure Hunt, Royal Pump Room Museum, Harrogate. Runs throughout (except January 1).

Christmas Puzzle Tree, Mercer Art Gallery, Swan Road, Harrogate. Runs throughout (except January 1).

8.30am-5.30pm: Frosty Friday, Ripon Leisure Centre, Dallamires Lane, Ripon. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

9am-5pm: Wacky Winter Snow Scene Day, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Half-days available. Booking essential. For children aged seven to 12.

10am-3.30pm: Girl Power Christmas Cracker! Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged eight to 14.

9.30am-3.30pm: Family Quiz Trail, Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens, Harrogate. Runs throughout.

10am-4pm: School Holiday Fun, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden. Until Wednesday, January 2.

10am-5pm: Christmas Decoration Hunt, Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York. Runs throughout (except Jan 1).

10am-5pm: The Upright Ape, Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York. Meet your ancestors! Find the answers to the questions 'Who are we?' and 'Where do we come from?' using fossils, reconstructions and interactive displays to chart the fascinating history of human evolution, from the forests of Africa to the computer age. Visitors will be able to walk in the footsteps of an ape, keep watch for deadly leopards and test their strength against a Neanderthal. Runs throughout (except Jan 1).

10am-5pm: World Wildlife Feast for Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, York. Luminous green mushrooms, a surfing penguin and a swamp spider carrying its egg sack all feature in the 2000 BG Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition. Runs throughout (except Jan 1).

10.30am-noon and 1pm-2.30pm: Flume open, Ryedale Pool, Mill Lane, Pickering. Also Saturday 10.30am-noon and 1pm-3pm, and Sunday 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-4pm.

11am-4pm: Get in the Abbey Habit, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden. Until Wednesday, January 2.

1.30pm-3.30pm: Art Attack, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged six to 12.

2.15pm-3.45pm: Fun session, Knaresborough Pool, King James Road, Knaresborough. Also Wednesday, January 2, to Friday, January 4 (same times), and Saturdays, December 29 and January 5, and Sundays, December 30 and January 6 (3.30pm-5pm).

2.15pm-3.45pm: Rafts, Ripon Spa Baths, Park Street, Ripon. Also January 4, Saturdays, December 29 and January 5, and Wednesday, January 2.

3pm-4pm: Treasure Island, Ryedale Pool, Mill Lane, Pickering.

3.15pm-4.45pm: Fun session, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Saturdays and Sunday, December 30 12.15pm-1.45pm, Wednesday, January 2-Friday, January 4 (same times).

Saturday December 29

4pm-6pm: New Year's Eve roller disco, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. Skate hire free.

2pm: Christmas Abbey Tour, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden. Also Saturday, December 29, Sunday, December 30, and Monday, December 31.

2pm-3pm: Waterfun, York Barbican Centre, Barbican Road, York. Also Saturday noon-1.20pm and Sunday 10.40am-11.50am.

Sunday December 30

10.30am-11.30am: Extended fun sessions with rafts and woggles, Derwent Pool, Church Street, Norton. Also next Sunday and Wednesday to Friday 9.30am-noon.

2.15pm-3.45pm: Splash Time, Ripon Spa Baths, Park Street, Ripon. Also Sunday, January 6.

New Year's Eve

8.30am-3.30pm: New Year party, Ripon Leisure Centre, Dallamires Lane, Ripon. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

9am-1pm: New Year's Eve party, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Booking essential. For children aged seven to 12.

10.30am-12.30pm: Kids' New Year party, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged four to 12.

Wednesday, Jan 2

8.30am-5.30pm: New Year Knockout, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

8.30am-5.30pm: Mini Commandos, Ripon Leisure Centre, Dallamires Lane, Ripon. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

9am-5pm: New Year - New Hobbies, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Half-days available. Booking essential. For children aged seven to 12.

9.30am-4.30pm: Soft Play, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. For children under five.

10am-3.30pm: All Day Art Attack, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged eight to 14.

10.30am-12.30pm: Short tennis, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged six to 12.

3pm-4pm: Monster Island, Derwent Pool, Church Street, Norton. Also Thursday and Friday.

Thursday, Jan 3

8.30am-5.30pm: Post-Christmas Pandemonium, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

8.30am-5.30pm: Quiz Mania, Ripon Leisure Centre, Dallamires Lane, Ripon. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

9am-5pm: Wicked Wizard Movie Day, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Half-days available. Booking essential. For children aged seven to 12.

9.30am-noon: Stay 'n' Play, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. For children under five.

10am-noon: Basketball Day! Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged eight to 14.

10am-noon: Football Fever, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged five to eight.

1pm-3pm: Mini Basketball Day, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged five to eight.

Friday, Jan 4

8.30am-5.30pm: Back to School Bonanza, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

8.30am-5.30pm: Funday Friday, Ripon Leisure Centre, Dallamires Lane, Ripon. Part-days available. For children aged four to 12.

9am-5pm: Hydro Winter Olympics Day, The Hydro, Jennyfield Drive, Harrogate. Half-days available. Booking essential. For children aged seven to 12.

9.30am-4.30pm: Soft Play, Harrogate Granby Community Leisure, Ainsty Road, Harrogate. For children under five.

10am-3.30pm: UEFA Cup & Champions League Day, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children and young people aged 11 to 14.

10.30am-noon: Under-Six's Fun Factory, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering.

1pm-2.30pm: Six & Over Fun Factory, Northern Ryedale Leisure Centre, Swainsea Lane, Pickering. For children aged six to nine.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, we cannot be held responsible for changes made after our deadlines nor for inaccuracies in information supplied to us.

If you want your event in the next school holiday what's on, write to Rachel Lacy, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN, preferably with two weeks' notice. Alternatively email whatson@ycp.co.uk. In the eventuality of a change or cancellation of an event, please notify us as soon as possible.

Updated: 11:30 Thursday, December 27, 2001