FORGET the miserable wet winter weather, there is plenty to do indoors in South Wales to keep children - and the whole family - entertained.

Why not visit the free National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, which has organised events every weekend and numerous permanent exhibitions.

A firm family favourite is the Evolution of Wales gallery where you can journey through time, from the Big Bang and the formation of the earth. You will see moon rock, meteorites, volcanoes, dinosaurs, trilobites and woolly mammoths - up close.

You can also explore the natural history of Wales, through woodlands and to the seashores in the natural history galleries. See if you can spot the basking shark, the fox, the hump-backed whale and the world's largest leatherback turtle - which animal is your favourite?

The Art galleries are home to paintings, drawings and sculpture from the last 500 years up to the present day. Take a look and remember to collect an activity booklet to help you explore the collections.

Find out about life in Wales throughout the ages, from the Stone Age, through Roman times and up to the Middle Ages in "Origins", charting household objects from the very earliest humans 230,000 years ago.

Don't miss the Clore Discovery Centre where you can open up the drawers to discover and handle hundreds of museum objects. Investigate bronze age weapons, dinosaur bones, tropical insects, or ceramics, whatever takes your interest. Use the microscopes and magnifiers to get the big (or small) picture, and if you are a budding scientist or have a treasure at home, bring in your mystery objects and museum staff will help you identify them.

Session themes vary but each workshop will involve an opportunity to learn and discover, plus a craft activity.

Look out for family trails and activity sheets to help you explore the galleries.

A new exhibition which will run until March is "Wallace: The Forgotten Evolutionist?"

Upon his death a century ago, Alfred Russel Wallace was widely praised as "the last of the great Victorians". But who was he?

Wallace was many things: an intrepid explorer, a brilliant naturalist, a social activist, a political commentator, overall a remarkable intellectual. In his time, he collected over 125,000 animal specimens, published more than 800 articles and wrote 22 books.

Wallace is most famously associated with co-discovering the process of evolution by natural selection alongside Charles Darwin. Yet we have all heard of Darwin, while Wallace has become more of a forgotten figure.

This exhibition attempts to explore some of Wallace's life and work, and in doing so raise our awareness of this remarkable man.

A number of family science tours have been scheduled round the museum from last month until the end of March.

These are special guided tours for family groups, when you can join volunteer guides and explore the science galleries to find out more about evolution, biodiversity and our place in the world.

On November 16 and 17, you can grow your own "baby bulb" at 1pm and 3pm.

Learn about growing bulbs and plant your own baby bulb to take home.

Next month from December 21 to January 5, 2014, from 11am to 4pm there is a winter animal hunt following a trail around the museum to solve the clues.

This is a drop-in activity, but spaces may be limited.

Also starting on December 21 is A Child’s Christmas in Wales when children can take inspiration from the work of Dylan Thomas to make a treasure box for their Christmas goodies.

When visiting the museum there is no need to worry about wrestling buggies, bags and coats around the galleries. You can always leave your buggy in the buggy park and they also have lockers which are big enough for coats and bags.

You will need a £1 coin, which is refundable at the end of your visit. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Email post@museumwales.ac.uk or call 02920 397951 with enquiries.