1 In Winchester...

THE Jingle Bell Jazz Band will make a return to Winchester this Sunday with two exceptional shows.

Although aimed mostly at the smaller children, the shows will be sure to make you dance, clap and sing, making this an interactive family day out.

The incredible professional musicians are encouraging visitors to put on their antlers or Santa hats and get involved.

Concerts are open access, allowing parents with young children to move around if necessary.

The band will play at 11.30am and 1.30pm at the Winchester Discovery Centre.

Tickets cost £8 and allow entry to one adult and two children, and can be purchased from the centre's website.

2 In Winchester...

YOU may be putting on the heating every night now, wishing that summer would come back as you sip a hot chocolate.

But Marwell Zoo has brought back the sun by reopening its new tropical house.

Perfect for wild explorers, this innovative and sustainable exhibit creates improved habitats for animals and more immersive experiences for guests.

Check it out this Saturday or Sunday.

Standard entry covers the cost of the tropical house.

Tickets can be purchased from the zoo's website and prices depend on age and day of visit.

3 In Beaulieu...

TAKE a trip with the family to the country's finest motor museum this Saturday and meet one of the greatest influencers to grace the British car industry.

Nowadays Chris Keith-Lucas finds himself regarded as a historic Jaguar guru.

It was not always the case.

Coming from a line of engineers, he was apprenticed on steam turbines and ship’s diesels, which led to him restoring historic cars at Lynx Engineering.

In turn this led to fascinating projects in the modern field.

His own Company CKL Developments focussed down to a specialism of the Jaguars of the 50’s and 60’s.

Chris will be giving a talk at Beaulieu National Motor Museum at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Tickets cost £10 and can be purchased from the museum's website.

4 In Eastleigh...

LEARN the art of pyrography this Sunday with specialist staff at Bella Crafts.

This is the art of etching decoration into wood - an excellent skill to have when it comes to designing.

Whether it's to make the perfect Christmas present or to jazz up the decor of your own home, this exclusive class will make sure that you don't leave empty handed.

Take the family and enjoy this relaxed educational experience, which will be taking place in the Fair Oak Garden Centre at 10.30am.

For £20, all materials and refreshments are included.

Places can be booked by calling 02380 517054.

5 In Southampton...

GET down to the St Mary's Leisure Centre this weekend - Team Solent Wheelchair Rugby Club are back in training.

Wheelchair rugby is the world's only full contact wheelchair sport, blending together elements from wheelchair basketball, ice hockey and handball.

The brilliant team from the South are inviting people to watch and join in this Sunday.

Players 12-16 years old can even join in with the youth team.

Who knows, you might find a new passion.

Team Solent will be training from 9.30am until 12pm.

To announce interest in joining the session, call Ricky on 07811125642.

6 In Portsmouth...

PEOPLE from around the world travel to see the sails of the famous HMS Victory.

But for the last six years, its Trafalgar Sail has laid unseen.

Now, it has returned to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for all to visit.

Measuring the equivalent of two tennis courts when fully laid out, the sail is 80 feet at its foot, 54 feet at the head and 54 feet deep, covers an area of 3,618 feet and lies in The National Museum of the Royal Navy’s Storehouse 10.

Visitors can see the sail with standard entry tickets.

These cost between £18.50 and £31 depending on age and can be purchased from the dockyard's website.

It will be open both Saturday and Sunday.

7 In Southampton...

CRAFT classes boom at Christmas time, but staff at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens are offering stand-out sessions this weekend.

Meet the makers and find unique hand crafted gifts, featuring ceramics, textiles and homewares, woodwork, glass, painting and printmaking.

Then settle down to create something of your own.

On Saturday, lessons will be held to make gingerbread bunting, and on the Sunday visitors will be taught to make Christmas decorations of different shapes and sizes.

Both sessions begin at 10.30 am and cost £4 per person; there is no need to book as they are drop-in style sessions.

For more information email contact@artfulevents.co.uk.

8 In Southampton...

THERE is a remarkable exhibition on at the Southampton City Art Gallery at the moment.

In celebration of the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary, the gallery is showing new works by the current president of the academy, Christopher Le Brun, alongside a display drawn from Southampton’s permanent collection that charts the history of the institute through past and present academicians.

Bring the family along with you and enter a visible timeline of artistic works, experience the change in styles, and leave knowing more than ever about the incredible history of the Royal Academy.

The exhibition is free to enter, as is the rest of the museum, which is open between 10am and 5pm this Saturday.

9 In New Forest...

STILL looking to head out and enjoy the great outdoors this Winter?

Get and explore the stunning Beaulieu River on a Winter Paddle with New Forest Activities this weekend.

Choose from either open-top Canadian canoes or stable touring kayaks and enjoy a two hour guided paddle of the river's nature reserve.

You may need to layer up but there's nothing quite like exploring the river's beautiful nature reserve on a crisp Winter's day.

It costs £15 for children and £20 for adults.

Various sessions are available this weekend and can be booked on the New Forest Activities website.

10 In Bournemouth...

IT is a known fact that Bournemouth becomes one of the most beautiful cities in the country when the festive season comes around.

Visit the Christmas Tree Trail near the pier this weekend and experience the magical spectacle of hundreds of glittering trees from around the world.

See them shimmer against the night skies along pine-scented walkways and explore the Alpine Market, or skate under the stars in our enchanting Victorian gardens.

Live music will also be performed this weekend and the Big Wheel will be open.

To catch the best festivities in the dark, get to the area for around 5pm.