From pumpkin patches to Picasso, the half-term plans worth actually leaving the house for.
Half term is the one week of the year when everyone wants the same thing: something that tires the children out, delights the adults and doesn’t involve a soft play centre. Lucky, then, that this October the UK is doing autumn properly, with candlelit pumpkin trails, serious theatre, a first pony lesson at a country estate and afternoon teas that happen to come with a Halloween twist.
The problem is choice. There are hundreds of things to do with children this week, and the line between a brilliant day out and a long queue in the rain is thinner than anyone admits. So we’ve done the sorting for you, keeping only the experiences with a proper sense of occasion: good food, beautiful settings, brilliant staff and the kind of memories that outlast the sugar rush.
Here are 35 ways to spend half term with children that feel properly special, from museums and theatres to riding lessons, tennis camps, cooking classes and the most photogenic pumpkin patches in the country. Dates and prices are the latest we have, but do check before you book, as half-term slots go fast.
Museums and culture
1. Family Design Challenge at Young V&A, Bethnal Green
Best for: budding designers aged 5 to 14
When: Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October, 12pm to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)
Price: free, drop in
Address: Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA
The beauty of the Young V&A challenge is that nobody is told what to make. A designer sets a brief, children explore objects from the museum, then build something with real materials and tools, with creative facilitators on hand. On 29 and 30 October the brief is bird housing, inspired by designer Christie Swallow, and on Saturday 31 October there’s a Halloween special, Goodies and Baddies, supported by Mattel. Whatever they make can be taken home or displayed in the Open Studio. Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout.
2. The V&A half-term festival, South Kensington
Best for: a free, properly cultured morning in one of the world’s great museums
When: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October
Price: free
Address: Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
South Kensington’s grandest museum fills half term with drop-in design studios, including Your Future City and The Circulation Department, plus a Design Baby session for toddlers, a pop-up performance called Soundtrack to the City and a Digital Kids wind play lab. On Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October there’s also a BSL pop-up performance, The Great Museum Adventure. Come early, then reward everyone with lunch nearby.
3. LAIKA presents Wildwood: The Exhibition, Design Museum, Kensington
Best for: children who love Coraline and anyone fascinated by how animation is made
When: 15 October 2026 to 10 January 2027
Price: from £15.29 adults, £7.65 children
Address: 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG
The makers of Coraline have opened up the workshop. The exhibition follows the making of Wildwood, LAIKA’s new fantasy film, through original sketches, costumes, puppets and miniature sets, so children can see just how many hands go into every second of stop-motion. Pair it with High Street Kensington’s Halloween programme: the Peculiar Halloween Trail runs from 23 to 31 October, and on Saturday 31 October the free, ticketed Playful Park of the Peculiar takes over Holland Park from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.
4. Twits and Tricks at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Buckinghamshire
Best for: readers aged 5 and up, and their grown-ups
When: Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November
Price: pre-booked online, £13.95 adults, £9.95 children and concessions; under-fives and registered carers free
Address: 81-83 High Street, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire HP16 0AL
This is half term at its most charming. The Great Missenden museum celebrates one of Roald Dahl’s best-loved books, The Twits, with a programme of tricks and activities built around Mr and Mrs Twit’s gloriously revolting habits. Roald Dahl wrote in a hut at the bottom of his garden, and the museum is a short stroll from the village high street, so it makes a lovely quiet day in the Chilterns.
5. Museum of Illusions, Tottenham Court Road, London
Best for: a rainy-day, brain-bending hour that suits every age
Price: from £29 adults, £24 children, £96.30 for a family; infants free
Address: 15-17 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 1BJ
Think vortex tunnels, an Infinity Room, a cloning table and a wall you can apparently walk up. Each illusion comes with a short explanation of the science behind it, so children are learning without noticing, and a visit takes 60 to 90 minutes. There are Halloween installations in place this October, and booking in advance guarantees your slot.
Shows, plays and theatre
6. Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre, London
Best for: the youngest theatregoers and anyone who grew up on marmalade sandwiches
Address: Savoy Theatre, Strand, London WC2R 0ET
If you’re introducing a child to the West End, this is a gentle, funny, thoroughly British place to start. Paddington is as charming on stage as he is in books, and it’s one of those rare shows where the adults are as enchanted as the children. Book a matinee, dress up a little and make an afternoon of it.
7. The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre, London
Best for: children of all ages and a first-ever big musical
Price: from £44
Running time: about 2 hours 30 minutes
Address: Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7RQ
Come on, it’s The Lion King. The staging is the star: the puppetry, the procession of animals down the aisles, the sheer scale of it. The story is easy for young children to follow and the music does a lot of the heavy lifting. Now booking well into 2027, so half-term seats are worth reserving early.
8. Matilda The Musical, Cambridge Theatre, London
Best for: clever, book-loving children (and their long-suffering parents)
Address: Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9HU
Tim Minchin’s score and Roald Dahl’s story make a very good pairing, and the children in the cast are quite extraordinary. It’s funny, a little bit dark and gloriously on the side of anyone small who has ever been told to be quiet. Pair it with the Twits and Tricks day at the Roald Dahl Museum above and you have a full Dahl half term.
9. My Neighbour Totoro, Gillian Lynne Theatre, London
Best for: families wanting something gentle, visual and a little bit dreamlike
Running time: about 2 hours 40 minutes
Address: Gillian Lynne Theatre, 166 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5PW
The stage version of the Studio Ghibli classic is all puppetry, tender storytelling and atmospheric design, and it works for several generations at once. If your children love Ghibli films, they’ll adore it. If they don’t know them yet, this is a lovely introduction. Bring tissues for the grown-ups.
10. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre, London
Best for: older children and teenagers who know their Hogwarts houses
Price: from £32
Address: Palace Theatre, 113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5AY
This is a play, not a musical, and the magic is done with such skill that you’ll spend half the evening trying to work out how. It’s a longer, more grown-up night out, so it’s best for children who’ve read the books and can sit through a full-length drama. A pre-theatre dinner nearby turns it into an occasion.
Pumpkin patches and Halloween magic
11. Spilmans Pumpkin Festival, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Best for: a proper farm-gate pumpkin pick, Yorkshire style
When: selected dates until Friday 30 October
Price: from £7.95, which includes a £5 pumpkin voucher
Here’s a bargain that doesn’t feel like one. Entry at Spilmans comes with a £5 voucher towards the pumpkin you’ll inevitably argue over, so the price of admission is effectively a few pounds. Children get to harvest their own, which is the whole joy of it, and the setting in the Vale of York is the kind of big-sky Yorkshire countryside that makes a muddy-welly morning feel like a treat. Wrap up warm and plan lunch in Thirsk afterwards.
12. Pumpkin Festival at Willows Activity Farm, Hertfordshire
Best for: a polished pumpkin day within easy reach of London
When: selected dates until Saturday 31 October
Price: from £17.95
Address: Coursers Road, London Colney, St Albans AL2 1BB
Willows turns the whole farm over to pumpkins for the festival, and the patch is the star: row upon row of orange, with children dashing between them with wheelbarrows and an unmistakable look of triumph. It’s one of the easiest autumn days out for families in the south east, and the farm’s other attractions keep older children from drifting into boredom.
13. Halloween at Raby Castle and the Plotters’ Forest, County Durham
Best for: the full castle-and-woodland Halloween, from daytime trails to after dark
When: Haunted Forest trail until 1 November; Halloween After Dark 24 to 31 October; mini pumpkin patch at weekends in October
Address: Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3AY
This is what happens when a genuine medieval castle takes Halloween seriously. Younger children can follow the creepy-clue trail through the Plotters’ Forest, choose a mini pumpkin to decorate at the weekend patch, or try the Little Ones pumpkin painting (no carving, no knives, no tears). Come dusk, costumed families can wander the forest’s dark paths for Halloween After Dark, and the torchlit Haunted Raby ghost walk takes in rooms of the castle that aren’t normally open to the public. The Autumn Family Explorer ticket covers the castle trail, Haunted Forest and walled gardens. Make a weekend of it: stargazing at High Force Waterfall on Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 October is open to ages five to fifteen.
14. The Pumpkin Patch Staycation at Down Hall Hotel, Spa and Estate, Essex
Best for: a one-night family escape under an hour from London
When: 21 to 31 October
Price: from £279 for two adults and two children, with breakfast
Address: Hatfield Heath, near Bishop’s Stortford, Essex CM22 7AS
Smart, isn’t it? Rather than driving to a field, you check into a country-house hotel and the pumpkins come with the room. Guests pick their own pumpkin at the nearby Cammas Hall patch, then retreat to an Estate Family Room with built-in bunk beds, a Nintendo Switch, and robes and slippers for everyone, before hot chocolate and a Halloween craft kit. The 110-acre estate has tennis, badminton and padel courts, croquet, giant chess and a trim trail with balance beams and monkey bars. Only 45 minutes from central London, it’s a very civilised way to do October.
15. The Hollow Tales and Trails at Stonor Park, Oxfordshire
Best for: storytelling, riddles and pumpkins in a historic Chilterns park
When: this half term (check Stonor’s website for slots and dates)
Address: Stonor Park, near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 6HF
The new Hollow Tales and Trails at Tumblestone Hollow, the adventure playground in Stonor’s woodland, sends families around the gardens solving eight riddles across themed areas, with live storytelling along the way. The pumpkin patch is the sweetest touch: choose your pumpkin, then head to the decorating station to turn it into a creepy keepsake. It’s thoughtful, a little bit magical and set against the kind of English park Instagram dreams are made of.
Theme parks and big days out
16. Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Windsor, Berkshire
Best for: young children who want costumes and monsters but no jump scares
When: selected dates through October
Address: Winkfield Road, Windsor SL4 4AY
Halloween at LEGOLAND is spooky but not scary, which is exactly the right setting for under-tens. Expect LEGO monsters, trick-or-treat trails and costumes everywhere you look. Book a timed entry in advance, arrive early for the popular rides and keep a spare layer in the bag, because late October in Windsor can be bracing.
17. Scarefest at Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire
Best for: families with a mix of ages, from small children to teenagers
When: until Sunday 1 November (park open until 9pm during Scarefest)
Address: Alton, Staffordshire ST10 4DB
Alton Towers keeps Scarefest in two moods. Teenagers can take on The Edge of the Forest scare maze and the outdoor Burial Ground, while younger children head for Trick O’ Treat Town, which is designed for them. It’s the one day out this half term that works for a group with a wide age range, particularly if you stay on at the resort.
18. The Haunted Castle at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire
Best for: a proper medieval backdrop with big family shows
When: Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 5pm
Price: daytime entry from £29 per person, pre-booked only
Address: Castle Lane, Warwick CV34 4QU
Here, the castle really does the heavy lifting. The Haunted Castle daytime programme includes the Haunted Hollows Halloween maze, new for 2026 Welcome to the Spirit Hotel (where you meet ghostly guests and staff), Spooky Schools for young witches and wizards, and live shows from The Witches of Warwick to The Grave Diggers. Add the Falconer’s Quest, the UK’s largest bird of prey display, and a scarecrow disco walk. Halloween attractions aren’t suitable for under-fives, and tickets can’t be bought on the day, so book ahead. The rainy day promise covers pre-booked daytime tickets.
19. Horrible Histories Halloween at Leeds Castle, Kent
Best for: history-mad children (and a castle that really is as beautiful as they say)
When: Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November
Price: the trail is included with castle admission; a trail booklet with a gold coin prize costs a little extra
Address: Broomfield, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL
Leeds Castle sits in the middle of a lake, and for half term it hosts Horrible Histories: Silly Ghosts and Ghastly History. Children follow a ghost-getter’s trail through the grounds, meeting queens who supposedly returned from the dead, learning the stories behind historic witch trials and discovering the bizarre ways people once tried to keep troublesome spirits at bay. Live performers bring the gruesome tales to life, with plenty of Horrible Histories humour. It’s silly, smart and surprisingly educational.
20. Mischief Month at Bluestone National Park Resort, Pembrokeshire
Best for: a full-scale family escape, with a five-star resort feel
When: Friday 2 October to Sunday 1 November
Price: four nights from £2,340 for two adults and one child on 26 October (prices at 20 October; 23 and 30 October are sold out)
Address: Canaston Oaks, Narberth, Pembrokeshire SA67 8DE
Bluestone’s first-ever month-long Halloween takeover is a serious piece of family entertainment. Every stay includes free access to the Blue Lagoon Water Park, The Hive indoor play zone and the Serendome, plus the Halloween Spook-Ball (a fancy-dress party with fire spinning, dancing and family games), Spook Alley, Spooky Splash sessions in the water park and a nightly Village Light Show. Extras to book include a Monster Masterclass, pumpkin carving, a Halloween dinner show and a silent disco. Availability is limited now, so check before you fall in love with it.
Horse riding and the countryside
21. Pony Rally at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, Wiltshire
Best for: first-time riders aged 5 to 15 in a country-house setting
Price: £120 per child for a group of 2 to 4 (40 to 60 minutes); private pony trails from £100 per person for two or more
Address: Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8AZ
Lucknam Park’s equestrian centre runs its Pony Rally during UK half terms: a small group session covering stable management, then a short ride on a trial pony. For children who just want to meet the horses, there’s a free Meet the Pony visit for hotel guests. Helmets, boots and chaps are provided, so bring gloves and waterproofs. To book, email equestrian@lucknampark.co.uk or call 01225 740556, at least 24 hours ahead. These are the prices in the equestrian centre’s latest brochure, so confirm them when you book.
22. Children’s riding at Gleneagles Equestrian School, Perthshire
Best for: a proper lesson with proper instruction, from age 3 upwards
Address: Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire PH3 1NF
This is the one for families who want a serious first step into riding. The school at Gleneagles teaches by age group (3 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 and over) in both indoor and outdoor arenas, and runs an Own a Pony Day where children look after a pony, groom it, do its stable work and then ride it. Prices aren’t published, so call 01764 290017 to check availability and cost.
23. Pony experiences at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
Best for: families who want horses, a spa and lots of space in the same weekend
Address: Dogmersfield Park, Chalky Lane, Hook, Hampshire RG27 8TD
The hotel’s estate has its own equestrian centre. The family programme includes Own Your Pony, where children care for one of the estate’s Shetlands, plus hacks for riders, and the Kids For All Seasons club for children aged four and over. Last year’s October half-term programme included Shetland pony rides, carriage rides and a Mini Halloween Hunt at the equestrian centre, so ask what’s planned for this year by calling 01252 853 000.
24. Pony Magic at Manor Farm, Hampshire
Best for: under-eights, with no booking needed
When: weekdays, 26 to 30 October, 10.30am to 1.30pm (weather permitting)
Price: £6 per ride, plus normal farm admission
Address: Pylands Lane, Bursledon SO31 1BH
Sometimes the simplest plan is the best one. Children aged two to eight can have a pony ride in the equine arena, and there’s no need to book: just follow the signs when you arrive. It’s a charming, low-key add-on to a farm morning.
Tennis camps and active days
25. Junior sports camps at Roehampton Club, south-west London
Best for: a full, well-run day of racket sports, with lunch included
When: half-term week; Mini Racquets camps run Monday to Thursday, 26 to 29 October
Price: sports camps (9.30am to 4pm) £78.50 per day for guests, lunch included; tennis camps (10.30am to 12pm) £31.25 per day for guests; Mini Racquets (9.30am to 12pm) £40 per day
Roehampton is one of London’s grandest sporting clubs, and guests can book its holiday camps at a guest rate. The full-day sports camp mixes tennis, padel, squash, pickleball and swimming, and the Mini Racquets camps introduce the youngest players to hitting and rallying, with tennis-themed arts and crafts on the side. For children who’d rather swim, there are intensive private swim courses for ages three and up. Call the club on 020 8480 4225 to reserve.
26. Courtfit tennis camps in London’s parks (Hurlingham Park, Brook Green, Eel Brook Common, Holland Park)
Best for: coached colour-ball tennis for ages 4 to 11+, close to home
When: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October
Price: £245 for a full week (10am to 3pm), £134 for a week of mornings or afternoons, £32 for a single session; Tots tennis £18 a session
This is the easy local option for London families. Children are grouped by age and level (Red, Orange, Green and Junior), with a supervised lunch for full-day players. Holland Park runs junior camps only this year, because of court resurfacing, so check which venue suits your child’s age group before you book. Booking is through ClubSpark, and a free LTA account is needed.
27. Delgado Tennis Schools at Reed’s School, Cobham, Surrey
Best for: a school-grounds camp, with children aged 4 to 18 grouped by ability
When: Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October (and 19 to 22 October)
Times: 9am to 12pm, 1pm to 4pm, 9am to 4pm, or 8.30am to 5pm
Address: Reed’s School, Sandy Lane, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2ES
Set in the leafy grounds of an independent school, these camps let children choose how much they want to play, from half days to a long full day with early drop-off. Booking is essential, and there’s a discount for booking all four days.
28. Half-term camps with Teqnic Tennis, Roehampton Playing Fields
Best for: a relaxed, outdoor camp for younger players
When: Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October (check the final day when booking)
Times: 10am drop-off, 3pm pick-up; early drop-off from 9am is £12 extra
Address: Roehampton Playing Fields, London SW15 5BW
Players bring a packed lunch, snacks and a refillable bottle, and camps are cancelled by 9am in heavy rain, with camp credits refunded. Book a camp pack first, then choose individual days in the booking calendar.
Cooking classes
Nothing wins over a ten-year-old like being handed a proper apron and trusted with something sharp-ish. These three put real ingredients, real kitchens and a serious amount of flour in their hands.
29. Budding Chefs, Daylesford Farm, Gloucestershire
Best for: ages 5 to 8, and parents who would like the carrots to be organic
When: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 9am to 12pm
Price: £75 per child (the booking page shows a stray £0.00 at checkout, so do confirm the price when you reserve)
Address: Daylesford Farm, Kingham, Gloucestershire GL56 0YG
If you are going to hand a small person a whisk, it may as well be in the Cotswolds. This is the Daylesford cookery school doing what it does best, with no more than twelve children per class, produce that comes from the farm itself, and a recipe pack to take home so the triumph can be repeated on a Sunday. Three hours is generous, which means there is time to cook, taste and clean up without anyone being rushed. Book a table in the Farmshop Café for afterwards and the day more or less runs itself. You can also reserve by calling 01608 731 620.
30. Mini Masters Baking Academy, Bread Ahead, Borough Market
Best for: ages 7 and over who want to knead, shape and eat their own work
When: half-term sessions run through the school holidays (dates for this October are not yet confirmed, so check before you plan around them)
Price: check the Bread Ahead website for current pricing
Address: Bread Ahead Bakery & School, Borough Market, London SE1
Bread Ahead is famous for its doughnuts (come on, those custard ones), but the school is where the real fun lives. The Mini Masters format keeps classes small, with just eight places per workshop, so each child gets proper attention rather than a corner of a very large counter. Expect dough, a great deal of flour and a loaf or a tray of something warm to carry home. Slot in a wander round Borough Market afterwards for a very civilised lunch.
31. Children’s Chocolate Workshop, Hotel Chocolat, Covent Garden
Best for: ages 6 to 13, a sweet-toothed mini break in an hour
When: check the Hotel Chocolat website for half-term dates
Price: £40 per child
Address: Covent Garden, London WC2
Short, sweet and very easy to fit around a matinee. In one hour, with up to twenty children, they learn where cacao comes from and how it becomes chocolate, then make something to take home. It is the ideal slot between a morning at the museum and a show in the West End, and the only time all week that a parent will hear the words “I made this” with such pride.
Special afternoon teas
A children’s tea only earns its place here if it is a proper occasion: real china, a theme that is committed to, and scones that have not been an afterthought. These four qualify.
32. Halloween MiniTea, The Orchard Room, Conrad London St James
Best for: a grown-up hotel tea scaled down for small guests
When: daily, 12pm to 5pm this October
Price: from £29 per child
Address: 22-28 Broadway, London SW1H 0BH
The Orchard Room sits in the calm of Westminster, which makes it a rare thing: a place where the children can be a little silly and the adults still feel they are somewhere elegant. The MiniTea is built for the smaller appetite, with Halloween touches throughout. The generous opening hours are the real gift, because they let you slot it into the afternoon without a fight over a 3pm sitting. Booking is free online through the hotel.
33. Halloween Children’s Afternoon Tea, The Milestone Hotel, Kensington
Best for: under-12s, and a post-museum treat a short walk from the V&A and Natural History Museum
When: 27 October to 2 November (confirm the year when you book)
Price: from £45 per person
Address: 1 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL
The Milestone is the sort of Kensington townhouse hotel that makes every tea feel like an event, all velvet, panelling and staff who are good with small people. The Halloween version for under-12s keeps the elegance and adds the fun, and its position, tucked beside Kensington Gardens, makes it the natural finish to a museum morning. Do mention any allergies when you book, as this is a hotel that will take it seriously.
34. Haunted Treehouse Tea, Richmond Hill Hotel
Best for: a family day out that ends with a view over the river
When: 24 October to 1 November
Price: £46 per adult, £16 per child
Address: Richmond Hill Hotel, 146-150 Richmond Hill, Richmond TW10 6RW
Here is the best value on the list, and the most theatrical. A haunted treehouse tea is a good deal more imaginative than the usual pumpkin-shaped biscuit, and at £16 per child it is a gentle way to treat a table of cousins. Pair it with a walk in Richmond Park first (deer, wide skies, wellies) and the afternoon more or less plans itself. Reserve the tea itself directly with the hotel.
35. Halloween Afternoon Tea, Royal Lancaster London
Best for: a West End base, with a pumpkin cheesecake worth the detour
When: ran 27 October to 2 November last year, so confirm that it returns for 2026
Price: last year, from £49 per person Monday to Friday and £55 at weekends
Address: Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY
The Royal Lancaster takes its Blooming British tea and gives it a Halloween twist, and the dessert to know about is the pumpkin cheesecake with pumpkin seed praline. It faces Hyde Park, so there is room to let off steam on the way in or out. Because the dates and prices above are from last year’s run, do ring to check before you promise anyone a seat.
Before you book
Half term is a beautiful, brief window, and the best experiences fill first. A few practical notes will save you a heartbreak.
Book early, especially the shows, the riding lessons, the tennis camps and the afternoon teas, which sell out in the days either side of Halloween. Dates, prices and availability change, so check each venue’s own website before you travel, and treat any price marked as last year’s as a guide rather than a promise.
Two more small things. Leave a slow afternoon in the middle of the week, because children remember the unscheduled hours as fondly as the grand outings. And pack a spare pair of socks. Always.
Happy half term.
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