By Kate Hodges
18th October 2023
DO AND EVENTS HALF-TERM FUN!
For English children at school, half-term starts this weekend. Scottish kids are already on holiday, and those in Wales follow the week after. There’s always lots going on across the country at this time of year, but 2023’s October is particularly jam-packed!
English Heritage
Autumn is cloaking English Heritage’s sites in glorious shades of orange, red and yellow. Head to one of their free parks or gardens to enjoy the views, or book online for spooky woodland walks and ghost hunts. Find an event near you here
The National Trust
Half-term at the National Trust means magical storytelling, Monster Markets, murder mysteries and apple tasting. Find an event near you here
The Wildlife Trusts
Use the Wildlife Trusts’ nature reserve finder to uncover secret and new-to-you wildernesses, and search for one of their cheering, nature-friendly family events in your neck of the woods.
Museum of London
In the capital, the Museum of London Docklands has plenty of free fun happening, including a toddler party with Ilana Banana, active storytelling including tales about immigrant families in the East End, and fashion workshops inspired by the colourful Fashion City exhibition. Find out more here
Greenwich Museums
There’s a rich brew of events at the museums around Greenwich this half-term. Be inspired by the National Maritime Museum’s Season of Identity and make North American indigenous culture-inspired quillwork and bracelets, Arctic pompoms and Ghanaian shell mosaics (free). Alternatively, join Ted on a space adventure at the Royal Observatory or hop aboard the Cutty Sark to hear colourful tales from the ship’s on-board characters. Full programme here.
The Towner
Down south, Eastbourne’s Towner Gallery is hosting the Turner Prize, and is a great place to spend a few hours with your family. On Friday October 27, join Amy Leung for the venue’s first free family day that explores support structures between humans, situations and worlds. More here
Science + Industry Museum
In Manchester, it’s time to take a trip from the tip of the tongue to the end of the bum with Drs Chris, Zand and Ronx. Operation Ouch! Poo And You dives headfirst into the digestive system. There are also a series of half-term events; reimagine the future of the city’s skyline, find out about the future of the high street and discover what skills you need to become an architect. More here
Bristol Museums
Bristol is bursting with half-term activities; create creepy creatures and see art created by disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists from history at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, join a historical walk or go on a train ride at M Shed, or join other families for stories, trails, crafting and more at Blaise Museum.
Scotland
Many Scottish kids are already on half-term. Find free and cheap events happening across the country; find free football camps across the country here, a fossilling walk and fireside whittling session at Mugdock Country Park, or – genuinely – a Charles Rennie Mackintosh style spooky billiard table at Mackintosh at the Willow!
In Aberdeen you might make a celebratory medal or badge to thank someone special or join a play session with Guthrie the Goose, while there are free family art spaces in Edinburgh at the City Art Centre and Museum of Edinburgh, and a Big Draw session at Lauriston Castle tomorrow (Thursday). Find out more here, and find more ideas for family days out across Scotland here.
EVENT, RECIPE, MAKE PEEL SESSIONS
This Saturday is Apple Day, a celebration of the most English of fruits. Apple Day is both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too. There are parties across the country this weekend; perhaps you might find one at a community orchard near you.
Press apples and get your bike mended in Gillespie Park in London, juice and listen to music in Port Talbot’s Margam Park’s community orchard, try apple crafts and enjoy bands at Cambridge Botanic Gardens and there are workshops, events, cooking demonstrations and tastings all week at the Food Museum in Stowmarket. Find apple days at National Trust venues here, ten more places to juice up your weekend here or find out about the joy of pressing your own apples here
Continuing the apple theme (yes, we’re hard CORE), this is a good time to try some fruity crafts. Crack out the paint and recreate Van Gogh’s Starry Night with twinkly apple prints, or make a super-cute apple tote bag. Our favourite spooky craft has to be these dried apple witches; make yours now in time for Halloween. Find more sweet apple crafts for preschoolers and older kids here.
Don’t forget, we have a sweeeet selection of recipes online. Find some of our favourite appley ideas here, including chai spiced apple ricotta galette, apple waffles, easy apple crumble and apple and sweet potato muffins.
MAKE EEK-O CRAFTS
Why not spend the first few days of the holiday making your own, eco-friendly decorations for Hallowe’en? We love these recycled door wreaths – we might try making a vampire-repelling garlic version. Alternatively, little cheesecloth ghosts are fiendish (and a little bit cute!), while these rustic-looking webs are fun for small hands to weave. Or why not explore your sinister side, and make your own reusable Halloween window silhouettes?
EVENT AND DO ANIMAL SNAPPERS
The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is now open both in London and touring across the UK. The images are always sensational – and may inspire you to try out wildlife photography for yourself. Kids don’t need fancy gear – an old telephone with a camera will do – there are some great hints here. Take your cameras out on an autumn walk, and hold a mini exhibition when you return. There are some great tips here and here. You don’t need to be in the countryside proper; urban wildlife can be just as fun to try to capture – be inspired by the work of Sam Hobson . Perhaps you might even enter next year’s Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
EVENT STORIES BY THE SEA
The Hastings Storytelling Festival brightens up the seaside town every October. Enjoy free storytelling at the Mini Playhouse with Out of the Bag Theatre’s Is It A Dragon, meet author and illustrator Thomas Taylor, whose Eerie-On-Sea bears more than a passing resemblance to Hastings, and celebrate at Sunday’s Children’s Day on The Stade with glittering performances, drummers, hula hooping workshops and carnival fun. More here
BONUS: Get prepared for clocks spinning back an hour on October 29 now! Five Ways To Cope With Clocks Going Back
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Pumpkin,Ginger and Chilli soup A lovely, seasonal recipe. Perfect for the cool autumnal weather – nothing quite says autumn like a big orange bowl of pumpkin soup. Find the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE READING: How to talk to children about the violence in Israel and Gaza “The scale of last weekend’s surprise attacks by Hamas militants on Israel has staggered Israel and the world.
The news is alarming for anyone — and especially for children, who may be left grappling with questions about why other children are among those affected, and whether they are safe. Here’s some advice on how to get started with talking to kids about the conflict.” Read more here
