As Halloween is the 31st October, here at MoneyMagpie we thought we’d see if we could find 31 free and cheap things for you to do with the kids this half-term!
From kicking leaves in the park to tricksome trails; from strange science to fearsome festivals, there’s something for everyone. All over the country there are things to do that will keep the kids entertained and get you all into the spooky spirit of Halloween.
Of course we have to start with the Pick Your Own (PYO) Pumpkins Patches. There are so many now all over the country but here are just a few to get you in the mood!
PYO PUMPKIN PATCHES
Check your local paper, Facebook or community What’s App group for the best deals around and to see if there are any offers. Just look out for whether or not pumpkins are included in any entry prices, so you don’t have a scary surprise when you get there…
Yorkshire – The Balloon Tree at Gate Helmsley
Open 9am to 5pm Monday to Sunday until end of October.
No need to book, just turn up and follow the ‘Pick Your Own’ signs
Average sized pumpkins cost £4-5 each
Surrey – Secretts at Hurst Farm
From Sat 22nd to Sat 29th October 2022 but best availability looks like it’s midweek.
Need to book a time slot and tickets are £3 each (bookings are online only).
Dressing up is encouraged – there will be a competition! Activities include biscuit decorating and glitter tattoos.
Leicestershire – Halloween Farm
It’s open for the whole of October and describes itself as the UK’s biggest Pumpkin Picking Experience.
There is so much to see and do on the Farm from Trick or Treat Street to a spooky Circus.
Ticket prices of £3 include your pumpkin and some of the attractions (others may cost extra but you can add these at the checkout).
Derbyshire – VILLAGE PUMPKINS, Barlow
Open until 31st October
The pumpkin village is free to enter, with no charge for parking during the week, but you will have to pay for any pumpkins you take home.
Scotland – Loch Ness Pumpkins
It’s open on Sat 22nd, Fri 28th and Sat 29th October and there’s so much to do as well as PYO!
Tickets cost £4 per adult and £6 for children (but does not include your pumpkin). Under 3s are free.
WALES – POUNDFFLAD FARM, SWANSEA
The farm will be open for pumpkin picking until 31st October. There is no entry charge to the patch but you can book tickets online to the Halloween party and show, which are extra.
WALES – BELLIS BROTHERS FARM, Wrexham
Open until 31st October
Free to enter but booking is essential.
Pick your own pumpkins at the family-run Bellis Brothers Farm. There is also a spooky maize maze for children to explore.
TREATS AND TRAILS
COVENT GARDEN HALLOWEEN TRAIL
Central London 28/29/30 OCT – FREE
A great chance to get dressed up and take part in a free Halloween Trail around Covent Garden, exploring parts of the area you may not have visited before. There’s also a photo competition.
HALLOWEEN AT HYDE PARK
Central London 25/26/27 OCT – FREE
Another great opportunity to get dressed up and take part in a whole host of free creepy crawly activities in Hyde Park. This free event is happening 11am – 3pm, no booking is necessary but they would appreciate it if people could register their interest via the website.
LIVERPOOL ONE NATURE TRAIL
Liverpool until 30 OCT – FREE
Explore this lovely nature trail in Chavasse Park. It’s a self-guided tour aimed at children aged 4 to 11. Start the adventure by collecting a booklet from the Information Centre on Wall Street.
Ghost Week York
York 23-30 OCT – FREE
York is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the country. It will be celebrating all things ghostly this half term with a twilight ghost hunt, a trail of the seven spectres and a spooky short film.
Gothic Garden Trail
Alton (Hampshire) 22-31 OCT – FREE for Children in costume
You normally have to pay to get into Chawton House, but all children wearing Halloween costumes will get to visit for free over the October half-term. There’s a brilliant Gothic garden trail with witches, ghouls and pumpkins to see along the way…
Mini Monks I-Spy trail
Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk) Open Daily – FREE
The Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds has a new art trail featuring 27 mini monks made by Suffolk-based ceramic artist Deborah Pipe. The ceramics have been hidden in the 12th-century stone dovecote – how many can you spot?
The Giant’s Lair
Slieve Gullion Forest Park (Co. Armagh) Open Daily – FREE
There are fairies, witches, dragons and giants to be greeted along this trail inspired by local legend.
Halloween Makers Market
Fargo Village (Coventry) 29-30 OCT – FREE
Fargo Village is a repurposed industrial space in Coventry city centre. Over the Halloween Weekend, the market is host to a range of artists and makers and will feature scary arts and crafts, candles, jewellery and more.
FREAKY FESTIVALS
Derry Halloween
Londonderry, 28-31 OCT – FREE
Europe’s largest Halloween festival comes back to life with free events, including a parade, live music and spectacular fireworks.
Halloween in the City
Manchester, 25-30 OCT – FREE
This spooky event is back! There’s a procession, live band, stilt-walkers and fun rides. New this year is the Monsters Rock! Music Festival, featuring scary DJs, monster bands, and a glow-in-the-dark dance party.
Lantern Parade
Bristol, 30 OCT – FREE
This amazing (and spooky!) lantern festival features everything from ghost ships to giant spiders. The puppets parade through the city centre, telling tales from Bristol’s history and celebrating its cultural heritage.
Spooks in the City
Swansea, 29 OCT – FREE
Swansea’s Castle Square is going to be full of Horrible Halloween Fun for one day only! There will be games such as witches’ hat ring tossing and you can get Halloween make-up and glitter tattoos. Make sure you stick around for the pumpkin parade at 3pm.
Halloween Festival
Nottingham, 22-30 OCT – FREE
Giant monsters will be taking to the rooftops, face painters will be delighting children with spooky designs, Batman will be visiting with his Batmobile and there will even been a spider school where you can learn about creepy crawlies (if you dare!).
Galoshans Festival
Inverclyde, to 30 OCT – FREE
This family festival with a Halloween twist is back for an eighth year. While some events are ticketed, a huge number are free, including spooky tours of Custom House Quay and a ghost story club in Greenock Central Library.
STRANGE SCIENCE
Halloween at the National Science and Media Museum
Bradford, 22-30 OCT – FREE
This year the NSMM is hosting a Halloween science showdown performance, terrifying mask workshops and story-time sessions.
Celebrate Science
County Durham, 25-27 OCT – FREE
An exciting range of free events will be taking place across Durham University for three days, all to celebrate science and inspire young people. Run by 200 staff and student volunteers, there will be science and nature trails as well as children’s craft activities.
ELECTRIFYING EXHIBITIONS
Skeleton Parade at the Museum of Natural History
Oxford, OPEN DAILY – FREE
The Museum of Natural History in Oxford is home to a permanent collection of animal skeletons. This is just one of the many displays worth exploring in this free museum.
BBC at 100 at the Science Museum
London South Kensington, OPEN DAILY – FREE
Celebrate the BBC’s 100th birthday at the Science Museum. Artefacts range from a 6ft-tall 1988 Cyberman costume from Doctor Who to a portable disc recorder used to deliver news segments from the front line during the Second World War.
Sanity Through Repetition
London Shoreditch, 20 Oct – 5 Nov – FREE
Quantus Gallery (near Spitalfields Market) has just opened an exhibition featuring the work of once-homeless artist Opake. His colourful style combines street graffiti with Pop Art, with many of his works inspired by Disney and cartoon characters such as Pokémon.
ENGLISH HERITAGE MEMBER DAYS OUT
These following events are free for English Heritage Members. If you aren’t a member but want to join in, prices are listed on the websites.
Alternatively, you can find out more about becoming a member here. (For 1 adult and up to 6 children it is £5.50 per month, for 2 adults and up to 12 children it’s £9.58.)
HALLOWEEN TRAILS
Various locations, Sat 22 – Sun 30 Oct 2022 / 10am – 4pm
English Heritage is hosting Halloween Trails at over 20 of its sites this half term. Check the website for locations, dates and times. Even though it is free, it’s always best to book tickets to avoid disappointment.
Follow Dennis, Gnasher and friends to solve creepy clues on a fun family quest and meet costumed performers to hear tall tales of the strange, the supernatural and the downright silly. Discover haunting stories from the past and local folk tales.
ILLUMINATED ABBEY
Whitby Abbey, Fri 21 – Mon 31 Oct 2022 / 6pm – 9pm
See Bram Stoker’s inspiration in a new light as Whitby Abbey is bathed in dramatic illuminations once again. Have your camera at the ready as you explore the gothic splendour of the ruins lit up with all the colours of the rainbow.
And of course it wouldn’t be Halloween without the Count! See the story of Dracula brought to life before your very eyes within the abbey ruins all aglow, with a twist on our usual show as we celebrate 125 years of Dracula.
VISIT A CREEPY CASTLE
Why not visit a creepy castle this Halloween! The MoneyMagpie team have picked their Top 3 fearsome fortresses:
There we have it! 31 freaky, fun and fearsome activities for this Halloween Half Term! Enjoy and do let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions in the comments below…
