October half-term is just around the corner, so it’s time to start planning some fun days out for children.
The Autumn school break is a great opportunity to explore child-friendly museums and exhibitions. Plus it’s that time of year when things get a bit spooky and Halloween fun pops up all over the place – from magical theme parks to pumpkin picking in the fresh air. Here are some exciting ways to keep kids of all ages entertained during the school holidays.
The Globe Theatre
Show kids the fun side of Shakespeare with the brand new Story Tours at the wonderful Globe Theatre. Step on to the magical wooden ‘O’ stage to discover more about some of the Bard’s most famous plays. Hear tales of mischievous fairies from a troupe of over-enthusiastic amateur entertainers and young lovers’ shenanigans in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or wander through the wild woods of the Scottish Highlands as you visit castles and glens with Macbeth. There is also the opportunity to dress up in costumes and meet some of the characters. Or have a go at a family workshop where you can pop into one of the rehearsal rooms to take part in an interactive session for the whole family that uses a range of activities and games to really draw out elements of the play’s language, characters and themes. The storytelling sessions and workshops are suitable for kids as young as five. The Globe’s clever team of (made up of actors, directors and teachers) are experts at ensuring stories from these classic plays are engaging and accessible for young audiences. A marvellous way to introduce youngsters to the joy of our most celebrated playwright.
The Batman Unmasked Exhibition
Superhero fans everywhere will love the cool new Batman Unmasked exhibition that has just arrived in Covent Garden. Step behind the scenes of the icon masked crusader in this all-new immersive experience. Marking the 85th Anniversary of Gotham’s most famous resident, the Batman Exhibition is packed with original props, vehicles, and costumes direct from the archives of movies that have never been seen in the UK before. Fans of all ages will be able to venture into the Batcave and explore Batman films (1989-2022) navigating a series of themed rooms containing Batsuits, Super-Villain suits, props and weapons. Highlights include Robert Pattinson’s Batmobile from The Batman and Christian Bale’s Batpod from The Dark Knight. There is a fun interactive comic book and gaming area and a store selling exclusive merchandise. The whole experience takes around an hour and is most suited to older children and teens.
The Halloween Trail At Kew Gardens
October half term wouldn’t be complete without some sort of spooky-themed outing and Kew Gardens has just that very thing on offer. Great for all ages, the brand-new, after dark Halloween Trail is full of hidden surprises and (not too scary) fun. Created by the producers of the amazing Christmas at Kew installation, the trail winds its way through the stunning gardens where you can expect to find ghostly goings-on along the way. Watch out for glowing pumpkins, creepy neon cobwebs witches, ghouls and giant spiders as you make your way through the illuminated haunted woods. Plus you’ll find refreshments and sweet treats available on stands dotted around the gardens. There are three sessions available to book; daylight, twilight and moonlight. All are suitable for all ages but depending how daring your kids are, we’d suggest the early time slots for very young children.
Children’s Afternoon Tea At Claridges
Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s nice to take little ones on a day out that parents will enjoy as much as their kids. Queue the children’s afternoon tea at Claridge’s. Young guests can enjoy the child-friendly menu which includes simple but delicious sandwich favourites such as ham and cheese, along with the essential scones with cream and jam and (almost) too-good-to-eat cakes, while grown ups can order their classic afternoon tea with all its delicious savouries and sweet treats. Served in the beautiful Foyer and Reading Room, with a pianist tinkling the ivories, you can soak up the atmosphere of this gorgeous iconic hotel while little ones are entertained with their menu which transforms into colouring sheets. Now that’s a perfect half-term outing for all the family.
The Tim Burton Exhibition
For a fun art experience that kids will find fascinating and relatable pop along to the Design Museum to see the new Tim Burton Exhibition. This major display of his colourful, unusual work explores his past four decades as an illustrator, painter, photographer and author, as well as exploring key collaborations with designers, along with his most famous cinematic creations such as Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Beatlejuice. As a multi-disciplinary artist, his creations come in a number of mediums and formats and this exhibition draws from Burton’s personal archive from his childhood to the present day, including drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, sculptural installations, set and costume designs. Arriving in London on 25th October, this will be the final stop in a decade-long world tour for this exhibition and will be its only ever showing in the UK – making it a must-see for young art fans. And if kids love what they see they can take part in creative workshops for children for those aged eight to 14 that are inspired by Tim Burton’s unique imagination, exploring the likes of coding for storytelling, digital character design and stop motion techniques. These Design Camps are running through out half term and can be booked via the website.
Pumpkin Picking At Crockford Bridge Farm
Head out of town for the day and go pumpkin picking at the wonderful Crockford Bridge Farm in Weybridge, Surrey, at their annual Pumpkin Festival. Don your wellies, grab a wheelbarrow or bucket (they are provided) and head into the fields to choose from thousands of home-grown pumpkins that you can then take away and carve to add to your Halloween decorations. Or get creative at the onsite carving area. But it’s not just the fun of getting a bit muddy in the outdoors that’s on offer, the farm also organises fun family activities during October half-term with a Wizard of Oz theme, including vintage fairground rides, games and storytelling sessions. Make sure to grab some delicious treats at the ice-cream parlour and hot chocolate shack too. Suitable for all ages and with parking onsite, this is an excellent seasonal adventure in the great outdoors.
Chessington World Of Adventures
You don’t have to jet off to Disneyland or Universal Studios for all the thrills of a theme park. Chessington World of Adventures is just half an hour from central London and offers all the same wild rides (over 40 of them) and fun for kids. While older kids can take on the more challenging adventures like rollercoasters and water rides in the World of Jumanji and Dragon Land, little ones are also very well catered for with much smaller, tamer attractions throughout the park as well as soft play areas. Or try out the newly opened Elmer the Elephant activity trail that takes you to Chessington’s very own zoo where children can discover a whole range of animals along the way, from lions to gorillas. During October half-term a Halloween theme arrives at the theme park with the return of the Enchanted Hollow, Trick or Treat entertainment, and Halloween fancy dress competitions.
Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Exhibition
There are so many reasons to visit the Natural History Museum with children, truly one of the UK’s most wonderful resources for helping youngsters understand the world around them. And now there is yet another to add to the list this October as The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to its Kensington home. Now in its 60th year, this mesmerising display of stunning images enables us to experience the wonder of all manner of types of life on Earth through the lens of some of the world’s best wildlife photographers. A true visual adventure, it allows visitors to move through different environments and meet their inhabitants – from majestic predators hunting to the smallest creatures alive – there is such a variety to discover. Serving as a reminder of how precious and fragile the natural world is, this exhibition is an excellent way to help children see first-hand how human behaviour, both good and bad, shapes the present and future of life on earth.
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