Along with a nip in the air, October brings the half-term break and Halloween fun. Here the Citizen Enfants team share their plans for the school holidays and some great ideas to keep kids entertained and make trick or treating extra special.
From spooky decorations and seasonal days out to family-friendly hotels and restaurants, plus some stylish tips for mums (and mums-to-be), here is all the inspiration you’ll need for a fantastic October with your children.
Sheena Bhattessa, Founder
STAY This half term I’ll be visiting Four Seasons Nevis, splash pads to kite flying and monkey spotting will all be very welcome. WATCH Rhyme Time and The Gruffalo, a fun, relaxed morning session for toddlers and young ones during The Barbican’s Family Film Week. TRAVEL WITH With frequent flying children, I usually manage flights quite well. My little one year old, however, has started walking and long flights with two under 3 is going to be quite the feat. KeepEmQuiet Mega Sensory Fidget Kit is my essential for a very excitable 1 year old. Plus, these headphones for my 3 year old. I’m all for screentime on long flights, plus endless colouring and snacks. WEAR We’re going skeleton/black swan for my daughter’s Halloween costume. Its in the hot weather so this black tulle embellished dress is the right amount of spooky and charming. And my little boy is simply going to be a cute pumpkin (until he can start dictating his own costumes). USE Getting warm milk on a plane can sometimes be a bit tricky, so I now use the 1 litre Ocean Bottle – no spillages and ideal for accessing baby’s warm milk as soon as I need it. WEAR I find myself living in Varley on the weekends. Easy co-ords, comfortable and still smart. They’re also very useful when travelling as I inevitable get dirty before I’ve even taken off, and depending on the colour, the clothes conceals the mess well.
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Morag Turner, Citizen Enfants Editor
VISIT October half term is a great time for family days out and I’ll be taking my boys to see the new Tim Burton exhibition at Design Museum. If you want to venture further afield then take the kids to the wonderful Halloween Garden at the Holkham Estate. DECORATE Every year I throw a Halloween party – I love dressing up. I have a pretty extensive box of decorations now, but this year I’ll be adding this fun projector lamp from Flying Tiger to my garden display and topping up my pumpkin-themed tableware from Meri Meri. BAKE Spooky biscuits and cakes are the order of the day. I get lots of edible cake toppers and sprinkles from The Cake Decorating Company. I mean who doesn’t want to want to eat zombie hands and spiders’ webs?! Another great tip I saw recently on Instagram is to use cookie cutters to push through the skin and create shapes when carving your pumpkin. I’ll be picking up some like these. WEAR Running around after kids means I live in my trainers (navy Adidas Sambas are my faves right now) and as the weather gets chillier I’ll be wearing cosy socks with them. These ones from Arket and Uniqlo are perfect. BOOK AHEAD It might feel a little early to talk about Christmas, but it’s definitely not too soon to book up lovely festive treats for your little ones that are likely to sell out as we get nearer to December. The classic Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas is on at the Lyric Theatre and is the ideal play to see with very young children.
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Gemma Louise Deeks, Contributing Fashion Editor
BUY Marbra’s maternity bras. I’ve been wearing the Seamless Maternity Bra in coffee brown during pregnancy and will be buying the nursing bras postpartum. The brand was developed by two mums who met at the school gates and bonded over a gap in the market for comfortable, functional bras for every stage of motherhood. BOOK A Four Mamas day retreat in London. I recently did their Postpartum Retreat at 1Hotel Mayfair and learnt so much about life with a newborn, or newborns in my case! It’s a a one-stop destination that ensures a safe and tailored experience for every stage of the motherhood journey. DISCOVER Tiba & Marl’s new Inka buggy organiser bag in beige fleece, I love this for the winter months and will be clipping it to my buggy when the twins arrive. PREPARE I’ve started to think about packing my hospital bag, and that includes the Frida Mom c-section recovery kit, which has everything you could need post-surgery. EXPLORE It’s soon October half term and also Halloween, so we will take my partner’s children pumpkin picking at Lillingstone Pick Your Own, an award-winning family run farm in Buckinghamshire with plenty of autumnal fun activities for the kids.
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Lucy Halfhead, Lifestyle Partnerships Director
STAY Coworth Park in Ascot looks like the perfect family staycation with a kids club, babysitting, teen den and a 240-acre playground to explore this autumn. VISIT The Van Gogh London Exhibit: The Immersive Experience in Spitalfields looks like a great baby sensory opportunity with a 360-degree digital show that’s free for under fours. EAT Now that I’ve got a hungry toddler at home, I’m excited to try Lune + Wild’s homemade food delivery service, with tasty dishes like Shepherd’s Pie and Veggie and Coconut Curry. BOOK For a fun festive treat we’re heading to Room On The Broom at the Lyric Theatre based on the much-loved book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. BUY As the temperatures drop, my little one needs a warm outdoor outfit for the park, like this cosy Marks & Spencer snowsuit with mittens attached. READ Touchy-feely reads are all the rage in my house at the moment so we will be adding this Halloween book to our collection this month.
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Rachel Story, Style and Commerce Director
STAY This month I’ll be taking an adults-only break as I head to Mykonos to celebrate a friends milestone birthday. We’ll be staying in a villa perched right on the cliff-face with wrap-round views of the ocean organised by Flagstone Travel. GO We’ll be heading to Legoland for our son’s 2nd birthday celebrations to check out the park as it’s transformed into a pumpkin-filled wonderland for Halloween. From Lego monsters to a haunted house party, there are so many fun spooky-themed activities for little lego lovers to enjoy. Brick or Treat! SHOP I’ve just discovered Cult Gaia Mini and their array of girls occasionwear, which is perfect for birthday parties and the upcoming festive season. I’ve got my eye on the pink Andee dress for my eldest niece, I know she will adore the feather detailing for twirling in this Christmas. BUY I’ve been searching for aesthetically pleasing (not plastic!) children’s furniture and a hand painted wooden chair from Pierrot is high on my wishlist. I love that they can be personalised with your child’s name and favourite interest – and it’ll look just as lovely in my son’s bedroom as it would in our kitchen. SHOP I recently ordered Phlur’s latest addition to their perfume collection – Vanilla Skin, which just launched exclusively at Space NK. A creamy, vanilla scent with notes of sandalwood that really lingers on the skin. READ I’ve preordered Rachel Bright’s The Camel Who Got The Hump and I can’t wait for it to arrive. Both my husband and I love reading her stories to our son (she’s up there with Julia Donaldson in terms of her rhyming prowess) and each book touches on important life lessons – such as sharing, friendship or overcoming fears.
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Alex Carello, PR Director, Citizen Femme
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