Experience Elizabethan life

Where: Shakespeare’s Globe, South Bank, London
When: Monday 24-Sunday 30 October
What: Exhibition and tour: throughout half-term there will be daily live demonstrations to show what life was like in Elizabethan times. There will be sword fighting, theatre crafts, dressing up in costumes and demonstrations of the seventeenth century printing press.
Need to know: Adults £12.50, children 5-15 £8.00
Find out more: Shakespeare’s Globe 

Hunt for ghosts

Where: Eltham Palace, London
When: Sunday 23-Tuesday 25 October, 11am-4pm
What: Time Travellers Go… Ghost and Ghouls: meet the resident ghost hunter who will take you on a spooky tour of the palace grounds. There will be lots of Halloween crafts and activities too.
Need to know: £1 additional charge on admission price
Find out more: English Heritage

Use a printing press

Where: Lower Fairground Site, Hampstead
When: Wednesday 26-Sunday 30 October
What: Art exhibition and interactive events: as well as a display of artwork from new and emerging artists, there will be free activities for all the family to enjoy, including making art on a printing press. The pieces will be included in a large mural of Hampstead Heath that will be on display throughout the fair.
Need to know: Adults £12-15 at the door, concessions £8-10, children under 16 free. Reduced ticket prices are available if booked in adavance. Get free admission for everybody on Friday 28 October by printing out this article (just the first two pages will do), and showing it at the door.
Find out more: AAF Hampstead 

Enter a world of magic

Where: V&A Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London
When: Monday 22-Sunday 30 October, 10.30am-4pm
What: Magic and Make Believe: there’s a magical theme during half-term with the new exhibition Magic Worlds. Activities include walkabout magicians, shadow puppet storytelling, arts and crafts and a chance to make a magician’s hat.
Need to know: Free admission and free activities
Find out more: V&A 

Make puppets

Where: Soane Museum, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London
When: Wednesday 26-Friday 28 October, 10.30am-12.30pm and 2pm-4pm
What: Puppet making workshops: there’s a different theme on each day. Choose from They Came from the Shadows!, Crazy Capitals and Spooky Skeleton Puppets. Each workshop will use the Soane Museum’s collection for inspiration.
Need to know: Suitable for ages 7+. Wednesday’s workshop is a whole day, the other workshops are half-days. Cost £20 for full day, £12 for half day payable in advance. Children need to bring their own lunch. Booking is essential, so download booking form on the website.
Find out more: Soane Museum

Get to know Lord Nelson

Where: HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
When: Saturday 22 October, 11am-1pm, 2pm-4pm
What: Get to know Nelson: HMS Victory was Admiral Nelson’s ship in the Battle of Trafalgar. This event ties in with the anniversary of the battle won in October 1805 and will involve crafts and quizzes about Nelson.
Need to know: Event is free with ticket admission, suitable for all ages. You can’t take pushchairs aboard HMS Victory and be prepared for steep steps.
Find out more: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 

Become a birdwatcher

Where: RSPB Pulborough Brooks, West Sussex
When: Wednesday 26 October, 10.30am-12.30pm
What: Begin Birdwatching: discover how to identify birds and take part in a range of activities and games to practise your new-found knowledge.
Need to know: For children aged 7-12, £5 per child
Find out more: RSPB

Decorate Halloween biscuits

Where: Ightham Mote, Kent
When: Sunday 30 October, 12pm-3pm
What: Decorate a Halloween Biscuit: have fun decorating a pumpkin shaped biscuit for Halloween. Your design can be as spooky as you like! The fourteenth century moated house is fascinating to look round, too.
Need to know: £1 per biscuit
Find out more: The National Trust

Play games from the 1950s

Where: Museum of English Rural Life, Reading, Berkshire
When: Thursday 27 October, 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm
What: Fifties family games: drop in to play a range of traditional family board games. Find out if you’re best at Tiddly Winks or Snakes and Ladders and discover who’s the champion at board games in your family.
Need to know: £1 per child
Find out more: MERL

Create autumn art

Where: The Avon Gorge, Leigh Woods, Clifton and Durdham Downs, Bristol
When: Thursday 27 October, 10am-3.30pm
What: Autumn Antics: crafty activities using natural material. Use nuts and berries to create some artwork in the morning and make an autumnal leaf lantern in the afternoon.
Need to know: Suitable for ages 8-12, cost is £8.50 per child. Children need to bring a packed lunch with them.
Find out more: Avon Gorge 

Make a birdfeeder

Where: Exmoor National Park, Devon
When: Monday 24 October
What: Nature detectives and make a bird feeder: learn about animal tracks in the forest and then make a bird feeder which you can take home with you.
Need to know: £6 per child, booking required 01598 763706
Find out more: National Parks

Paint a spooky portrait

Where: Trerice, near Newquay, Cornwall
When: Saturday 22-Sunday 23 October, 11am-4pm
What: Spooky portrait workshop: be inspired by the Tudor portraits around this beautiful Elizabethan house to come up with and paint your own spooky version.
Need to know: £2
Find out more: The National Trust

Hold a creepy crawlie

Where: Plantasia, Swansea
When: Tuesday 25-Thursday 27 October, 10.30am, 12pm, 2pm and 3.15pm
What: Spooky Animals: see some creepy creatures close up such as spiders and creepy crawlies. If you’re feeling brave enough you can handle them too. And if you’re really brave there will be a few edible creepy crawlies to taste!
Need to know: £4.95 per adult, £3.95 per child
Find out more: City and County of Swansea

Be an artist for a day

Where: Newport Wetlands Visitor Centre, Wales
When: Wednesday 26th October, 11am-3pm
What: Children’s Art and Craft Workshop: be inspired by nature to create your own artwork of Newport Wetlands Centre under the guidance of local artist Jill Hobbs.
Need to know: £6 per person
Find out more: RSPB

Learn about animal myths and legends

Where: Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, Gloucestershire
When: Saturday 22-Sunday 30 October
What: Myths and Legends – Slimbridge Totem Pole: learn all about animal myths and follow the clues to find Slimbridge WWT’s totem pole. You can also you’re your own totem pole to take home with you.
Need to know: Admission £10.35 for adults and £5.60 for children aged 4-16
Find out more: WWT

Go on a Really Wild workshop

Where: Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, Brandon Lane, Coventry
When: Monday 24-Friday 28 October, 10:30am-12pm, and 5.30pm-7pm on Friday
What: Really Wild Workshops for children: there will be lots of outdoor adventures this half-term with a different activity each day. Choose from Winter Dens, Dinosaur Discovery, Spooky Spiders, Batty about Bats!, Hedgehogs and Hibernators and a Families Spooky Stories evening on the Friday.
Need to know: Mainly suitable for ages 4+. Cost £3 per child. Book by phoning 024 7630 2912
Find out more: Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Go back in time to the Civil War

Where: Upton House and Gardens, Banbury, Warwickshire
When: Sunday 23 October, 11am-4pm
What: Civil war camp: an event which commemorates the battle of Edgehill. Experience the sights and sounds of a civil war battle. The gardens are worth exploring too.
Need to know: Charge for admission, free event
Find out more: The National Trust

Learn to identify birds

Where: RSPB Centre Top Lodge, Fineshade Woods, Northamptonshire
When: Tuesday 25 October, 10:30am-12pm
What: Birds for Kids: an educational workshop for families which will tell you how to identify birds.
Need to know: £4 per child, £2 per adult. RSPB members half price
Find out more: RSPB

Make spooky characters

Where: Norwich Puppet Theatre, St James, Norwich
When: Wednesday 26 October, 11am
What: Halloween puppet making workshop: create a ‘float through the air’ string puppet based on a spooky character of your choice. A range of materials will be provided and children can take the puppet home with them.
Need to know: Suitable for ages 5+. £7.50, workshop is 90 minutes long and there’s no need to accompany children.
Find out more: Norwich Puppet Theatre

Make birdwatching glasses

Where: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich
When: Tuesday 25 October, 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm
What: Children’s Holiday Studio – Watch the Birdie!: work with an artist to create some bird watching glasses and then try and spy birds in the galleries. Make a bird hide to hide away in too!
Need to know: A two-hour session for children aged 5-7, 5-year-olds must be accompanied. Cost is £8 and booking is essential 01603 593199.
Find out more: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts 

Go on a ghost tour

Where: Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire
When: Friday 28-Saturday 29 October, 5.30pm, 7pm, 8.30pm and 10pm
What: Gothic Ghost Tours: where better to spend Halloween weekend than at the place which inspired the novel Dracula? Join a storyteller in the floodlit grounds of Whitby Abbey to hear the Gothic tale again.
Need to know: Booking essential, the 5.30pm show is most suitable for children. Later shows suitable only for ages 10+ years. 01947 603568
Find out more: English Heritage

Create historical beauty products

Where: Barley Hall, York
When: Tuesday 25th October, 1pm and 5pm
What: Make-up Masterclass: find out how make-up was made and worn in years gone by. Create your own historical beauty products too. Cost includes admission to ‘From Hamlet to Hollywood’ exhibition.
Need to know: Suitable for ages 7+. £7.50 and booking essential 01904 615505
Find out more: York 360

Step into science

Where: MOSI, Manchester
When: Saturday 22-Sunday 30 October
What: Manchester Science Festival: there’ll be different themes each day during half-term to celebrate the Science Festival. Choose from World of Nano, Maths Magic, Game On!, Perfect Chemistry, Gene Genius, Amazing Astronomy, Physics Fun and Heart and Soul. Each theme involves a number of hands-on activities each day.
Need to know: Entry is free to MOSI, most activities are free and a few have a small charge. Visit the site to check times and age range suitability.
Find out more: MOSI 

Make spooky shadow art

Where: Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
When: Tuesday 25-Sunday 30 October, 1.30-3.30pm
What: Dark Matters: Arty Experiments and Spooky Shadows. Join in with a range of artistic activities with a scientific twist. And create some spooky shadow art in time for Halloween. Dark Matters is also part of the Campaign for Drawing’s Big Draw festival.
Need to know: Admission is free and the activities are free. Arty Experiments run Monday to Friday of half-term and Spooky Shadows is on Sunday 30th October.
Find out more: Whitworth Art Gallery  

Re-live rationing

Where: Imperial War Museum North, Manchester
When: Saturday 22-Sunday 30 October, 1-4pm
What: Ministry of Food: Learn how families rationed and grew their own food during wartime. Activities include craft sessions, educational drop-in sessions and artefacts to look at throughout the week.
Need to know: Free admission and free activities
Find out more: Imperial War Museum North 

Meet and learn about owls

Where: Lake District Visitor Centre, Windermere, Cumbria
When: Tuesday 25 October, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
What: Halloween Hoot: meet the owls and learn all about them from their keepers. Suitable for all ages. The visitor centre is also a good base to explore the beautiful scenery between Windermere and Ambleside.
Need to know: £4 per person
Find out more: National Parks

Get the gory details

Where: Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland
When: Saturday 22-Sunday 30 October, 11am-3.30pm
What: Time Travellers Go… Gruesome: learn about the gory medieval days when illness, surgery and punishments were harder to stomach than these days.
Need to know: £1 additional charge on admission price
Find out more: English Heritage

Meet creatures great and small

Where: National Museum Scotland, Edinburgh
When: Monday 17-Friday 21 October, 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm
What: Mega Beast and Mini Beast Handling Sessions: meet a range of creatures face-to-face with staff from Zoolab.
Need to know: Free event, but limited to 30 places. Sign up on arrival on the day
Find out more: National Museums Scotland