October Half-Term Family Activities 2025
It’s almost half-term and that means there’s more on than usual! We’ve pulled together a listing of the goings-on that families can enjoy together in the area, with everything also featured in our Calendar (the Calendar also features some extra one-off activities). We’re adding more and more as and when things are announced, so do keep checking back! For camps and workshops that children can enjoy on their own please check out our Half-Term Camps & Workshops Guide.
25th October – 2nd November: Stranger Folk Digital Adventure at Ham House.
- Join a Halloween adventure game. Download the Stranger Folk app, available from visitor reception as you arrive, to start your spooky adventure, filled with goblins, old magic and more. Families follow the folklore-inspired game along on one mobile phone and work together to immerse themselves in a rich story of physical play and strange goings-on, set against the backdrop of Ham House’s beautiful gardens. Play for a fast-paced 20 minutes or make it a day-long adventure to pause for scones, explore and pick up where you left off. Free but normal admission applies.
25th October – 2nd November: Halloween at Hampton Court Palace.
- Enjoy a spell-binding adventure at Henry VIII’s haunted palace. Discover Henry VIII‘s notoriously haunted palace this Halloween, the spookiest time of the year. Lose yourself in atmospheric projections and creepy sound effects as the palace and gardens are transformed by magical spells. See if you can brave the eerie new outdoor trail and keep your eyes peeled for restless spirits who might be roaming the grounds. As you tiptoe through the winding corridors and around the palace gardens, you’ll feel the chilling presence of the infamous ghosts hiding around every corner. Maybe you’ll spot the ghost of Oliver Cromwell or even Henry VIII. After all that exploring, listen to a spine-tingling story at the storytelling sessions before relaxing away from the ghouls with a Halloween-themed treat from the café. Your ticket also includes entry to Henry VIII’s famous palace, including the legendary Maze and the popular Magic Garden playground. Normal admission applies.
25th October – 2nd November: Creepy Carnival at Hounslow Urban Farm.
- Are you ready for Halloween?!!!… This year’s animal fundraiser is going to be the Farm’s biggest, spookiest, and most spectacular event yet! The team is hard at work to bring you something truly unforgettable. Twists and turns, frights and delights, all for a great cause! There will also be ‘After Hours’ spooky animal encounters 29th-31st October, with lizards, scorpions, cockroaches, spiders and snakes. You won’t want to miss it! Plus stroll around the pens with goats, pigs, donkeys, llamas, peacocks and owls, and you can even feed some of the animals. Special tickets required.
17th October – 2nd November: Halloween at Kew Gardens.
- Discover a thrilling after dark Halloween trail full of hidden surprises, as Kew Gardens transforms once more into a ghostly, glowing adventure, brought to you by the producers of Christmas at Kew. As night falls over the Gardens, explore one of London’s best Halloween events with this eerie illuminated trail. Watch out for tricks in the forgotten fairground and beware the monsters lurking in Frankenstein’s laboratory. As you wind through the haunted woods, be careful of giant spiders waiting in creepy cobwebs, ghastly ghouls and wicked witches. Refuel with frightfully good food and drink. From freaky fries and hot chocolates to toasted monster marshmallows and hot toddies, there are wickedly delicious treats for everyone . Tickets required (not included with general admission).
18th October – 2nd November,: Autumn Bunting at Kew Gardens.
- Celebrate the season of colour by collecting your favourite fallen autumn leaf and adding it to Kew’s autumn bunting display. Children will unleash their inner scientist and discover tree-mendous tree facts along the way. The journey begins when children pick up an autumn spotter sheet at the gates. Starting at Pagoda Vista, they will go on a quest to ID some of Kew’s most colourful trees. From star-shaped leaves to more resilient species, how many can they see? Normal admission applies.
London Museum Of Water And Steam (Brentford)
25th October – 2nd November: Meet The Monsters! at the London Museum Of Water & Steam.
- Step into a world of giant machines, hissing pipes, and puffing pistons as the Museum’s steam engines become the monsters of the museum! Take part in the Monster Hunt and set out on an adventure through the historic galleries. Each ‘monster’ has its own story to tell – can you find them all? Brave explorers who complete the hunt will uncover the secrets of these incredible machines and receive a small prize. Plus have a spooktacular time making some Halloween themed crafts! On the 25th & 26th October you can also experience the monsters come to life at a Steam Up Weekend when the historic machines are set into motion through the power of steam. Normal admission applies.
London Wetland Centre (Barnes)
25th October – 2nd November: Super Natural Half-Term at the London Wetland Centre.
- Get ready for a fun-filled Halloween, bubbling over with magical activities for the whole family to enjoy. For those who love the super natural but not the spook, this is the place to escape the ghouls and goblins, and step into a super natural adventure that will leave big and little nature fans spellbound. Make magical memories and experience the wonder of wetlands through enchanting activities. Weave a little magic with a handmade willow wand, mix a magical potion and cast a spell for wetlands, search for spotted tops, giant domes, and more on a fungi hunt, or bring the wetlands to life by sculpting your own clay creature (see their website for details of times). Normal admission applies.
Until 2nd November: We’re Going On A Ghost Hunt™️ Halloween Adventure at Osterley Park.
- We’re going on a ghost hunt. Go and join the fun! Can you find them all? Yes! Run, run, run! Based on the bestselling children’s books, this Halloween the bunnies are setting off on an adventure to find the ghosts hidden around Osterley with heaps of exciting things to see and do along the way. Pick your bunny name, play Halloween hoopla, race your broomstick, and watch out for the warty toads as you cross the stepping stones, before joining the celebration party and collecting your sticker. This trail is ideal for preschoolers and young children. Normal admission applies.
25th October – 2nd November: Halloween at Strawberry Hill House.
- This Halloween, Strawberry Hill House transforms into the stage of Horace Walpole’s darkest imaginings. Here, in his ‘little Gothic castle’, the Gothic was born: one night in 1764 Walpole dreamt of a giant armoured hand on a staircase and awoke to write The Castle of Otranto — the first Gothic novel, the blueprint for every haunted castle and uncanny tale that followed. Over half-term, shutters will be drawn, every room alive with flickering candlelight, as unsettling stories echo through the halls and visitors wander at their own pace. Families can take part in a riddle-strewn Halloween Garden Trail throughout the week, complete with a sweet treat reward from the Garden Café. Normal admission applies plus £2 per trail.
- No special half-term events listed at time of writing, but a lovely place for a walk around the lake and a visit to the Great Conservatory (open Wednesdays-Sundays), with the beautiful house open Sundays, Wednesdays & Thursdays. Visiting information can be found here.
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