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Half term fun with Woodland Witches and Wizards is on Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29 between 10am and 1.30pm, for four to 11-year-olds when there will be friendly forest spirits, broomstick making and the chance to toast marshmallows over an open fire, at £12.50 per child and £5 per adult. To book go to betteshanger-park.co.uk/halloween
Family-friendly scares include the Boo Bungalow, a trailer trip into the Haunted Woods, The Bone Yard, Monster Madness and pumpkin workshops on selected days up to Tuesday, October 31. Pumpkin carving will be held throughout half term. Go to spookycastle.co.uk/day-events.
Step in to the dockyard’s Enchanted Garden this half term, for a week of magic, myths and captivating fun. The grounds of the Commissioner’s House will be transformed up to Sunday, October 29 with pumpkin carving, storytelling sessions and plenty of hands-on fun. For more details visit thedockyard.co.uk
The free family activities for Get Spooked at Dreamland, running until Sunday, October 29 include a ghost hunt with Gus the Ghost and meeting the Gruffalo on Thursday, October 26, alongside the vintage rides, pop-up entertainment, roller disco and arcades at the free-to-enter attraction. The park daily in the holidays between 11am and 5pm. For details visit dreamland.co.uk.
Halloween Horrors are back for their 36th year after a facelift. The nightmare opens on Thursday, October 26, with a twisted funfair. There are different tours from Thursday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 31 for children, teens and adults. Teen tours are for ages 12 to 16 and cost £18 on the door, with under-12s needing to be accompanied by an over 18. Children’s tours are for four to 11s and are on Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29. Tickets cost £9 on the door. Visit fortamherst.com.
There will be free family fun with the kmfm street team through to Sunday, October 29. From 11am to 3pm daily there will be free Halloween-themed events including face painting, arts and crafts and a colouring competition. Shoppers can turn up on the day as there is no pre-booking needed, though children must be supervised. For details go to hempsteadvalley.com.
Prepare to be spooked at Hever Castle and Gardens by meeting Viscous Vampire and his Goblin friend in the Creepy Crypt and hear terrifying tales of goblins, trolls, witches and vampires between Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 29. Follow the eerie Halloween trail and help ward off vampires. There will also be creepy costumes and fun for all the family. Details at hevercastle.co.uk.
There’s a host of Halloween happenings until Sunday, October 29, between 10am and 4pm. Young visitors can come in their finest fancy dress for the activities which include pumpkin carving, face painting, storytelling, a magic show, zombie shoot-out and Monster Mash disco. For details go to thehopfarm.co.uk
The half term fun runs until Sunday, October 29, with spooky trails to win prizes, creepy crafts, pumpkin carving and face painting, plus seeing the animals including the largest herd of African elephants in the UK. Daily activities run from 10am to 4.15pm. To get tickets, visit aspinallfoundation.org/howletts
There’s a Halloween High Jinx Fright Night on Friday, October 27 from 4.30pm with pumpkin carving, face painting and fancy dress. Tickets are £18. For details go to kesr.org.uk or call 01580 765155.
There’s a spooky time in store until Tuesday, October 31, with pumpkin carving, trick or treating, creepy critter and fancy dress competitions at the Halloween Spooktacular, plus fancy dress. For details of all theseevents go to kentlife.org.uk
Listen to spooky tales by wacky witches and wizards until Sunday, October 29 – but look out, as they often get themselves in a monster muddle! Young visitors can see the silly sorcerers making mistakes, note them on their trail card and be rewarded with a chocolatey prize. There will be a fancy dress competition at 2pm each day. For more details go to leeds-castle.com
Carve a pumpkin with a face to frighten or amuse at the castle during half term on Sunday, October 29. For special events, admission is £10 and children under 15 are free. For details call 01322 862114 or go to lullingstonecastle.co.uk
Children’s TV favourites Chase & Marshall from PAW Patrol will be on hand to see their fans arriving on trains hauled by a steam and diesel locomotive from the Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells West on Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29. The heroic pups will be making personal appearances at Eridge station at intervals in the day. Tickets are £12, £6 for children and £31 for a family. To book visit spavalleyrailway.co.uk
The reserve is holding tours of the wolf enclosure along with baboon talks, gorilla talks and a dinosaur trail of Dinosaur Forest until Sunday, October 29 including an eerie enrichment workshop, treat-making for the animals and pumpkin carving. Whilst in carnivore territory, there are cheetah cubs and other ferocious felines to meet. Activities run from 10.45am to 4pm daily. To book visit aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne.
Half term activities run through to Sunday, October 29, with trails from 10.30am to 5pm and crafts from noon to 4pm. Follow the Halloween Garden Trail to discover bygone stories and head to the Old Coach House for creepy crafts. The Wicked Witch of the Wild Wood will be at home until Friday, October 27 at intervals where you can visit her coven for hot chocolate and storytelling with toasted marshmallows. Details at penshurstplace.com/whats-on/events-and-activities.
There’s a spooktastic time to be had in Canterbury’s Westgate Gardens and Toddler’s Cove hunting for scary Halloween scenes on Friday, October 27.
Young visitors can see how many objects they can find throughout the park and tick them off on a spotter sheet as they go. Sheets are available from the Friends of Westgate Parks stand at Toddler’s Cove from 10am to 3pm for £2 each. The price includes a small prize and the chance to try some creepy craft making – plus there is a prize for the best fancy dress.
For more details visit westgateparks.co.uk/events
A feast of fiendish family fun awaits shoppers at Whitefriars this Halloween between Saturday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 31.
Children who visit in scary fancy dress will receive a free collecting cauldron, which they can fill up with sweets and other goodies from participating stores displaying the Treat or Treat pumpkin. Cauldrons can be collected from the children’s department on the first floor of Next in Whitefriars Square. They can also receive a Halloween makeover, with free facepainting at Cowling & Wilcox (opposite Fenwick) on Saturday, October 28 between 11am and 4pm. And look out for the shop windows which will be dressed with a scary theme.
