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Halloween 2016: fun frights for the family this Halloween and October half term across Kent

Looking for some Halloween fun for all the family? Here's our pick of events across the county

Kent Life, Maidstone

Little monsters are guaranteed some ghostly goings-on with a half term Halloween Spooktacular, running from Saturday, October 22 to Monday, October 31. Brave the snakes, spiders and scorpions in Creepy Cuddle Corner, take a terrifying tractor ride and search for friendly ghouls. There's also daily pumpkin carving and craft activities, a fancy dress competition and the chance to go trick or treating a farmhouses around the site.

Kent Life in Maidstone has Halloween fun
Kent Life in Maidstone has Halloween fun

On Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29, there's after-dark fun from 5.30pm to 8pm with Family Frights By Night, where families can take a spooky guided tour. A day and night ticket costs £14.50, three to 15-year-olds £12.50. For details call 01622 763936, email enquiries@kentlife.org.uk or visit kentlife.org.uk

Our guide to Pick Your Own pumpkin sites in Kent

Broadwitch Hauntfest, Southfleet

Little frights will be served up at the Boo Bungalow, new for this year, an interactive experience, or Haunted Wood Tours where young visitors journey by tractor trailer into the creepy woods, dodge the ghosts and enjoy the screams! There's also the Bone Yard, Monster Madness and pumpkin carving workshops. For details and to book go to broadwitchhauntfest.co.uk

Some family frights will be on offer at Broadwitch at Southfleet
Some family frights will be on offer at Broadwitch at Southfleet

Mystery of the Pumpkin Ghost, Bluewater

The fabled Pumpkin Ghost has returned and an elite team of Ghostbusters has been sent in to deal with the problem... but vanished without a trace. Visitors are called on to enter the Toy shop of Terror, solve the mystery of the Pumpkin Ghost and return triumphant.

The family adventure has hilarious characters to help you on your quest, plenty of audience participation and a speedy escape, as the Pumpkin Ghost will be hot on your tail! The attraction arrives on Saturday, October 22 between 11am and 5pm until Monday, October 31. Tickets £6.95, kids £7.95. A family ticket for four is £25. Book at housethedead.com

There's so much happening at October half term across Kent
There's so much happening at October half term across Kent

Groombridge Place

The Tunbridge Wells venue will become home to terrifying tales and wicked witches this October. From Saturday, October 22 to Sunday, October 30, Grimm’s Terrifying Tales will provide a spooky theatrical experience for all the family with classic stories from the Grimm Brothers performed by a cast of actors, and music and dance.

There will also be a Monster Mash workshop each day where kids can sing and dance while the Enchanted Forest will be turned into a world of spooky but fun fairytales. For details visit groombridgeplace.com

Get Spooked, Dreamland

Perfect for families, the Margate attraction introduces Get Spooked for half term from Saturday, October 22 to Sunday, October 30. Open between 11am and 5pm, with free family activities, there will be a fancy dress contest, a magician and the Creepy Claws Creepy Crawly display on the bandstand. There’s also Eliza Body the storyteller and some scary challenges, inlcuding dare boxes and a Wicked Witches Mirror Maze. The park is free to enter, with a pay per ride scheme, or buy a wristband with unlimited access. For details go to dreamland.co.uk

Betteshanger Terror Trail, Deal

The park has its school holiday club, Basecamp from Monday, October 24 to Friday, October 28, but as night falls, walk the Terror Trail to parts of the park few dare to travel to. The trail will run twice during the evenings of Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29 between 4pm and 5pm, and is suitable for sevens to 14-year-olds, costing £4 or £12 for a group of four. To book go to betteshanger-park.co.uk

Witches and Wizards Academy, Leeds Castle

It will be half term but children can attend "spell school" between Saturday, October 22 and Friday, October 28, learning new magic skills. Budding witches and wizards will be put to the test and take part in a range of magical mayhem with ghoulish activities from mixing creepy ingredients in a giant cauldron to make magical potions, have broomstick flying lessons with a broomstick assault course, and choir practice with the songs the Twelve days of Halloween. There will be a daily fancy dress competition at 2pm and a spooky trail to find seven mummies. Entry is with an annual entry ticket at £24.50 and £16.50 for ages four and up. There may be a small extra charge for some activities. To book and for more details go to leeds-castle.com

Witches and Wizards at Leeds Castle this Halloween
Witches and Wizards at Leeds Castle this Halloween

Halloween Webs and Broomsticks, Kent Wildlife Trust

Try some woodland crafts including a scary spider's web and a wizard or witch's broom, before following a Halloween trail, during the session at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve on Friday, October 28 between 10.30am and 12.30pm. The cost is £8 per person to make crafts, suitable for ages six and up. For information call 01622 662012 or go to kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

Bedgebury Pinetum, Goudhurst

The Forestry Commission’s pinetum and forest will host an interactive theatre show with a difference this Halloween. Theatre company Burn the Curtain will be performing their outdoor show, The Company of Wolves, on the evenings of Thursday, October 27, Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29 from 7pm. Suitable for ages eight and over, the show is based on the classic collection of stories written by Angela Carter and adapted by Burn the Curtain and Shiona Morton, featuring traditional folklore and mythical tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf and Wolf Alice. Tickets are £18 and £15 for kids. To book visit boxoffice.forestry.gov.uk

Outdoor theatre is on offer at Bedgebury Pinetum at Goudhurst this Halloween
Outdoor theatre is on offer at Bedgebury Pinetum at Goudhurst this Halloween

Hever Castle

During the October half-term, from Saturday, October 22 to – Sunday, October 30 the castle grounds will be dressed for Halloween and there will be some spine-tingling entertainment. There will also be seasonal food and treats. For details go to hevercastle.co.uk.

Hop Farm, Beltring, Paddock Wood

There's a spook-tastic feast of fun for Halloween and the half term holidays at the Hop Farm. Kids can head along in their best Halloween fancy dress and try pumpkin carving, ghoulish face painting, creepy storytelling, a Monster Mash disco and a zombie shoot-out. For details go to thehopfarm.co.uk

Port Lympne, Hythe

You're in for a terrifyingly fun time with free activities and animal talks, plus super natural events in the forest that time forgot, featuring over 100 life sized prehistoric creatures at the reserve between Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 30. Young visitors can win ghoulishly good prizes, try creepy crafts and Halloween themed treats. There are also free animal talks and feeds and on Saturday, October 30 there will be a fancy dress competition with prizes. For details go to aspinallfoundation.org/portlympne

Forum Shopping Centre

The Sittingbourne centre will be holding a Safe Trick or Treating event on Saturday, October 29 between 11am and 4pm when little monsters can hunt around searching for spooky posters hidden in shop windows - and collect a free sweet treat instore each time. There will also be a fancy dress competition, with judging outside Trenchers & Creams at 1pm. There will also be a free arts and crafts table and a creepy crawly workshop.

Trick or Treat, Canterbury Tales

Take a spooky journey through the attraction, but it won't be as you normally know it! There will be a ghost hunt, ghoul school, herbology class, songfest with the Scare Choir, a pumpkin zone, and a witches' house between Monday, October 24 and Friday, October 28. Entry will be £9.75 and fives and over £7.50. To book canterburytales.org.uk

Port of Dover

Alarming athletes, frightening fun runners and costumed kids are being called on to run along Dover seafront for the Port of Dover Halloween Mini Monster Race on Friday, October 28. With prizes to be won for the best fancy dress and race winners, entrants also get a morbid medal and goody bag. There will be two heats on the day – one for three to seven-year-olds (and their parents) and another for eight to fourteen-year-olds. There will be a maximum of 40 runners for each heat. Check in is at 3.30pm, with the races at 4pm and 4,30pm. All proceeds go to local charities. Entry is free, register at doverport.co.uk/events or email Karen.webber@doverport.co.uk

For adult frights, click here.

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