Oct Halfterm and Halloween
Public Lantern Making Workshops – The Bluecoat, Liverpool ONE
Take part in this year’s Christmas Lantern Parade with free lantern making workshops . At the Bluecoat, Liverpool ONE you can get creative and decorate your lantern to ensure it stands out from the rest! Each workshop is free of charge with a maximum of 20 spaces and each child must be accompanied by an adult. All children must be over 9 years old to take part. 27 – 28 October (2pm – 4pm) For more information and to reserve your place, please contact: lantern@liverpool-one.com www.liverpool-one.com
October half term at The Story Museum, Oxford Horrible Half Term:
The Museum’s popular 26 Characters exhibition with a galaxy of Britain’s well-loved authors transformed into their favourite childhood fictional characters. Each portrait is hung in an interactive themed space: walk through the wardrobe and into Narnia, explore the deck of a pirate ship, and peep into the Borrowers’ living room to explore the characters’ worlds, and hear extracts from their stories read by Olivia Colman and Christopher Eccleston. For a touch of magic, try the Quidditch Demonstration at 15.00 on Thursday 30 October, magic show with a twist, Magic and Science, on Wednesday 29 October for two performances at 11.30 and 14.00. Sat 25 Oct -Sun 2 Nov www.ticketsoxford.com, or 01865 305305.
Southport is the UK’s new ‘spook central’ for Halloween’s friendly witches, spooks and spectres.
Happy Halloween, a magical, thrilling and chilling spooktacular, ideal for families.A land of wonky witches, spooky skeletons, grumpy ghosts and plenty of silly, friendly, monsters who love nothing more than helping deliver traditional family entertainment during the season of ‘Boo!’.
Unlimited access to the park’s rides – manned by some very strange attendants! An all-day event, tickets are £20, with an early bird offer of £10 for August. www.happyhalloween.uk.com
The Family Pet Show present Pet Welfare Manchester Half Term
Eight major charities, with animals at their core, will have a presence to showcase their work. Signed up are Dogs Trust, RSPB, Wildlife Trust, Guide Dogs, Manchester & Cheshire Dogs home, Parrot Rescue, Society for Abandoned Animals and Cats Protection League Dogs Trust will be offering a free microchipping service for visiting dogs, from 12 noon to 2pm each day: particularly timely given changes in dog ownership law. The show celebrates all pets, and there will be every shape, size and variety taking part and contributing in the WATCH, LEARN and PLAY zones. October 25 and 26, tickets are already on sale at www.thefamilypetshow.co.uk
Spooky October half-term tile decorating workshops at Jackfield Tile Museum
Let your creativity run wild and design a scary, grim monster or gallant hero at these Halloween themed drop-in workshops during the autumn half-term at Jackfield Tile Museum in Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge. Using your own choice of fairytale colours you will discover how to ‘paint’ the spooky designs on ceramic tiles using the Victorian ‘slip-trailing’ technique. 24th and 25th Oct and 27th Oct until 1st Nov
Spectacular Family Fireworks at Blists Hill Victorian Town
See the night sky spectacularly lit up over Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge on Saturday evening, 1st November when the townsfolk will be celebrating Guy Fawkes’ foiled Gunpowder Plot with a fantastic family fireworks display. Tel: 01952 433 424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk
Meerkats on the bus and wallabies on the beach – arty antics with Beatrice in October
Children will have the chance to let their imaginations blossom with some arty antics at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo Saturday 25th October. Pumpkin Trail from Saturday 25th October to Sunday 2nd November, a Slippery Snake Day on Tuesday 28th October, a Hedgehog Day on Thursday 30th October and a Halloween Fun Day on Friday 31st October.
The Halloween Fun day includes a Slightly Scary Story Time, making a Trick or Treat Bag and Spooky Face Painting. Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, Battersea Park, Chelsea Embankment, London SW11 4NJ, tel 020 7924 5826 www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk
Trick or Tweet at Pensthorpe Natural Park
Families can explore the wild side at WildRootz; the natural play area at Pensthorpe Natural Park. It has shallow streams to splash through, dens to build, underground burrows to explore, a giant 12m high winding slide, ‘The Flyway’ zipwire, ‘The Inbetreeners’ great assault course and more gentle areas for younger children.
Halloween also marks the start of the popular daily winter floodlit feeds fromt 4pm. Watch the birds flock for a magical insight into the range of rare and colourful birds at Pensthorpe Natural Park just before dusk sets in. Sit in the Viewing Gallery and learn about the different breeds of birds this fully commentated event. www.pensthorpe.com or call 01328 851465
Groombridge Place and The Human Zoo Theatre Company
Interactive theatrical spectacular which will take place every day Sunday 26 October to Sunday 2 November 2014.
Prepare to be spooked to the spine as you step onto the Ghost Boat Ride down the runaway river, leading you into the Pirate’s Lair which plays host to Captain Timber’s Tavern, serving up a scorching BBQ, tankards of mulled wine and a hearty, homemade pumpkin soup. Dodge the fire-breathing mutineers, as sword-fights break out in front of your very eyes in this immersive performance event. The restaurant will be serving up delicious meals from their Halloween themed menu.
Evening Entertainment visitors can walk the spookily lit ghostly trails, but watch out for the scary characters jumping out from the darkness! Don’t miss the incredible Fire Poi performances by the Mutineer. Play trick or treat games in the woods with the costumed characters before warming up round the fire at Crusoe’s World Tavern with a warm drink and a tasty snack before heading home. Groombridge Place & The Enchanted Forest www.groombridgeplace.com
Eden Project
Room on the Broom, created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler meet the star of the well-loved story, and conjure up your own magical witch’s hat, make headdresses inspired by their favourite characters and design their own ‘room on a broom’.
The Wishcraft Tent, have treats in store with positive potion workshops, pumpkin carving demonstrations and spellbinding stories Haunted Hollow and ice rink. Fancy-dress fun on Halloween night, Friday October 31. For more information: www.edenproject.com/halloweden
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