🦊 London's Half Term

Morning, London! Happy Thursday. Half term, here we go again. Didn’t the summer holidays end about five minutes ago? Somehow the school year’s barely started and we’re already out of lunch ideas and patience.

The BFI London Film Festival kicks off this week with plenty of free, family friendly fun, and Paddington: The Musical opens on November 3rd. Might be time for another giveaway for this fine audience.

The forecast isn’t looking too kind for next week, but most of the events below have a roof. Besides, London kids are basically waterproof.

Also, still working on that great London hat. Been going back and forth with suppliers, trying to get it just right. Bear with me, it’s coming. 🧢

. LONDON SNIPPETS .
Bits that caught our eye

📸 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Revealed. It took ten years, one ghost town and a very patient camera trap, but Wim van den Heever has snapped a rare brown hyena and bagged the top prize at this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. The winning shot, taken in a deserted Namibian mining town, is now on display at the Natural History Museum from 17 October. Worth it for the hyena alone. Full story

🎨 Camden Crowned Graffiti Capital of Britain. Camden has officially taken the top spot for graffiti complaints in the UK, with over 14,000 reports in the past three years. That is more than Manchester and Bristol combined. From Amy Winehouse murals to mystery tags on every lamppost, it is the borough where street art meets shouting into the council inbox. Full story

🎆 The Best Fireworks Displays in London This Bonfire Night. Whether you're in it for the lights, the toffee apples or just the excuse to wear a hat with ear flaps, Bonfire Night is nearly here. From returning favourites to long-awaited comebacks, we’ve rounded up the biggest bangs across London this November. Pick your display, grab some street food and try not to ride the waltzers after the hot dog. Full story

. OCTOBER CAMP .
The Strings Club: Joyful Camps for Every Child

The Strings Club’s award-winning Holiday Camps return this October half-term, giving parents peace of mind while children aged 4-11 enjoy magical days filled with music, creativity and fun.

The selection of themed, age-appropriate activities offered by The Strings Club is extraordinary. While camp mornings are spent engaged in musical instrument sessions the afternoons are packed with activities designed by an Activities Manager who is qualified primary teacher currently studying for a PhD in Education - she knows her stuff! From sport and drama to dance, art and wellbeing, every session builds creativity and confidence – with no screens in sight.

October Spooktacular Celebrations camp activities include:

🎃 KPop Demon Hunter music and craft workshops
👻 A Monster Mash dance session
🧙‍♀️ A spooky obstacle course
🪔 Diwali-inspired art and music
🕯 Shadow puppets with live soundtracks
🌍 Autumn festival flags with brassy marching fanfares

And that’s just the start.

👉 Find a camp near you or call their friendly Head Office on 0121 296 9204 to book.

P.S. Use code NEWCUS10 for 10% off your first camp.

. CASUAL EINSTEIN .
2 for 1: Wow your kid, and outsmart the other parents

Fun Fact: Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that’s only attached at one end. 👅 It’s a free-range muscle with no rules. And somehow in charge of talking, licking, and getting burnt on pizza. Respect.

London Fact: There are more than 8,000 buses in London; and none of them accept cash. 🚌💳 They went fully contactless in 2014. If you try to pay with coins, the bus will leave you and your exact change behind.

. EVENTS SCOOP .
What’s on this week?

🤼 Dweeb-A-Mania @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Oct 16–Nov 9, Wimbledon SW19
Mega-nerds Kemi and Norah crash a wrestling-themed party by becoming champion wrestlers themselves. Expect flying kicks, fake blood and big laughs in this punchy new comedy about being proudly different.
Age: 8–13yo | Price: from £11 | Info

❄️ The Goose and Mrs Frost @ Chats Palace
Date & Loc: Oct 18 (Sat), Hackney E9
A gentle, beautifully crafted paper-theatre and puppetry show about kindness, friendship and the changing seasons. Includes an optional post-show workshop to create your own pop-up storybook.
Age: 3–8yo | Price: from £15 | Info

👨‍👧 We Are Family @ Half Moon Theatre
Date & Loc: Oct 18 (Sat), Limehouse E1
A bold and funny adventure about six kids and their super-dad, adapted from Oliver Sykes’ real childhood. Expect dodgy haircuts, homemade birthday cakes and family chaos told through live poetry and humour.
Age: 5+ | Price: £9 | Info

🍄 The Mushroom Show @ Lyric Hammersmith
Date & Loc: Oct 18 (Sat), Hammersmith W6
Meet Augustine Fogwoode and her puppet pal Goldie as they spread the fungal gospel in this funny, science-packed adventure about the wonders of mushrooms. Expect interactive games, music and laughs for the whole family.
Age: 5+ | Price: £10 | Info

🦢 The Ugly Duckling @ Jacksons Lane
Date & Loc: Oct 19 (Sun), Highgate N6
Let’s All Dance Ballet Company brings the classic tale to life through colourful costumes and expressive movement. A gentle, funny story about self-acceptance and finding where you belong.
Age: 2–12yo | Price: £14 | Info

🪄 The Magic Gateway @ Greenwood Theatre
Date & Loc: Oct 19 / 23, London Bridge SE1
Step through a neon portal into a family magic show packed with jaw-dropping illusions, laugh-out-loud moments and audience participation. Kids don’t just watch the magic—they help make it happen.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🍎 Apple Day @ Freightliners Farm
Date & Loc: Oct 19 (Sun), Islington N7
Celebrate the great British apple with cider pressing, orchard tours, live music, farm animals and plenty of homemade cake. A cheerful countryside day in the heart of London.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🐾 The Gruffalo’s Child @ Radlett Centre
Date & Loc: Oct 20–22, Radlett WD7
Tall Stories’ enchanting adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s classic tale returns. Join the Gruffalo’s Child on a snowy adventure through the deep dark wood in this charming, musical family show.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £14 | Info

🎶 Storytelling & Music @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Oct 22 (Wed), South Kensington SW7
Interactive sessions blending music and storytelling in the iconic Elgar Room. Designed for young children to sing, move and join in the fun.
Age: 0–4yo | Price: from £6 | Info

🎺 Billy Marrows + Grande Família @ Puppet Theatre Barge
Date & Loc: Oct 23 (Thu), Little Venice W9
An intimate evening of contemporary jazz from Billy Marrows’ acclaimed ensemble, blending classical, folk and Brazilian influences. Expect soulful originals from the Penelope album and new compositions performed aboard London’s floating theatre.
Age: 12+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🎪 Glow Circus @ Shaw Theatre
Date & Loc: Oct 24 (Fri), King’s Cross NW1
A neon circus spectacular inspired by Japanese culture, featuring acrobatics, LED costumes and glow-in-the-dark fans and umbrellas. Expect dazzling lights, daring stunts and pure visual magic.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £25 | Info

🍃 Enchanted Cinema: My Neighbour Totoro @ Woolwich Works
Date & Loc: Oct 25 (Sat), Woolwich SE18
Join this interactive screening of Studio Ghibli’s classic where kids and grown-ups create live sound effects and music using instruments like bird flutes and turtle drums. A playful blend of cinema, storytelling and orchestral fun.
Age: 4+ | Price: £11 | Info

🔤 Alphabet Soup @ Southbank Centre
Date & Loc: Oct 25–30, Southbank SE1
Create poems and stories celebrating the language of food in this drop-in family workshop by A Line Art. Help build a growing art installation filled with delicious words and laughter.
Age: 5–11yo | Price: no cost | Info

😂 Comedy Club 4 Kids @ artsdepot
Date & Loc: Oct 25 (Sat), North Finchley N12
Top stand-up comics deliver the laughs, minus the rude bits. A fast-paced, interactive comedy show made for families who love a good giggle.
Age: 6+ | Price: £11 | Info

🌊 The Tempest: Family Workshop @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Date & Loc: Oct 26–30, Bankside SE1
Bring The Tempest to life in an interactive session of games and storytelling exploring Shakespeare’s language and magic. Families join actors in rehearsal rooms for a fun, hands-on hour of discovery.
Age: 5–8yo | Price: £10 | Info

⏰ Back to the Future in Concert @ Royal Albert Hall
Date & Loc: Oct 30–31, South Kensington SW7
Watch the classic 1985 film on the big screen with Alan Silvestri’s iconic score performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. A time-travelling family favourite with full symphonic power.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £28 | Info

💀 Day of the Dead Family Festival @ Horniman Museum
Date & Loc: Nov 2 (Sun), Forest Hill SE23
Celebrate Mexico’s Día de los Muertos with live music, dance, face painting, crafts and a traditional ofrenda (altar) honouring loved ones. Colourful, family-friendly and full of life.
Age: Everyone | Price: no cost | Info

🧁 The Big Monster Bake @ Discover Children’s Story Centre
Date & Loc: Nov 2 (Sun), Stratford E15
Join author Fiona Barker for spooky storytelling, daft drawings, singing and a Halloween quiz before crafting your own monster to take home. Free with entry ticket.
Age: 3+ | Price: included with admission | Info

Let me know what you think! Your feedback helps us keep this section better and more useful for you.

. HALLOWEEN SPECIAL .
October turns Orange

🌲 Halloween Trail @ Priory Farm Discovery Land
Date & Loc: Oct 9–Nov 2, Redhill RH1
Follow a spooky woodland trail, ride tractors to the pumpkin fields and meet cheeky scarecrows along the way.
Price: from £9.50 | Info

🦇 Howl’o’ween @ Chessington World of Adventures
Date & Loc: Oct 9–Nov 2, Chessington KT9
Rides at dusk, scare zones, spooky shows and the Enchanted Hollow trick-or-treat trail. All the fun of Halloween with a side of Haribo.
Price: from £34 | Info

🎢 Brick or Treat @ LEGOLAND Windsor
Date & Loc: Oct 9–Nov 1, Windsor SL4
Lord Vampyre’s House Party returns with trick-or-treat stops, spooky LEGO® builds and dance parties for little ghouls.
Price: from £34 | Info

🎃 Pumpkin Festival @ Willows Activity Farm
Date & Loc: Oct 11–31, St Albans AL4
Pumpkin picking, trails and photo ops in the colourful Gourds Grotto.
Price: from £20 | Info

🎃 Halloween @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: Oct 17–Nov 2, Richmond TW9
Kew Gardens transforms after dark into a ghostly, glowing adventure with haunted woods, flickering pumpkins, and eerie fairgrounds. Toast marshmallows and wander through neon cobwebs and beastly bats.
Price: from £16.50 | Info

💀 Bones & Giggles Trail @ Hever Castle
Date & Loc: Oct 18–26, Edenbridge TN8
Spot skeletons around the castle, craft creepy keepsakes and join storytellers for spooky tales.
Price: from £12 | Info

👻 Halloween @ Kenwood House
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Hampstead NW3
Explore Kenwood’s picturesque grounds on a spine-tingling Halloween trail. Follow clues, uncover ghostly stories, and discover the mansion’s haunting past in this family-friendly adventure.
Price: from £10 | Info

👻 Hobble’ween @ Hobbledown Heath
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Hounslow TW14
A week of Halloween-themed performances, trails, crafts and a monster parade at the adventure park. Pumpkin Patch too.
Price: from £17.50 | Info

🏰 Halloween @ Hampton Court Palace
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, East Molesey KT8
Haunted trails, ghostly projections and eerie soundscapes fill Henry VIII’s palace. Keep an eye out for spirits in the Great Hall.
Price: | Info

🎩 Witches & Wizards Week @ Bocketts Farm Park
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Leatherhead KT22
Reptile shows, scavenger hunts, creepy crafts and hundreds of pumpkins grown on site.
Price: from £15 | Info

🏰 Halloween Half-Term @ Eltham Palace
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Eltham SE9
Follow creepy clues, play gruesome games and enjoy storytelling in the gardens of this historic palace.
Price: from £10 | Info

🕷️ Hair-Raising Halloween @ Hyde Park Learning Centre
Date & Loc: Oct 28–30, Hyde Park W2
Drop in for free creepy-crawly fun: mystery “feely boxes”, bat hunts and spooky nature trails for little explorers.
Price: no cost | Info

🧙 Super Natural Halloween @ London Wetland Centre
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Barnes SW13
Brew potions, make willow wands and meet marshland creatures in this wild, family-friendly Halloween week.
Price: from £10 | Info

🕸️ Spooktacular @ Capel Manor Gardens
Date & Loc: Oct 25–27, Enfield EN1
A haunted garden trail, creepy creature encounters, crafts and face painting, plus a costume competition.
Price: from £9 | Info

🎃 Pumpkin Trail @ Headstone Manor Museum
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Harrow HA2
Solve clues and spot pumpkins hidden around the historic manor grounds.
Price: no cost | Info

🦇 Halloween Family Fun @ London Zoo
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Regent’s Park NW1
Meet the Zoo’s creepiest creatures, craft a flapping bat, and pick a pumpkin at Boo at the Zoo.
Price: from £20 | Info

🧟 Meet the Monsters! @ Museum of Water & Steam
Date & Loc: Oct 25–Nov 2, Brentford TW8
Steam engines become monsters in this playful half-term takeover. Join the Monster Hunt and Halloween crafts.
Price: from £4 | Info

🎃 Pumpkin Patch & Trick-or-Treat Lane @ Parsons Green
Date & Loc: Oct 25–31, Fulham SW6
Thousands of pumpkins, a haunted house and London’s biggest Trick-or-Treat adventure for kids.
Price: from £6 | Info

🎧 Family Rave @ Big Fish Little Fish
Date & Loc: Oct 26 (Sun), Hackney Wick E3
Foam, bubbles, balloons and disco-house beats with DJ HiFi Sean. Fancy dress encouraged.
Price: from £9.75 | Info

🎟️ Family Bingo: Heroes vs Villains @ Dabbers Social Bingo
Date & Loc: Oct 26 (Sun), Hackney E8
Halloween-themed brunch bingo with drag hosts, silly prizes and fancy-dress fun.
Price: from £17 | Info

🎉 Spooktacular Party @ Chiswick House & Gardens
Date & Loc: Oct 31–Nov 1, Chiswick W4
Face painting, crafts and a disco for mini monsters at this lively half-term party.
Price: £18 (child) / £6 (adult) | Info

💀 Halloween Spectacular @ Chiltern Open Air Museum
Date & Loc: Oct 31 (Fri), Chalfont St Giles HP8
Lantern-lit buildings, woodland walks, fire shows and marshmallow toasting. A perfect Halloween night out.
Price: from £16 | Info

🍬 Trick-or-Treat Trail @ Covent Garden
Date & Loc: Oct 31, Covent Garden WC2
Follow the spooky trail through Covent Garden collecting treats and uncovering surprises at every stop.
Price: | Info

👉 A few more pumpkin patches:

🎃 Tulleys Pumpkin Farm @ Turners Hill
Date & Loc: Oct 9–Oct 31 (selected dates), Crawley RH10
One of the UK’s biggest pumpkin festivals, growing over a million pumpkins and gourds across 100 acres. Expect photo-ready displays, live roaming entertainment and the evening Pumpkin Nights experience. Info

🎃 Pumpkin Parade @ Garsons Farm
Date & Loc: Oct 9–31, Esher KT10
Pick your perfect pumpkin among enchanting storybook scenes at this covered patch, with games, photo ops and a Children’s Corner for crafts. Info

🎃 Malice in Lavenderland @ Mayfield Secret Lavender Garden
Date & Loc: Oct 9–31, Epsom KT17
A whimsical mix of spooky trail and pumpkin adventure through 15 eerie garden scenes. Includes entry to the Secret Lavender Garden and pumpkin patch. Info

🎃 Pumpkin Patch @ Stanhill Farm
Date & Loc: Oct 9–30 (selected dates), Dartford DA2
Wheelbarrows at the ready for this huge patch filled with pumpkins of all sizes. Pay per pumpkin or by wheelbarrow — and expect plenty of autumn photo moments. Info

🎃 Pumpkin Week @ Secretts of Milford
Date & Loc: Oct 18–30, Milford GU8
Pick from a colourful patch, decorate biscuits, hop on mini pedal tractors and enjoy BBQ and pumpkin-themed treats at this Surrey farm favourite. Info

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