What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England

Advert - Some of this article has been sponsored & I have worked with most of the attractions mentioned in the past. I have editorial control and have picked all of these events for inclusion.

Just to be awkward, all of the schools in North East England aren't off at the same time this year so my October Half Term guide runs from Friday 18th October - Sunday 3rd November. Please check your individual school holidays before booking anything.

If you're looking for more ideas for days out, why not join our FREE days out Facebook group here.

26 October - 1 November - Halloween Spooktacular & Pumpkin Patch at Whitehouse Farm

What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England - Whitehouse Farm

Cast a spell at Merlin's Magic School
Halloween themed games throughout the day
Fancy Dress Competition
Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and carve with the help of Whitehouse Farm's spooky staff (one free pumpkin per paying child - extras can be purchased on the day)
Creep through the walkway of terror, spider's lair, chop shop and graveyard
Meet the owls and watch a Birds of Prey demo
Take part in a Creepy Critter encounter
PLUS all of the regular fun that's included with Whitehouse Farm admission. Read our review from earlier in the year here.

Discounted tickets are available to pre-book online from £8.87 per child including a free pumpkin - click here to pre-book your discounted tickets now. You can also buy on arrival at the standard price.

31 October - Halloween Afternoon Tea at Whitehouse Farm

As well as all of the fun included with Halloween Spooktacular above, special visitors can pre-book a Halloween-themed Afternoon Tea at Whitehouse Farm. Afternoon Tea will be served at 3:30pm but you are welcome to spend all day at the farm enjoying the usual and Halloween-themed activities.

What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England - Halloween Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea includes:

A selection of spooky sandwiches
Spider biscuits
Jelly shot surprise
Blood scones
Worms in soil
Halloween punch for children
Unlimited tea and coffee for grown-ups
Halloween treats

Pre-booking is essential. Find out more and book online here. `

28 October - 1 November - Halloween Half Term Mini Keepers at Whitehouse Farm

Mini Keeper Experiences return for Halloween Half Term. Sessions cost £25 per child (who must be accompanied - adults are priced at £9.86).

What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England - Mini Keepers at Whitehouse Farm

The experience begins at 9am and includes the following:

A morning experience with animal keepers - get involved with all aspects of the farm's morning routines including feeding, cleaning and grooming the animals.
An exclusive petting session with the animals
Certificate of achievement
Entry to the farm after your experience (where you can take part in the Halloween Spooktacular fun.
20% discount in the cafe

Find out more and book your place here. Pre-booking is essential.

October Half Term at Seven Stories - Drop-in Events

Seven Stories is all indoors so perfect for those days when the weather isn't so great. I love it as it's educational AND fun. I feel very lucky that we have the National Centre for Children's Books right here in Newcastle. Ouseburn is one of my favourite areas of the city and we always team a visit to Seven Stories with a little trip to Ouseburn Farm across the road. Seven Stories have organised a few 'drop-in' events which don't need to be pre-booked this half term - perfect if you don't like to plan too much in advance.

What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England - drop in events at Seven Stories

These include:

19 October - 3 November

What's in the Witches' Kitchen (daily at 1pm)

Drop into the Witches' Kitchen and join story-catchers for some silly gameshow inspired storytime. Included with admission - no need to pre-book.

Doctor Leg & Friends (all-day pop-up)
Have a chat with Doctor Leg & friends and discover lots of fun & fascinating facts. Included with admission - no need to pre-book.

Spooky Science Lab (all-day)
Drop into the studio and discover spooky crafts, silly skeletons and strange specimens. Included with admission - no need to pre-book.

23 October - 11am

FREE bookshop event - join author Vivien French and create & draw your own witches. Book signing also available. Find out more here.

26 & 27 October

Dress up weekend - Dust off your World Book Day outfits and enjoy dress-up weekend at Seven Stories. Enter a character parade at 11:30am and 2:30pm. No need to book.

You can also enjoy the Elmer & Friends exhibition which is brilliant (especially when combined with the Great North Elmer trail) and Drawing Words curated by Lauren Child.

October Half Term at Seven Stories - Events to Pre-book

Seven Stories are running a fantastic programme of events available to pre-book this October. We've tried a few events at Seven Stories over the years and they're always engaging, sometimes a little bit silly and lots of fun.

What's On for Kids - October Half Term | North East England - Ghost tours at Seven Stories

Here are my top picks:

DJ Bone Jangles Spooky Jazz Party - Come dressed to distress and enjoy a jack-o-lantern jive, creepy crafts and ghastly games before being entertained by very special guests. Tickets are £5 each and can be booked online here. (19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31 October).
19 October | Toadspit Witch Workshop - Join Em Lynas, author of the Witch School series and learn how Em created each of her colourful characters. Tickets are £3 each and can be booked online here.
24 & 31 October - Seven Stories Ghost Tour. The Seven Stories building is over 100 years old. This October, you can join spiritualist Madame Arfarti who will 'reach out' to the other side in a special evening event. Suitable for children ages 8+ and their families. Tickets are £7.50 each and can be pre-booked online here.
1 November - Little Listeners: Carnival of the Animals. Join Opera North for a relaxed concert for babies, young children and their families with an animal theme and fun interactive twists. Tickets are £5 each and can be pre-booked online here.
1 November - Little Singers: A special event for children under 5 and their families. Sing, play and move to music with your little ones. Tickets are £5 each and can be pre-booked online here.
2 November - Superheroes and Super Stories: It's time to create your own comic book. Writer Florianne Humphrey will teach you an important technique for creating the perfect comic book - realistic and believable dialogue. Recommended for ages 7+, tickets are £5 each and can be pre-booked online here.

31 October - Heart of Light at Washington Arts Centre

A Half Term idea for those avoiding Halloween! Heart of Light at Washington Arts Centre
Thursday 31 October, 11am and 2pm
This sumptuous performance with sculptural set, original score, vibrant dance, projections and puppetry is a pearl of hope in a sea of uncertainty.
Suitable for ages 5+
When Ravana the ten-headed demon draws darkness over the world, can Rama and Sita’s love and courage bring back a glimmer of light?
Join Hanuman’s monkey army in the quest to restore the true King and Queen to the throne and cast radiance among the darkness.
Find out more and book here: https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/events/heart-of-light

North Pennines Star Gazing Festival

The North Pennines Star Gazing Festival takes place over October Half Term and there's an exciting programme of family events planned from a family moon trail at Bowlees Visitor Centre to a pop-up Planetarium at Barnard Castle. Find out more about what's on here.

Family Theatre for October Half Term

18 October - A Night of New Fairytales for Northumberland at Buffalo Community Centre
19 October - A Night of New Fairytales for Northumberland at Tarset Village Hall, Hexham
19 October - RSC First Encounters - The Merchant of Venice at Northern Stage
19 October - We Will Rock You at Theatre Royal
19 October - The Greatest Show on the Tyne at Tyne Theatre & Opera House
21 - 26 October - Take Off Festival with Theatre Hullabaloo
22 - 26 October - An Inspector Calls at Theatre Royal
24 October - Aladdin by Indigo Moon Theatre at Gateshead Central Library
25 & 26 October - The Gingerbread Witch at Northern Stage
26 October - 1 November - Rose and Robin Tour
29 & 30 October - Tabby McTat at Tyne Theatre & Opera House
29 & 30 October - Slime at Northern Stage
30 October - 1 November - Arbuthnot & Pals Wizarding Adventure at The Customs House
31 October - 2 November - balletLORENT : The Lost Happy Endings at Northern Stage
31 October - Heart of Light at Washington Arts Centre
2 November - The Body Snatcher at Gosforth Civic Theatre

Click here to read 20+ Halloween Events to Book Now

Click here to read my guide to Bonfire events across North East England

Non-Halloween Events

As always, it's a bit Halloween-overload around this time of year. Here are a few ideas which don't have any mention of ghosts, ghouls or witches:

Try the new Shaun the Sheep Glow Trail around Hamsterley Forest or Kielder - click here for further info
Go Blackberry Picking (if there are any left) - click here for suggestions of where to visit
Collect Sea Glass at Seaham - read our guide here
Climb around Air Trail Tees Barrage - read our review here
Climb Roseberry Topping - here's our guide
Search for Elmers - there are some fab rewards via the app including kids eat free at Nandos. Check out our guide here.
Take a trip to Northumberland National Park and visit the Sill
Visit Harestanes Park in Jedburgh - check out photos and info here
Rainy day? Why not take a trip to the National Science & Media Museum in Bradford. It's FREE.
Here are 20+ ideas for things to do on a rainy day
Why not try one of these Woodland Walks? Perfect for Autumn.
Visit the Arrivals : Making Tyneside Home or LEGO Timeline of Northern Innovation exhibitions at Discovery Museum (until 3 November). They're FREE.
Check out the POP Art on display at The Hatton Gallery. It's FREE.
The North Pennines Star Gazing Festival takes place over October Half Term. Find out more here.