Hanging around for half-term in London? There’s loads to do, from drawing to playing video games, archaeology to moviemaking. Here are eight great activities your kids can get stuck into:
The Big Draw
Where: artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA
When: Monday 23 October, 11–4pm
Featuring: Nick Sharratt’s Big Draw Along, Ready Steady Go! immersive theatre, loads of drawing activities
Cost: £4
Website: artsdepot.co.uk
October Half-Term Festival
Where: Tales on Moon Lane Bookshop, 25 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill, SE24 9JU
When: Weekdays during half-term
Featuring: Activities for kids from age 3 to 11—authors and illustrators tell stories, show how to draw your own superhero, lead a movie-making session and more
Cost: £3 adult/child per event
Website: talesonmoonlane.co.uk
Discovery Day: Hair-raising Halloween
Discovery Day: Hair-raising HalloweenWhere: Hyde Park
When: Thursday 26 October, 11–3pm
Featuring: Creating magical potions with herbs and plants from the garden, exploring the ‘feely boxes’ in the witches den, making your own bat mask
Cost: FREE
Website: royalparks.org.uk
Horniman Halloween Fair
Where: The Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ
When: Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October, 10:30–4:30pm
Featuring: Storytelling, spooky trail, Wild Fangs Creepy Creatures Cave, arts & crafts and more
Cost: FREE
Website: horniman.ac.uk
RELATED CONTENT: OUR HORNIMAN REVIEW >
Great Fire of London family walk
Where: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN
When: Weekdays during half-term
Featuring: A visit to the famous sites of the fire, including Pudding Lane, Monument, London Bridge
Cost: £7 adult/£5 ages 5+
Website: museumoflondon.org.uk
Power UP video game extravaganza
Where: Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2DD
When: 20–31 October 2017
Featuring: Pac-Man, Frogger, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Wars: Pod Racer, Minecraft, Halo—play awesome video games from the past four decades
Cost: £10 adult, £8 child for a 90-minute session
Website: sciencemuseum.org.uk
Moomin-inspired creative workshops
Where: Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, SE21 7AD
When: 23–28 October
Featuring: Making magical worlds, mobiles, Moomin characters and more
Cost: Varies (some free with £8 adult admission)
Website: dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Family Activity Day: Astonishing Archaeology
Where: Fulham Palace, Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham, SW6 6EA
When: Wednesday 25 October
Featuring: Hands-on digging up the past
Cost: FREE
Website: fulhampalace.org
