October half-term is here so we’ve put together some of the best activities that you can get up to, that are affordable, child-friendly and most important of all, fun!

All of these activities are based in and around the north-west of England, we want families to enjoy the break, spend time with their children in a COVID safe environment. With the October half-term running over Halloween some of these events might be a little spooky…

Knowsley Safari Park

Book a trip to Knowsley safari park and see everything from Rhinos to Lions all within your car, the perfect COVID-friendly trip for you and your children. You book tickets here, with loads of availability throughout next week, this family-fun day out will be educational and interesting. The Knowsley Safari Park team have planted scarecrows across the park for you to spot as you drive around.

With tickets for a family from £40 and under 3’s going free this is slightly more expensive than the rest of our activities but would be more than worth it!

Chester Zoo

On the animal theme, why don’t you visit Chester Zoo? You can spend your whole day here and get up close to some of natures wildest animals! They’re also opening the eagerly anticipated Monsoon Forrest on 24th October, so you’ll be one of the first to spend time in this new part of Chester Zoo.

Tickets are available here and adults start from £23.63.

Dunham Pumpkin Picking

We said we were going to bring a bit of a spooky vibe today, so why don’t you get ready for this years Halloween by going pumpkin picking at Dunham Massey? You will need to book a slot on the website, which you can find here and then spend the day with your loved ones and try to find the best pumpkin for Halloween.

Tickets are just £5, and this will be taken off your bill when you buy your pumpkins!

Wirral Drive-in Cinema

Drive-in cinemas are all the rage now as they’re a COVID-secure way of watching a film that makes social distancing easy. You can go to the Wirral’s Woodside Drive-In cinema and watch Hocus Pocus with your younger children to get them ready for a spooky Halloween celebration!

Tickets are £15 per car, so if there are 5 of you, that’s just £3 each!

Totally Gruesome

This socially distanced Halloween attraction is a ‘Crystal Maze’ for kids! You’ve got 10 minutes to crack the codes in 10 differently themed rooms, including ‘day of the Dead’, ‘Clown Graveyard’ and many more spookily decorated rooms. This is aimed at primary school children as if perfect for all of the family!

Tickets cost just £7 per person, for more information look here.

Monster Invasion

This is the most affordable of all the suggestions we’ve got for you. As the Monsters have taken over Manchester, its your job to find them all! With huge inflatable monsters lurking in the air and on top of the cities buildings, can you find them hiding across the city?

This free activity is perfect when you’re spending a day in the city centre.

Brick or Treat

Bring your little ones to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester and build and play ‘til your heart's content! The ticket for the ‘Brick or Treat’ gives you access to two rides, LEGO building, play zones and a 4D cinema!

For tickets starting from just £13.50, you can find the info here.

For those of you isolating or simply wanting to stay in throughout the half-term period, here is a short list of fun, stay-at-home activities!

    • Have a movie night and pick some of your favourite Halloween themed films
    • Carve a pumpkin with your little ones and decorate the outside of your home
    • Make some Halloween themed foods like the ones below