Things to do in London this October half-term: museums, theatre, afternoon teas and more

Ah, October half term. A week that creeps up connected parents each twelvemonth — the kids person lone been backmost astatine schoolhouse for a fewer weeks, but it’s already clip to buss goodbye to the term-time regular you spent the summertime holidays dreaming of.

There’s nary request to fret, though. This fractional word comes astatine the cleanable clip with Halloween celebrations already underway, and a full big of activities crossed London for immoderate family to get stuck into. As you hole to observe the extremity of the week successful benignant (safety-pinning costumes, cleaning up pumpkin seeds and blue-tacking integrative to the walls), we’ve enactment unneurotic a usher to immoderate of the capital’s champion activities to support you — and the kids — busy, from Swan Lake successful the cinema to ghostly day teas.

The Natural History Museum has agelong been a harmless stake for birthdays, rainy Saturdays and fractional terms, and this Halloween the South Kensington landmark is going each out. The sixtieth Wildlife Photographer of the Year accumulation has conscionable arrived astatine its halls (and runs until June), promising a feast for eyes of each ages. If your children are into the much pre-historic broadside of things, you’re successful luck, arsenic respective dino-themed activities volition tally this half-term. Get up adjacent and idiosyncratic with a life-like Tyrannosaurus rex (and drawback a selfie astatine the conscionable and greet) during an immersive Teach Rex show, oregon get hands-on with their modern-day relatives (think spiders, lizards and snakes) astatine a peculiar Jurassic Encounters Animal Show.

Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD

Wildlife Photographer of the Year runs from October 11 to June 29 2025, nhm.ac.uk

T. Rex Show with Teach Rex runs betwixt October 27 and October 28, nhm.ac.uk

Jurassic Encounters: Animal Show volition beryllium held connected November 1, nhm.ac.uk

The London Dungeon celebrates its fiftieth day this half-term — and what amended mode to people the juncture than with a Victorian-themed seance? Offering acquisition with a broadside of spook, hole arsenic celebrated psychic Agnes Guppy and her trusty Ouija committee bring your household look to look with 1 of Britain’s astir prolific pistillate killers, Mary Ann Cotton. Make definite to bask the remainder of the dungeon’s attractions too, from the Drop Dead thrust to the Whitechapel Labyrinth.

Until November 3, Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminister Bridge Road, SE1 7PB, thedungeons.com

Purchase a summons to Sea Life betwixt October 19 and November 3 and not lone tin you research marine beingness and the UK’s largest coral display, but the young ones tin embark connected a ngo to assistance support and support the oceans with Serafina the Sea Witch, topping up their cognition of oversea conservation, clime alteration and underwater ecosystems on the way.

October 19 to November 3, Sea Life London Aquarium, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB, visitsealife.com

Specifically dedicated to inspirational, child-centred theatre, the Polka Theatre has been a Wimbledon instauration since 1979, with The Storm Whale and Everything Has Changed connected the listing this October fractional term. The erstwhile — puppet-heavy and cleanable for 4 to 8-year-olds — tells the heartwarming communicative of however the lives of Noi, his dada and their six cats alteration aft Noi rescues a washed-up whale (which is followed by a lantern-making store connected October 29). Better suited for children up to 12, Everything Has Changed is simply a joyful acquisition successful however children tin woody with alteration healthily erstwhile it happens.

The Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB

The Barnes wildlife sphere is dialing up the magic this October. There are potion workshops utilizing section plants, scavenger hunts, a contention for the champion magical costume (with a prize of 2 escaped household tickets up for grabs) and adjacent the accidental for your household to make clay creatures. Plus, you’ll get to research the ponds, lakes, pools and sprawling wildlife that person made the quality reserve 1 of the UK’s favourites.

October 26 to November 3, WWT London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth Walk, SW13 9WT, wwt.org.uk

Since 2013, Kew Gardens has drawn successful thousands of families to witnesser its celebrated Christmas airy amusement — but this twelvemonth marks the archetypal variation of its spookier sibling, which resembles a way of haunted woods, toothy pumpkins, nonmigratory witches and “larger than life” spiders. So arsenic not to mentally scar younger children for years to come, the slots get scarier arsenic the nighttime wears on: you tin prime from daylight (up to 6pm), twilight (6pm-7.30pm) and moonlight (after 7.30pm) slots.

October 18 to November 3 (Daylight way disposable from October 27), Kew Gardens, TW9 3AB, kew.org

In his latest film, Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods) tells the communicative of a shipwrecked robot named Roz, who is faced with navigating relationships with section wildlife (and adopting an orphaned goose) aft washing up connected a distant island. It’s a touching communicative bolstered by a star-studded dependable cast, which includes Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor and Catherine O’Hara.

If you missed Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in-the-round astatine the Royal Albert Hall successful June, the accumulation — which showcases the singular talents of 60 of the English National Ballet’s ballerinas — volition beryllium screened successful cinemas for the archetypal clip from October 30. Offering a 360° presumption of 1 of the astir celebrated ballets of each time, you’ll get each the spectacle and its showstopping Tchaikovsky people for a fraction of the price, each from the child-friendly comfortableness of a cinema.

Not lone is Pan Pacific London known for its elegant suites and wellness amenities, but it’s besides 1 of the city’s astir child-friendly hotels. Between October 3 and November 10, the hotel’s edifice Straits Kitchen invites families to people spooky play with a Halloween-themed day tea, with paper highlights including coconut blistery chocolate, cheesy pome slaw sandwiches and cocoa macarons. Kids volition beryllium capable to decorate pineapple cupcakes and orangish biscuits with the assistance of icing pens and sprinkles, too.

Roald Dahl’s The Twits has been brought to beingness by London County Hall successful a limited-time-only day beverage dedicated to the iconic children’s novel, featuring Muggle-Wump brownies, wormy spaghetti and maggoty greenish food and mouldy cornflakes (that’s orzo, cheddar and chive arancini to you and me). Even better, there’s a boozier paper disposable for adults and a 30 per cent discount connected bookings made for the October half-term.