Autumn activities, family days out and things to try at home this half term.

Half term is nearly here and, after a busy start to the school year, we hope everyone is able to take a break from normal routines and enjoy some family time together.

Autumn gives us plenty to work with.  The clocks go back, Halloween arrives, Bonfire Night isn’t far behind and there are plenty of special half-term activities for children, plus all the seasonal fairs, markets and celebrations to take advantage of.   Whether families are heading out locally, travelling somewhere new or staying cosily at home, there are lots of ways to make the most of the break – and perhaps have a little less screen time too.

As ever at Enjoy, our suggestions are fun first.  But if a little learning happens along the way, all to the good – it’s amazing how many subjects are hidden in plain sight.

Autumn fairs, festivals and days out

Families don’t have to travel far to find something going on at this time of year.  Local fairs, markets, pumpkin trails and Bonfire Night celebrations are all worth looking out for.  Otherwise, here are a few ideas from around the UK that may be of interest, or that might provide inspiration for finding your local equivalent.

North: Tatton Park Autumn Gift Fair, Cheshire

Tatton Park’s Autumn Gift Fair takes place on 24 and 25 October, bringing together local makers, food producers and crafts inside the Mansion’s Tenants’ Hall. It is a lovely excuse for a wander around the park too, with autumn colours all around.

Markets and fairs are surprisingly good places for children to explore.  Who made something and what is the history of that trade?  What local connections are there to the foods, art or crafts on display?  

Scotland: The Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry

Faskally Wood becomes a very different place after dark during The Enchanted Forest, which runs from 8 October to 8 November.  This year’s 25th anniversary theme, Stop The Clock: The 25th Hour, is particularly well timed, with lights, sound and storytelling built around the idea of an extra hour appearing between the ticks and tocks of everyday life.

There’s science in the light and sound, English in the storytelling and plenty of imagination in between.

East: Halesworth Scarecrow Festival, Suffolk

From 17 to 31 October, Halesworth fills with scarecrows made by shops and community groups.   This year the festival has a space theme, with astronauts, rockets, aliens and planets appearing around the town as part of a trail. There’s also a small Autumn Fair on 24 October and free scarecrow crafts on 28 October.

Scarecrows started out with a very practical job to do. Finding out why farmers used them — and whether birds were ever really fooled — is a good question to take home afterwards.

South: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, London

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at the Natural History Museum on 16 October, with 100 winning images chosen from more than 65,000 entries.

There is no need to work through it methodically. Children can choose the photograph they would most like to take home.  What made them stop?  What might have happened just before the photograph was taken? What could happen next?

West: Bristol — science or street art

We The Curious is Bristol’s interactive science centre, with hands-on exhibits, experiments and a 3D Planetarium designed to get visitors testing ideas rather than simply reading displays. Its October half-term programme runs from 24 October to 1 November, with extra practical challenges and activities around the venue.

Or ignore the timetable completely and explore Bristol’s street art instead. Families can find five pieces in completely different styles, photograph them and decide which one works best in its surroundings.

Wales: Steam & Scream on the Talyllyn Railway

On 29 and 30 October, the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn is running its Steam & Scream Halloween trains, with a steam journey followed by a visit to the haunted Dolgoch Woods.

Trains, engineering, landscape and a bit of Halloween theatre make a pretty good combination.

Northern Ireland: Harvest Fair at Florence Court

The Harvest Fair at Florence Court in County Fermanagh takes place on 24 and 25 October, with local food and craft producers, cooking demonstrations, storytelling, seasonal crafts and a scarecrow competition.

Harvest celebrations are also a good reminder of how closely autumn traditions are tied to food, farming and the changing seasons.

Not going out?  Here’s a list of activities to stay home for

Not every half-term day needs an outing. Some of the best days are the ones when nobody has to rush anywhere.  Instead, try these ideas for something to do at home.

The Extra Hour Challenge

• The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so why not make a special plan for the extra hour in the day?  What favourite activity is there never quite enough time for?  Or is there a skill that would be fun to master?   We’ve asked around at Enjoy for suggestions and the ideas included:  Learn to juggle, make a grass whistle, create a conker competition, play chequers, cards or a board game and a family apple-bobbing contest.

Make your own at home Autumn Fair

• Set up three or four simple fairground games at home: knock down tins, throw socks into a bucket, guess how many sweets are in a jar or make a paper aeroplane distance challenge.
• Award points, make tickets and let everyone have a go.
• Somewhere along the way, probability, counting, measuring and mental maths will probably sneak in without being invited.

The Great Pumpkin Investigation

• Before carving the pumpkin, make a few predictions.
• How much does it weigh? How wide is it? How many seeds might be inside?
• Measure it, weigh it and open it up to see how close the predictions were. Then carve it and find something to do with the seeds afterwards.
• Maths and Science, hiding in a pumpkin.

Seasonal Quiz:  Why are fireworks different colours?

• Bonfire Night gives us another good question. Why are some fireworks red, others green or blue? Why do we see the flash before we hear the bang?
• Find out together, then create a firework picture using chalk, paint or collage on dark paper.

Autumn celebrations around the world

• Halloween isn’t the only autumn tradition worth discovering. Ireland’s Samhain traditions take us back to some of Halloween’s older roots, while Mexico’s Día de Muertos on 1 and 2 November is a celebration of memory, family and people who have died.
• Choose one celebration and find three things that make it different from Halloween as children know it today. It’s a lovely way to see how different cultures mark the same time of year in very different ways.

Half term doesn’t have to be full, but it should be fun. We hope there is plenty of time to enjoy everything autumn has to offer.