The 14 best October half-term things to do in London

What is it? It’s been a great year for fans of Aardman Animations – the beloved studio’s 50th – and it just keeps getting better. Following the Young V&A’s blockbuster Inside Aardman exhibition and ahead of new film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, the latest immersive film from the Lightroom in King’s Cross is Larger Than Life, an immersive documentary that tells the story of the studio from its Morph-era roots to the cuddly cultural supremacy that began with the first Wallace & Gromit film. 

Where is it? Lightroom.

What is it? Having debuted in 2024, it looks like Kew’s Halloween trails – from the producers of Kew Gardens’ beloved Christmas trail – is here to stay and a permanent seasonal fixture.It’s a light trail, basically, but a souped up one: we’re promised eerie illuminated trees, ghoulish installations, fire performers and more, with a troupe of actors on hand to stoke up our horrors (in a family friendly way, of course).

Where is it? Kew Gardens.

What is it? The renowned annual photography exhibition returns to the Natural History Museum for its 62nd edition. The pictures are always a delight and offer plenty of interest for any young nature lover, as demonstrated by this year’s previews. Pictured is a preview of this year exhibtion: Jen Cullman’s snap of an African bullfrog failing to catch a butterfly. Pictured top is Audun Rikardsen’s snap of a polar bear gazing into a breathing hole in the icy Arctic sea. 

Where is it? Natural History Museum.

What is it? As the weather drops, farms in and around London become gourd wonderlands, littered with bright yellow and flaming orange pumpkins. Often there’ll be photo opportunities, craft workshops and spooky goings on thrown in so you can make a real outing of it. By the time half-term comes around you may no longer be able to literally pick your own pumpkins (ground frost don’t you know) but the patches will be open and selling still.

Where is it? Click through for our top pumpkin patches.

What it it? This pungently named immersive horror experience has been terrifying the good people of Dublin since 2009, and now it lurches across the sea to London. Broadly speaking it sounds like it’ll be divided into three areas. Two will be story based and contain two original plotlines plus Halloween Town, a ‘living village’ to explore with presumably a slightly more chilled out vibe plus snacks. Although these things can go either way, it has to be said that its longeivity in Ireland plus numerous awards over the years do rather get our hopes up. It’s suitable for teengers aged 13 and above if accompanied by an adult.

Where is it? Avery Hill Park, Greenwich.

What is it? The Natural History Museum has pledged to open a ‘new’ gallery a year for the next five years and the programme has kicked off with the reopening of a space that was sealed off to the public for 83 years. Now it’s back as the Nature and Us gallery, a stylish and intersting space that is absolutely free to visit.

Where is it? Natural History Museum.

What is it? London Zoo’s half-term (and indeed, all of October) theme is Winnie-the-Pooh, with AA Milne’s bear of very little brain returning to the place that inspired him: his name was derived from Winnipeg, a bear who lived at the zoo from 1914. For visitors this translates a storytelling trail based around Jane Riordan official ‘new Pooh’ book Winnie-the-Pooh: A Little Boy and His Bear. Plus all the considerable usual fun of the zoo.

Where is it? London Zoo.

What is it? Let’s be honest, your kids probably haven’t quite caught the US at its best, have they? But there were 250 years before the present era and they’re rounded up in this nice new free exhibtion at the Science Museum,  marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It tells the story of the nation’s birth in over a hundred objects, including a rare surviving copy of the Declaration. Obviously not one for toddlers, but should be fasicnating for older kids with a taste for world history.

Where is it? Science Museum.

What is it? Now this is a little different to the average kids’ picture book to stage adaptation: kids’ dance-theatre company Peut-Être Theatre offer up a take on Lemony Snicket’s book The Dark, which concerns Laszlo, a boy terrified of the dark that lives in the basement. Then one night, it comes visiting. Performed by a cast of two, it’s an empowering physical theatre piece about facing up to one’s fears, for ages four-plus.

Where is it? Battersea Arts Centre.

What is it? Masterminded by touring circus company Zippos, Cirque Berserk is a thrilling show that's custom-designed for indoor theatre spaces. This October half-term it descends upon the West End with the usual high-octane line-up of acts, including acrobats, jugglers, aerialists, and stunt drivers. Expect spills, thrills and enough aldrenaline to fell an ox. In honour of half-term, kids go for half-price, which you’d think might be common but is actually pretty rare in the world of West End theatre. For ages five-plus.

Where is it? Garrick Theatre.

What is it? Tying in with the Imperial War Museum’s by 2026 exhibition Childhood in War, this weekend of family friendly storytelling activities and children’s literature has a war focus – as you might expect from the IWM. The headline event is the legend that is Jacqueline Wilson offering a talk based around her 2017 book Wave Me Goodbye, about a young girl evacuated to the country during the Second World War. But there’s plenty more besides, from a comic workshop to family knees up singalong sessions.

Where is it? Imperial War Museum.