Halloween, Pumpkins and October Half Term

Here’s a roundup of some of the best things during October half term and Halloween in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and surrounding areas. Keep checking back as I have more to add to this list.

Halloween and October Half Term Events – Running Every Day in Half Term

1. The Moon Witch’s Halloween Adventure at Tumblestone – Henley – 20th – 31st October. Folk of Tumblestone Hollow will be reading stories from ‘The Moon Witch and The Thief’ and giving away spooky temporary transfers. There will be pumpkins galore and a halloween trail around Tumblestone Hollow and the gardens at Stonor Park. Here’s our review of Tumblestone. Hollow.
2. Spooky Villains Takeover at Hogshaw Farm – Buckingham – 22nd – 30th October. Visit the farm for Halloween themed activities including: Spooky villains causing mischief, PYO pumpkin and decorate it ready for Halloween. Broomstick and wand making, scarecrow trail, Halloween art activities and games and the Messy Play Barn transformed into a spooky spectacular.
3. PYO Pumpkins at Rectory Farm – Oxford – 20th – 30th October.  Meet our friendly farm characters, pick and choose your own pumpkins to take home, jump on a tractor ride, get involved in some pumpkin crafts and garden games, and enjoy a warming harvest lunch in The Tractor Shack cafe.
4. Pumpkins at The Patch MK – Milton Keynes – 8th – 30th October. Way more than just a pumpkin patch! As well as there being loads of brilliant photo ops throughout the patch, you can also ride on the barrel train, play on the slides, climb the wall, play vintage fairground games and have your face painted. Read our review from visiting Pumpkins at The Patch MK 2 years ago (they’ve added even more fun stuff since we went!).
5. Halloween at Beale Wildlife Park – Pangbourne – 21st – 31st October.  Ride the ghost train, make broomsticks and explore the pumpkin and skeleton trail. On Halloween itself, they will be offering Halloween face painting throughout the day. Some activities incur a small additional cost. One child in full fancy dress goes free with a paying adult – pre-booking recommended online. Here’s our review of Beale Park.
6. Hallo’Welly’Ween at Wellington Country Park – Riseley – 22nd – 30th October. Watch spooky shows, listen witches stories, get up close with creepy crawlies with the ZooLab team, pick a pumpkin and carve it, ride the Halloween train, and get involved with slime making, fizzy pumpkins and the witches supermaket in the pop up play village. Plus all the usual fun at Welly Park, one of our favourite days out!
7. Nightmare at Ashridge House – Berkhamstead – 23rd – 30th October. Visit Ashridge House (if you dare!) for a spooky immersive show and the creepy courtyard! If you beat the witch and escape with your life, you can roam the courtyard filled with smoke and spookiness. Until 5pm daily, the garden is also open where you may discover more haunting sights deep in the wood.
8. Howl’O’Ween at Chessington World of Adventure – Chessington 15th-30th October. The mischievous Wild Witches of Adventure Point have conjured up a devilish spell this Howl’o’ween and brought back to life spooktacular characters across the Resort. You’ll find loads of ghastly creatures across the resort, special Halloween attractions and shows, including a special show for little ones.
9. Pumpkin Festival at Willows Activity Farm – St Albans – 15th-31st October. Pick your pumpkin from Willow’s Pumpkin Patch, take photos in the gourd grotto and enjoy a full programme of pumpkin-tastic fun including all your Willows favourites.
10. Halloween at Bucklebury Farm – Bucklebury – 22nd-31st October. Walk along the the spooky trail, choose and carve a pumpkin, listen to spooky tails, play Halloween games and ride the tractor. If you arrive in fancy dress you will receive a free treat!
11. Young Imagination Halloween Special – Iver – 3rd – 27th October (Mon-Fri). Spooky messy play, fancy dress, music and dance, spooky arts and crafts and more spooky fun.
12. Halloween at Waddesdon Manor – Waddesdon – 22rd-30th October (closed 24th + 25th). You can also enjoy a spooky Halloween afternoon tea and children in fancy dress get a free sticky creature from the woodland cafe, but it doesn’t look like they’re doing the Halloween trail this year.
13. Halloween Chocolate Workshops at Dr Chocs Windsor Chocolate Factory – Windsor – 5th – 31st October. Make and paint some special chocolate ghouls and a chocolate lollypop before topping up with scary toppings.
14. Halloween at Blenheim Palace – Woodstock-  21st – 31st October. A spooky, fun-filled, after dark trail for all the family. Watch out for flickering flames in a fiendish fire garden, daring fire artists and grinning pumpkins aglow. Wind your way through the illuminated haunted woods filled with creepy neon cobwebs, ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, larger-than life spiders and beastly bats.
15. Spook-Fest at Aldenham Country Park – Elstree – 15th-31st October. Follow the spooky trail, ride on the Horrid Hay Tractor ride, carve pumpkins, climb through the spider maze and much more! We’ve been for the last two years and it’s one of our favourite Halloween events. Here’s our review of Aldenham Country Park.
16. Horrid Half Term at Blenheim Palace – Woodstock – 22nd – 30th October  Enjoy spooky storytelling, fiendish fire performers, petrifying pumpkin carving, awesome axe throwing, family circus workshops and the ghastly ghost train. If you are an annual pass holder this event event is included (the above Halloween after dark trail you need a separate ticket for).
17. High Lodge Farm PYO Pumpkin Patch and Spooky Trail – Culham (near Abingdon) – 22nd – 30th October. Tickets include entry to the PYO Pumpkin Patch, (pay for what you pick), Spooky Trail, Halloween games and refreshment area and the chance to play in our farm tractor. A free sweet treat is included for all ticket holders.
18. Halloween at Yarnton Magic Garden – Kidlington – 24th – 29th October. Enjoy crafts and a pumpkin hunt around the soft play climbing frame.
19. Circus Ginnett – Kidlington – 19th – 23rd October + Witney – 26th – 30th October. We went to see their show last week and loved it. It’s only an hour long so perfect for little ones and involves lots of acrobatics and laughter. Use code HOLLIE20 to get 20% off your tickets.
20. John Lawson’s Halloween Circus at Millet’s Farm – Abingdon – 23rd – 29th October. The show will include Bippo the Clown, roller skaters The Duo Santus, the amazing Mr Slinky, western rope-spinning with Miss Alicia, footjuggler Miss Betina, aerial acrobatics Angelina, and incredible illusions from The Garcia Sisters and lasts for 1 hour.
21. PYO Pumpkins at Millets Farm – Abingdon – 15th-31st October.
22. Pumpkin Festival at Odds Farm Park – High Wycombe – 22nd – 30th October. PYO pumpkin ready to carve over at Carving Corner, have a go at our Halloween-themed Arts & Crafts and come to see what other spooky surprises we have in store! Plus all the usual fun at Odds Farm Park.
23. Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Lillingstone Pick Your Own – Lillingstone 8th – 31st October – Collect a wheelbarrow and head down to the Pumpkin Patch bursting with home-grown pumpkins and squashes! Follow the spooky Halloween trail around the Maize Maze, climb aboard the pumpkin carriage for a trip around the farm on their tractor-trailor ride, play in the Play-Patch and go for a pony ride!

Halloween and October Half Term Events  – Daily Guide

These are all the events which are running on specific days.

Monday 24th October

1. Decorate a Witch or Wizard Hat at The Cheese Shed – Nettlebed – 10.30 – 11.30am. Get creative and decorate your own witch or wizard hat with neon paint to complete your ‘trick or treat’ outfit.
2. Make Trick or Treat Tote Bags at the Eden Centre – High Wycombe. Children can decorate their own Trick or Treat Tote Bags ready to be filled with candy on Halloween. FREE.
3. Black Park Children’s Film Walk – Wexham. Productions popular with children that have filmed at Black Park over the years include: Harry Potter, Marvel, Jurassic World Dominion and Star Wars. Join us for a walk and talk around Black Park to look at some of these popular locations. On the walk you will be led by a member of the Country Parks team who has been involved with many of the visiting productions in recent years. They will bring their unique insight of filming in the park to life through their talk, slides and stories.
4. Halloween Kids Get Crafty at Chai Cocoa – Maidenhead. This is a lovely new soft play cafe which opened a few months ago. Join them at 9.30am for spooky T-shirt design and 11am for a spooky craft workshop.
5. Bat Trail at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Peter.Follow the bat trail to learn about 18 different varieties of bats. Take part in the spooky nature hunt to find the missing letters. Remember you can get 2 for 1 entry if you have a Gardeners World card.
6. Rangoli Sun Catcher Craft at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. As part of their Festival of Lights celebrations visitors will be invited to create and decorate a colourful stain glass rangoli sun catcher to hang in their window at home as well as rangoli mandala to colour in and decorate. Suitable for 3+
7. UNMASK workshops for 9-14 year olds at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury.  Participants will be invited to design their own masks reflecting the participants emotions, thoughts or designs on paper templates. The templates will be scanned and overlaid onto a digital 3D mask together with the artist. FREE.

Tuesday 25th October

1. Pebble Painting at The Cheese Shed – Nettlebed – 10.30am – 11.30am. Halloween Pebble Painting. There’s no need to book for this craft session (but RSVP so they know you’re going) and it’s FREE. One pebble per child.
2. Make Pumpkin Fairy Doors at the Eden Centre – High Wycombe. Bringing imaginations to life, little ones can decorate their very own Halloween themed fairy door to welcome the Autumn fairies! FREE
3. Dino Camp at Black Park – Wexham. Similar to Kids Go Wild Forest School but with  a dinosaur twist. You will get the chance to meet some dinosaurs, excavate to find fossils, create your own dinosaur mask and much more! Each child will also get a small dinosaur themed gift to take home with them.
4. Pumpkin Carving at Canvas & Clay Art Club – Beaconsfield – 11 – 12.30pm. Carve a pumpkin, create a creepy haunted house or make your own spooky flickering lantern at our Half Term Halloween Spooktacular! For ages 5-12.
5. Halloween Party at Robyn’s Nest Cafe  – Shinfield – 2pm. Join Sally from Tutus & Tiaras for our Halloween Party full of games, glitter tattoos and crafts as well as our Halloween themed afternoon tea.
6. Terrific Tuesday at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Peter – 11am-4pm. Come and take part in family crafts and activities all about bats, newts, owls and cats.
7. Affirmation Station Craft at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. The hanging poster will involve drawing a personal image along with positive affirmations all around the poster significant to themselves and their families, adorned with sequins and gems and small fun sized pictures to cut out and stick to the poster as a collage. Suitable for 3+
8. The Naughty Fox at Norden Farm – Maidenhead. Theatre show for 0-5 year olds. Set in the magical forest, Fox goes on an adventure to learn from the Aurora that sharing is caring. Feel your way through the immersive, multisensory journey of friendship and play for little ones and their grown-ups.

Wednesday 26th October

1. Dino Camp at Black Park – Wexham. Similar to Kids Go Wild Forest School but with  a dinosaur twist. You will get the chance to meet some dinosaurs, excavate to find fossils, create your own dinosaur mask and much more! Each child will also get a small dinosaur themed gift to take home with them.
2. Mummy Gingerbread Making at Eden Centre – High Wycombe. It’s all about the treats at Eden this Halloween as children transform Gingerbread men into scrumptious Mummies using fondant bandages! They can tuck into their creations there and then or take them home for a Halloween treat, if they can resist… FREE
3. Pumpkin Carving at Canvas & Clay Art Club – Marlow – 11 – 12.30pm. Carve a pumpkin, create a creepy haunted house or make your own spooky flickering lantern at our Half Term Halloween Spooktacular! For ages 5-12.
4. Halloween Kids Get Crafty at Chai Cocoa – Maidenhead. Join them at 1.30pm for spooky T-shirt design and 2.45pm for a spooky craft workshop.
5. Halloween Party at Robyn’s Nest Cafe  – Moss End – 2pm. Join Sally from Tutus & Tiaras for our Halloween Party full of games, glitter tattoos and crafts as well as our Halloween themed afternoon tea.
6. Bat Trail at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Peter.Follow the bat trail to learn about 18 different varieties of bats. Take part in the spooky nature hunt to find the missing letters. Remember you can get 2 for 1 entry if you have a Gardeners World card.
7. UNMASK family workshop for 4-9 year old at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. Using feathers and paint create your own mask to take home. Explore what emotions you may use on your masks? Will your mask be happy or sad? Excited or worried? Or a complete mixture! FREE.
8. Spy Monkey at Norden Farm – Maidenhead.  This is a comedy dance film – with a difference. The show features popular characters from the great Indian epic the Ramayana and includes live interaction with the cast. Suitable for ages 4+.
9. Spook About Disco at Sprouts Playbarn @ Millets Farm – Abingdon. Children can enjoy our huge play frame exploring all the play levels at night time with the lights down low and music up high! Come along in fancy dress and you might even bag yourself a prize for best costume!

Thursday 27th October

1. Make Magic Potion Bottles at Eden Centre – High Wycombe. Have your Witches and Wizards always wanted to create something magical? A teaspoon of frozen rainbow along with lots of other exciting ingredients will do just that! Once the potion is done, they can take their bottles home with them ready for Halloween. FREE
2. Spooktaculor at Zoomania – Aylesbury – 5.30 – 7.30pm.Visit the soft play centre for Halloween games, ghost hunt, fancy dress competition, spooky meals and squash.
3. . Learn to crochet and make a pumpkin or ghost in this Halloween-themed Kid’s Crochet Workshop.
4. Bat Trail at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Peter.Follow the bat trail to learn about 18 different varieties of bats. Take part in the spooky nature hunt to find the missing letters. Remember you can get 2 for 1 entry if you have a Gardeners World card.
5. Witch on a Broom Craft at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. Find out superstitions about witches and broomsticks. Make a broom from a stick, with a witch or wizard to sit on top and fly around at night! Suitable for 3+
6. Spook About Disco at Sprouts Playbarn @ Millets Farm – Abingdon. Children can enjoy our huge play frame exploring all the play levels at night time with the lights down low and music up high! Come along in fancy dress and you might even bag yourself a prize for best costume!

Friday 28th October

1. The Black Lion Wizard School – Naphill – from 12pm. Spell writing, Cauldron designing, potion making, spooky arts and crafts and potion making
2. Make Your Own Spell Book at Eden Centre – High Wycombe. Double double toil and trouble, children will love decorating their own spell books and adding spells to cast on Halloween! FREE
3. Bertie Slippers Halloween Special at The Cheese Shed – Nettledbed – 10.30 – 11.3oam. Music and entertainment with balloons afterwards. Halloween fancy dress. FREE, no need to book (but RSVP so they know you’re going)
4. Kids Go Wild Halloween Special at Black Park – Wexham   Forest School fun! There will be lots of things to get involved in including the mud kitchen, digging pit, bug hunting and more.
5. Halloween Disco at Yarnton Magic Garden – Kidlington. Dress to impress for the Halloween Disco in the Party Room in the Magic Garden Soft Play.
6. Halloween Party at Jakes Playbarn – Sandhurst – 6-9pm. Enjoy playing on the frame, food for both adults & children and lots of great Halloween activities! All followed by a family disco.
7. Spooktaculor at Zoomania – Aylesbury – 5.30 – 7.30pm.Visit the soft play centre for Halloween games, ghost hunt, fancy dress competition, spooky meals and squash.
8. Bat Trail at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Peter.Follow the bat trail to learn about 18 different varieties of bats. Take part in the spooky nature hunt to find the missing letters. Remember you can get 2 for 1 entry if you have a Gardeners World card.
9. Make a Fear Eating Monster – Clay Workshop at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. Book in for a taught clay workshop where one of our learning team will show you how to create your own scary monster…but don’t worry, this monster is your friend and it is designed to eat up all of your Halloween fears in its huge greedy jaws. Suitable for 6+.
10. Spooky Arts & Crafts at Norden Farm – Maidenhead. Ssuitable for ages 3 – 8 years. With the chance to make a Dangling Ghost Wand or a Spooky Mask, the creations are perfect for trick or treat.

Saturday 29th October

1. Halloween Crafts at Canvas & Clay Art Club – Beaconsfield – 9 – 10.30am. All children will get their own pumpkin to either paint or carve (under adult supervision!) using our pre-made templates, or they can help you to make your very own creepy creation to take home and proudly display. Children can also make their own amazing Halloween lantern at our craft station using card and tissue paper. Ages 18 months – 5 years.
2. The Missing Spell Book Quest Trail and Face Painting at The Old Shed – Charlbury. Will you help Betty the witch and Mandy the black cat to find the missing pages from their spell book to make a magic potion? Follow the trail around the forest to figure out Betty’s recipe! Don’t forget to look out for pumpkins along the way.
3. Spooktaculor at Zoomania – Aylesbury – 5.30 – 7.30pm.Visit the soft play centre for Halloween games, ghost hunt, fancy dress competition, spooky meals and squash.
4. Live Book Reading: Prince of Dragons, volume 1. at Ashridge House – Berkshire. Pam will be hosting two Live sessions about Princess Elvie and her friend Flint’s adventures at Ashridge Castle, complete with a wonderful introduction and live reading exert. The session will be followed by a short guided creative activity. The stories are recommended for children 9+. Halloween costumes are very much encouraged!
5. Henley Spooktacular Bonfire & Fireworks – Henley – 4-9pm. Dress up and come and enjoy a Fairground, Hot Food & Drink, Bonfire, Light Show and, most importantly, a jaw dropping 30 minute Fireworks Display Choreographed to a freaky Halloween Soundtrack.
6. Pumpkin Patch at Magnolia Park – High Wycombe. A range of pumpkins to choose from and unlimited rides for only £7.50 each! In addition, there will be a spooktacular Trick or Treat trail with a gift for each child, face painting and Halloween arts & crafts (extra charge).
7. The Black Lion Halloween & Fireworks Party – Naphill. Prizes for best dressed, free kids face painting, spooky drinks specials, frightfully delicious BBQ.
8. Halloween Costume Party at Full of Beans Cafe – Chesham. 2pm. Purchase tickets from the play cafe.
9. Halloween Activities at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Giles – Spooky nature hunt, bat trail, storytelling, crafts, woodland hocus pocus, creepy crawlies, grave digging and more.
10. Family Halloween Event at Discover Bucks Museum – Aylesbury. Come dressed in your best costumes to party the day away at Discover Bucks Museum. Meet our storytelling witch, visit our spooky dark den, and put on a shadow puppet show. Are you brave enough to drink some witch’s brew? Or to search for spiders in the slime? Take part in the fun and games including digging in our boneyard and things to make and take home.
11. Halloween Storytime and Craft at High Wycombe Library (floor 1)- 11am-12pm. Join them for spooky stories and making pumpkin decorations. Dressing up encouraged. FREE.
12. Spooky Concertini with Jonny and Raindrops at Norden Farm – Maidenhead. There are plenty of spooky songs as the band’s music is brought to life. Johnny and the Raindrops promise to get the audience moving, grooving, and shaking this half term. You can even wiggle along with the five Halloween worms and meet the monster with twelve belly buttons! Aimed at ages 0-8.

Sunday 30th October

1. Halloween Cookie Decorating at The Cheese Shed – Nettlebed – 10.30 – 11.30am. Cookie Decorating, Face painting and a Halloween Hunt (the hunt is free, cookie decorating is £5).
2. Pumpkin Patch at Magnolia Park – High Wycombe. A range of pumpkins to choose from and unlimited rides for only £7.50 each! In addition, there will be a spooktacular Trick or Treat trail with a gift for each child, face painting and Halloween arts & crafts (extra charge).
3. Halloween Ghost Hunt at Wycombe Museum – High Wycombe – 2-6pm. Come dressed up and ready to scare as you take part in ghoulish games and creepy crafts in this after-dark experience. Create your own customised treat bag for trick or treating, hunt our house and grounds in our Halloween trail, decorate biscuits in your scariest designs and take part in more spooky games!
4. Halloween Activities at Chiltern Open Air Museum – Chalfont St Giles – Spooky nature hunt, bat trail, storytelling, crafts, woodland hocus pocus, creepy crawlies, grave digging and more.

Halloween and Autumn Trails

1. Scarecrow Trail at Cliveden National Trust – 22nd – 30th October. This half term, local community groups are each making a scarecrow as part of our autumn scarecrow trail. Admire their handiwork and draw one of your own before heading to the Info Centre to make a miniature scarecrow from a bamboo spoon. There is no need to book for this event. While the trail is free of charge, we ask for a suggested donation of £1 per child to take part in the craft activity.
2. Binfield Scarecrow Hunt – Binfield – 22nd – 30th October – one of our favourite scarecrow trails as the residents of Binfield go all out with their Scarecrow making!
3. Pumpkin Hunt at Bunkers Hill Garden Shop – Kidlington – 1st – 31st October. This event is always raved about by The Family Ticket! Visit the nursery for the Pumpkin Hunt, vote for your favourite of the Ugly Mug Pumpkin Parade & Guess the weight of Big Bertha (for a chance to win them!)
4. The Missing Spell Book Quest Trail at The Old Shed – Charlbury. Will you help Betty the witch and Mandy the black cat to find the missing pages from their spell book to make a magic potion? Follow the trail around the forest to figure out Betty’s recipe! Don’t forget to look out for pumpkins along the way. £1 per sheet.
5. Waterperry Scarecrow Trail 1th-31st October. Find scarecrows hidden around Waterperry Gardens and collect a prize.
6. Great Missenden Village Halloween Trail 22nd – 31st October. Buy your trail sheet from Samways, Station Approach. £2 per child, includes prize at end.. Cash only.
7. The Chalfont Creepy Crawl 31st October from 5pm. So many people have recommend this trail to me as it was a huge success last year! Follow their page for details on where to collect maps from.
8. Marlow Bottom’s Annual Scarecrow Festival 23rd – 29th October. Trail maps are available for £2 at Tin Town, Barn Club and Da Luca. We’ve done this trail twice and love it. The houses go to a lot of effort with the scarecrows and this year there at 74 houses taking part.

I really hope you find the guide useful! These things take a LONG time to put together, this one more than any due to the huge number of events taking place, so if you fancy buying me a coffee as a small thanks here’s the link 🙂 Buy me a coffee.