School holidays are many things, but cheap isn’t one of them!
These days (especially now two of my kids are over 5 and not free anywhere!) I get creative, pack a huge picnic and make it a challenge to have the cheapest day possible.
Here are a few things on my hit list this time – free or under £10 for the day.
October 24 – November 1, 2020
For £10 per car, you can have loads of fun at Bolton Abbey. Usually we just explore and let the kids throw pebbles into the river, but there’s also the Welly Walk (open until November 1, not suitable for pushchairs) where kids can test their balance, scramble up nets, navigate the pole-to-pole and try their hardest to keep clean as they come down the slides! Then there’s the Pumpkin Trail, where you stride through the giant spooky gates and follow the trail of over-sized pumpkins in Strid Wood to find the mystery boxes and solve the clues. Collect your trail sheet from outside the Cavendish Shop.
Cost: £10 per car. Pre-booking essential. Book here.
It’s free to enter Leeds City Museum, so you just have to pay for transport/parking. Over half term, they are running a scavenger hunt looking for teeny, tiny and tiddly things in the museum. You can print or write out the Scavenger hunt or pick up a sheet at the museum shop. Bring your own pencil!
There’s a tiny craft activity that you can pick up from the museum shop and do at home, too.
Tuesday-Friday, 11am-5pm. Saturday-Sunday, 12-5pm.
Cost: Free
October 24 – November 1, 2020
Live science shows, experiments and fun galore! You can learn about technology, take part in a live science game show, play a giant keyboard with your feet, explore light and sound and much more.
10am-4pm, daily. Pre-booking essential. Book tickets here. IMAX cinema tickets must also be booked in advance.
Cost: Free (some activities may charge a small fee)
A great one if you fancy a day outside! It’s a short drive from Calderdale and well worth it for the fabulous playground and lovely walks.
You can explore the woodlands, and look for the carved sculptures – some have faded away with age and weather, though.
The playground offers sand play, large climbing frames, a rope bridge, tyre swings and natural elements such as rocks, fallen trees and a dry river bed), and Coppice Pond is great to walk around. There’s a bird hide where you can sit and watch the birds and squirrels, and you can feed the ducks with duck food bought from the cafe. It’s great for riding a bike or scooter around too.
Cost: Free
October 25, 27, 28, 30 & November 1, 2020
I’ve heard good things about this free museum, which is set in lovely gardens with a playground and birds, rabbits and other small animals. The museum has loads to see, including special family areas to ensure there is something for all ages. There’s a cafe too.
Winter opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. 11am-3pm.
Cost: Free
A great outing around Halloween, the Room on the Broom trail at Angler’s Country Park in Wakefield keeps kids excited and engaged while getting fresh air! Its starts from the Discovery Centre, and you walk around the lake finding sculptures of the witch, cat, dog, bird, frog and the terrifying dragon! The trail is free, but you can buy an explorer pack for £2 from the Discovery Centre with extra fun and games to play along the way. There’s wildlife to spot too, and it’s a great walk in the fresh air. If it’s windy, a clipboard would be great to bring along for the paper in the activity pack.
The route is circular and perfect for prams, bikes and scooters too. The toilets are open, and there is a cafe.
Cost: Free, but parking charges apply.
October 8 – November 1, 2020 – Hidden Treasures @ Pit
Discover the famous figures of coal mining history during a Pit People Trail, and test your deduction skills in the Curious Curator Challenge. There’s also a ‘Where’s Wally? Spooky Museum Search’! Outside, explore the museum’s woods, ponds and reed beds with some woodland-inspired crafts and activities.
It’s free to enter the museum, but during half term you can also buy an activity kit (£5), to help with the activities above.
Listen to former-miners talk about their lives, explore 6 galleries and buildings, meet the pit ponies and enjoy an adventure playground and nature trail.
Cost: Free, but you have to pre-book tickets and there is a £2.10 booking fee per group. The half term activity pack is £5. To book your visit and buy you activity kit click here.
8. Try a Family WalkIt’s amazing how much time you can spend on a walk, and they are usually free to go on, with perhaps parking charges to pay. Just take a picnic! Here are some of our ideas for family-friendly walks in Calderdale.
October 23 – November 1, 2020
If you already have an annual pass, there is LOADS to keep you busy at Eureka – and don’t forget fancy dress!
Wrap up warm, because there will be lots of extra outdoor activities during half term. You’ll find a weird witch, an escaped mummy and a vampire doing pop-up performances, and teaching their socially distanced “Trick-Tok” dances!
You can play the brand new games on the Ludus interactive gaming wall, try a Follow the Spiders trail and step into an immersive forest alive with animated creatures!
Prebooking essential. Book here.
Cost: Free if you have an annual pass. Parking charges apply.
Weekends October 10-November 1 & Half Term October 27-29, 2020
This free trail at Oakwell Hall will help you hunt out Wally, as well as spell a spooky phrase with letters that are hidden too. You’ll be rewarded with a special “I found Wally” bookmark, as well as the chance to enter a competition to win an Art Family Fund Membership and a bundle of Where’s Wally goodies.
You must prebook the trail, and free family tickets can be booked for up to six people. All tickets are timed entry. Book here.
There is a cafe, toilets, visitor centre, gift shop and free parking. There’s a playground and gorgeous grounds to explore, too.
Cost: Free
Don’t forget you can get our full October half term listings here, with lots of fun days out suggestions.
For lots more local info, like and follow our Calderdale Mumbler News Page on Facebook, or join our Chat Group to talk to other local mums.
Have a wonderful half term!
Charlotte x
