IT’S time to get in the spirit for Halloween and enjoy some spine-tingling events with your own little horrors.
There’s plenty of family fun to make it – and the half term break - a monster occasion.
Dressing up, lantern-making and special Halloween treats at home can all be enjoyed in the family home. Window decorations are another favourite
Spooky stories can be swapped around the light of a pumpkin lantern and games can be great fun. How about a sweets hunt?
However, there are also some great events around and about for some extra thrills:
- Halloween at the Old Hall: Tatton Park
Calling all wicked wizards and wizzy witches! Would you like special access to Tatton Park’s medieval Old Hall this October half term and join in their wizards’ quest to find the lost crystal?
Your Mission: seek out the spellbinding clues, hone your broomstick-flying skills and embark on a quest to recover the lost crystal and restore it to its rightful place!
Rusticus theatre company, which has worked with Tatton Park before, turns a walk into an adventure and this open-air Halloween quest promises to be an unmissable family-friendly experience.
Set in the unique grounds of the medieval Old Hall, which are usually closed to the public, the 90-minute event is socially distanced throughout and includes a broomstick workshop, interactive theatre, and a self-led trail.
There are four quests daily from October 226-31. If you dare to join in, tickets are on sale now at www.tattonpark.org.uk.
Also, over half term you’re invited to Tatton Park Farm’s seasonal pumpkin patch. Come along to meet all your farmyard favourites and then it’s off to search for your perfect pumpkin to take home and carve for Halloween.
You’ll be picking your own pumpkin from the field, so prepare to get your hands dirty and wear sturdy footwear! Go to www.tattonpark.org.uk for more details and to book.
- Brick or Treat, Legoland, Trafford
Your little monsters are invited to get into the Halloween spirit at Legoland's Brick or Treat event.
Activities include pumpkin building, a 'scarevenger' hunt, a spooky wheel of fortune and lots more.
Join Legoland’s character mascots, Scarecrow and Vampyre, for a Halloween dance party, as well as joining the master model builder and playmakers to help create a giant Lego vampire.
The event is at Legoland Discovery Centre running at weekends during October and over half term and is included in the standard admission price.
For more details visit: www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/manchester/
- Big Top Halloween Spooktacular, Trafford
A very special (trick or) treat for Halloween, Gandeys Circus returns with a -new action-packed legendary Halloween Big Top show for all the family.
A specially selected international cast has been brought together for this sensational extravaganza.
From the thrill acts to the big production numbers Gandeys are famous for, it’s all here and you will be on the edge of your seat with excitement, rolling in the aisles with laughter, and hiding under your coats from the spooky thrills.
The event will run outside The Great Hall at the Trafford Centre, from October 15 -31.
For more details visit: www.quaytickets.com
- Farm thrills at Reddish Vale Farm, Stockport
There's lots of ‘fang-tastic’ Halloween farm fun at Reddish Vale this year.
Take a trip on the Spooky Express tractor ride, enjoy vampire archery and witches hat hoopla.
There’s also the chance to pick and carve your own pumpkin, with prizes for all children who come in fancy dress.
And there’s all the usual farm attractions to enjoy. including small animal handling and the outdoor adventure play with zip wires.
The event runs until October 31. For more details visit www.reddishvalefarm.merlintickets.co.uk/
Looking for something different to do with the kids this Halloween and October half term break?
Why not enjoy a spooky tree climb at Arley Hall and Gardens on Sunday October 31.
It’s a fantastic experience for anyone aged six and above to safely ascend into the canopy of a tree.
If you like dressing up, you can even climb in your Halloween outfit! There will be lots of spooky props, and a Halloween sweet bag for every climber.
For more details visit: www.facebook.com/events/1750658385101566