October Half Term 2026: Things to Do in Northamptonshire

Half term is nearly here, and if your calendar looks anything like mine, you are already trying to work out how to fill a week with kids who need to be entertained, fed and, ideally, worn out by bedtime.

Luckily, Northamptonshire has a lot going on. I have gone through venue by venue and put everything I could find into one place, from free drop-in sessions to proper days out. It runs from Friday 23rd to Thursday 29th October, with the dates for anything that carries on past that. Some events are free, some are booked in advance, and a few are on all week, so you can pick what suits your family.

Please note: I have left out the Christmas events, which are starting to appear. You will find those in my Christmas guides.

Big Days Out That Run All Half Term

These are open for most or all of the week, so they are good for a day when you have not planned anything.

Halloween Half-Term at Wicksteed Park runs from 24th October to 1st November, 10:30am to 4pm. A wristband gives unlimited rides, the Halloween Haunt walkthrough, the ZooLab Spooky Potions show and the Great Pumpkin Mystery trail. Wristbands are £16 for children under 16 and £10 for adults, and under 0.9m is free with a paying adult. Parking charges apply.

Pumpkin Trail at Castle Ashby Gardens runs from 24th October to 1st November, and covers the whole of half term plus the weekends either side. Tickets are on sale online.

Spooksville at Chester House Estate runs from 24th to 31st October, with morning and afternoon sessions. Tickets are £7.

Halloween Spooktacular at Evenley Wood Garden runs from 24th October to 1st November. Tickets are limited and sold through Eventbrite, so book early.

Half Price Half Term at Silverstone Museum runs from 24th October to 1st November. Children aged 15 and under are half price with an adult ticket, and there are free activities including RC car racing, crafts and Scalextric. The paid experiences, the Sim Suite and the VR experience, are not included in the offer.

Howl-O-Ween Half-Term at Stowe House runs until 1st November, 10:30am to 3pm, with a pug-themed trail, a treasure hunt and spooky crafts.

Pumpkin Patch Festival at West Lodge Farm Park runs every day until 31st October, 9:30am to 6pm. The ghost stories are meant to be funny rather than frightening.

Halloween Pumpkin Palace at Mini Meadows Farm runs until 31st October, with pumpkin carving and wand making every day from 10am to 4pm.

Poisons, Potions and Plants Trail at Canons Ashby runs until 8th November, 10am to 4pm.

Free and Cheap Half Term Ideas

If you are watching the pennies this week, these are the ones to look at first.

Free Domino Masterclass at Daventry Museum on Monday 26th, 10am to 2pm. Drop in, no booking, ages 5 and up with a grown up.

Haunted Museum Trail at Wellingborough Museum from 26th to 30th October, 11am to 3pm. It is free and drop-in.

Spooky Storytelling and Crafts at Wellingborough Museum on Tuesday 27th, 11am to 3pm, free and drop-in.

Free Half Term Golf at New Street Park, Daventry on Wednesday 28th, 10am to 12pm. Drop in, all ages from 5, no booking.

CJ’s Birds & Haunted Railway at Wellingborough Museum on Wednesday 28th, 11am to 3pm, free and drop-in.

Halloween Family Xplorer is a free, no-booking navigation challenge with spooky markers to find. It runs at Swanspool Gardens in Wellingborough and Kingswood Neighbourhood Centre in Corby on Monday 26th, The Green Patch in Kettering on Tuesday 27th, and Corby Athletics Track on Wednesday 28th.

Topple Academy Domino Workshops at Rushden Lakes on 29th and 30th October. Free.

Day by Day

Friday 23rd October

Mini Museum Explorers at Northampton Museum runs from 10:15am to 11:45am. It is the last session of this block, and it is aimed at under 5s.

Pumpkin Party Night at West Lodge Farm Park runs from 5pm to 9pm.

Resin Jewellery Making Workshop at Stanwick Lakes runs from 6pm to 8pm for ages 10 and up. It is £35, so check whether that covers one place or a parent and child pair.

Saturday 24th October

Half term starts with the big days out above. Also on today are the Pumpkin Hunt at Paradise Island Adventure Golf at Rushden Lakes, where the prize is a one month unlimited pass for four, and the Malcolm Arnold Festival day of live music for all the family at Cripps Hall and St Matthew’s Church in Northampton, from 11am.

The Trick or Treat Spooky Activity Trail at Abington Park Museum and the Architectural Antics Trail at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery both start today and run until 1st November, 12pm to 4pm.

Sunday 25th October

Northamptonshire Day in Kettering takes over the town centre and Market Place, with Kettering Leisure Village and Wicksteed Park also taking part. Times had not been published when I checked, so look at the council page nearer the day.

Monday 26th October

Soft play on Monday mornings at Butterwicks at Rushden Lakes is a good one for little ones.

Harvest Mouse Explorers at Stanwick Lakes for ages 4 to 11 runs from 10:30am to 12pm, and Wild About Harvest Mice for ages 11 to 17 runs from 1pm to 3pm. Both are £6.

If you want to book the kids in for the day, Mini Monsters (ages 4 to 8) and Cryptic Creatures (ages 9 to 13) are Halloween drama and craft days at Royal & Derngate, running 26th to 29th October. They are £200 for the four days, with bursaries available on request.

Tuesday 27th October

Enchanted Kelmarsh at Kelmarsh Hall is a wizards and witches event for children, with morning and afternoon slots at £20 per child including all activities.

Spooky Storytime at Canons Ashby runs from 10:15am to 10:45am.

Spooky Halloween Makes at Abington Park Museum runs at 12:30pm and 2pm, and The Hitchhiking Historian at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery runs from 12pm to 3pm.

Design Your Dream Tonies Character at Rushden Lakes runs on 27th and 28th October.

Wednesday 28th October

Halloween Yoga for Kids at Wootton Memorial Hall runs from 10:30am to 12pm for ages 5 to 11. There are only 12 spaces and booking is essential.

Preacher the Storyteller: Scare Me A Crow at Delapre Abbey is an interactive storytelling session.

Pop in Wednesday at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery and Pop in Wednesday at Abington Park Museum both run from 12pm to 4pm.

Halloween Fun at Rockingham Castle starts today and runs until Saturday 31st, with spooky activities with the witches and wizards of Rockingham.

In the evening, Elf The Musical by Northampton Musical Theatre Company starts a run at Derngate, and Wickedly Ariana is on at the Lighthouse Theatre in Kettering at 7:30pm.

Thursday 29th October

The Gruffalo at Royal & Derngate starts a run today for ages 3 and up. It lasts 60 minutes with no interval.

Wicky’s Mini Monsters Ball at Wicksteed Park runs from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, with spooky tunes, party games and fancy dress. Child tickets are £7 and adult tickets are £3.

Standing In The Wings Halloween Story Time at Lamport Hall runs from 11am to 12pm.

The Hitchhiking Historian at Abington Park Museum runs from 12pm to 3pm, and Pottery Pumpkin Patch at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery has sessions at 11am and 2pm.

Willow Lantern Workshops at Stanwick Lakes run on 29th and 30th October, and Decorate a Spooky Candle Holder at Canons Ashby runs from 11am to 2pm on the same days.

Halloween Afternoon Tea at Rushden Heritage Transport Society runs from 3pm to 5pm and costs £11.

Before You Head Out

Some of these events are run by third parties, and details can change at short notice. It is always worth checking the event page before you set off, especially for anything you need to book. A few of the free drop-in sessions get busier earlier in the day, so going a bit later can make for a calmer visit.

I have only included events that were not sold out when I checked, and a few popular ones, like the Secrets of Stowe Tour and the Halloween Slime Lab at Stowe House, had already gone.

Have I missed something? I would love to know what your family is planning this half term. Let me know and I will add it in.