Time to celebrate, as somehow quicker than you can say Boo to your Grandpa, it’s Halloween just around the scary corner. It seems to gain momentum from year to year, so unless you leave the country and go wandering in the Gobi desert, I don’t think you are going to get away without taking yourself (or the kids if you’re feeling kind) on some frightening adventure, or two. Just grin and bear the sugar rush, get the white wine in the fridge, and remember if all else you fails, you can just play DEAD. That will at least get a reaction, even if the neighbours are called in, and your off-spring tell their head teacher about your ‘hilarious’ game!
- Sleep Overs on The World Famous Cutty Sark, Greenwich (31st October to 1 Nov)
You can choose from 3 different sleep overs at diff prices. Obviously this is quite a costly treat, but maybe a good idea for a birthday trip, or even Christmas present from Grandma.
Apprentice’s Experience £45 Capacity: 80 19.00–19.30 Registration and welcome 19.30–23.00 Workshops and activities 23.00 Sleep on the Tween Deck — 07.00 Workshops and Activities 08.00 Breakfast in the Sammy Ofer Gallery With an Apprentice’s ticket, you sleep on board the 19th-century tea clipper on the Tween Deck, where cargo was stored over a century ago. Breakfast will be served in the Sammy Ofer Gallery, underneath Cutty Sark’s magnificent hull.
Sailor’s Experience £65 Capacity: 8 19.00–19.30 Registration and welcome 19.30–23.00 Workshops and activities 23.00 Sleep in the aft deck house bunk beds — 07.00 Workshops and Activities 08.00 Breakfast in the aft deck house, joined by the ship’s cook James Robson With a Sailor’s ticket, you sleep in the crew accommodation up on the main deck of Cutty Sark, as the crew would have done over a century ago.
Breakfast will be served in your cabin, giving you the authentic experience of having breakfast where the original crew would have had their food. The ship’s cook, James Robson, will join you for breakfast and tell you all about the kinds of food they used to have for dinner on board.
Captain’s Experience £100 Capacity: 10 19.00–19.30 Registration and welcome 19.30–23.00 Workshops and activities 23.00 Sleep in the fore deck house bunk beds — 07.00 Workshops and Activities 08.00 Breakfast in the Master’s Saloon With a Captain’s ticket, you will sleep in the crew accommodation up on the main deck of Cutty Sark.
To give you the full Captain’s experience, breakfast is served at the Captain’s table in the Master’s Saloon, the most luxurious part of the vessel. This is where the Captain and his officers used to eat, and where the Captain entertained important guests. Captain Woodget, the ship’s longest-serving master, will join you for breakfast – a unique chance to ask him everything you always wanted to know about what it was like to work and live on board the world’s fastest tea clipper. NOTE :: (tickets released on 23 Sept)
2. Discover Story Centre, Stratford – Michael Rosen’s Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake and Bad Things (Opens 16th October)
Opens 16 October 2015. BOOKING NOW and runs from Fri 16 October 2015 – 10 April 2016 (Suitable for Ages 0 – 11)
Step inside a humongous chocolate cake and explore a secret larder, swishy swashy and splash splosh your way through a Bear Hunt. And dare you explore the Bad Things in the Dread Shed? Discover hidden rooms and brilliant clues that show what inspired Michael Rosen’s writing including his Grandparents’ sitting room and his classroom. Younger children can enjoy a Bear Hunt trail, whilst older children can go on a fun fact finding mission on Michael Rosen and create poems of their own to take away.
3. Grant Museum of Zoology : Life Under the Waves (29-31 Oct)
Free Drop in Family Event : Drop in between 1pm and 4pm, this events are free and there is no need to book. Date: 29th-31st October Location: Grant Museum of Zoology, Rockefeller Building, University College London, University Street, WC1E 6DE
The Museum was established by Robert Edmond Grant in 1828 as a teaching collection of zoological specimens and material for dissection. On his death Grant left his own collection to the museum. The collection contains around 67,000 zoological specimens, many of which are very rare and several of which have been rediscovered only recently in storage.
You can tell the kids that if they look hard just by the entrance inside the museum, they will find the QUAGGA skeleton. It is one of only seven examples known of a South African zebra, extinct since 1883, this is the rarest skeleton in the world.
Make sure you pack your scuba equipment as they will take you under the waves to discover the amazing animal specimens that make the sea their home.
Bring along your intrepid young oceanologists and take part in our specimen based activities and get up close to the museums walrus and handle the turtle.
4. ISIS Education Centre in Hyde Park : Family Drop In Discovery Day ‘Hair-raising Halloween’ (28-29 Oct)
28 – 29 October 2015: 11am – 3pm is Free of charge. Suitable for the whole family! Note : Booking not necessary. Drop in any time between 11am and 3pm to take park in a host of exciting activities, uncovering and discovering the magic of nature.
Free activities include: Daring to explore our ‘feely boxes’, Arts and crafts including making your very own owl mask to take home, Learning about hibernating hedgehogs and how to track their behaviour.
Exploring our nature trail. Potion making using the natural resources around us. Dressing up is definitely encouraged so why not get into the spirit and come dressed as a ghoulish ghost or wicked witch.
5. V&A Childhood Museum, Bethnal Green : Dia de los Muertos Haunted Museum Halloween Party
On Saturday 31 October, between 11.00-15.30 – £15 per person (under 2s free) / For all ages / Book online above.
At London’s best museum for real youngsters, you can join the party with some of the Museum’s quirkiest toys this Dia de los Muertos. Make sure you come dressed in your spooky best and head to the weird Science room with Frankenstein’s toy lab. There will be some monstrous science investigations to take part in, and you can take home a photo of your creation.
Get warmed up for the Dead Disco and Miss Funnybones weird workout, an Eye Spy, Halloween Toy Trail where you hunt for weird toys in the Museum. Craft sessions to make a Toothy Necklace and transform and decorate a toy animal. or make a Shrunken Head (you can also buy an LED light to make it glow), and make a Dia de Muertos mask and maracas to wear to our mariachi parade.
Note: There is a Mad Mariachi marching band at 15.00, with age tiered fancy dress competition.
There is also the Halloween On Ice event at Ally Pally that looks good…
On Saturday 31st October head to Ally Pally ice rink for a day of scary skating and ghostly Halloween fun. Scary skate sessions throughout the day at 10.30am and 2:00pm. Our family Spooktacular disco starts from 5.30pm is perfect for the whole family to enjoy some Halloween fun. It’s the Adams Family on ice! From 8.30pm our Zombie Disco takes over to spin some freaky tunes for the walking (or skating!) dead. Tickets for kids start around £8, check online for times and booking.
photos courtesy of Pinterest & Venues & thecraftycrow.net
Creative Bus Stop 