15 half term and halloween family-friendly things to do in and around Thanet

It's Halloween again, which means an abundance of sugar, pumpkins, and DIY costumes. We've rounded up some great spooky activities to fill time this half term, as well as other top events that have nothing to do with Halloween, for when you've reached your limit with it all.

We've got craft workshops, animation, parties, trick or treat trails, free pizza, and more. Plenty to keep the children occupied for their week off, and events that hopefully you'll enjoy too.

Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet has Mary Shelley’s The Immortal Moral graphic novel workshops and a session where kids get to experiment with the creepy side of science. We’re not talking Poor Things/Dog Man-type science, more like make your own goo and slime. This one is free and drop-in, on Thursday Oct 31. The graphic novel workshops are also free and drop-in and on Tuesday, Oct 29, but turn up to a sesh, 10am-12pm, 12.30-2.30, 3pm-5pm, five minutes early. This one is for kids aged 7-16. 

Margate’s Windmill Gardens hosts a Halloween party filled with activities such as pumpkin carving, bug hotel filling and crafts, as well as scarecrows and a fancy dress parade. To make a delightful event even better, there’s homemade cakes and food to shove into your gob while you’re there. On Tuesday, October 29, 12pm-3pm. Tickets are £6/£1. 

Learn how to make models from a model maker from Aardman, the people who created Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Held at The WonderWorks at Westwood Industrial Estate, bring your own character into life in these hands on sessions. Tickets are £10 per maker, and booking is essential. Call 0184 323 3524 to book, and kids under 6 years must be accompanied by an adult. On October 28-29. wonderworksmargate.co.uk

If you are as crafty as you are spooky, Kinder Collective’s spooky craft sessions are the ticket. Head to the delightful Broadstairs shop to make a day of the dead mask, or a bat. Sessions are free and drop-in, and on during regular trading hours, Mon-Sat 9.30am-4pm; Sunday 11am-3pm.

There’s halloween trails running all through Thanet and beyond - take your pick on which one you want to go on. There’s Margate Caves’ pumpkin trail, running October 26 to November 3 10am-5pm; Broadstairs Trick or Treat Trail, starting at 2.30pm at Pierremont Hall (and a Boo Bash at 4pm) on October 31, Aarven's Annual Halloween Treat Trail, which takes kids all over Margate on Saturday, October 26 for treats, treats, treats (2pm-4pm); the Spooktacular Scarecrow trail at Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve, Oct 27-Nov3; 9am-2pm £3.50; and The Beany’s Fright at the Museum: Prisms & Potions trail in Canterbury is full of riddles to solve and clues to find (£5 Running until Sun Nov 3). Plus more Halloween stuff at Margate’s Old Kent Market and even more halloween activities at Quex, which also includes a trail. 

Broadstairs children’s bookshop, Happy Reading has a string of creative sessions led by authors and illustrators. You could make your own monster with Em Cosh (3yrs+, free) or join in a spooky draw-along session (costume optional but encouraged) with Inky Willis (6yrs+, £5, includes a copy of Scribble Witch), or get crafty with Chloe Savage (£3yrs+, £5, includes copy of The Search For Carmella). To book and for timings, visit happyreading.uk.

The delightful gourmet farm shop Macknade in Faversham will host a drop-in pumpkin painting session on Tuesday, October 29. For £5 kids are supplied with pumpkins, aprons, brushes, and spooky stickers, so you can add some seasonal bling to your home until they start to decompose. Swing by anytime between 11am and 1.30pm. Suitable for children aged 3-12.  

Turner Contemporary has plenty of stuff to keep the kids occupied. In addition to Anya Gallaccio’s exhibition, preserve. There’s a string of workshops to get stuck into, including ones where you can make your own watercolour paint with mussel shells, a drawing workshop or one in which you can make your own badge with cool stuff from nature. Sessions are free and drop-in, head to the website to check times. turnercontemporary.org

An offer just as good as the location, kids eat for free this half term at Margate’s GB Pizza, overlooking Main Sands. Available Monday, October 28 to Friday November 1, little ‘uns get a free kids margarita or pepperoni pizza if an adult orders a whole pizza. Offer is available 12pm-4pm, and it’s a maximum of two free kids’ pizza for every adult-sized one. 

If you’re planning a trip up to London, stop by Young V&A in Bethnal Green. The stellar museum opened last year and is already winning awards - including charity Kids in Museum’s Family Friendly Museum Award 2024. The Japan exhibition has finished, but there’s still a host of interactive, fun and educational stuff to play with, for all ages. 

And also…

Mr Miyagi in Canterbury is hosting sushi making classes for children and grown ups on Friday, November 1. Places are £30 for kids and £35 for adults. 

Quench in Cliftonville will be holding a gallery tour and creative workshop for kids aged 10+ on Saturday, October 26. Free but book. 

Smoking Apples Theatre will stage their award-winning children’s show Kinder at Ark in Cliftonville on October 26. Tickets from £5.

Betteshanger Park near Deal is hosting a Halloween drive-in cinema from October 28 to November 3. There will be two family-friendly screenings per day, as well as an evening adults-only line up of horror flicks. 

Revolution Skatepark in Broadstairs will be running its usual skate and scoot camp throughout the week. Kids can drop in for the day or spend the whole week on the ramps. Finishes with fancy dress on the Friday. Details here.