October Half Term in Berkshire 2024
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We always love October half term as a family. By the time October half term comes around, the children are tired, school has taken its toll and we all really need a break. Plus, autumn means that it’s the perfect time to be cosy at home, watching movies, playing games and drinking so much hot chocolate!
But, autumn is also a great time to get outside, blow off those cobwebs and appreciate the beautiful, changing time of year. So I thought I would put together some ideas of things to do across Berkshire this October half term.
When is October half term in Berkshire?
October half term in Berkshire runs from 28 October to 1 November 2024. Some schools will usually have an inset day or two attached to the start of end of the half term, making it a little longer.
So here we have ideas of things to do during this autumn half term. I hope it’s helpful and if there are any activities or events that I’ve missed please do get in touch and let me know.
Days Out in Berkshire
If you’re just looking for a day out then we have a lot of inspiration for you in Berkshire and a little further afield. These posts should be helpful and there are family fun days out in Berkshire with dedicated half term activities below.
- Family Days Out in the South East
- Educational Days Out in the South East
- Educational Days Out in London
- Things to Do on a Family Trip to London
- Things to do in London on a Rainy Day
Afternoon Tea in Berkshire
If you fancy going for afternoon tea as a half term treat there are plenty of places to choose from and these guides may help you find somewhere perfect!
- The Best Places to Have Afternoon Tea in Berkshire
- Where to Have Afternoon Tea for Kids in Berkshire
Fireworks in Berkshire
Half term is when all the fireworks displays start to happen and there are so many across Berkshire this year. This post has all the information you need to add fireworks to your half term plans:
National Trust Events in Berkshire
National Trust is one of our go to places during any school holiday and they always have so many events and trails on to keep the whole family entertained. Here are a few options for half term fun at National Trust this October:
The Vyne – Vyne Rd, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke RG24 9HL
Halloween Pumpkin Trail – 26th October 2024 to 3rd November 2024 – £2 per trail sheet and prize
Exploring the ground floor of the house, find ten sun catchers featuring mysterious and magical pumpkins and enjoy Halloween themed family games in the gardens.
Read about our time at The Vyne here
Basildon Park – Lower Basildon, Reading RG8 9NR
October Half Term Trail at Basildon Park – 25th October 2024 to 3rd November 2024 – £2 per trail
Collect your trail sheet from visitor reception, follow the map to discover the activities and collect a small prize when you’ve finished.
Read about our time at Basildon Park here
Days Out with Half Term Activities in Berkshire
Bucklebury Farm Park – Pease Hill, Reading RG7 6RR
Lego at the Farm – Various dates throughout half term – £5 per child
Visit Bucklebury Farm and take part in a Lego workshop too. These workshops are designed to help children with problem solving, dexterity, creativity, confidence and relaxation all whilst building friendships and having fun with LEGO® bricks.
Children’s Yoga at the Farm – 28th October 2024 – Tickets are £20 and include entry to the farm and soft play after the session
Join Lizzie for a ‘spooky’ themed Yoga & Craft session for children aged 3 – 11 years old. The session includes: yoga poses, games, craft, music, breath-work and a relaxation.
Halloween at the Farm – Details coming soon
4 Kingdoms Adventure Park – Newbury Road, Headley, Thatcham RG19 8JY
Halloween Half Term – 25th October to 3rd November 2024
Pumpkin Patch – 5th to 31st October 2024
Wellington Country Park – Odiham Road, Riseley, Berkshire RG7 1SP
The Mini Hallo’Welly’Ween – 23rd October – 25th October 2024
Brand new for 2024, perfect for little ones up to the age of 4 years old. Visit Wellington Country Park for the friendliest Halloween fun around, planned especially for the youngest of visitors.
Hallo’Welly’Ween – 26th October – 3rd November 2024
This October half-term, Wellington Country Park have got some wickedly awesome plans brewing! They’re throwing the biggest and most friendly spook’tacular Hallo’Welly’Ween ever, and you’re all invited.
Read about our day at Wellington Country Park here
Windsor Great Park Environmental Centre – The Great Park, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 2BY
Wildlife Halloween Mystery Family Trail – 29th to 31st October 2024
There’s been a murder… of the wildlife kind. After a bump in the night, there’s a crime scene at Windsor Great Park. Help solve the wildlife mystery – whodunnit?! In order to enter the crime scene to investigate, you must become a wildlife detective. Complete the detective training through this family trail, learning how to find and identify tracks and signs of animals.
Woolley Firs Environmental Education Centre – Cherry Garden Lane, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3LJ
Bewitching Bat Trail – Various dates, 28th October to 1st November 2024
Travel into the bat ‘cave’, through the dark woodland and around the eerie meadows and become bewitched by brilliant, bewildering bats.
Legoland Windsor – Winkfield Rd, Windsor SL4 4AY
Brick or Treat – 27th September to 3rd November 2024
The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort will be transformed into a pumpkin-filled wonderland for what is sure to be the most frightfully fun event of the year perfect for the young, and the young at heart!
Reading Museum – Blagrave Street, Reading, RG1 1QH
Victorian Schoolroom Experience in the Gateway – 1st November 2024 – £1 per person
Meet a Victorian schoolteacher and re-learn the ‘3Rs’. A 45-minute experience for adults and children over 5 in a unique Victorian classroom, in the historic Abbey Gateway.
BCA Zoo – Burchett’s Green, Maidenhead SL6 6QR
Zoo Tours – Various dates
Visir BCA Zoo on a guided tour, home to over 100 different species from across the globe. Visit the Nocturnal Room where the animals come alive in the twilight, the bustling Zoo Courtyard and finish off in the warm Reptile House where you never know what fascinating creature might be waiting around the next corner.
Treasure Trails
If you want to get outside but you don’t really know where, we love Treasure Trails. It’s an adventure that the whole family can get involved in. Solve a mystery, save the day or be a spy! It’s great fun and we always really enjoy it. Here are some of the Berkshire Treasure Trails – you can see the full list here.
- Marlow – Town and Parks
- Maidenhead – Riverside
- Twyford
- Wokingham
- Reading – Abbey Quarter
- Windsor – Gardens and Riverside
- Eton
- Datchet
You can read about one of our Treasure Trail adventures here.
Indoor Activities in Berkshire
If the weather isn’t great over half term then you may want to do something indoors that still gets you out of the house. Here are some ideas:
Libraries in Berkshire
There are many libraries across Berkshire and the vast majority of them have activities and events on for children on a regular basis but especially during school holidays. You can find your local library here and book available sessions online too.
Leisure Centres in Berkshire
Leisure centres can be a fantastic place to spend time as a family and they’ve come far over recent times, now having so much more than just swimming pools. Many have climbing facilities, soft play centres and even trampoline parks within them! Here are some of the ones in Berkshire to choose from:
- Bracknell Leisure Centre
- Palmer Park, Reading
- Wokingham Leisure Centre
- Arborfield Green Leisure Centre
- Bulmershe Leisure Centre
- Woodford Park Leisure Centre
- St Crispin’s Leisure Centre
- Loddon Valley Leisure Centre
- Kennet Leisure Centre
- Windsor Leisure Centre
- Braywick Leisure Centre
- Rivermead Leisure Centre
- Willink Leisure Centre, Burghfield Common
- Northcroft Leisure Centre
- Cox Green Leisure Centre
- Charters Leisure Centre
- South Reading Leisure Centre
Trampoline Parks in Berkshire
Trampolining is a fantastic activity that children love and it’s perfect for a wet weather day – which is often the case in February half term! Here are the trampoline parks in Berkshire – and many of the leisure centres above offer trampolining classes too. It’s great fun for all ages.
- Red Kangaroo – Reading
- Jump In – Slough
- Bracknell Trampoline Centre
- Jump Giants – Slough
Soft Play and Indoor Play Centres in Berkshire
Soft play and other indoor play centres are fantastic for children and are great for bad weather days too. We have so many great indoor activity hubs in Berkshire from typical soft play centres to role play dressing up experiences.
- The Mad House – Reading
- Jungle Mania – Woodley
- Monkey Mates – Wokingham
- Active Antz at Bracknell Leisure Centre
- Tiny Town Cafe – Newbury
- The Jelly Lounge – Windsor
- Lakeside Soft Play – Datchet
- Cobbs Play Barn – Hungerford
- Active Tots – Reading – Read our review here
Shopping Centres in Berkshire
Shopping centres are a great place to spend time. You can wander round the shops, grab some lunch and there are often organised activities and events in to make the most of as well.
- The Lexicon – Bracknell
- Nicholsons Shopping Centre – Maidenhead
- Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre – Slough
- Kennet Shopping Centre – Newbury
- Parkway Shopping Centre – Newbury
- The Oracle – Reading
- Broad Street Mall – Reading
Pottery Painting in Berkshire
Pottery painting is a fantastic activity for the whole family as well as being a calm and relaxed experience. Children of all ages will love it and it’s so nice to have something to take away with you afterwards – or pick up a few days later when it’s been fired! Here are our Berkshire pottery painting destinations.
- Pottery Pals – Wokingham
- Top of the Pots – Warfield
- Mad Hatters Pottery Cafe – Reading
- Hands-on Art Adventures – Windsor
- The Ugly Duckling Pottery Painting – Newbury
- Blue Beetle Ceramics – Thatcham
Bowling in Berkshire
Bowling is another great activity for the whole family and perfect when the weather isn’t great. Here are the Berkshire bowling alleys to choose from:
- Wokingham Superbowl
- Hollywood Bowl – Bracknell
- The Phoenix Bowl – Maidenhead
- Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling – Reading
Laser Tag in Berkshire
Laser Tag was such a new thing when I was a child but they’ve grown massively in popularity over recent years and now laser centres are everywhere. Here are both indoor and outdoor laser tag sites across Berkshire.
- Laser Quest – Wokingham
- Predator Assault – Reading
- Absolutely Laser – Maidenhead
Climbing Centres and Aerial Adventures in Berkshire
Climbing is another great family activity and we have so many centres across the county – plus those included in the leisure centres above. Here are some more indoor and outdoor centres to give you some climbing inspiration.
- Parthian Climbing – Reading
- Oakwood Climbing Centre – Wokingham
- The Climbing Hangar – Reading
- Slough Climbing Wall
- Northway Climbing Centre – Newbury
- Dinton Activity Centre – Wokingham
- Go Ape – Swinley Forest, Bracknell – Read our Go Ape review here
- Clip n Climb – Reading – Read our Clip n Climb review here
Cinemas in Berkshire
Most cinemas have reduced tickets at weekends and in school holidays, a great budget activity that the whole family can enjoy together
Vue – Mighty Mornings
At Vue’s Mini Mornings you can see the best kids and family films from only £2.49 each. Mini Mornings run every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10am plus every day in the school holidays.
Odeon – Odeon Kids
With special Odeon Kids screenings of the most spellbinding fairy tales and animated films, grown-ups pay kids’ ticket prices, making it a great value day out for the whole family.
There are many other cinemas in Berkshire – Everyman, Empire and Harlequin to name a few, but they all seem to have the same ticket prices and offerings during school holidays.
Holiday Clubs in Berkshire
If you need to work over the holidays and need childcare then holiday clubs are a really popular idea – and there are so many across Berkshire that you’re bound to find one perfect for your children that’s close to where you live or work.
Koosa Kids
Where: The Heights Primary School, Reading – EP Collier Primary School, Reading – Birch Hill Primary School, Bracknell
When: Most school holidays
Ages: 4 – 13 year olds
Experience all the fun and excitement of the Winter Olympics at KOOSA Kids February Half Term Holiday Clubs. With a mixture of active and non-active games and activities, the Winter Olympics Spectacular caters for all tastes and interests.
Ultimate Activity Camps
Where: Crossfields, Reading
When: Most school holidays
Ages: 4 – 14 year olds
At Ultimate Activity Camps, children will enjoy a fantastic range of sports, games and art activities every week led by engaging staff at amazing locations. Fun is at the heart of everything they do.
Camp Beaumont
Where: Elstree School, Reading – Jennett’s Park, Bracknell – Leighton Park School, Reading – St George’s School, Windsor – St John’s Beaumont School, Old Windsor – Wellington Health & Fitness Club, Berkshire
When: Most school holidays
Ages: 3 to 16 year olds
Camp Beaumont award-winning half-term adventure day camps feature over 50 activities including archery, football and tennis, teaching children new skills whilst making new friends and enjoying their best half-term break yet.
Premier Education Holiday Camps
Where: Birch Copse Primary School, Tilehurst
When: Most school holidays
Ages: 4 to 12 year olds
Premier Education have a range of fun and exciting holiday camps to keep children active. Each Holiday Camp features a range of activities and with a choice between a Multi-Activity camp, Multi-Sport camp, Performing Arts camp, or a Sport-Specific camp.
Barracudas also usually have camps in Maidenhead and Newbury over the holidays.
I hope that’s given you some inspiration for family friendly things to do over the October half term holidays before the kids are back at school for the last half term of the year. I’ll add more suggestions as I come across them and if you know of anything going on in Berkshire that I’ve missed please do get in touch and let me know.
If you’re looking for even more to do this half term, these articles might help:
- Where to practice Archery in Berkshire
- Where to go Go Karting in Berkshire
- Where to play Crazy Golf in Berkshire
- Where to Have Afternoon Tea for Kids in Berkshire
- 17 Pubs with Play Areas Berkshire
