Top 10 Halloween Events for London Kids and Families

 

 
Aaaarggghh.. Halloween is around the corner. Make the most of the spooky season with our Top 10 Halloween events for London Kids and Families. Can you dig it?

1. Big Fish Little Fish: Halloween Spooktacular Family Raves at Fire & Lightbox, 39 Parry Street, SW8 1RT (Vauxhall tube/rail) & at Hangar, Sidworth Street, London Fields, E8 (Hackney overground/London Bridge rail)
Party until something pops at the Spooktacular rave in Vauxhall at Fire & Lightbox (Sat Oct 27), with 3 rooms of live DJs. In Hackney at Hangar (Sun Oct 28), DJ Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols) tears up the dance floor for you and your little monsters. Both venues offer usual BFLF extras e.g. glowstick and transfer tattoos, parachute dance finale, licensed bar, Captain Cookie crafts and Villa Pia baby chill out. For ages 0-8 and their grown ups. 2pm-4.30pm, tickets are adult £10, child £7 and pre-walkers go free (Oct 27 & 28)

2. Ride the Steam or Diesel Halloween Ghost Train Epping Ongar Railway, North Weald CM16 6BT (Epping tube zone 6, bus to North Weald)
Ride a real steam or diesel train through Epping Forest and North Weald (aka North Weird) and look out for creepy fun e.g. magic shows, silent disco, ghost hunting, and drop-ins by owls from Epping Forest Hawk and Owl Sanctuary. All ages. Trains depart 11.30am-8.45pm from North Weald and 12.05pm-8pm from Ongar (earlier trains best for younger passengers). Buses every half hour from 11am-7pm at Epping Station. Train and bus fare: adult £15 (Fri-Sat) & £13 (Sun)/child £12 (Fri-Sat) & £10 (Sun)/under 3s FREE (Oct 27-28)

3. Horniman Halloween Fair, 100 London Rd, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ (Forest Hill overground)
Crawl inside the Wild Fangs creature cave to meet beastly things that go bump day or night. Work your style at the Halloween fashion parade, make and take Halloween lanterns, follow a spooky trail, or ride the not-so-scary tea cups and bouncy castle. All ages welcome. 10.30am-4.30pm, £0-£5, most activities are FREE (Oct 27-28)

4. Pumpkin Carving at the Greenwich Halloween Event, Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich SE10 9EJ (Cutty Sark DLR)
Haunt Cutty Sark Gardens with your scariest outfit, and prepare to get those pumpkins carved. Throughout the weekend, there’s also magic shows, live performance, Punch & Judy, Halloween boogie and fancy dress, face painting and henna, and food stalls. All ages welcome. 12pm-6pm, FREE (Oct 27-28)

5. London Canal Museum Halloween Boat Rides, 12-13 New Wharf Rd, N1 9RT (King’s Cross tube)
Every year, the London Canal narrowboat rides are packed with terrified travellers, for a haunting journey through the Islington tunnel. You can take a trawl through the museum’s corridor of fear and other spooky elements before or after your trip. These rides are suitable for all ages, even the bravest babies. Boats depart every 20 mins from 3pm-9pm; adult £11-£12/child ages 0-15 £8.50-£9 (Oct 27-28)

 

 
6. Halloween Dog Walk, Spaniards Rd, NW3 7JJ (Hampstead tube/East Finchley tube/Hampstead Heath overground)
Howwwwwl! The loveable pups turn into petrifying beasts at this annual Halloween parade. Look out for the best-dressed hound (and owner), browse scary stalls, and pick up treats to make your tails wag. Proceeds to charity. Registration from 11am, walk from 12pm; entrance fee per dog £5 (Oct 28)

7. Royal Gunpowder Mills: Dr Gore’s Spooky Mad Lab, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY (Waltham Cross rail)
Pop into Dr Gore’s Spooky Mad Lab, play with slime, try crazy experiments, create witches’ hats, miniature broomsticks or rockets! Ages 3+. Doors open 10am, last entry 3pm; adult from £10.50/child 3-15 from £8.50/family of 4 from £34.20/single parent family £24.75 (1 adult and 2 kids) (until Oct 28)

8. Sea Life London: Ascarium, Sea Life London Aquarium, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB (Waterloo/Embankment tube/rail)
Meet the Sea Witch, and follow clues to open her treasure chest. Face off against deadly piranhas, and search for broomsticks in the rainforest. Open daily from 10am-6pm (Mon-Fri, last entry 5pm), weekend 9.30am-7pm (Sat-Sun, last entry 6pm); adult from £21/child from £17/under 3s FREE (online prices, higher at door) (until Oct 31)

9. Dark Arts at Hogwarts, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, Aerodrome Way, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, WD25 7GS (Watford Junction rail)
Take a doom-laden daycation at Hogwarts in this annual Halloween shindig, where 100 hand-carved pumpkins will float through the air (as seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). Try wand combat training, duel against Death Eaters and marvel at original costumes from the movies. All ages welcome. First tours from 9am, last tours from 6.30-6.45pm (closing time 3 hours after last tour); adult from £43child from £35/family from £140/ages 4 and under FREE but require ticket. Advanced booking only (until Nov 10)

10. The Potion Room Afternoon Tea at Cutter & Squidge, 20 Brewer St, Soho, London, W1F 0SJ (Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Rd tubes)
Sign up for the School of Wizarding Alchemy at Cutter & Squidge to attend the Potion Room’s secret potions class. Become a potions master and enjoy a feast for all senses at this quirky afternoon tea experience for ages 8+ (younger ones not admitted). 12pm, 3pm & 6pm; adult £49.50/child 8-12 £39.50 (ongoing)

We also like
Head(less) to a monster party at Halloween Night with Highbury Roundhouse, all ages welcome, 5pm-8pm (Oct 27); go on a Roman journey to the Underworld at Museum of London Docklands (Oct 27-28); there’s scary goings-on at the London Museum of Water and Steam: Halloween Spookfest, all ages (until Oct 28); meet everyone’s favourite ogre at Shrek’s Adventure on the South Bank, SE1 – all ages welcome (ongoing); dare you enter the Spooky Shed, Chickenshed’s Youth Band’s pop-up immersive storytelling experience for ages 11+ (Oct 31)