The Ultimate October Half-Term Guide for Leicester Families

New activities pop up all the time, so I’ll be adding to this list as I find out about them, keep checking back! If you’re hosting something for October half term, big or small, or know of a great event I’ve missed, please get in touch at leicester@raring2go.co.uk.

Details correct at the time of sourcing, please check with venues before you set off, as times and prices can change, and some places are still finalising their plans.

October half term runs from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026 for Leicester city and county schools. That’s nine days. Nine days of “I’m bored” if you don’t have a plan.

So I’ve done the digging for you. Below you’ll find days out, museums, theatre, outdoor adventures, rainy-day saves and plenty of free or cheap ideas.

Halloween lands on Saturday 31 October, the weekend after half term. Pumpkin patches and spooky trails have their own home, so head to my Halloween round-up for all things orange and ghoulish. This guide covers everything else.

Big days out

National Space Centre – Spooky Space: The Science of Magic (17 Oct – 1 Nov) Leicester’s own launchpad goes a little bit magical this half term. Expect live science shows, hands-on workshops and cosmic crafts. The planetarium is the biggest in the UK, and it never gets old. Your ticket also upgrades to a free annual pass, so you can come back all year. Book ahead as it gets very busy.

📍 National Space Centre, Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NS 🔗 Find out more

Conkers, Moira – October Half Term at The Heart of The National Forest (19 Oct – 1 Nov) Conkers really comes into its own this time of year, with the National Forest turning every shade of autumn. It’s all included in your admission too, which always helps. Little ones can get stuck into Halloween crafts, hunt down the Witches’ Potion Scavenger Hunt for a lucky dip in the giant sweet cauldron, and hop aboard the Conkachoo Train for a gentle chug through the changing woodland. There’s a half-term cinema screening of Sonic the Hedgehog if you fancy a sit-down, plus live Amphitheatre shows with a seasonal twist.

📍 Conkers Discovery, Rawdon Road, Moira, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, DE12 6GA 🔗 Find out more

Twycross Zoo – Room on the Broom Corn Maze (3 Oct – 1 Nov) Wind your way through Twycross’s themed corn maze, spot familiar characters along the route, and see if you can find the Witch. Along the way you’ll collect sweet treats and find a broomstick photo-op for some proper Instagram-worthy moments. Add a Room on the Broom tote bag (£5 per child) to your zoo ticket to unlock entry. Older children might love the evening bat walks (£10) or twilight nature walks (£5). And the Gruffalo Discovery Land is still there for little ones.

📍 Twycross Zoo, Burton Road, Atherstone, CV9 3PX 🔗 Find out more

Museums and heritage

King Richard III Visitor Centre and Jewry Wall Museum – children go free (until 31 Oct) Up to three under-16s go free with each paying adult. Find out how a king ended up under a car park, then pop round the corner to Roman Leicester at the Jewry Wall. History has never been such good value.

📍 King Richard III Visitor Centre, 4A St Martins, Leicester, LE1 5DB 🔗 Find out more

Abbey Pumping Station – Half Term Railway Day (Tue 20 Oct) All aboard the narrow gauge railway. Train-mad little ones will be in heaven, and general entry is free, you only pay a small charge for the train rides themselves. If you haven’t been before, you may have been told by another parent about the flushing toilet exhibit? (it is a sewage pumping museum, after all!). We always end up spending far longer around it than planned… Poo (or a rounded stone that plays the part in the museum) is endlessly hilarious to children.

📍 Abbey Pumping Station, Corporation Road, Leicester, LE4 5PX 🔗 Find out more

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre – Halloween History Hunt (17-25 Oct) Hunt for ten Halloween traditions around the site and discover where they came from. It’s spooky with a side of learning, don’t tell them! Guided walks run on both half-term weekends too.

📍 Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Sutton Cheney, Nuneaton, CV13 0AD 🔗 Find out more

Theatre and shows

On Your Bike Baffo! at Curve (Tue 20 Oct) A hopeful clown tries to build a bike out of very unlikely objects. Chaos follows. There’s slapstick, live music and lots of audience participation. It won Best Kids and Family show at Adelaide Fringe, so you’re in safe hands. Best suited to 3-8 year olds.

📍 Curve, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB 🔗 Find out more

So Unfair! at Attenborough Arts Centre (Sat 24 Oct) An interactive science show where the audience has to take on big challenges and save the day. Presented by One Tenth Human in association with The Dukes Lancaster, it follows Daniel Bye as he tries to change the world in an unexpectedly ridiculous adventure involving engineering challenges, bad dad jokes and an extraordinary quantity of molten chocolate. Best suited to 7-11 year olds and their grown-ups, perfect for curious minds who ask “why?” 400 times a day.

📍 Attenborough Arts Centre, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 7HA 🔗 Find out more

For older children, Curve is staging The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time from 20 to 24 October. It’s a brilliant choice for secondary-age children and teens, but probably one to save for older siblings.

Planet Circus OMG Stunts (20-25 Oct) The big top pitches up at Leicester Lions Speedway for a genuinely jaw-dropping mix of world-class circus skills and FMX stunt riding, complete with the show’s own monster truck, Red Thunder. I’ve seen this one before and absolutely loved it! A warning though, when the motorbikes come out it gets very noisy, so bring ear defenders if you’ve got little ones who are sensitive to sound. Suitable for all the family.

📍 Leicester Lions Speedway, Beaumont Park, 1 The Lions, Leicester, LE4 1DZ 🔗 Find out more

Halloween Film Club at the National Space Centre Get into the Halloween spirit in the UK’s largest planetarium. Screening The Conjuring (15) on 24th October (one for the grown-ups only!) followed by the much gentler Monsters Inc (U) on 1st November for the whole family.

🔗 Book The Conjuring | Book Monsters Inc

Journeys Festival International – family picks (17-25 Oct) JFI brings a huge programme of art, theatre, dance and film to Leicester, much of it aimed at adults, however there are also some lovely family-friendly moments tucked in too. Open Play X JFI (Sun 18 and Sun 25 Oct) is a joyful, collaborative creative play session for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups. CARE / REST / PLAY (17-25 Oct) is a three-part sculptural installation across the city, created especially for children. There are also family film screenings as part of Journeys into Film – James and the Giant Peach (18 Oct) and The Wild Robot (24 Oct) both fit the bill nicely. Worth a browse of the full programme to see what else might suit your family.

📍 Various venues across Leicester 🔗 Find out more

Outdoor adventures

Room on the Broom Trail at Hicks Lodge Throughout October | 2km trail, suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs Join Witch and her friends on an enchanting forest adventure. Help find her lost hat, bow and wand, collect spell ingredients, and watch out for Dragon along the way. Look out for magical cauldrons throughout October for a chance to earn a sticker reward! Trail packs available for £4 from Grounds Cafe.

📍 Hicks Lodge, Willesley Woodside, Moira Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Swadlincote, LE65 2UP 🔗 Find out more

Diwali lights on Belgrave Road (from around Sun 25 Oct) The council says the Diwali lights will go on two weeks before Diwali Day, without a switch-on ceremony this year. That puts them on around the last day of half term. Wrap up warm and go for an evening stroll along the Golden Mile. Diwali Day itself is Sunday 8 November at Cossington Recreation Ground.

Country parks Autumn leaves, muddy boots and a flask of hot chocolate. Here are some of my go-tos:

• Watermead Country Park – lakes, wildlife and flat paths for scooters
• Beacon Hill – a proper climb with a big view at the top
• Snibston Colliery Park, Coalville – trails, a playground and mining history, plus a great cafe
• Market Bosworth Country Park – an easy walk with a great play area and loads of empty space for a game of football

Rainy-day rescues

It’s October in England. It will rain. Here’s where to go when it does.

• Burn off energy – soft play at 360 Play, bouncing at Boost trampoline park, climbing at Social Climb, or roller skating and bowling at Spin Pin in the city centre. Book ahead on wet days, when everyone has the same idea.
• Get curious – the National Space Centre, King Richard III Visitor Centre and Jewry Wall are all indoors (and two of them are free for children this month).
• Visit your library – Leicester’s libraries usually run free crafts and storytimes over half term. I’ll add details once they’re announced.
• Catch a film – Phoenix often runs free drop-in creative sessions in the school holidays, alongside family films.
• Stay in with Space Cadets Online – an hour-long online Space Club session for ages 7-11, hosted via Zoom by the National Space Centre’s Discovery Team. Book here.
• Get messy at home – leaf rubbings, conker art, or a den made from every blanket in the house. Free, and nobody has to find a parking space!

Free and cheap ideas

Half term doesn’t have to cost a fortune. These are easy on the wallet.

Family Learning Festival at Abbey Park (Tue 20 and Wed 21 Oct, 11am-2pm, free) Leicester Adult Education is bringing stories to life this half term as part of the national Family Learning Festival. This year’s theme is “Story Power: Imagine Beyond the Page”. Head to Abbey Park Education Centre (LE4 5AQ, near the Friendship Garden) for two days of free, story-themed fun. There’s den building, interactive games, a We’re Going on a Bear Hunt trail, and campfire stories and songs. We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We’ll just have to go to Abbey Park. No booking needed, just turn up. The organisers do ask you to fill in a short interest form so they can plan materials. Bring a packed lunch and drinks, and stay with your child throughout.

📍 Abbey Park Education Centre, Abbey Park, Leicester, LE4 5AQ 🔗 Find out more

Leicester Cathedral – Family Activities A genuinely lovely, low-cost option right in the city centre, running on a donation basis throughout. October half-term drop-in activities run Tuesday 20 and Thursday 22 October, 10.30am-12pm and 2-4pm, no booking needed. There’s also Soft Play in the Nave on Saturday 24 October, 10.30am-3.15pm, where the Cathedral nave transforms into a monster-themed play area for ages 0-7, booked in 45-minute slots on a pay-what-you-can basis (only children’s tickets need booking). Outside half term, look out for Little Tigers Stay and Play, a monthly themed session for babies and toddlers – there’s a family area with books, bean bags and toys year-round too, plus free family trails to pick up any time you visit.

📍 Leicester Cathedral, Peacock Lane, Leicester, LE1 5PZ 🔗 Find out more

Abbey Pumping Station – Half Term Railway Day (Tue 20 Oct, free entry) General entry is free, with just a small charge for the train rides themselves. See the Museums and heritage section above for the full details.

Parks and playgrounds! So many lovely places to go without spending money (assuming we have a dry day or you pack your waterproofs). I’m putting together a fuller guide to Leicestershire’s parks soon, watch this space!