Curated · updated weekly
What's on
The markets, craft events, exhibitions and small, lovely things worth your time — hand-picked, never the tourist-trap stuff. If it's here, we'd go ourselves.
Running something lovely? Promote your event with us →
All of the UKLondon · 3South East · 4South West · 2West Midlands · 2East Midlands · 3Yorkshire · 4North West · 2North East · 1Wales · 1
All upcoming · Family
FamilyUntil 20 Sept · Newcastle
Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found
A free family exhibition of hoards, relics and buried finds at Newcastle's much-loved natural history and archaeology museum.
Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PTFree entry
FamilyUntil 8 Nov · Dorking
Moominvalley Trail at Polesden Lacey
A gentle garden trail through the National Trust's Surrey estate, meeting the Moomin family among the borders and woodland.
Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6BDFree with garden admission (Adult £14 / Child £7 / Family £35; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 12 Oct · Sevenoaks
Babyccino Coffee Morning & Storytime at Knole
Weekly babyccinos, toys and storytime for under-5s in Knole's Brewhouse — a soft landing for meeting other parents.
Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP (Brewhouse Café and Bookshop)Free with normal admission (Outdoor & Tower ticket around £6; free for National Trust members)
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 8 Nov · Brighton
The Story Trail
Thirty giant, artist-painted BookBenches turn Brighton and Hove's streets and parks into a free citywide trail.
Streets, parks and open spaces across Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN1Free
Family👋 Meet peopleFri 18 Sept · Ely
Little Explorers at Ely Museum
A monthly morning of themed craft, stories and songs for under-5s inside Ely Museum's former gaol building.
Ely Museum, The Old Gaol, Market Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4LS£3.50 per child; accompanying adult needs a museum admission ticket or annual pass
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Lincoln
Dog Friendly Days at Lincoln Castle
Leads off for the weekend — dogs get the run of Lincoln Castle's grounds, Wall Walk and Victorian Prison on these selected dates.
Lincoln Castle, Castle Hill, Lincoln, LN1 3AAFree castle grounds; standard admission for the Wall Walk & Prison
FamilySat 19 – Sun 20 Sept · Bangor
Open Doors Free Weekend at Penrhyn Castle
Free entry to a neo-Norman castle and its parkland for one weekend only, with slate-splitting by real Llanberis quarrymen.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 4HNFree entry (part of Cadw's Open Doors festival)
Family👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · London
Chiswick House Dog Show
London's biggest dog show returns to Chiswick House Gardens with 17 daft, lovable classes and a Traitors-themed fancy dress round.
Chiswick House and Gardens, Staveley Road entrance, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 3ESFree to watch; £6 per dog per class to enter
FamilySun 20 Sept · Cobham
Family Fun Day at Painshill
A day of lawn games, sketching stations and self-guided trails through Painshill's 18th-century landscape garden and follies near Cobham.
Painshill, Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1JE£15 adult / £7.50 child (5–16) / under-5s free
Family👋 Meet peopleSun 20 Sept · York
York Dog Show
A new dog-lovers' day in York Museum Gardens — agility demos, dog classes, pet photography and a shopping village, in aid of local charities.
York Museum Gardens, YorkTickets on sale soon — see yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk
FamilyUntil 4 Oct · Bath
Bath Children's Literature Festival
Ten days of storytelling, big-name authors and hands-on family events across Bath, built entirely around getting kids excited about books.
Venues across Bath, including the Guildhall, Bath BA1Ticket prices vary by event, via Bath Box Office
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 4 Oct · Droitwich Spa
Hanbury Hall's Apple Harvest
A National Trust apple-picking event across two autumn weekends, with 47 varieties to try and estate honey for sale.
Hanbury Hall, School Road, Hanbury, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 7EAStandard garden admission, plus £5 (small) or £10 (large) picking bag
FamilySat 26 Sept · Helensburgh
Lochside Social
A relaxed, drop-in family festival on the Gare Loch shore near Helensburgh, with games, activities and food for all ages.
Rosneath Castle Park, Rosneath, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute G84 0QUFree, drop-in
FamilySun 27 Sept · London
Relaxed Hour at the Tower of London
Two crowd-free hours before opening, with SEN-aware staff, sensory adjustments and free access to the Crown Jewels.
Tower of London, London EC3N 4ABFree entry for the relaxed session (pre-booking required)
FamilyUntil 31 Oct · Cheltenham
Pumpkin Patch at Cotswold Farm Park
A pick-your-own pumpkin patch and carving tent at Adam Henson's rare-breed farm, open weekends through October and daily over half term.
Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham GL54 5UG£14.95 adult / £14.50 child, includes a pumpkin
FamilyUntil 1 Nov · Leicestershire
Pumpkin Season at Broom Leys Farm
A working Leicestershire farm turns over its fields to a tractor-trailer pumpkin patch, maize maze and petting farm for the whole of October.
Broom Leys Farm, 59 Broom Leys Road, Hugglescote, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 4DDAdult/child £6.29, family ticket £20.96 (under 2s free)
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 – Sun 4 Oct · Woodstock
DogFest at the Palace
The UK's biggest dog-lovers' festival lands at Blenheim Palace for a weekend of agility have-a-goes and breed meet-ups.
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PPFrom £27.50 per person; under-11s free
FamilyUntil 31 Oct · Leicester
Monsters and Bats
Halloween craft weekends in Leicester's medieval Guildhall — bat-hat making, window decorations and monster crafts, costumes encouraged.
Leicester Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester LE1 5FQ£4.00 per child taking part
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Birmingham
Wheelchair Roadshow UK
A free, hands-on day at Birmingham's MAC where you can test power attachments and the latest wheelchair kit across Cannon Hill Park, no appointment needed.
MAC Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QHFree — pre-register at wheelchairroadshow.com
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Highlands
World Porridge Making Championship
A Highland village hall hosts competitors from across the globe battling for the Golden Spurtle in the annual World Porridge Championship.
Carrbridge Village Hall, Carrbridge, Highland PH23 3BBFree entry for spectators
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 3 Oct · Harrogate
Yorkshire Baby & Toddler Show — Autumn 2026
An autumn baby and toddler show in Harrogate with expert talks, live demonstrations and over 100 family exhibitors.
The Pavilions, Great Yorkshire Events Centre, Harrogate HG2 8NZ£5, under-5s free
FamilySun 4 Oct · Chepstow
Pumpkin Patch at Lower House Farm
A working Monmouthshire farm opens its 2,500-strong pumpkin patch for the season, from miniature gourds to giants, with animals and hot food in the barn.
Lower House Farm, Llanvair Discoed, Monmouthshire NP16 6LX£10 car pass (up to 7 people, booking fee applies); pumpkins from £1
Family👋 Meet peopleTue 6 Oct · Wakefield
Toddler Tuesdays at The Hepworth Wakefield
A specialist early-years morning among Barbara Hepworth's sculptures, mixing singing, movement and messy making for under-5s and their grown-ups.
The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW£11 for one adult + one child; £5 extra adult / £4 extra child
FamilySun 11 Oct · Liverpool
Planetarium: Relaxed Session
A sensory-adapted planetarium show at World Museum Liverpool — lights kept low but on, sound turned down, and freedom to move or step out any time.
World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8ENFree museum entry; small planetarium charge (around £3-4pp)
FamilySat 17 – Sun 18 Oct · Coventry
Edition Dog Live
An indoor weekend of have-a-go dog activities, breed meet-ups and displays at NAEC Stoneleigh Park — dogs and under-16s go free.
NAEC Stoneleigh, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry CV8 2LG£18 per day, dogs and under-16s free
FamilyUntil 1 Nov · Horsham
The Potion Master's Quest
A half-term trail through Leonardslee's autumn gardens — riddles, hidden letters and an obstacle course to earn the title of Potion Master.
Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham RH13 6PPIncluded with garden admission — adult from £15.50, child (2-16) from £8.50, family ticket from £43
Family👋 Meet peopleUntil 1 Nov · York
October Half Term Big Draw at York Castle Museum
A free drop-in half-term trail for young artists, sketching favourite museum objects onto a giant collaborative canvas of York.
York Castle Museum, Eye of York, York YO1 9RYIncluded with museum admission (adult around £18)
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 24 Oct · Pulborough
Wicked Wild Wednesday at Pulborough Brooks
Halloween-tinged nature day for kids — pond dipping, mud monsters and fungi hunting on an RSPB reserve.
RSPB Pulborough Brooks, Wiggonholt, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 2EL£10 per child (RSPB members £8), plus standard trail entry/parking
FamilyUntil 1 Nov · London
Jet & Space Week
October half-term at the RAF Museum — a mobile planetarium space show, inflatable laser tag and character trails through the aircraft hangars.
RAF Museum London, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London NW9 5LLFree entry; planetarium show £6.50; Planet Trail booklet £3
Family👋 Meet peopleSat 24 Oct · Liverpool
Spooky Welly Walk
A 1.5-mile Halloween fundraising walk round Sefton Park with creepy crafts, a funfair and mask-making, in aid of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Sefton Park, Liverpool L17£8 per person, £30 per family of 4, under-2s free
FamilyUntil 1 Nov · Llanelli
SUPER Natural October Half Term
A scare-free, nature-themed autumn trail through the wetlands with folklore, seasonal creativity and a logbook to fill in as you go.
WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre, Llwynhendy, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 9SHIncluded with standard admission (free for WWT members)
FamilyUntil 2 Nov · Bristol
Howl-oween: Creatures of the Dark
Bristol Zoo Project turns spooky-but-sweet for half term, with a nightly trail and dark-loving creatures included in your ticket.
Bristol Zoo Project, Blackhorse Hill, Bristol BS10 7TPIncluded in admission (from £15.80 online, under-2s free)
Get the good stuff, every Thursday
One free email a week with the weekend's best hand-picked days out. No filler, no tourist traps, no selling your attention to the highest bidder.
Join free →