Centrale Shopping Centre in Croydon is throwing a free four-day Spooky Extravaganza that started on Thursday. Activities will run from 11.00 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. each day until Sunday, 31 October.

Here are some of the highlights:

Mr. Tricks - Centrale’s very own master of magic presenting a box of tricks

Spooky Sing Along and Scary Story Time – Songs and books linking in with the Halloween theme providing an interactive event that all ages enjoy.

Halloween Mask Making – Craftwork sessions for children to decorate their very own Halloween masks.

Treats – Specially made Centrale Tricks and Treats bookmarks will be given away during the event.

Wacky Wizard Shows – See the magical puppet show about a small boy who goes to a magical land to find work. While there he meets a wicked Witch who only the good wizard can save him from.

Halloween Parade – At the end of each day children and parents are invited to join in the Halloween parade in fancy dress with the best  effort winning  a goodie bag of treats!

A full events list can be found here.

If you’re in North Wales, the HallowBrenig Spooky Woodland Walk might be for you! This event is free for families and includes a storyteller, a few surprises and a really lovely, spooky setting. At the end of the walk you’ll even be served scary soup!

The walk starts at the Llyn Brenig Visitor Centre off B4501, Cerrigydrudion, LL21 9TT this Saturday, 30 October, at 6.00 p.m.

The ancient villages and manor houses around Staffordshire have a lot to offer for Halloween! Here is a rundown of what’s on about town:

Be it far, be it near, ghouls we see and goose bumps we feel on the Gruesome and Ghostly City Tours of Lichfield where its grisly past comes to life. Starting on the dark, dark night of Monday 25^th October discover the history of Lichfield’s Market Square burnings, ghosts of Dam Street and the mystery of Erasmus Darwin House if you dare …

Out in the ghostly woodland of Trentham Estate, nothing stirs. A half moon lights the scene and an ancient Halloween Bushcraft event unfolds on the weekend of 30^th – 31^st October, where adults and children alike can learn pumpkin carving and scary survival skills.

The creepy castles of Staffordshire are sure to give even the bravest soul a fright, and scary Stafford Castle has its own special half term fright-fest with ‘Hands on Horror’ offering ghostly tours and wacky horror workshops for little devils. ‘Creatures Of The Night’ on the 26^th October lets children get up close to the furry and feathered fiends who are on the prowl while they sleep, meet the hideous hawk man and his fearsome birds of prey, and create a creepy collage to scare their friends. ‘A Terrifying Tour’ on the 28^th October gives brave children a chance to create their very own trick or treat model castle, then take a trip around the real, Old Creaking Castle and hear about the horrible haunted happenings.  Prepare to be scared …

For visitors brave enough to join-in, the Tamworth Castle Ghost Tour on the 30^th October, where eager ghost hunters will be escorted around the castle by costumed guides, regaling their wards with ghostly tales and terrifying historical happenings. Beware the ghosts hidden in the damp dungeons and eerie castle corners …

Innocent children beware! Tamworth is also being turned into a Halloween Daytime Haunted Castle throughout autumn half-term. Be prepared to be scared by the gory Medieval characters who will lead you through one of the Midlands’ most haunted castles. Tours also feature creepy Halloween craft workshops, but beware of the eerie executioner and plague victims!

At the spine-tingling Alton Towers Resort they are celebrating their 30^th birthday with a terrifying host of new Halloween attractions. The 2010 Scarefest (16^th-31^st October) sees the Theme Park stay open until 9pm every night, with something for the entire family.

Mysterious, chilling and a trap for all those willing, Shugborough Estate’s Halloween Spooktacular on October 30^th is the ideal opportunity for brave souls to seek out the renowned ghosts of the monks who walk between the two monuments. Well known as the Home of the Holy Grail, who knows what lurks in the grounds or dark corners of the estate?

Spooktakular and Pumpkin Fun is order of the day at the Maize Maze in Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge with a grand ‘Spooktacular’ event planned for Sunday 31st October. This will be the Maize Maze in the dark (bring your own torch) with spooky trailer rides, a haunted wood, face painting, fair rides, refreshments, splat the rat and apple bobbing, all followed by a spectacular fireworks display. For each person who turns up in full Halloween fancy dress £1 will be donated to air ambulance and this will be matched by Barclays Bank.

During half term week at Lower Drayton Farm from 28th October to 31st October a pumpkin workshop and carving competition will also take place at the farm. All pumpkins will be judged on Halloween night (Sunday 31st October) at Spooktacular and the prize for the best pumpkin will be a family ticket to see the Christmas Pantomime at The Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford – ‘Mother Goose’.

Peak Pursuits is putting visitors’ courage to the test with a Halloween Event and Spooky Tours at its outdoors centre at Tittesworth Water Saturday 30^th October. Daring visitors can tackle a mobile climbing wall, go night canoeing, enjoy face painting, and take part in Halloween games and refreshments. The Spooky Tours start with a spooky lantern lit journey across the reservoir in katakanu’s (large catamaran vessels) which can carry up to six people, ideal for family groups. After gliding across the reservoir to the Severn Trent Visitor Centre, guests will be escorted on an easy night walk back to the Peak Pursuits Centre.  But beware! Ghosts, ghouls and creatures of the night are waiting to entertain with spine-chilling tales en route…

Willows Farm Village near St Albans, Hertfordshire is currently hosting its Pumpkin Festival which is on now and runs until Sunday 31 October 2010. I think this sounds brilliant and it is so what I would have wanted to do with DSD except we ran out of time. It is, however, not free. Prices are £11.95 for adults and £12.95 for kids, which includes a pumpkin.

10,000 pumpkin seeds were sown across four acres of field and every child who visits Willows is invited to choose their own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

Children can either carve their pumpkin at the farm and enter their creation into the daily competitions taking place with prizes up for grabs, or take their pumpkin home in a special pumpkin bag.

Families can also enjoy Willows Pumpkin Olympics, featuring the ‘Pumpkin Obstacle Race’, ‘Roll a Pumpkin’ and ‘Pumpkin Relay’ races, with a certificate given to all children taking part.

Pumpkin Olympics takes place daily at 3pm with children’s pumpkin judging at 3.45pm, as well as a full day’s programme of children’s shows, adventure play, fun fair rides and animals to enjoy.

Drop into your closest Clinton Cards for free face-painting between 11.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. on Saturday, 30 October. The following stores are participating. While you’re there you can also take advantage of Clinton’s 3 for 2 offer on fake blood and costume make-up for the big day!

The Bullring, Birmingham
Bluewater Shopping Centre
Bristol Cribbs Causeway
Queen Street, Cardiff
St David’s Centre, Cardiff
Chelmsford High Street
Braehead, Glasgow
Metro Centre, Gateshead
White Rose Centre, Leeds
Arndale Centre, Manchester
The Trafford Centre, Manchester
Midsummer Arcade, Milton Keynes
Eldon Square, Newcastle
Victoria Centre, Nottingham
Oxford Street ,London
Westfield Centre (White City), London
The Liberty Centre, Romford
Meadowhall, Sheffield
West Quay, Southampton
Lakeside, Thurrock

Dogs Trust Darlington‘s annual Spook Night will be held this Thursday, 28 October, to help raise money for their rescue dogs. The event runs from 6.30 p.m. until 8.30 p.m. and the £3 cost includes refreshments.

Spook Night promises to be an evening full of spooky fun and games for the whole family. Highlights include the fancy dress competition for our four legged friends and humans! Food will include treats such as jacket potatoes and toffee apples.

The event will be held at the Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Hill House Farm, Sadberge, Darlington, DL2 1SL. Call 01325 333 114 to book tickets.

Starting today until 29 October, you can take part in the Halloween festivities at Holker Hall & Gardens in Cumbria. Activities start at 10:30 a.m. and costs are between £2 and £3. Fun activities include:

Wizard Walks – Families can enjoy guided walks along spooky trails through the Holker park and woodland at 10.30am and 1.30pm daily. Children are invited to come along in fancy dress for some fiendish family fun! £3 per child. Booking recommended.

Loathsome Lanterns – There will be plenty of creepy competitions including a prize for the best lantern, so get creative with pumpkins, turnips or marrows and the scariest will win a prize! Judging will take place at from 11.45am and 2.45pm daily.

Creepy Crafts – Children will be able to take part in a selection of craft activities making ghoulish face masks, decorating biscuits, making badges and egg carton spiders. From 10.30 am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm. £2 per child.

Frightful Food – Visit the café cauldron and enjoy a selection of frightful food including, batwings with blood dip, swamp soup and worm burgers!

Spooky Halloween in Bournemouth sounds like a treat! The free event will be held in Bournemouth Lower Gardens this Saturday 30 October from 1:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Plus, a spooky Funfair at Pier Approach started last weekend and is on until Halloween!

Here is the schedule of events for next Saturday:

Liberty’s Owl Raptor & Reptile Centre – 1pm-4pm

Trick or Treat Trail – 1:30pm-6:30pm at the rear of the bandstand

Face Painting – 2:30pm-5:30pm at the marquee in front of the bandstand

Circus Wizz Workshop – 1:30pm-6:30pm

Pumpkin Glow competition – judging at 6pm in front of bandstand

Fancy Dress competition – 5pm at the bandstand – all ages welcome

Dr Balloon Man – 2pm-5pm next to the Arts & Crafts marquee

Scott Servante – 1:30pm-6:30pm – Illusionist, Magic Show and Workshop.
Spooky Disco and Lanky Panky Stilt Walker

There will also be performances in the bandstand throughout the afternoon, including;
Julie Adams Stage School
Funky Little Choir Company
The Zapp School of Dance

It’s Halloween week, it’s half term for many of you, and there are so many fun things to do! I am going to try to post as many Halloween events, sales and activities as possible this week, starting with…

Halloween jack-o-lanterns! Yes, we got started a bit early this year and carved up our pumpkins over the weekend. Aren’t they scary?? Here are some helpful tips I posted up last year for your pumpkin carving project.

Now, I have it on the authority of my Abel & Cole newsletter that if you go post your jack-o-lantern snaps to their Facebook wall they’ll send you some chocolate. Here is a screenshot of my newsletter for proof, because I can’t find a mention of this on the site. But anyway, what have you got to lose?

This weekend I taught DSD how to sew by hand and it was brilliant! I’ve tried to teach her to knit, which she likes but still struggles with a bit (she’s five and a half) and we’ve done some sewing projects on the machine that I let her help with (she presses the peddle but I admit that sometimes terrifies me!), but finally with hand-sewing she was able to do a project more or less on her own.

Sewing clothes for dolls and stuffed animals is a great way to start kids out. Our project, as you can see, was trousers for Bear (the top was the one he came with). They don’t really fit him properly as I just cut off a big square of fabric and didn’t do a lot of measuring but I don’t think that really matters – it was more about the activity than the result.

You don’t need to run out and buy fabric for this project – it’s a great way to use up your scraps or even bits of worn out clothes. DSD picked out the fabric from of my leftover quilt pieces that she determined were boy-appropriate (Bear is a boy). We picked a contrasting thread to make it easy to see the stitches and I helped her thread it on my biggest needle. Then I held the fabric tightly while she did the sewing, which made it easy to see where the next stitch would go. She caught on quickly and the level of dexterity needed for this was perfect for her. She tried big stitches and tiny close together stitches and zig-zags.

I highly recommend helping your kids learn to sew! It’s such a useful skill, it’s fun and it really doesn’t cost very much (if anything!) to do small projects like this.