Things To Do This Half Term

Kids Confidential Family Festival at Peoples History Museum
Thursday 27 October, 10am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm
WANT to keep the kids smiling this half-term? Then don't miss what promises to be the ultimate day-out for under 9s and their parents. We've put together a full-on fiesta of family fun - with the best providers of tasty food, activities and entertainment. Join in with sparkly baking fun with Hey Little Cupcake's decorating workshops, Jo Jingles kids singing and music-making classes, spooky collages and mobiles with Splat Creative, street dance lessons, karaoke and musical theatre with Starlight Performing Arts, make butter and baking soda rockets with Kiddy Cook, story time sessions from Chorlton Bookshop. There'll be free child's meal/drink with every adult meal/drink at the museum café PLUS Boss Model Agency will be casting for 2011 and every little guest (2+) will get a special goodie bag. There's a limited number available so CLICK HERE to book your ticket.

People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER, www.phm.org.uk, Suitable for children aged 0 - 8 years.  

 Ministry Of Food at Imperial War Museum North
Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 October, 1pm - 4pm
EXPLORE the theme of rationing and growing your own food at our Ministry of Food in October half term. See archive film and artefacts from the Second World War and get hands on in our creative craft sessions. Design your own cotton apron (22 and 23), create your own colourful basket (24, 25, 29 and 30), or decorate your own allotment tote bag (26, 27 and 28).

Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf, Trafford Park, M17 1TZ, www.northiwm.org.uk, Suitable for children aged 5 years and up.

Spooktacular Events at The Lowry Outlet Mall
Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 October, 11am – 4pm
THE mall are holding lots of events over the half term break including
the human spider wall, trick or treat craft and design activites, a Lego day, the pirate ghost ship interactive show, spooky face painting, live science experiments and demonstrations from the Museum of Science and Industry. 

Lowry Outlet Mall, Centre Management Office, The Quays, Salford Quays, M50 3AH, For more information visit www.lowryoutletmall.com.

Tatton Old Hall Hauntings at Tatton
Tuesday 25 to Sunday 30 October, noon – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
THE Tudor manor house is fast gaining a ghoulish reputation as one of the spookiest film locations in the North West. Paranormal investigators have found nearly a dozen active ghosts at this historic hall. What better way to show how brave you are then at the halls half term hauntings event.
Tremble your way through the haunted house, especially spectrally dressed for Hallowe’en and prepare to have your rafters rattled. Make a monsterous mask, join in the fightful face painting and scream on the children funfair.
There is also a Get Squashed event in the gardens. Visitors can enjoy the fantastic display of the autumn harvest of tasty gourds, marrows and squashes - not forgetting some corking courgettes. Younger visitors can take part in a pumpkin poetry trail, which will lead children around the gardens in search of the pumpkin tree.

Tatton Park and Old Hall, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN, www.tattonpark.org.uk.
Prices: adult £5, child £3 (five-15 years), family £13 (two adults and up to three children). Prices apply to National Trust members. Park entry charge of £5 per car applies. There are small, additional charges for face painting and mask making.

Halloween extravaganza with East Lancashire Railways
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October, 7pm (Sat) 6.30pm (Sun)
FOLLOWING a phenomenal response, the steam-hauled evening trains will be running additional services as this year’s two-day Halloween extravaganza sold out almost four weeks before the event. Both trains run from Bury Bolton Street Station (Bury, BL9 0EY) to Rawtenstall taking approximately 1.5 hours. Visitors on the spooky ride will see the train entering pitch black tunnels and stopping at dark stations to witness ghostly parades and other scary surprises. Bury Transport Museum is also running free Halloween mask making workshops for all event ticket holders.

East Lancashire Railway, Bolton Street Station, Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 0EY, www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk, 0161 764 7790.
Tickets cost £10 per adult (aged 16+) and £2 per child (aged 3+) with every child aged between 3 and 15 receiving a free goody bag. Children under 3 travel free of charge (unseated). To book online visit www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk.

 Salford Shopping Centre
Thursday 27 and Saturday 29 October, 10am - 4pm
THIS half term visitors to the centre are in for a treat when popular Nick Jnr stars Ben and Holly will be making a special guest appearance (Thursday 27).Enjoy some meet and greet magic, as the pair, from hit TV show Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom entertain visitors, pose for souvenir pictures and sign autographs.Ben and Holly will be appearing for 30 minute sessions so make sure you arrive early to avoid disappointment.
There'll also be a bumper Halloween craft fun day (Saturday 29), including a witch and wizard hat making competition, which is free to take part in.
Visit www.salfordshoppingcentre.co.uk for more information.

Halloween at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
Now – Monday 31 October, 10am - last admission 5pm
JOIN the monster mash this spooky season at Legoland Discovery Centre and take part in daily Lego monster building challenges.  Build your own mini Lego Frankenstein in the Model Builders Workshop, search for skeletons and ghouls in Miniland and brave the gloomy Factory Tour if you dare.
Until 31 October th centre is also giving away £10 of free Lego with every LDC Annual Pass. So, visitors buying a family pass for £96 will receive £40 to spend in the LDC shop.  This offer is first come first served while stocks last.
All pass holders will also receive a free ticket each to Legoland Windsor.  The pass, which can be used any time until in 2011 is worth up to £121 for a family of four.

Legoland Discovery Centre, Unit D1, Barton Square, Manchester, M17 8AS.  Visit  www.LegolandDiscoveryCentre.co.uk for more information.