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Christmas opening times

Spook-tacular autumn half-term activities in Stoke-on-Trent

SOTCC Crest
SOTCC Crest
Published: Monday, 28th October 2024

A wide variety of activities are taking place across Stoke-on-Trent during the upcoming autumn half-term break – including some ‘spookily good’ Halloween events.

Half-term is a great opportunity for young children to enjoy the more unusual and memorable activities happening in the local community, and there are many entertaining and educational events for toddlers.

The city’s museums have a range of fun and educational activities, from Diwali at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday 2 November to pirates at Gladstone Pottery Museum on Thursday 31 October.

One of the other highlights of the week comes courtesy of the National Literacy Trust. Autumn Tales and Trails is a free event taking place on Wednesday 30 October at St Stephen's Church in Bentilee. Families, especially those with younger children, are invited for a day full of activities to match the autumn season, which aim to inspire creativity, excitement, and imagination. Among the activities are magical storytelling, a puppet theatre, woodland crafts and a pumpkin sensory play. There are also free autumnal books for every child that attends – and bookings are not required in advance.

To keep the kids active over the holiday, there will also be lots of opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy the city’s green spaces in autumn. Whether it's a jog in the park or a family walk, being active can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. There are also events going on in our parks like the Bee Active Halloween Spooktacular. The very popular Bee Active team are back in Hanley park this Halloween, look out for their 6 spooky characters hidden around the park, along with lots of entertainment along the way. The event takes place Sunday 27 October 10am – 1pm.

If the weather is less good our leisure centres also have plenty to offer for all ages and abilities. Locations and activities are available on the Active Stoke app or online at https://activestoke.co.uk/.

In addition, Stoke Indoor Market will be holding a Halloween Hunt throughout the week. The object of the hunt is for children to collect a list of spooky targets from the popular May's Cafe, and to mark them off on a sheet as they find each target throughout the market. And for those who do manage to complete the list, they will be rewarded for their efforts with a free goody bag.

Leader of the city council, Councillor Jane Ashworth, said: "As always, there is a great range of events with plenty of choice on offer for children and parents alike.

“As we head into the autumn, the half-term break provides an opportunity to enjoy what our city has to offer before the temperature drops for the winter.

“It is an exciting time of year, and we look forward to checking out these events. We hope that families across Stoke-on-Trent have a great time during this half-term break."

There are many other great events going on across the city. You can also have your event listed on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's official Events page at www.stoke.gov.uk/events.