Is it just me or as Halloween in London gone bonkers this year? With so many Halloween kids events all over town, there’s no excuse not to get your freaky family fun on!
Babes Choice
Sun 26-Sun 3: Boo at the Zoo (pic), London Zoo, Regent’s Park, NW1 (Regent’s Park tube)
Bat mask making, terrifying tigers and spooky stories for under 5s. 11am-3.30pm daily; activities free with regular entry: adult £23.50/child £17/under 3s FREE (online discounts available) (Oct 26-Nov 3
Wed 30: Halloween Family Discovery Day at Isis Education Centre, at the LookOut, Hyde Park, W2 (Hyde Park Corner tube)
Pin the wart on the witch, bat trails and potion making on the menu. 11am-3pm, FREE (Oct 30)
Wed 30: The Secret Spooky Garden, Secret Garden, Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, NW3 (Hampstead tube)
Join families from all over in fancy dress on an enchanted tour of the Heath’s secret garden. 3-5pm, FREE (Oct 30)
Thu 31: Halloween Family Fun Day at The Queen’s House, Royal Museums Greenwich SE10 (Cutty Sark DLR)
Hair-raising fun in the Queen’s House with costume prizes, dance workshops and more. Early booking advised! 11am-4pm; £12/under 3s FREE (Oct 31)
Thu 31: Pumpkin Carving Competition at Fortnum & Mason, Regent St, W1 (Piccadilly Circus tube)
Test your skills with other kids up to 10 years old (and adults aged 11 to 99 plus). Points awarded for skill, scariness, creativity and luminosity. 3-5pm (kids contest), 7pm (adults); adult £10/child FREE (Oct 31)
Local Pick (Islington)
Sat 26: Highbury Roundhouse Halloween Night at Sotheby Mews Day Centre, Sotheby Rd, N5 (Highbury & Islington tube)
Halloween disco, apple bobbing, witches’ brew for adults, gunk tank and more. 5-8pm, adult £5, child £2 (advance booking recommended) (Oct 26)
Sat 26-Sun 27: Halloween Boat Trips at London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Rd, N1 (King’s Cross tube)
Ride the narrowboat through Islington tunnel, with candies and glowsticks for kids, plus spooky goings-on in the museum. Boats depart every 20 mins from 4.30-9.30pm; adult £10/child ages 0-15 £8 (Oct 26-27)
Wed 30: Halloween in Thornhill Square, N1 (Caledonian Rd tube/Caledonian Rd & Barnsbury overground)
Pop over for ghost stories, doughnut bobbing, biscuit decorating, mask making and costume parading. 2-4pm, FREE (Oct 30)
Central and West London
Sun 26-Sun 3: Spot the Halloween Bogey Fish at Sealife London Aquarium, County Hall, Belvedere Rd, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
Spot the Fish Witch bubbling up a cauldron of fun and embark on a Hallo-marine trail. 9am-8pm; adults £19.02/child £14.40/under 3s free (10% savings online). (Oct 26-Nov 3)
Sat 26-Sat 2: The Wicked Witch of the London Sky (pic) at London Eye, South Bank, SE1 (Waterloo tube)
Fly over London’s haunted landscape with tall tales from your guide Priscilla the High Witch. Includes free entry to London Eye 4D experience. 1.30-5.30pm (Sat-Sat) & 1.30-6.30pm (Wed-Fri); adult £28.80/child £17.40/under 4s free (up to 50% savings for online bookings!) (Oct 26-Nov 2)
Tue 29: Halloween in Lyric Square, W6 (Hammersmith tube)
Arrive early to get your free witches’ hat and be part of a record-breaking photo for the paper. 12.45pm, FREE (Oct 29)
Thu 31: Wicked Day at Apollo Victoria, Wilton Rd, SW1 (Victoria tube)
Spooktacular family fun with the cast of ‘Wicked’ the musical, raising money for green causes. Follow #WickedDay on Twitter for updates. (Oct 31)
North and North West London
Sun 27: Halloween Dog Walk at Spaniards Inn (pic), Spaniards Rd, NW3 (Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath overground)
It’s a furry scary day out, with costumed pooches and their beastly owners competing for prizes. Registration from 10.30am, walk from 11am; entrance fee per dog £5 (Oct 27)
Sun 27: Halloween at Avenue House, 17 East End Rd, N3 (Finchley Central tube)
Fire juggling, paranormal tours and fancy dress competition. 5.30-7.30pm, adult £5/child £4/family £16/under 5s FREE (Oct 27)
Tue 29-Wed 30: Spooky Workshops & Storytelling at Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, N6 (Highgate tube)
Create masks, sparkly spiders and hear scary tales. Ages 3-8. 10.30am-12.30pm & 2-4pm; £6.50. (Oct 29-30)
Thu 31: Halloween Petrifying Puppets Fun Day at Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 (Angel tube)
Spend the day making putrid puppets to terrify your nearest and dearest in a show. Bring a packed lunch. Ages 5-11. 12-4pm, £40/concs. £20 (Oct 31)
Thu 31: Halloween at Kentish Town City Farm, 1 Cressfield Close, off Grafton Rd, NW5 (Kentish Town tube)
Witches cavern, creepy cakes and a lights procession. 6.30pm, adult £1/child FREE (Oct 31)
Thu 31: Spooky Walk and Adventure Trail at Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, N6 (Highgate tube)
Witches, werewolves, skeletons and sprites take a nighttime stroll around the ‘haunted’ grounds. Best for ages 3+, although buggies welcome. 5-6.30pm at 15 minute intervals (early booking advised); £6.50/under 2s FREE (Oct 31)
Sat 1: Halloween Party at Burgh House and Hampstead Museum, New End Sq, NW3 (Hampstead tube)
Freaky costumes, weird games and a gruesome tea. 3-5pm, child £15/adult FREE (Nov 1)
East and South East London
Sat 26 & Sun 27: Horniman Halloween Market at the Horniman Museum, 100 London Rd, Forest Hill SE23 (Forest Hill overground)
Dress up for a spooky trail, shop for tricks and treats, join in Bandstand fun. 10.30am-4pm, FREE (some events ticketed) (Oct 26 & 27)
Sun 27: Disco Kids Spooktacular at The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 (New Cross/Deptford overground)
Do the Monster Mash and show off ghost-busting moves with DJ Jean Genie and C-12′s Wayne Summerbell. 2pm, £5.50/family £20 (Oct 27)
Sun 27: Halloween House Family Day at Sutton House, 2 & 4 Homerton High St, Hackney E9 (Hackney Central rail)
Come along for mischief making, costumes, haunted rooms and ghostly games. 12-4pm; FREE (Oct 27)
Mon 28: Light Up Lanterns at Florence Nightingale Museum, 2 Lambeth Palace Rd, SE1 (Waterloo/Westminster tube)
Make your own light up lantern inspired by all things Halloween. 11am-1pm & 2-4.30pm, drop-in, FREE with museum entry adult £5.80/child £4.80/family £16 (Oct 28)
Wed 30: Halloween in Greenwich Market, King William Walk, SE10 (Cutty Sark DLR/Greenwich rail)
Best dressed beast contest for dogs, scary stories, pumpkin prizes, witches and more. 10am-5.30pm, FREE (Oct 30)
Wed 30-Thu 31: Ragged Ghoul Museum, Ragged School Museum, 46-50 Copperfield Rd, E3 (Mile End tube)
Get into scary Victorian fun with crafts, face painting and more. 10am-5pm, FREE (Oct 30-31)
Thu 31: Halloween Disco Skate at Lee Valley Ice Centre, Leyton Marsh, Lea Bridge Rd E10 (Walthamstow Central tube)
Get your freakiest outfits on the little ones for a late(ish) night skate. 8.30-10.30pm; £6 incl. skate hire (Oct 31)
Thu 31-Fri 1: Ship Shadow Puppets at Cutty Sark, King William Walk, SE10 (Cutty Sark DLR/Greenwich overground)
Make a spooky shadow puppet inspired by the historic ship and put on a show. 11.30-1.30pm & 2-4pm, regular entry adult £12/child £6.50/family £29/under 5s FREE (Oct 31-Nov 1)
Thu 31-Sun 3: Luna at Unicorn Theatre, Tooley St, SE1 (London Bridge tube)
The moon and a boy go on an adventure to help him overcome his fear of the dark. For ages 2+. 2pm (Thu), 11am & 1.30pm (Fri-Sat), 11am (Sun), adult £12/child £10/family ticket 20% discount for 4. Pre-booking advised, limited availability! (Oct 31-Nov 3)
Sat 2: Alfie the Little Werewolf (pic) at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Rd, SE1 (Waterloo/Embankment tube)
Enchanting film about a 7-year-old who transforms into a fluffy werewolf. 1.30pm, £8.50-£12.10 (Nov 2)
South and South West London
Sat 26-Sun 3: Halloween at Ham House and Garden, Ham St, TW3 (Richmond tube)
Family ghost tours, pumpkin soup, creepy crafts and kids go free! 11am-5pm daily (closed Fri); adult £4-£10/child FREE (Oct 26-Nov 3)
Sat 26-Sun 3: Halloween at Kew Gardens, Richmond, TW9 (Kew Gardens tube/Kew Bridge overground)
Pumpkin carving masterclass, hands on with magical mushrooms, face painting and more IncrEdibles fun. 10.30am-3.30pm (event times vary), adult £14.50/child under 16 FREE (Oct 26-Nov 3)
Sun 27-Tue 29: Time Travellers Go: Ghosts and Ghouls (pic) at Eltham Palace & Gardens, Court Yard, Eltham, SE9 (Eltham rail)
Go on a ghost-hunting escapade around the palace grounds with crafts and activities along the way. 11am-4pm, adult £9.90/child £5.90/under 5s free (Oct 27-29)
Mon 28-Thu 31: Scaredy Cats Halloween at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, 4 Battersea Park Rd, SW8 (Battersea Park rail/Vauxhall tube)
Freaky family activities in the Kitten Cave and fancy dress Catwalk on Halloween night. 10.30am-3pm (Mon-Wed), 12-4pm & 4-8pm (Thu), FREE (donations welcome) (Oct 28-31)
Photo credits: ZSL London Zoo, London Eye, All Dogs Matter, BFI, Eltham Palace