Fun for families this October half term

Enjoy a great day out this October half term with our Ways to Play programme. There are lots of free and low-cost family activities to enjoy across our museums and galleries.

Discovery Museum

Family visiting Discovery Museum.

Make a Horrifying Hand

  • Join us in the Spooktacular Great Hall for this hands-on family event where you can get stuck in with creepy crafting to make your own moveable horrible hand for Halloween.

Discovery Museum | Tuesday 28 October | 10.05—11.05am, 11.30—12.30pm and 1.15—2.15pm | Tickets from £2.50 | Book to make a Horrifying Hand

Spooky Museum Trail

  • Witches have been spotted flying around Discovery Museum collecting ingredients for their potions. They have left behind clues next to cauldrons around the galleries, can you explore the museum to find them? 

Discovery Museum | Saturday 25 October — Sunday 2 November | Trail 50p | Find out more about the Spooky Museum Trail

Spooky Silent Disco

  • Dress in your coolest creepy costume to stomp away to tunes like the Monster Mash at the Spooky Silent Disco. With three music channels to choose from, including Halloween tunes, families have two hours to dance around the terrifying Turbinia.

Discovery Museum | Thursday 30 October | 4.30—6.30pm and 7.30—9.30pm | Tickets £5 | Book for Spooky Silent Disco

Build a Flying Bat

  • Build your own flying bat, and get your haunted hands on other creepy crafts, too.

Discovery Museum | Thursday 30 October | 10—10.45am, 10.50—11.35am, 11.40am — 12.25pm, 1—1.45pm and 1.50—2.35pm | Free activity | Book your session to Build a Flying Bat

Discover a Story

  • Visit Discovery Museum and join Amy for a special October half-term story. Small children can listen to a seasonal story and then get creative with associated crafts and simple play activities.  

Discovery Museum | Wednesday 29 October | 10.30—12.30am, 1—2pm | Tickets £3.50 | Book your session to Discover a Story

Great North Museum: Hancock

Exterior view of the Great North Museum: Hancock.

Who are the Mummified People at the museum?

  • Learn about the mummified people of Ancient Egypt and how we are using research and knowledge to change how we work with these collections today.

Great North Museum: Hancock | Monday 27 October |11-11.45am and 1-1.45pm | Free, booking required | Book your session to find out more

Mouse Tales - Storytime for under 5s and their families

  • Join us for an interactive story, songs, related playtime, and a special opportunity to handle a museum object.

Great North Museum: Hancock | Tuesday 28 October |11-11.45am and 1-2pm | Free, booking required | Book your Mouse Tales session

Time Odyssey: A Family Adventure

  • A new interactive learning experience which takes families on a quest through the museum.

Great North Museum: Hancock | Wednesday 29 October |Various times slots available | Free, booking required | Book your Time Odyssey

Family activity: Hibernation

  • Meet some of the creatures from the museum who are about to go into hibernation and make a bat puppet to take home with you.

Great North Museum: Hancock | Wednesday 29 October |10am – 2pm| Free, drop in 

Printmaking with Heartwood artist Shona Branigan

  • Join Heartwood artist Shona Branigan for a drop-in printmaking activity. Make a print using wood and natural materials.

Great North Museum: Hancock | Wednesday 29 October |Various times slots available | Free, drop in | Find out more about Printmaking

Stephenson Steam Railway

Kids standing in doorway of train carriage smiling

Spooky themed Heritage Train Rides

  • This Halloween, our train rides get an eerie upgrade - travel in a specially themed spooky carriage for a hauntingly fun experience. There'll be spooky entertainment from the theatre group, The Moss Troopers.

Stephenson Steam Railway | Thursday 30 October | 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | Tickets £7 | Book for Spooky themed Heritage Train Rides

Make a Halloween Lantern 

  • Take a nostalgic journey with a four-mile return trip along the historic route once taken by coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne. Step back in time as you travel in a vintage 1950s passenger carriage and soak up the sights and sounds of a bygone era.

Stephenson Steam Railway | Thursday 30 October | 11am — 3pm | Free | More information about making a Halloween Lantern

Heritage Train Rides

  • Take a nostalgic journey with a four-mile return trip along the historic route once taken by coal trains from the collieries to the River Tyne. Step back in time as you travel in a vintage 1950s passenger carriage and soak up the sights and sounds of a bygone era.

Stephenson Steam Railway | Sunday 19, 26 October, Sunday 3 November | 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm | Tickets £7 | Book for Heritage Train Rides

Woodhorn Museum


Children and adults smiling and playing at Woodhorn Museum

Pumpkin Trail

  • Pick up your trail sheet and then explore the museum and colliery buildings to try and find all the hidden pumpkins. Make your way to the Welcome desk with your completed trail sheet for a small sweet treat!

Woodhorn Museum | Wednesday 15 October — Sunday 2 November | Included with Annual Pass | Find out more about the Pumpkin Trail

Arts & crafts: Home is where the hearth is

  • Inspired by the paintings of the Ashington Group who captured scenes of domestic life in their paintings, have a go at creating your own Victorian cooking range out of collage materials.

Woodhorn Museum | Saturday 25 October — Sunday 2 November | Included with Annual Pass | Find out more about Home is where the hearth is

Birds of Prey

  • Discover the fascinating world of birds of prey and see spectacular displays with the team from Ridgeside Falconry.

Woodhorn Museum | Wednesday 29 October | Included with Annual Pass | Find out more about Birds of Prey

Segedunum Roman Fort

Exterior view of Segedunum Roman Fort.

Make a Mythical Mask

  • The Romans loved to share tales of mythical beasts and legendary characters — now it’s your turn to bring one to life in this hands-on family session.

Segedunum Roman Fort | Monday 27 October | Free activity | Book your space to make a mask

Stay and Play

  • Free, fun, inclusive activities for children under 5 and their parents/carers

Segedunum Roman Fort | Thursday 30 October | Free activity, drop in | Find out more about Stay and Play

Fireworks at the Fort

  • Enjoy a brilliant display of fireworks over the fort. More details coming soon.

Segedunum Roman Fort | Date and tickets released soon | Free

Siege the fort workshop

  • Join Technology Tom for a hands-on workshop where history meets invention. Dive into the world of Roman engineering and get creative as you build siege machines, bridges, cranes, and other mechanical marvels.

Segedunum Roman Fort | Monday 27 October | Free activity, drop in

Hexham Old Gaol

Exterior view of Hexham Old Gaol.

Hexham Skull Trail

  • Join us for a spine-chilling Skull Trail around the Gaol, inspired by the museum's dark and grisly history and collections.

Hexham Old Gaol | Wednesday 15 October — Sunday 2 November | Included with Annual Pass | Find out more about Hexham Skull Trail

Medicines of the Past

  • Discover the weird and wonderful world of old-fashioned cures.

Hexham Old Gaol | Tuesday 28 October | Included with Annual Pass | Discover Medicines of the Past


A great value day out with Tyne & Wear Metro

Nexus' Kids go free campaign graphic

Our May half term events are part of our Ways to Play programme of free and low-cost family-friendly activities. 

Make your Ways to Play adventure a great value day out by travelling to our venues by the Metro and/or Ferry. Up to three children aged 11 and under can travel for free on the Metro and the Shields Ferry with a fare-paying adult. Metro is the convenient, fast and frequent way to get to your favourite attractions and now it's even more affordable. 

To find out more about kids go free on the Metro, visit the Nexus website.

Ways to Play is sponsored by Tyne and Wear Metro.

Tyne and Wear Metro logo