Child Friendly Warwickshire

Throughout the school holidays (24 to 30 October) there will be a range of fun and educational outdoor activities for children of all ages at Country Parks across Warwickshire. For full details, read our article here and see below for some of the highlights!

Saturday 29 October sees the highly anticipated return of Old Warty’s Halloween Family Fun Night to Ryton Pools Country Park, appearing for the first time since 2019. At this hugely popular event, children will meet Old Warty the witch and her friends for a host of fun family frights and activities, as well as a spooky train ride. Pre-booking is essential, and tickets are limited. For more information or to book tickets for this event, or any other half-term activities at Warwickshire’s Country Parks, visit the Eventbrite page here.

Visitors to Kingsbury Water Park will be able to take a ride with a difference along the Echills Wood Railway as part of their annual Halloween Steam and Scream Event. The Halloween celebration runs from the daylight to darkness, with all sorts of spooky things lying in wait. Tickets are only available on-the-day and can be purchased at the on-site Harvester Station.

Cllr Heather Timms, portfolio holder for Environment, Climate and Culture at Warwickshire County Council, said:

“Our country parks and greenways provide a wide range of benefits to residents of Warwickshire, whether that’s on physical health, mental health and wellbeing, or just giving residents an opportunity to experience Warwickshire’s beautiful, valued and diverse plants and wildlife.

“Our rangers work tirelessly to put on a fantastic range of engaging and entertaining activities for children throughout the year, and this October half-term programme promises to deliver both fun and frights!”

In Warwickshire Libraries, join actors from the theatre company Highly Sprung to jump into an immersive children’s theatre storytelling adventure, and explore your local library to make new discoveries about our world from the oceans and seas to the forests and trees. The sessions are ideal for families with children aged 4-11 years with no need to pre-book. Find out the dates and times for this event on Eventbrite here.

For children that enjoy technology, come along to a free Let's Make Pumpkins session at Atherstone Library, where children aged 5 – 11 years can create their own pumpkins using 3D pens. Atherstone Library will also be hosting Spooky Stories and Crafts, Freaky Family Fun, Potions activities, and Autumn Fun sessions. No booking required, but you can still register your place for these events on Eventbrite here.  

Take part in Rugby Library’s Let’s Make Lego Spooky Movies, where children aged 4 – 11 years can make their own frightening films with Lego and discover the joy of creating and animating their own stop-motion animations. For older children aged 7 – 14 years there is also the opportunity to watch a free mystery movie on Wednesday 26 October. To find out more and to book your place visit the Eventbrite page here.  

For children aged 7 – 11 years, there is the opportunity to get involved in Let's Make at Nuneaton Library and enjoy learning new skills by having a go at building Lego robots, stop motion animations, 3D pen art, virtual reality, and more. For further information about the half-term events and activities at Nuneaton Library, including activities and talks suitable for adults, visit their Eventbrite page. For more information about the events happening each day of the half-term week, read our article here.

For adults, Stratford Library will also be welcoming local Warwickshire historian, S C Skillman, for a free talk on 31 October about spooky sightings and haunted happenings from around the county. Many of the tales feature in her book, Paranormal Warwickshire, and places for the talk are available to book on Eventbrite. 

Libraries across the county will also be hosting activities suitable for younger children, from playing with sensory toys and singing along during Story Stomp and Rhyme Time, enjoying Book Magic with spooky stories, to getting creative making decorative Autumnal Crafts or Creepy Crafts to take home. To find out which children’s activities are happening at your local library and how to book, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childrensactivities.

Cllr Andy Jenns, portfolio holder for Customer and Transformation, said:

“It is a pleasure to welcome families into Warwickshire’s child-friendly libraries this October half-term, where there will be a great range of autumn-themed activities to be enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike.  

“Half-term holidays are a great opportunity to introduce children to our safe, enriching, and inclusive library spaces, which can offer great benefits for children’s’ learning and development such as improved communication skills, knowledge, and increased creativity.

“We hope that families across the county will be able to make the most of this opportunity and create lots of positive and fun memories with their young ones.”

Heritage and Culture Warwickshire are also promising spooky fun for all ages at St John’s House Museum in Warwick. Get spooked as you explore the rooms as you have never seen them before, create Mad Science bouncy eyeballs and spooky lanterns to take home, and discover the creepy story of the Knights Templar hospital on site and more. There will also be a Spooky Gin Cocktails and Ghost Tour event for adults. To find out more, including prices and how to book, please visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/heritageboxoffice.

Warwickshire Libraries, Warwickshire Country Parks, and Heritage and Culture Warwickshire are all friends of Child Friendly Warwickshire, which is bringing the county together in a collective effort to ensure all children and young people have a voice that is heard, that they are safe, happy and healthy and that they are equipped with the skills to have the best lives they can. 

The Family Information Service is also a top stop for information and advice about activities, childcare, and family matters for all ages of children and young people, find out more and sign-up for their newsletter at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fis.