Children pumpkin carving in Halloween themed activities

Spooky Season: Half Term Fun!

Key information

23 - 26 October

Free

Hyde Park
Bushy Park
Brompton Cemetery

Family

Nature

Join us this half term!

Join us this half-term at our spook-tacular Nature Roadshows and Discovery Days across the Royal Parks. Take part in a host of free Halloween themed activities, from bug hunting and learning about bats to Halloween crafts and spooky storytelling, there is something for everyone. 

Discover more & sign-up to our Discovery Days and Nature Roadshows below!

Family learning bug hunting discovery day

Discovery Days: Hyde Park Learning Centre 

Drop in from 24 - 26 October any time between 11am - 3.30pm to take part in a host of free creepy crawly Halloween-themed activities including:

  • Investigating our ‘feely boxes’ in the Witches' Den
  • Exploring our hair-raising nature trail, discovering fascinating facts along the way
  • Learn about the bats in The Royal Parks
  • Listen to a spooky story!
  • Dressing up is encouraged, so why not get into the spirit and come dressed as a ghoulish ghost or wicked witch?
REGISTER INTEREST NOW

 

Nature Roadshows: Bushy Park & Brompton Cemetery

FREE drop-in activities for families on 23 (Bushy Park, meeting point: The Pheasantry Cafe), 24 and 25 October (Brompton Cemetery, meeting point: North Lodge Cafe) from 11am – 2pm. Budding environmentalists will discover all about the not-so-creepy crawlies that call Bushy Park and Brompton Cemetery home. Activities include:

  • Join a bug hunt
  • Complete our spooky scavenger trail
  • Learn frightening facts during interactive storytelling
  • Make Halloween crafts to take home
REGISTER INTEREST NOW

Discovery Days please note:

  • Our Discovery Days are free to attend, we ask that you sign-up so we have an idea of numbers. 
  • At peak times, there may be a queue to enter the Hyde Park Learning Centre. Registering online does not give you priority entry in this queue, but we will be providing activities for children to do outside the Learning Centre while you wait to come in.
  • We ask for no more than 3 children per adult and can only permit assistance dogs.
  • Location: Hyde Park Learning Centre.
  • Times: 11am-3:30pm 
  • All activities are suitable for the whole family to enjoy, allowing you and your children to connect with nature together.
  • For more information please see our FAQ's below or email us at publicprogrammes@royalparks.org.uk.

Nature Roadshows please note:

Discovery Days: FAQs

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Discovery Days are designed for families. The activities are aimed at children from approx. 3-11 years of age. We aim to have a sensory activity suitable for under 3's and some more challenging activities that are suitable for 11 years + (Including the grown-ups!)

Everyone is welcome, our grounds are accessible. Some events can be busy but there is always a designated quiet space, please ask staff for its location. 

The activities will run from 11am - 3pm, you do not need to arrive at a certain time. We recommend arriving before 2:30pm so you have time to explore before closing time. 

No, Discovery Days are drop-in events. By pre-registering online, you will receive a 
reminder email in the days leading up to the event with more information about the 
activities. Pre-registering does not guarantee entry. We are usually able to welcome 
you as soon as you arrive, but on our busiest days we may run a “cheese counter” 
ticket system to enter the Hyde Park Learning Centre grounds to ensure everyone has a safe and 
enjoyable visit. If we are doing this, we will always run additional activities outside the 
gates that your children can take part in while they wait.

Most families spend 1-2 hours at Discovery Days but you are welcome to join for the whole event or as little time as you wish. 

Only assistance dogs are admitted.

You are welcome to have a picnic outside the Hyde Park Learning Centre grounds in Hyde Park. The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen is about 5 mins walk from the Lookout and you can purchase food and drinks here. Please use this map to navigate there: https://goo.gl/maps/xkJpXxFkV6dd5q1SA. We ask that you don’t consume food within the Hyde Park Learning Centre grounds. 

All ages are invited to join us for Discovery Days. Most of the activities are designed for age 3 and up, but we will always include some sensory activities for toddlers.

Only assistance dogs are admitted.

Yes, all children must always be supervised by an adult during Discovery Days.

Everyone is welcome (our grounds are accessible) but we do ask for no more than three children per adult. Please contact us in advance by email publicprogrammes@royalparks.org.uk if you’d like to bring a group of more than 10 people. We want to make sure that everyone has a brilliant time at our Discovery Days. To ensure that we have enough resources for your group to fully take part, we ask you to book in advance and make a donation to The Royal Parks of £5 per person. If you are bringing a non-profit or charitable group, please contact us to discuss your needs. Large groups who don’t book in advance may be refused entry. 

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