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You are here: Ideas & Inspiration > Half Term
Wrap up warm this October half term and enjoy some fantastic autumn days out with family and friends in the Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead area.
Find the perfect place to stay where you can relax and get cosy after a day's exploring; choose a lovely hotel, guest accommodation or self-catering apartment.
Explore the autumn seasonal menus in our local restaurants and enjoy a warming meal after a day’s sightseeing.
Look out for special October half term family activities at many of our attractions and don’t forget that tickets for many events and attractions can be purchased via the Windsor online shop.
Don't forget to check out our Special Offers pages too for some great deals on accommodation and meals out.
Explore our top ten ideas for indoor and outdoor half term family activities in the Windsor and Maidenhead area, whatever the weather!
On Saturdays throughout October and during half term, drop by Windsor Castle’s State Apartments for family activities inspired by royal wedding fashion. Admire the wedding dress recently worn by Princess Beatrice, then become a royal fashion designer in the Castle's fun art workshop. Design your own bespoke royal wedding dress or create a colourful royal wedding carriage collage. You can also design your own version of Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara to wear as you tour the Castle. Both The Queen and Princess Beatrice wore this tiara on their own wedding days.
Please note, places for the family activities are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Autumn is here, there's a chill in the air and perhaps you're stuck for what to do. Why not take to the river and see the finest view of her majesty's favourite home? French Brothers Boats offer 40-minute sailings throughout the autumn season and half term. Hot and cold drinks are available on board as well as light snacks, so what are you waiting for? Head down to the promenade for a warm welcome on one of their fully heated weatherproof boats, for great value half term fun!
Or experience road and river with Windsor Duck Tours. Book in advance and climb aboard the duck outside the Theatre Royal for a tour with a difference!
If you’re exploring the local area and visiting beautiful Henley then you can pick up a passenger boat or hire a self-hire boat from Hobbs of Henley.
Please note our boat operators are running at lower capacity to enable our visitors to socially distance.
Calling all little monsters and their monster families! This October Half Term, 15th October – 1st November and 6th – 8th November, Lord Vampyre invites you to Brick or Treat at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort for the most spook-tacular time of the year, Halloween! LEGOLAND Windsor Resort will be transformed into a pumpkin-filled wonderland for what is sure to be the most frightfully fun event of the year perfect for the young, and the young at heart!
Avoid cabin fever this half term and get out for a brisk autumn walk. The royal borough is home to some wonderful countryside and open spaces including Windsor Great Park, and National Trust Cliveden and National Trust Runnymede are both close by. If you are in central Windsor, the Long Walk – gateway to the beautiful Great Park and with the Copper Horse in the far distance – is right on your doorstep. With its wide, tree-lined avenue it is perfect for blowing away those cobwebs.
Windsor Great Park itself offers thousands of acres of open space making it perfect for a family stroll and you can reward yourself afterwards with a warming drink and bite to eat in The Savill Building’s restaurant. Older children will love the mountain bike trails starting at the Look Out in Swinley Forest (see below).
Read our guide to the five best autumn walks in the Windsor area.
This Halloween bring your kids to Dr Chocs Windsor Chocolate Factory. Perfect for small groups, children can make some scary ghouls from fresh organic chocolate. They can then use their imagination to decorate them as spookily as they can with edible organic paints! Delicious hot chocolate made with real chocolate free for every child on the the workshop.
Perfect for small groups, unlock the clues at Windsor’s two escape rooms: Escape Experience and Escape in 60. Keep calm, find clues, solve puzzles and crack codes in order to escape. It’s a family experience you’ll never forget! Prefer to be outdoors? Check out the Windsor Outdoor Escape Experience too!
For steep gradients, big air jumps and fast-paced trail cycling, head to the lively paths of Swinley Forest. Discover clear way-marked trails that are suitable for mountain bikers of all levels, with three routes that total over 15 miles (24km). Swinley Forest is part of the Crown Estate and about 20 minutes’ drive from the main Windsor Great Park. Find out more about Mountain Biking at Swinley Forest.
The Magic Lamp
Wed 28 – Sat 31 Oct | 11.30am and 2.30pm
£11, £9 under 16s, Family & Friend (4 people) £36
The story of a boy who ends up with a lamp-dwelling genie at his disposal. Played out in a set filled with billowing silken drapes, this bewitching shadow play is told using light, paper and oil. Join fantastical characters on a shimmering adventure through caves, palaces and deserts - all choreographed to original music!
Age guidance 4+ years.
Spooky Sing Along Concertini with Mairi Cowieson and Rob Castell
Sat 31 Oct | 4pm
£11, £9 under 16s, Family & Friend (4 people) £36
Livestream tickets: £11 per household
Dig out your scariest outfits and join us for a spooky 45 minutes of music from stage and screen. Featuring songs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Little Shop of Horrors all performed by West End singer Mairi Cowieson and CBBC singer songwriter Rob Castell.
Online streaming tickets are also available for this event – so you can enjoy the show live from the comfort of your home.
Age guidance 0 - 8 years
Magical Storytelling
Wed 28 Oct - Sat 31 Oct | 1.30pm – 2pm
£3 per person | Suitable for ages 4+ years
Led by Patrick Ashe. Enjoy interactive storytelling - with an added magical twist this half term! Alongside the stories, Patrick will show you how the magic works and teach a trick or two. But because Patrick is in the magic circle you must promise to keep the secrets!
Interactive Zoolab Sessions
Tues 27 Oct | 11am – 11.45am | Room on the Broom | Suitable for ages 4-6.
Thurs 29 Oct | 4.15-5pm | Spooky facts | Suitable for ages 7-9.
RBWM Libraries present Virtual Zoolab sessions Chat with the ranger and experience Animal Encounters
Tickets £2 per child | available to book online.
Read our guide to some fascinating sculptures, memorials, artefacts and works of art just waiting to be explored in and around the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. There are familiar landmarks such as the Copper Horse in Windsor, as well as hidden gems off the beaten track like Sir Anthony Gormley’s Edge II sculpture in Eton. And until 3 November, The Savill Garden will be dotted with over 60 sculptures as part of their Art in the Garden event. Can you discover them all? Enjoy unique and original artwork in a beautiful garden setting and keep an eye on Windsor Great Park’s Facebook page for a ‘Make your own sculpture at home’ competition!
Slow down the pace this half term and admire the autumn colours from the comfort of a horse-drawn carriage with Ascot Carriages. Have a photo taken with Ascot Carriage’s family-friendly carriage horse and their historic carriage which was previously used by the late Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Miller, Her Majesty The Queen's Equerry and horsemaster for 26 years. Carriage rides start from The Savill Building.
Visit the Visit Windsor online shop and peruse a great range of attractions and events then book ahead.
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