Brighton's family Halloween: workshops, trails and treats

Brighton is leaning into Halloween this month, and if you are trying to fill the half term with something that keeps the kids busy without costing the earth, there is plenty to pick from. The good news is that a lot of it is free or cheap, so you can string together a couple of days without spending a fortune.

For something properly creative, the Brighton Dome is running a Crafty Kids workshop on 29 and 30 October, where children aged 3 to 10 make bat butterflies and spider puppets with their parents or guardians, and all the materials are included. If you would rather be outdoors, the LEGO store in Churchill Square has a mini haunted playground from 24 to 31 October with free pumpkin hunts and sticker prizes, plus a special witch build on 25 and 26 October. For a bit of active fun, Lazerzone on West Street is hosting a Halloween party on 30 October with themed laser battles and exclusive game variations, an hour of play, and a 9-inch pizza and a drink.

If you are happy to head slightly out of town, there are a few bigger days out worth planning. Drusillas Park in Alfriston runs its Halloween Shriek Week from 24 October to 1 November, with a live sugar skull witch appearing daily, a spider's den on 28 to 30 October where experts Tarangela and Ray teach about arachnids, and a competition for the best Halloween photo shared on social media. Borde Hill, meanwhile, has its Halloween event in Pumpkin Patch Meadow from 17 October to 1 November, where the owl Morticus Moonfeather casts spells on pumpkin dolls and you follow a garden trail with games and challenges. Leonardslee's haunted gardens run from 18 October to 2 November with a pumpkin trail and riddles, and Bewilder Box hides Halloween sweets in its escape rooms from 27 October to 2 November.

Back in the city, there are a few more family-friendly options. Beach Box Sauna is holding kids' Halloween sessions on 29 and 31 October with hot baths, cold showers and sugar-free surprises, at £15 per adult and £7 per child. Community Kitchen is running Halloween cooking sessions for children on 29 and 31 October, and the Brighton Music Hall is offering kids eat free throughout the half term, with a free meal for children each day when a paying adult orders from the Winter Alpine Menu. For a bit of spooky cinema, Depot Cinema is screening cult classics like Ghostwatch and The Blair Witch Project across the season, often with a Q&A with the director.

And if you want to keep the theme going at home, Audrey's Chocolates in Hove has chocolate skulls painted for the Day of the Dead, chocolate coffins and pumpkin patch bags, while Franco Manca is running a Halloween pizza from 20 to 31 October with a purple potato base, roasted pumpkin, red onion, mozzarella, semi-dried tomatoes, saffron and Grana sauce. Between the free LEGO hunts, the craft workshops and the themed treats, there is enough to keep the kids occupied right through to the end of the month.