Glasgow family plans for October half-term

If you're planning the kids' October break, there's plenty on across Glasgow over the next few weeks. Glasgow Science Centre is a good place to start, as its October Holiday Family Fun programme runs every day from 9 to 25 October, from 10am to 5pm, though hours may vary. There are hands-on activities such as Spooky Shadow Puppets (for ages 8 and under), Newton Disc in a Cauldron (ages 8 and over) and Spellcasting School (all ages), along with chances to meet scientists, engineers and health experts. The Planetarium shows a mix of films and live presentations across a 360-degree dome, with The Great Solar System Adventure suitable for everyone and Space Explorers aimed at ages 7 and under. The IMAX, which the centre describes as Scotland's biggest screen, is showing Animal Kingdom 3D and Space: The New Frontier 3D. Workshops need to be booked in advance and run on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Science Centre also hosts The Witch's Lair, a Halloween family party on Friday 30 October from 6pm to 9pm. Tickets cost £9.95 per person and costumes are encouraged. Visitors can catch a Spooky Storytime for under-6s in the Witch's Library, try Cosmic Potion Brewing or Monster Magnets, and head to the Planetarium for Mission to Titan, recommended for ages 8 and up. The heart and lung dissections in the witch's laboratory are not for the squeamish. For a more outdoor evening, GlasGLOW returns to Glasgow Botanic Gardens on Great Western Road from 16 October to 1 November. The 60-minute Zombie Zoo walk is a highlight, and Marshmallowland lets you roast marshmallows under the stars. Opening hours run from 5pm, with last entry at 8:30pm on weekdays, 9:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm on Sundays. Adult tickets start at £26 on off-peak slots, child tickets at £14 and family tickets at £76. The organisers have also introduced Twilight sessions, which start in daylight and get darker as the evening goes on, and they say these suit families with younger children.

If you'd rather spend a couple of hours indoors with a bit more calm, the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park is free to visit, though a £3 donation is suggested. The building has glass walls on both sides, so you can see the woodland while you wander past Sir William Burrell's tapestries, furniture and collection of pieces from Egypt, China and Rodin sculptures. Kids can ask about the trails on offer, including I SPY, Animals at the Burrell and Create a Self Portrait, and there's a Medieval Day on 17 October. A free short talk called Burrell Bites takes place every Wednesday at 12:30pm. One visitor reports that a two-year-old had a great time with the echo in the rooms and climbing on the leather seats. The museum is described as laid-back, and visitors are advised to go with two adults so one can keep an eye on the children while the other looks at the art. The cafe on the ground floor overlooks the park.

Glasgow's main museums, including Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum and the Hunterian, are free to enter, and the city's museums run weekend and holiday programmes for children aged 5 to 12 at Kelvingrove, the Burrell and GoMA, while Mini Museum Explorers is aimed at pre-schoolers. For active little ones on a rainy day, there are indoor play venues too, such as Playgym at £4, Inflatanation at £5 and Flip Out at £5.50. Outdoors, Pollok Park, Rouken Glen Park and Robertson Park are all worth a wander if the weather behaves, and Pollok Park is also where the Burrell sits, so you can combine a walk with a visit.