Lily P.A.D.S. Monsters, Magic, & Spooky Brews

Lily P.A.D.S. Monsters, Magic, & Spooky Brews is a Halloween workshop for kids aged 4 to 10, happening at Glen Foerd on Tuesday, October 20, from 5 to 6 PM. It's an hour of hands-on making, and the list of what the kids actually get to do is pretty long: they'll mix spooky witches' brews and potions, make glowing jack-o'-lantern jars, bead Halloween jewelry, decorate their own trick-or-treating bags, and create creepy Halloween art. It's the kind of afternoon where the kids leave with a few things they made themselves.

Costumes are welcome, and the organizers are open about the mess—they expect the kids to get their hands dirty, so dress them accordingly. Registration is required for each child, and accompanying adults enter free. If you've got a few little ones, it's a good way to spend a Tuesday afternoon before the actual holiday kicks in.

The workshop is at Glen Foerd, a historic riverfront estate and mansion in Northeast Philadelphia. The organization preserves and enhances the site for the community, drawing on the estate's architecture, art, material culture, and history, as well as its gardens and waterways, to offer inclusive experiences that spark curiosity and support Philadelphia's natural and cultural ecosystems. It's more than just a backdrop for the workshop; the estate also hosts an Artist-in-Residence and runs free Open Boating Days on the Poquessing Creek and the Delaware River.

So, if you're looking for a low-stakes, high-activity way to get the kids into the Halloween spirit, this is it. Lily P.A.D.S. Monsters, Magic, & Spooky Brews runs from 5 to 6 PM on Tuesday, October 20, at Glen Foerd, 5001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114. Registration is required for each child, and accompanying adults enter free.