Pumpkin Picking at Windmill Farm Park

Every paying child is given something at the start here, which is a good way to open a day out: a witches hat, a magic scroll and boo bucks.

From there the Halloween Spooktacular spreads across the farm park. The pumpkins are homegrown on its own patch and a hayride runs out to them, with a carving station waiting when you come back. Two trails with prizes, a cobweb maze and the Wicked Woods fill the ground in between.

The programme keeps going through the day. There is a potion making workshop and spooky crafts, a witches hat parade, costumed characters appearing for meet and greets and photographs, a best dressed costume contest and fall festival games. Tractor rides run as well, weather permitting.

The everyday farm park stays open underneath all of that, with indoor and outdoor play areas, so a wet half term afternoon still works out. Tickets are booked online in advance and the farm park says key dates sell out early, so the busy half term days are worth settling before the week itself comes round.