School holiday activities

Free and low cost activities for families to enjoy over the October half term holiday. 

• Diwali crafts
  Design and make your own Diwali Toran
  • 11am to 12.30pm at Rushey Mead Library
• Diwali: Festival of lights
  Enjoy crafts and stories in the lead up to Diwali. Make a salt dough Diva lamp, create a traditional rangoli design and listen to the story of Rama and Sita and their victory over Ravaan.
  • 11am to 1pm at Belgrave Library
  • Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Diwali: River of lights celebration
  Bring your family, friends and enjoy the breath-taking River of Lights display, on the water paddle performance and a variety of family activities including bell boating, high ropes and crafts. Entrance is free but there is a charge for drinks. Paddle and high ropes activities will be available at a discounted rate, bookable on the night. There is no parking on site so please use public transport.
  • 5.30pm to 8pm at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre 
  • Booking required
  • Please note: No parking or drop off available
• Doorstep Museum
  Come along and handle a selection of real museum objects from the Cabinet of Curiosity, learning about the origins of some of the fascinating items in Leicester’s collections, and have a go at arts and crafts inspired by a range of cultures, including collage, textile art, rangoli and geometric art. 
  • Drop in between 11am to 4pm at St Philip's Church Hall, Evington Road, LE2 1HN
• Halloween workshop
  Make decorations for a Halloween party, including split pin skeletons, witches and paper lanterns
  • 12noon to 2pm at Braunstone Library
• Haymarket Diwali celebrations
  Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a fun-filled day at Haymarket. Enjoy a puppet-making drop-in workshop and an entertaining puppet show with Mr Cleavers Monsters, perfect for families.
  
  • 11am to 4pm at Haymarket Leicester

• Enchanted Diwali Tree
  Enchanted Diwali Tree tells the story of the enchanting Sanjivani (Bay Tree) that Hanuman flies across the seas to revive the unconscious Lakshaman, all enacted in a Rama Sita love story setting. Supported by the Ethnic Inclusion Foundation and performed by children.
  • 3pm to 5pm at Peepul Centre
  • Tickets: Uner 15s free; Adults £5
  • Booking required

• Ayana's mural workshop
  This workshop, led by writer and poet John Berkavitch, will encourage children to think about and discuss their favourite book characters, stories and environments, capturing these ideas through drawing and creative writing. 
  • 2pm to 4pm at Central Library
  • Ages 5 to 15
  • Booking required
• Build your own bee garden
  It's Green libraries week, come make your own bee garden using recyclable materials. 
  • 1pm to 3pm at Fosse Library
• Build your own wooden trinket chest
  • 1pm to 3pm at Highfields Library
• Half-term papercrafts
  Make a Halloween concertina scene or a toadstool garden
  
  • 2pm to 3.30pm at Beaumont Leys Library
  • Ages 5 to 11
• Meet the Police
  Explore the history of Leicester's first police headquarters, try out our Victorian prison cells, meet the local PCSO's, play dress up and enjoy solving our mystery trail around the museum
  
  • Drop in between 12noon to 3pm at Leicester Guildhall
• Stay and play
  
  • 10am to 11.30am at St Matthews CYPFC
  • 1pm to 2.30pm at Saffron CYPFC
  • 1.15pm to 2.45pm at Thurnby Lodge CYPFC
  • 1.30pm to 3pm at Woodbridge CYPFC

• Clay crafting sessions
  Drop in at Leicester Cathedral and make autumnal clay hanging decorations.  Session times:
  • 10am and 12noon
  • 2pm to 4pm 
  • All children must be accompanied by an adult
• Create Diwali lanterns
  • Drop in during opening hours at Central Library
• Festival of lights graffiti sessions
  A two-day event of creative graffiti inspired by the festival of lights
  • 10am to 1pm at Pedestrian
  • Ages: 8 to 16
  • Booking required
• Potion making
  Brew your own potion and decorate your jar or bottle with glitter, string, beads and stickers. 
  • 2pm to 3pm at St Barnabas Library
  • Booking required
• Railway day
  Come and enjoy a ride on the diesel driven narrow gauge railway this half term!
  • 11.30am to 4pm at Abbey Pumping Station
  • Train rides 50p each; under 3's free
• Stay and play
  • 10am to 11.30am at Bewcastle CYPFC
• Wolf Dice
  Join Tina the story maker on an exciting journey exploring new way of telling and sharing stories, and discover Wolf Dice - a place where a story and game meet with you as a main protagonist.
  • Two sessions at 10.30am and 12noon at Pork Pie Library
  • Ages 8+
  • Tickets £1.50 per child (library member); £2 non-member

• Create Diwali lanterns
  • Drop in during opening hours at Central Library
• Creative paper architecture workshop
  
  • 10am to 12noon or 2pm to 4pm at Leicester Cathedral
  • Ages 12+
  • All children must be accompanied by an adult
• Family Learning Festival
  Join Leicester Adult Education to take part in free activities and discover just how powerful storytelling can be.
  • Drop in between 10am and 2pm at Highcross Leicester
• Festival of lights graffiti sessions
  A two-day event of creative graffiti inspired by the festival of lights
  • 10am to 1pm at Pedestrian
  • Ages: 8 to 16
  • Booking required
• Forest School
  • 10am to 12noon at New Parks CYPFC
• Halloween crafts
  Free drop-in sesssion to make spooky lanterns
  
  • 1pm to 3pm at Central Library
• Spider Hair picture book reading
  Enjoy listening to Laura Jeffcote, the author of Spider Hair read the story, and make a spider hair portrait with confetti spiders.
  
  • 2pm to 3pm at Central Library
  • Ages 4 to 7
  • Booking required
• Stay and play
  • 1pm to 2.30pm at Beaumont Leys CYPFC

• Clay crafting sessions
  Drop in at Leicester Cathedral between: 
  • 10am and 12noon; or 
  • 2pm to 4pm 
  • All children must be accompanied by an adult
• Create Diwali lanterns
  • Drop in during opening hours at Central Library
• Design your own mask
  Free drop-in session to design and make your own Halloween themed mask
  
  • 1pm to 2pm at Evington Library
• Family learning festival
  • Drop in between 10am and 2pm at Highcross Leicester
• Make a scrapbook
  Design your own scrapbook from scratch to hold memories of your holidays, family or just your favourite things.   Theme inspired by artist Mary Linwood. 
  • Drop in between 11am to 3pm at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
• Potion making
  Brew your own potion and decorate your jar or bottle with glitter, string, beads and stickers. 
  • 3pm to 4pm at Hamilton Library
  • Booking required
• Stay and play
  • 9.30am to 11am at Netherhall CYPFC
  • 10am to 12noon at New Parks CYPFC
  • 1pm to 2.30pm at:
    • Beaumont Leys CYPFC
    • Highfields CYPFC
  • 1.30pm to 3pm at Belgrave CYPFC
• Wands and broomsticks
  Bring your little witches and wizards for a magical day at the Guildhall. Make a mini witch or wizard, a magical window picture and broomstick sign for your bedroom door. Follow the wand and broomstick trail around the museum. Dressing up welcome.
  • 11am to 3pm at Leicester Guildhall
  • £4 advance online for participating children, £5 on the door,
  • Adults free.

• Create Diwali lanterns
  • Drop in during opening hours at Central Library
• Freaky Friday
  Join the Haymarket for a fang-tastic day of free family fun.  Meet the ghoulish characters including The Witches of Oz, Mr Trick & Mr Treat and the colourful stilt walking Emerald Witches.  Take part in the Halloween crafts and solve the trail to win a treat.
  
  • 11.30am to 3.30pm at Haymarket Leicester
• Halloween crafts
  Make a ‘Monster Mask’ for Halloween. Pick a template, colour it in and decorate it using funky stickers for a truly unique creature.
  • 12noon to 3pm at Fosse Library
• Rangoli family workshop
  Join in the Diwali celebrations and learn the art of rangoli.
  • 1pm to 3pm at Belgrave Library
• Spider Hair picture book reading
  Enjoy listening to Laura Jeffcote, the author of Spider Hair read the story, and make a spider hair portrait with confetti spiders.
  
  • 11am to 12noon at Beaumont Leys Library
  • Ages 4 to 7
  • Booking required
• Stay and play
  • 10am to 11.30am at Eyres Monsell CYPFC
  • 10am to 12noon at Braunstone CYPFC

• Bike Fest
  Take part in the final Bike Fest of the year, and experience the thrill of cycling on a traffic-free circuit at the Leicester Cycle Circuit. An event brought to you by Ride Leicester and British Cycling.
  • 1pm to 4pm at Leicester Cycle Circuit
• Black history month community day
  • 12pm to 4pm at The Curve
  • Booking your free ticket
• Halloween workshop
  Make decorations for a Halloween party, including split pin skeletons, witches and paper lanterns
  • 12noon to 2pm at Braunstone Library

• Let's Ride - Haunting histories guided ride
  Prepare yourself for an eerie adventure as Hidden Histories’ own Jim Butler brings to life the ghostly tales lurking around Leicester’s most haunted spots. With at least six mysterious stops along the route, you’ll hear gripping stories of restless spirits, chilling encounters, and haunted history that will send shivers down your spine. 
  • Meet at 10.30am - Booking required

• "And Breathe..." A sound and light interactive event at Leicester Cathedral 
• Elmer and Friends: The Colourful World of David McKee family exhibition at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
• The Great Leicester Ghost Hunt with BID Leicester
• Leicester Museum and Galleries family-friendly exhibitions
• King Richard III daily activities
• Active Leicester - Leisure centre activities
• Free adventure playground sessions
• Playschemes
• Mychoice - search for other activities, clubs and childcare in Leicester
• What's on in Leicester
• Go Leicestershire

This summary is for information only and is correct at the time of publishing. View the webpage links or contact the individual providers directly to find out if the activities are suitable for your child or family needs. Children must be supervised by a parent / guardian at all times. 

Activities are free to attend unless stated; however, fees may apply for additional activities or services available at the event.