17 things to do in Bristol during half term October 2021

Autumn leaves, ghoulish decorations and crisp cold air herald the arrival of October half term.

Whether your family is partial to a bit of pumpkin carving, playing out in the park, taking a pirate-themed tour or picking up new skills, Bristol24/7’s round-up of places to go and things to do throughout the week will have you covered.

Take a spine-tingling voyage on the SS Great Britain
Step aboard the city’s most famous ship this half term to be transported back in time and experience the sights, sounds and smells of life on the open sea. Expect a few ghostly additions in time for Halloween and tales of the macabre that run through the ship’s history.

Follow the Global Traveller Trail to experience the grim realities of life in steerage, spot the shadows of scurrying rats and listen out for the creaking steps of phantom intruders.

There is also a free photography exhibition, Opening Up, on Brunel Square just outside the SS Great Britain.

Where: SS Great Britain
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.ssgreatbritain.org/

Treasure Island Story Walks
Keeping with the maritime theme, this half term sees the return of the Treasure Island Story Walk. See Bristol’s docks as you’ve never seen them before on this swashbuckling adventure exploring the city’s pirate past.

Discover the story behind Long John Silver and The Spyglass and much more on this theatrical experience filled with pirates and buccaneers, hidden spy holes, dark secrets and dastardly deeds.

Where: Meet by the Treasure Island trail barrel at the top of King Street (near the junction with Prince Street). Tour takes place outdoors and ends near M Shed
When: Monday, Wednesday and Friday during half term at 11am and 2pm
Find out more: www.yuup.co/experiences/treasure-island-story-walk. Yuup is offering £5 off each booking if you use the code ‘TREASURE5’ at the checkout

Show Of Strength Theatre Co’s Gerard Cooke will lead the Treasure Island Story Walks this half term – photo by Zuleika Henry

Jump for joy at Airhop
Leap into autumn and burn off some of that Halloween sugar at Airhop Trampoline Park. The vast trampoline-filled attraction is open throughout half term and running mini hopper sessions for babies and children aged six months to six years each morning from 9am to 10am, followed by regular jump slots for those four and over.

Check the Airhop bounce schedule and book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Where: Airhop Bristol
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.airhop-bristol.com/timetable/

Craft new skills with Creative Youth Network
Emerging young artists will be hosting a series of free workshops for 11 to 19-year-olds at Creative Youth Network’s HQ, The Station. These include a session on music and lyric writing led by musician and song writer Joe Hill, illustration with Emily Thomas and a craft and textiles workshop led by activist and artist Heather Gibson, who will share how best to use craft for peaceful protest.

Where: The Station on Silver Street
When: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during half term
Find out more: www.creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk/whats-on

Emerging young artists will be hosting a series of free workshops for 11 to 19-year-olds at Creative Youth Network’s HQ – photo courtesy of Creative Youth Network

Crazy about cricket?
Young people in Eastville are invited to brush up on their batting and bowling skills by taking part in free cricket sessions as part of the new African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme launched in Bristol. Backed by Gloucestershire Cricket Board, the programme will provide two days of free holiday clubs at May Park Primary School in Eastville for children in school years four to seven. There will be opportunity to play cricket and football, and even try gymnastics.

The ACE programme is also hosting an exclusive showing of Fire In Babylon, the acclaimed film about the dominance of West Indies cricket in the 1980s at the Rose Green Centre in Whitehall at 7pm on Friday.

The film will be shown on Friday October 29 at 7pm at the Rose Green Centre, Gordon Road, Whitehall – the home of Bristol West Indian Phoenix Cricket Club.

Where: May Park Primary School in Eastville or Rose Green Centre in Whitehall for the film screening.
When: Wednesday and Thursday during half term. Friday for the film screening
Find out more: www.gloscricket.co.uk/ or register here.
www.gloscricket.co.uk/news/ace-to-host-black-history-month-event-in-bristol/

Play out in the park
Bristol’s parks never look finer than at this time of year when the trees are transformed with autumnal orange hues.

Wander around the pond in Eastville Park and see how many birds you can spot, take to two-wheels on the pump track in Hartcliffe, explore the nature-filled trails of Stoke Park, burn off some steam on the playground in Greville Smyth Park or fly a kite high up on Troopers Hill.

Where: Parks and green spaces across Bristol
When: Anytime
Find out more via: www.bristol.gov.uk/museums-parks-sports-culture/parks-and-estates

Trees in Bristol’s parks look sensational at this time of year – tree in Troopers Hill field – photo by Ellie Pipe

Explore the animal kingdoms of Bristol Zoo and Wild Place Project
Discover different worlds and find out more about the nocturnal inhabitants of Bristol Zoo’s dark and spooky Twilight World. The zoo will also be home to some spooky skeletons during half term, with opportunities for visitors to learn all about the clever bones inside their favourite vertebrates. For the extra adventurous, there’s the chance to climb high on the ZooRopia aerial ropes course.

Autumn is a great time to visit the woodlands, meadows and gardens at Wild Place Project. Here, visitors can spot bears, wolves, wolverines and lynxes – including two kittens named Bramble and Rowan – roaming the award-winning Bear Wood exhibit, as well as giraffes, zebras, gelada baboons, cheetahs, meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs. As well as the Fun Fort, Barefoot Trail and giant bird’s nest, Wild Place Project is also home to the Leap of Faith, an adrenaline-fuelled experience for children and adults.

Where: Bristol Zoo Gardens and Wild Place Project
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.bristolzoo.org.uk/online-booking or www.wildplace.org.uk

Celebrate a spooky Halloween at Bristol Zoo – photo courtesy of Bristol Zoo

Down on the farm
Sticking with our four-legged, furry and feathered friends, community farms provide a great chance to get close to different animals and enjoy a day out in the heart of the city. Meet goats, guinea pigs and more at Lawrence Weston Community Farm, where you can explore the woodland and enjoy a picnic in the community orchard.

Pop in to see pigs, chat to some chickens or run wild through the play area at Windmill Hill City Farm or see what goods are growing in the St Werburgh’s City Farm allotments, where there are also goats to greet, ducks to drop in and much more.

Where: Lawrence Weston Community Farm, Windhill Hill City Farm or St Werburgh’s City Farm
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.lwfarm.org.uk
www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk
www.swcityfarm.co.uk

Meet goats, guinea pigs and more at Lawrence Weston Community Farm – photo courtesy of Lawrence Weston Community Farm

From sports to SS Great Britain
Talo, an organisation that supports families across east Bristol, has organised a programme of half term activities – from a trip to the SS Great Britain to sports days.

Where: Various locations
When: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during half term
Find out more: Call Talo on 074442 53675 or www.facebook.com/talo.community

Fly high at Bristol Aerospace Museum
Find out all about the city’s aviation heritage at Aerospace Bristol. A Family Space Day is taking place on Monday, featuring a talk and Q&A session with the first British astronaut, Helen Sharman. Aerospace Bristol also has a special kids app, with a sticker for every child that completes it and the chance to win an Alfie Fox toy.

Where: Aerospace Bristol
When: Open throughout half term, with the family day and Helen Sharman talk on Monday. Ticket sales for Monday close on Sunday.
Find out more: www.aerospacebristol.org/family-space-day

Helen Sharman will be doing a talk and Q&A session at Aerospace Bristol – photo provided by Aerospace Bristol

Non-stop fun at Felix Road Adventure Playground
There are spooky shenanigans aplenty to enjoy at Felix Road Adventure Playground this half term. Alongside the usual fun, there will be a special visit by the Flying Seagulls, who will bring a mix of comedy, clowning, magic and circus to the playground on Tuesday (and on for women and girls only on Friday).

Where: Felix Road Adventure Playground
When: Open every afternoon except Saturday throughout half term. Friday is women and girls only.
Find out more: www.eastsidecommunitytrust.org.uk/our-places/felix-road

There are spooky shenanigans aplenty to enjoy at Felix Road Adventure Playground this half term – photo by Evoke Pictures Lifestyle Photographers

Acting out at Easton Community Centre
There will be improvisation, role play, imagination and plenty of fun in Easton Community Centre on Thursday. A free workshop led by Acting Out aimed at people in years seven and eight will focus on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Where: Easton Community Centre
When: Monday of half term
Find out more: www.eastsidecommunitytrust.org.uk/events/midsummer-nights-drama or by emailing enquiries@actingoutdrama.com

A free workshop led by Acting Out is taking place at Easton Community Centre – photo by Ellie Pipe

Make some prickly pals
The number of hedgehogs in Britain’s parks and gardens is decreasing at a rate of around five per cent each year. The good people of BS4 are giving our prickly neighbourhood pals a helping hand and you can get involved.

Knowle West Media Centre is coordinating a series of build a hedgehog house workshops on days during half term, providing people in the local area an opportunity to connect with each other, build their own hedgehog house and get tips on how to make gardens hedgehog-friendly. Workshops are filling up fast so for anyone who misses out or wants to learn more can attend an online talk all about hedgehogs on Monday, November 1 from 7-8pm. Find out more via: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/intro-to-hedgehogs-tickets-194384979707

When: Thursday and Friday in half term.
Where: Inn’s Court Family and Community Centre, Filwood Community Centre and Bommie on the Northern Slopes.
Find out more: www.kwmc.org.uk/projects/meet-neighbours-hedgehogs/

Learn how to build a hedgehog house in BS4 – photo by Tom_Marshall/Avon Wildlife Trust

Visit The Vench
Head down to Lockleaze’s adventure playground and community centre for a host of half term fun. The Vench is hosting family play sessions throughout the week, with adventure play, craft and cooking activities and a hot lunch. Eight to 12-year-olds are welcome unaccompanied while under eights must be accompanied by an adult.

There will also be youth sessions for 11- to 16-year olds on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with music, craft, sports and more.

Where: The Vench, Lockleaze
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.thevench.co.uk

There will be crafting, cooking and much more at the Vench Adventure Playground this half term – photo by Ellie Pipe

Get Halloween-ready and carve your own pumpkin
This is the time for one large, orange fruit to shine – and there are plenty of half term entertainment miles to be gotten out of one pumpkin. There are various patches you can visit to pick your own pumpkin, but you can also head to your local greengrocer and chances are they’ll have plenty to choose from.

Get creative at home, maybe draw a few designs for your pumpkin before deciding on the ultimate one. And, once you’ve created the perfect carved pumpkin and placed it ready for Halloween, there’s plenty you can do with the leftover filling – from a nutritious, warming pumpkin soup to a pumpkin pie.

Where: At home
When: Anytime

Will your Halloween pumpkin be as good as this one? Photo courtesy of Bristol Zoo

Step up your STEM game at We The Curious
Bristol’s go-to place for all things science is an ideal place to visit during half term – especially on a rainy day. Visit the new Project What If experience at We The Curious – an exhibition inspired and curated by the people of Bristol – explore two floors of interactive exhibits and learn all about the solar system in the UK’s first 3D planetarium.

Bristol24/7 members have the chance to enter a competition to win one year’s family membership to We The Curious. All members get unlimited visits, half price on planetarium shows and a discount in the cafe and shop.

The competition winner will be drawn on Monday and contacted by email just in time for half term.

Where: We The Curious
When: Throughout half term
Find out more: www.wethecurious.org
www.my.bristol247.com/perks/win-a-years-family-membership-to-we-the-curious/

Explore We The Curious and step up your STEM game this half term – photo by Lisa Whiting

Swing from the treetops at St Paul’s Adventure Playground
Having built back from the ashes of a fire early last year, St Paul’s Adventure Playground is better than ever and hosting play sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during half term, followed by a special family fun day on Saturday.

Where: St Paul’s Adventure Playground
When: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
Find out more: www.facebook.com/stpaulsapg or www.apeproject.co.uk

There’s plenty going on at St Paul’s Adventure Playground over half term – photo by Alexander Caminada

Main photo by Evoke Pictures Lifestyle Photographers

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