Full of stomp-worthy woods, historic castles steeped in history, and giant beaches perfect for a dog-friendly romp on a crisp autumn day, Devon is perfect for a jam-packed family holiday.
With the October half term fast approaching, what better way to spend time with the kids than a break away from it all? A week or short break in Devon offers the perfect opportunity for everyone to unwind (including your four-legged friends), with beautiful countryside that’s a riot of autumnal colours and lots of amazing places to visit too. Here’s a selection of just some of the wonderful events and activities taking place over the half term that are sure to keep the little ones entertained all day long.
Trick or Trot Halloween Trail at The Donkey Sanctuary
Slade House Farm, Sidmouth EX10 ONU
Established over 50 years ago, The Donkey Sanctuary, situated in Sidmouth, is a world-leading equine charity that aims to rescue and improve the lives of donkeys all over the world. This half term, families are invited to take part in the Trick or Trot Halloween Trail, a spooky adventure where you’ll need to find all of the pumpkins scattered along the pathways and guess what’s a trick or a treat for the resident donkeys – ending with a Halloween treat to take home with you. Head to the gift shop to pick up a trail sheet for just £5 and let the adventure begin.
Other activities include a bat beacon exhibition, daily talks and displays, a miniature paddock and of course lots of donkeys to meet. Take a stroll around the award-winning gardens, while little ones will love clambering over the natural play area. Dogs on leads are welcome, and there’s a fantastic restaurant for lunch or afternoon tea, not to mention a gift shop for that all-important donkey-themed gift to take home.
Halloween at Babbacombe Model Village
Hampton Avenue, Babbacombe, Torquay TQ1 3LA
Covering over 4 acres, Babbacombe Model Village and Gardens will make even the smallest child feel like a giant. With hundreds of hand-crafted model scenes showcasing Britain through the ages, sprinkled with a few well-known landmarks, humour abounds in this Lilliputian land. Located near Torquay, the model village will be transformed for the half term into a Halloween-themed delight, with miniature ghosts, ghoulish creatures, and spooky scenes to explore, as well as 12 hidden pumpkins to find and a small prize for those who discover them all.
During the day you can see the displays on the 26th and 27th of October, and the 1st to the 3rd of November. If you want to enjoy the special spooky illuminations, visit between the 28th and the 31st of October when it’s open till 7pm (the latest time you can arrive is 5pm). While you’re there, admission also includes a game or two of crazy golf, the opportunity to take on the Bug Trail Challenge where you can look out for 12 creepy crawlies in the award-winning gardens, and a chance to meet the extraordinary fire-breathing dragon. There’s a café on-site, as well as a gift shop, and dogs on leads are welcome (but aren’t allowed in the café). Alternatively, you’re welcome to bring a picnic with you.
Trick or Treat Tram at Seaton Tramway
Seaton Station, Seaton Tramway, Harbour Road EX12 2WD
Travelling through the unspoilt countryside of the Axe Valley for 3 miles, Seaton Tramway, a collection of narrow gauge heritage trams, offers a unique and fun way to explore this beautiful area of Devon. Travelling between Seaton (known as the gateway to the Jurassic Coast) and the historical town of Colyton, it travels alongside the River Axe estuary, passing through two nature reserves as it goes.
Over October half term, from the 30th of October through to the 3rd of November, the ‘Trick or Treat’ tram will be haunting the tracks, offering a mystical train ride led by Jack O’Lantern, the naughty pumpkin-headed guide. A 25-minute tram ride aimed at little monsters of all ages, there’s interactive storytelling, spooky fun, a meet-and-greet with the not-so-scary witch Grizelda at Colyton, and a goody bag to take home with you. With more treats than tricks, this is a popular event so make sure to book your tickets online before you go.
Make like a busy bee at Quince Honey Farm
Aller Cross, South Molton EX36 3RD
Quince Honey Farm has been in the same family for three generations of beekeepers and was established way back in 1949. Based in South Molton, the farm is now open to the public and guests can take time to wander around the bee-utiful Nectar Gardens, visit the Honey Factory, and see first-hand how honey is produced, from comb to jar. With lots of knowledgeable people on site to guide you and even open a hive up for you to take a look, you’re in safe hands whenever you visit.
This October half term the farm will also see the return of its pumpkin patch, where the whole family can take time to select the perfect gourd to take home, ready for carving. It’s also harvest time for the farm’s apples and honey. Learn all the customs and old ways of apple picking and apple pressing at their Apple Show and watch heather honey be collected and even have a go at extracting the honey from the hive! If all this wasn’t enough, there’s a Halloween Garden Trail in the Nectar Gardens as well as a fantastic indoor and outdoor Play Hive for little ones to let off steam. Tasty autumnal treats can be found at the Nectary Restaurant, while the shop is full of artisanal, bee-themed gifts.
Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves
91 Ilsham Road, Torquay TQ1 2JF
Situated just a mile from Torquay, Kents Cavern is an awe-inspiring system of caves set in Devonian Limestone, created over 2.5 million years ago. Over the October half term, there’s a fantastic series of events lined up for children to get truly stuck into. For artistic types, they can try their hand at making their very own egg box bat to paint and take home. Alternatively, take part in the Bat Challenge through the woodland trail, where kids can complete a fact sheet and discover over 17 different species of bat native to the UK. Once finished, they’ll be a certified bat expert, complete with a certificate!
There are pumpkin hunts, bat jokes, and little ones are actively encouraged to dress up in their best Halloween costumes. This event runs from the 26th of October to the 3rd of November. For a really unique experience, treat yourselves to a movie night in their pop-up cinema and watch a film in the caves once home to woolly mammoths, bears, and lions. The films shown are Coco (on the 30th of October), Hocus Pocus (on the 31st of October) and A Nightmare Before Christmas (on the 1st of November) and booking is essential to avoid disappointment. As well as incredible caves to explore, there’s a woodland trail, a café, and a gift shop.
Zombie School for Tavistock’s very first Zombie Crawl!
Starting at Bedford Square, Tavistock
Taking place on the 30th of October from 4pm at Bedford Square, comes the devilish nightmare of Tavistock’s very first Zombie Crawl through its cobbled streets. This is a playful, family-fun parade where dressing up is actively encouraged and you can either join in the fun or simply come along and watch. If you head into this UNESCO World Heritage town earlier between 12pm and 2pm there’s a series of circus workshops, face painting, and a school where you can take part in a lesson or two to learn the essential way of walking like a zombie.
Here for the whole day? Take another walk along the beautiful Tavistock Canal and Meadows where you can spot wildlife and feed the ducks. There’s also a large children’s play area to keep kids entertained. The museum is well worth a visit too, offering an informative and entertaining look into the town’s past with interactive exhibitions to take part in.
Meet the Alpacas at Canonteign Falls
Canonteign Falls, Christow, nr Exeter EX6 7RH
Tucked away in the countryside between the wilds of Dartmoor and the vibrant city of Exeter lies the astonishing Canonteign Falls, a spectacular 90-acre estate of lush gardens, peaceful bridges, beautiful trails, lakes and the beautiful Lady Exmouth falls, a cascade of 70 metres and the highest in the South West. This October half term sees an invasion of the woolly kind in the form of gorgeous Alpacas, and you’re invited to meet, hand feed, and walk with them on the 31st of October.
Each Alpaca can be joined by two adults or one family (two adults and two children over 6 years) for £35 and you’ll also receive a 20% discount off of day admission to the Falls, where you can explore the estate and little ones can run riot in the adventure playgrounds. You’ll need to book your ticket online ahead of your visit. Can’t make the 31st? Never mind – there’s a spooky code-tracking trail to take part in where children can search around the estate to unlock a safe and win a prize. This is a great activity to do with your four-legged friend if you have one, before heading back to refuel at the café with some delicious Halloween-themed goodies.
Have your very own Night at the Museum at RAMM
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3RX
If you head to RAMM (the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery) in Exeter on the 1st of November, don’t be surprised if you find it alive with all the creatures that have crawled out of Dartmoor! With tales of disembodied hands, beastly hounds and battling giants, this amazing event, which runs from 6pm to 8pm, will see the lights switched off as you make your way through the haunted museum. Don’t worry, there are helpful Dartmoor glow worms and glow-in-the-dark face paints to put on as you make your way around to find the clues, solve puzzles, and learn the legends of Dartmoor’s famous creatures.
So dress up in your best spooky clothes and bring a torch with you for this fantastic family event and make sure to book your tickets in advance. Can’t make it for the night? Not to worry, RAMM is a great place to visit with children at other times too, offering trails to follow, a family area filled with books for quiet moments, interactive displays, RAMMbingo and the fab Beastie Bags – choose from a giraffe, owl or ladybird wheely suitcase filled with toys and things to do as you explore the museum.
Hone your Lego building skills at Buckfast Abbey
Buckfastleigh TQ11 0EE
If your little ones are loopy for Lego, head to beautiful Buckfast Abbey on the 1st of November for their Lego Family Fun Day. With a whole host of multi-coloured bricks available to play with, kids can get as creative as they want or even get involved in building a replica of Buckfast Abbey itself! Situated right on the edge of Dartmoor, Buckfast Abbey, home to a community of Roman Catholic Benedictine Monks, is well worth a visit in itself, where you can take a stroll around the tranquil grounds and even go inside the abbey (be aware it closes to general visitors during service times).
In addition, there are two restaurants for a bite to eat, a gift shop, and a gardening and craft shop. For the Lego Family Fun Day, it’s just £2.50 per person (entry to the Abbey is free) and sessions run from 10am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. You’ll need to book tickets on their website ahead of your visit.
Creepin’ It Real at The Big Sheep
Abbotsham, Bideford EX39 5AP
Starting life as a busy working farm, today The Big Sheep is a fun day out for all the family. Located near Bideford, they’ve fully embraced a hauntingly good half term week of treats for your little terrors. Carve your own pumpkins and get your scream ready as you ascend North Devon’s biggest, highest, and speediest roller coaster. Other activities include haunted attractions, live animal shows, indoor fun at the EWEtopia Soft Play and a host of rides to try.
Highlights include the giant jumping pillows to bounce on, mini tractors to ride on, the miniature train (all aboard at Eweston Station!) and the head-spinningly good Twister ride. From the 19th to the 23rd of October, The Big Sheep will have a Toddler Takeover, where entertainment is aimed at your littlest ones, with arts and crafts, feeding lambs, meeting the baby barn animals and lots of indoor and outdoor fun to be had. Hungry? Not a problem – there’s a café, farm shop, and even a brewery on site, as well as luxurious kennels for your pooch to relax for the day while you have a frolicking good time.
Other child-friendly half term events to get your teeth into…
In Ilfracombe, there are fireworks, a bonfire, a haunted house, live music, performers and a BBQ at their Rugby Club on the 25th of October, combining the best of Halloween and Guy Fawkes’ Night! Meanwhile, at award-winning Crealy near Exeter, it’s time for their annual Spook Fest with live shows, mysterious mazes, and roarsome rides to entertain the whole family. Combine a fabulous walk, a beautiful waterfall, and live animals at Becky Falls near Newton Abbot, where kids can watch meerkats have their lunch and learn about all the creatures that call Becky Falls home.
At Bicton Park Botanical Gardens near Sidmouth, kids will love the pumpkin trail as well as the woodland railway, indoor and outdoor play areas, countryside museum and over 60 acres of gardens and grounds to explore. If you have budding adventurers with you, head to Haldon Forest for a spot of Gruffalo orienteering and map reading to find the 12 hidden markers throughout the forest.
Excited for your half term holiday? Take a look at our stunning family-friendly holiday cottages in Devon and book your stay today.
