IT'S the spookiest time of the year and the biggest terror of all might be how to keep the kids entertained during half term.
Fear not. We’ve put together a selection of family-friendly activities happening around Cumbria, including Halloween fancy dress, pumpkin carving and ghost stories.
There’s plenty of alternatives too for those who don’t fancy the scary stuff.
And best of all, you can get to all of them by using Stagecoach buses.
Halloween Half Term, Carlisle Castle
Bus route: Multiple services
Bus stop: Carlisle bus station, West Tower Street
From Saturday October 22 to Sunday 30 gather your little monsters and prepare for a ghoulishly good day out at Carlisle Castle. Follow Dennis, Gnasher and friends to solve creepy clues on the fun family quest around the grounds. With so much spooky stuff to see and do, it’s a phantomtastic, great value day out for families.
Sizergh, near Kendal
Bus route: 555, X6, 755
Bus stop: Brettagh Holt roundabout near Sedgewick
Whether you’re after a wild play area to let little legs run off some steam, a peaceful garden for a pram-friendly walk, or a children’s trail through a house filled with treasures, there’s something for all ages at Sizergh. Choose from the wild play trail, the children's scallop trail in the house, the garden or go looking for wildlife. There's even a list of 50 things to do before you're 11 and three-quarters.
Fell Foot, Newby Bridge, near Windermere
Bus route: 6
Bus stop: Park entrance
Sitting on the southern tip of Lake Windermere, this family-friendly park has green lawns sloping down to the shore, making it a great place for playing and exploring.
Fell Foot offers the perfect opportunity to get outdoors or stroll along the shore, and is one of the best spots to soak up Windermere in all its beauty.
Check out the new Fell Foot Active Base and for the kids there are the wild and toddler play areas.
Dobbies Garden Centre, Carlisle
Bus route: 300, 400, 554
Bus stop: Garden centre
From October 27 to 30 you can become an official Little Scare-ling at Dobbies' Orton Grange centre.
This event is suited to families with children aged 3 to 10. Children under 3 can still take part in some activities with the support of an adult.
Children are encouraged to wear their scariest fancy dress costume and will get stuck into terrifying treats before taking part in some frightfully fun activities.
Halloween Party in Brampton
Bus route: 685
Bus stop: Cranstons / Shoulder of Mutton
BAT (Brampton Acting Together) hosts a free Halloween party from 4pm to 6pm on October 30 in Brampton Community Centre.
There will be a Halloween disco; a fang-tastic feast box per child for tea; fancy dress competition; entertainment; fun and games, prizes and treats (and maybe a few tricks!)
To register your child email Brampton Acting Together at batpresents@gmail.com
The Lanes Shopping Centre, Carlisle
Bus route: 61, 62, 67
Bus stop: Chapel Street / Market Hall
The Lanes is hosting a free Halloween event from 11am to 3pm on Saturday October 29. Children are invited to take part in fun Halloween craft sessions where they can create different spooky crafts including pumpkin suncatchers and magnets, dangling spooky ghosts and halloween crowns.
Families can also enjoy the trick or treat trail to find the ingredients for the spell and claim a prize.
The Brockhole Halloween Experience, Brockhole-on-Windermere
Bus route: 505, 516, 555, 599
Bus stop: Brockhole gates
The organisers describe this as the biggest and best Halloween Experience in the Lakes as Halloween splendid spookiness will once again descend on Brockhole this October with more monsters, more activities and more fearsome fun than ever before.
Loads of activities for all the family until October 31.
For full details and passports visit www.brockhole.co.uk/whats-on/brockhole-halloween-experience
Twilight Tales in Dove Cottage, Grasmere
Bus route: 555, 599
Bus stop: Dove Cottage
On October 25 enjoy hot chocolate, gingerbread, and Halloween crafts in the cosy Learning Space. Suitable for children aged three and up who will have fun dressing up in Georgian costumes while learning about the Wordsworths and hearing some of their writing then at twilight listen to some spooky Cumbrian stories.
READ MORE: Halloweens gone by and how you celebrated them in Carlisle
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