Half term family fun in Salisbury
Half term is upon us and children across Salisbury are ready for a break from school!
If you are worried about how to keep the little ones entertained over the holiday, don’t be! There are lots of child-friendly activities to be found in our modern medieval city.
From spooky trails to the Big Bad Wolf, there is plenty to experience. Here are some of the highlights:
Spooky Salisbury!
Are you brave enough for the Spooky Salisbury Walks?! Between Monday 25th and Sunday 31st October there will be a series of 'Classic Ghost Walks' and 'Family Frighteners Walks'.
The Family Frighteners are specifically geared for families and adults with children of Primary school age. All tickets do need to be booked in advance through the Salisbury Information Centre on Fish Row. £10 for adults and £5 for children.
Halloween fun on the farm!
River Bourne Community Farm is holding a week of Halloween themed activities. Head to Laverstock for ‘Hunt the Pumpkins’ trail (£3 per child), bouncy castle and mini striker. The kids will also love the farm favourites, including goats, donkeys, pigs and alpacas! The Halloween fun on the farm will run 10am to 1pm Monday 25th to Saturday 31st October.
River Bourne Community Farm
Hitting the right note
The Celebrate Voice Festival is all about celebrating live music, and that’s exactly what you can do this half term. Organisers have made sure to cater to all ages throughout the programme, including children.
On Saturday 23rd October make sure to ‘Rock the Tots’! This is a fabulously fun music event with an ‘Around The World’ theme for babies, toddlers, young children, and their adults! A live guitarist and singers will perform well known pop and rock covers, with puppets, percussion and stories. Expect to hear some well-known tunes to sing-along to – maybe even some Beach Boys, Toto and George Ezra. Sit, stand, dance or head-bang... just have fun! Join in at 10.30am on 23rd October. £6 adults, £4 children.
If you are looking for another sing-along, join Sarah Budd on Friday 29th October for ‘Songbirds’. With familiar songs and some new ones too, Sarah will guide the session to bring out confidence, inspire calm, and give tips on how to use your voice to enable your child to relax, engage, enjoy and explore. The session starts at 11am. £6 adult and baby.
Professional storyteller Amanda Kane-Smith brings her interactive storytelling to the Celebrate Voice Festival on Saturday 30th October. She will bring to life two legendary fairytales in Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf! Amanda combines traditional storytelling with music, movement and drama to create an energetic and spellbinding experience for little people and adults. Join her at 10.30am. £5 adult and £3 child. Please note it is suitable for ages 3 to 8, and their grown ups of course!
The festival is in partnership with Salisbury City Council, with all events are taking place at The Guildhall.
A really wizard day out!
If you’re heading to Old Sarum this half term, you’ll get to take part in a brand-new adventure trail inspired by Cressida Cowell’s bestselling Wizards of Once series. Plus, make sure you go in frightful fancy dress to enter their competition! Admission to the event is included in the standard admission ticket price. If you are an English Heritage Member then your ticket will be free. Running from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st October 10am to 5pm. You can also find the trail at Stonehenge.
The magic of books
Take a peek ‘Beyond the Library Door’ at Salisbury Cathedral this half term and be whisked away to a real-life Hogwarts! Over 10,000 volumes are housed in the library and open sessions being held during the week will allow visitors access to the magical space to discover some of the hidden gems – like the dead mouse! (you can read more about that here) A specially themed children’s book trail around the Cathedral will also be available.
Salisbury Cathedral library
‘Beyond the Library Door’ runs from Monday 25th to Saturday 30th October. Booking isn't needed and there are no additional charges to take part as the event is included with your entry tickets to the Cathedral. Salisbury residents with SP1, SP2 or Laverstock postcodes receive free entry with proof of residence.
Spook-tacular family fun at Salisbury’s Old George Mall
Drop by for a day of activities and more importantly, secret visits from all-time character favourites – you definitely don’t want to miss out! The Halloween trail is free and will be held at Old George Mall on Saturday 30th October between 11am and 4pm.
Shift it down to Salisbury Arts Centre!
Wiltshire Creative’s Young Ambassadors are making sure teenagers don’t miss out on the half term fun. They are putting on an evening of fun, food and entertainment at Salisbury Arts Centre on Saturday 30th October. SHIFT Social will showcase talented local performers, while giving 14-to-21-year old's a place to meet and make new friends. It’s free to join in. The evening starts at 7pm.
Whether you are looking for an event for this week, next week, next month or even next year, Experience Salisbury is the place to find it! Head to our What's On pages to find the perfect experience for you.