Photo: Bewl WaterIndependent local guide to Kent
Days out, half-term, Christmas, walks, pubs and places to stay. Every listing links to the official source, with the date we last checked it.
October half-term is 26 to 30 October. Here is what is on, with Halloween on the Saturday and Bonfire Night the week after.
Image: Forestry EnglandBedgebury's Room on the Broom trail gains a Halloween twist in October, with cauldrons to find and a crossword to solve for a sticker. It is an easy, low-cost outing in the pinetum while the autumn colour is at its best.
A home-grown pumpkin patch on the Hoo Peninsula, with carving pumpkins, eating squash and decorative corn to pick straight from the field. Tickets are sold per car, which keeps costs down for bigger families.
Pumpkin Moon grows more than 100 varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourd across two Kent farms, near Maidstone and at Rainham. Grab a wheelbarrow, wander the field and pick your own.
A weekend celebrating the apple harvest, with live pressing demonstrations and apple-themed bakes from the kitchen. Children can try traditional games and crafts around the gardens.
Image: Go Ape | Fun Outdoor Activities Near MeNew for 2026, Go Ape's Halloween Potion Hunt sends young climbers into the trees to help the Woodland Wizard, who has dropped his cauldron over the forest. Clues on signs around the course reveal which ingredients belong in his secret recipe, and only five will fit. Finishers get treats and a medal.
Image: Betteshanger Country ParkBetteshanger Park's spooky woodland trail returns for Halloween, with surprises along the route for young monsters and their grown-ups. Over half term the trail is joined by a pumpkin patch where every child picks a small pumpkin to take home. On Saturday 24 October a Halloween dog show joins the fun.
Santa experiences, light trails, markets and pantomimes with confirmed 2026 dates.
Image: Chatham Historic Dockyard TrustA guided, story-led adventure in which families help an elf called Elfenezer recover his Christmas spirit by travelling through his past, present and future. After solving challenges to unlock the Golden Ledger, each family has a private meeting with Father Christmas and children receive a wrapped gift. The guided part takes about 45 minutes, and the venue suggests allowing around two hours in total.
Image: BluewaterA covered seasonal ice rink outside The Village at Bluewater, open from early November into the new year. Sessions last 45 minutes and penguin and seal skating aids help younger or nervous skaters. It is an easy add-on to a Christmas shopping trip.
Image: THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride, Spa Valley RailwayA theatrical train ride from Tunbridge Wells West based on the much-loved film, with characters performing on board and the story read aloud. Hot chocolate and a cookie are served during the journey, and Santa hands each child a silver sleigh bell. Families are encouraged to come in pyjamas.
Canterbury's Christmas market fills the city's streets with wooden huts selling gifts, decorations and seasonal food, with stalls reaching into the Cathedral Precincts. Families can book a Santa's Grotto, breakfast with Santa or VR experiences, and live music runs through the season. The city's lights are switched on across four stages on Friday 13 November.
Folkestone Harbour Arm's festive market runs on weekends from mid November and every day in the final week before Christmas, with stalls along the harbour and its food and drink traders. It opens with the Christmas lights switch-on on Friday 13 November. After Christmas, Crimbo Limbo keeps things going from 26 December to 3 January.
Wooden chalets line the Georgian colonnade of the Pantiles on weekends through November and December, selling gifts from independent makers. Live musicians, community choirs and local theatre groups perform, including mini pantomime shows. The market runs every day in the final week before Christmas.
A few favourites to start with.
Photo: Bewl WaterBewl Water is the South East's largest reservoir, set in the High Weald on the Kent and Sussex border with 13 miles of shoreline. Come for a lakeside walk or bike ride, a watersports session or a summer day on the inflatable Aqua Park, then refuel at the Waterfront Café. It suits families, active groups and dog walkers, and can easily fill a day.
Photo: One Warwick ParkOne Warwick Park is a boutique hotel a two-minute walk from The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells, with 39 individually designed bedrooms. It has a brasserie, an Art Deco bar and flexible event spaces used for weddings, parties and corporate events. It suits a weekend break, a celebration lunch or a base for exploring West Kent.
Image: Assembly Hall TheatreThe Assembly Hall is Tunbridge Wells' main theatre, bringing touring theatre, music, comedy, dance and family shows to the town centre. Its pantomime is one of the big Christmas outings in West Kent. Bars are open on show nights.
Photo: Detraymond, CC BY-SA 3.0The national memorial to the aircrew of the Battle of Britain stands on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne with wide views over the Channel. Alongside the memorial itself are the Christopher Foxley-Norris Wall, the Blade of Honour and replica Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft. Inside The Wing, the Scramble Experience tells the story of the summer of 1940.
Photo: MortimerCat, CC BY-SA 3.0Bayham Old Abbey is a romantic ruin of golden sandstone in the High Weald, right on the Kent and Sussex border near Lamberhurst. Much of the abbey church, the chapter house and a 14th-century gatehouse survive, set in a landscape shaped by Humphry Repton. It is free, peaceful and dog-friendly, and pairs well with nearby Scotney Castle or Bewl Water.
Image: Forestry EnglandBedgebury is Forestry England's National Pinetum, a world-leading collection of over 12,000 specimen trees set among the lakes and valleys of the High Weald near Goudhurst. Wander the pinetum on foot, cycle or mountain bike the forest trails, or let children tackle the play trail. With a cafe at the visitor centre, it can easily fill a day.
Meet Bramble, our local guide
Two kids, a rainy Saturday and about £50? Bramble searches our checked listings and suggests what suits you, with links to book. It never makes up opening times or prices.
Every place and upcoming event we have checked. Tap a pin for photos and directions.
The Weekend List
A free, short email every Thursday morning: the best things on that weekend, a rainy-day backup and anything you need to book before it sells out.
The charity we champion
Founded in Tunbridge Wells in 2014, Taylor-Made Dreams brings dreams to life for children with shorter lives and supports their families across Kent, Essex, Surrey and Sussex.