Five Spookily Charming Ways to Enjoy October Half Term 2025
September 26, 2025
October half-term is fast approaching and with it comes Autumn, one of our favourite times of year, a season that turns the mundane into magic! The warm, golden sun that welcomes earlier evenings, the rustle of leaves under boots and the moments of wonder one can feel at the changing landscape. Whether you’re planning for a half-term filled with quirky local happenings or one last family holiday for the year, here are five ways to make the most of the October half-term this year.
1. Penhein’s Spooky Season
For an easy win and a half-term that weaves in excitement and a sense of adventure with nature, Penhein Glamping is hard to beat (even if we do say so ourselves!). Book a half term stay at Penhein for as little as £295 for two nights in one of our luxury tents (which sleep up to five) and you are set for a wonderful, family break.
We offer seasonal events the whole week leading up to Halloween including Penhein’s fun and Crafty Halloween Sessions, which run from the 21st – 28th October. Led by Sophie (our qualified childcare pro) and perfect for ages 2-10, they include pumpkin painting, ‘scary’ mask-making, trick-or-treat bag crafting (with some sweets included!) as well as jam-jar lantern decorating. The sessions last about 1½ hours, starting at 10:00am and are on the 21st, 23rd and 28th October.
The highlight of the half term season is Penhein’s annual Spooktacular Halloween Party, this year on the 30th October. If your stay includes that evening, you’re invited to the party! Beginning at 4.30pm with crafting, making lanterns and trick-or-treat bags, it then leads to family games, a fancy-dress competition (prize for best dressed family!) and more trick-or-treat fun. At 6.30pm, the Halloween After Party begins (at a cost of £25 per tent) with hot dogs, age-appropriate ghost stories, hot chocolate for all (mulled wine for grown-ups) and marshmallow-toasting around a campfire under the star-lit sky. If you would like to learn more about half-terms at Penhein, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
2. Leaf Peeping in the Wye Valley
Wandering the Wye Valley when the leaves start to change colour (usually mid October to late November) is an immersive and breathtaking experience known as Leaf Peeping. As cited by the BBC in an interview with our very own Ed Drewitt, “The Forest of Dean is very much leading on being the top place in the country for leaf peeping”.
So, what is leaf peeping? Well, it’s a North American term for those wanting to view and enjoy the changing colors of autumn foliage. People who take part are therefore often called leaf peepers!
You can even do some leaf peeping here on Penhein Farm and in the next door Wentwood Forest. To make it even more memorable, you can book a nature safari with Ed Drewitt (subject to availability) which is perfect if you want a walk that’s more than just the views. Ed’s love and knowledge of our local wildlife puts the experience in a whole new light.
3. Seasonal Foraging, Mushroom Hunting & More
Autumn is when the woodlands, meadows and hedgerows around Penhein really come alive with edible treasures. Fungi, nuts, berries and herbs make it the perfect season for a foraging adventure like no other. One of the best ways to experience this is by booking a foraging session with the wonderful Chloe Newcomb Hodgetts of Gourmet Gatherings, our local foraging expert. Chloe offers a range of experiences designed to teach you what’s safe, what’s delicious, and how to respect the land.
A Mushroom Foraging session at Penhein (August-November, subject to availability) lasts 1½ to 2 hours, during which Chloe will show you not just mushrooms but also wild herbs, plants and other ‘wild edibles’ that often go unnoticed. She will explain how to spot flavour and texture differences, how to cook what’s safe and how to identify species like ceps, chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, boletes and a variety of others.
4. Spooky Tales & Pumpkin Trails
If you wanted to explore our local area, there’s no shortage of atmospheric history and fun in this corner of Wales and when you mix heritage with gentle spooks, you get a half-term overflowing with magic and mystery.
There is so much going on for all the family from castle ghost trails (Raglan Castle and Chepstow Castle are both nearby for some ghoulish ghostliness) to pumpkin picking, creepy crafting, a visit to the magical Puzzlewood or even some falconry at Tintern Abbey to name just a few. If you’re looking for half term fun without a Halloween connection the local Perrygrove Railway Adventure is running a ‘Spooky Free October’! For younger children, pumpkin patches and mazes are a special delight, so include some mini pumkin decorating or a visit to Billy Bob’s Pumpkin Patch in Llangybi (near Usk) which runs from the 11th – 30th October. For something a little calmer (and very near to Penhein) there’s an evening of ghost stories and Welsh folklore in Caerwent. If this isn’t enough, for more information about local events try here, you never know what you might find!
5. Halloween at Home
Sometimes the simplest things make the best half-term memories, so if you are planning a stay at home Halloween there are plenty of ways of make the party suitably.. well halloweenish. You could host a halloween party with scavenger hunts in the garden, run a spooky costume party, play games like Pin the Boo on the Ghost or try a bit of apple bobbing. Other options include pumpkin decorating, creating scary treats, having a Halloween movie night with spooky snacks or transforming your home into a haunted house with decorations like cobwebs and bat cutouts, all without leaving your front door!