Free Halloween things to do in London for families

Halloween is on October 31st, and around this time there are Halloween-themed activities and events across London, many of which are free. Here are some of the best family-friendly Halloween experiences in the city which won’t cost you a thing.

Covent Garden – giant pumpkin

Head to Covent Garden for a perfect Halloween selfie spot. A giant pumpkin weighing more than 2000lbs is the centre piece of on a Cinderella-inspired pumpkin carriage installation. While you’re there, check out the street entertainers on the historic Piazza. The pumpkin carriage is on display from Wednesday October 16th until Sunday November 3rd.

Giant pumkin, Covent Garden, London. Image courtesy of Capco Covent Garden

Old Royal Naval College – Halloween craft

On Tuesday October 22nd there’s a Halloween craft session at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and Halloween fancy dress is welcome. Kids age 5+ can make a ship’s cat puppet or decorate a spooky sailor’s hat to take home.

Halloween at the Benjamin Franklin House

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, lived at 36 Craven Street for nearly 16 years. Today you can visit Benjamin Franklin House to learn about Franklin’s life in eighteenth century London. On Tuesday October 22nd from 4-5.30pm there’s a Halloween family event where children can meet the character of Polly Hewson, daughter of Franklin’s landlady, for Halloween stories, games and crafts.

Hyde Park Halloween Discovery Day

On Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th October from 11am – 3pm there are Halloween Discovery Days for kids at Hyde Park. You can drop in at any time between 11am and 3pm. Free activities include a hair-raising nature trail, ‘feely boxes’ in the Witches Den, creating potions with garden herbs and plants, and storytelling. Halloween fancy dress is encouraged!

Halloween dog walk & show

London dog rescue charity All Dogs Matter run an annual Halloween dog walk and show at the Spaniards Inn, Hampstead. This year the fundraising event takes place on Sunday 27th October. The dog walk starts at midday and the fancy dress show is from 1pm – 2.30pm. The fancy dress categories are Spookiest Dressed Dog, Adult or Child. There’s no charge for spectators but it’s £5 per dog to join the walk (with free entry to the show) or per show category.

London Halloween Run

There are 5k and 10k running events at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park London Halloween Run on Thursday October 31st from 7-8.30pm. There’s no charge for spectators, but it costs £22 if you’d like to sign up as a runner.

Peckham Levels – Halloween film club

At Peckham Levels there’s a free Halloween kids’ film club event on Saturday November 2nd from 2-7pm. Casper is showing at 2.30 and Goosebumps at 5.30.

Over to you

Do you know of any other family-friendly Halloween events in London? If so, do let me know and I can add them to the list.

More on London

Here’s a post with loads of ideas for fantastic free stuff to do in London for families with a teen in tow:

60 free things to do in London with a teenager

Each month I publish a round-up of great things to do in London – you can read my October round-up of top things to do in the city here:

Things to do in London with kids: October

If you’d like a moneysaving sightseeing pass for your trip to the city, The London Pass includes a one-day hop-on hop-off bus tour, as well as free entry to more than 80 attractions, tours and museums, such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and The View from The Shard. The pass also gives you fast-track entry at some of the most popular attractions, so you don’t have to waste time queueing.