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From bumps to teens, we have it covered! This is your one-stop site for everything you need to know about living in Harpenden with children.
We're number one for information about what's on, things to do and children's activities locally!
Get in touch if you would like to list your business, or add your event to the What’s On page.
You may be giving trick-or-treating a miss this year but the good news is there’s still lots going on to get your Halloween fix this half-term. Here's some highlights... (please note that unless stated everywhere requires booking and places may be a bit more limited than usual)
Here in Harpenden, unfortunately tickets for the Town Council’s Halloween Trail have already booked out, but lots of alternative trails have been organised... Friends of Harpenden Academy have organised a Pumpkin Trail on 31st October, St Dominic PTA are running a Halloween Fun Trail all week as well as a Haunted Wood Trail on 31st October on the common, Friends of High Beeches School have a Treasure Hunt around town running all week and YWAM have organised a Harvest Trail at Highfield Oval in aid of Harpenden Cares.
Also here in Harpenden Rothamsted Research Conference Centre are running a Pumpkin Week during half-term with pumpkin-related activities, including pumpkin carving (and the pumpkin is included in the ticket price) and Poppyseeds Home are running some Halloween-themed craft workshops at their studio - Trick or Treat Bag and Mini Halloween Garden.
If you fancy a change of scene for your Halloween Trail then St Albans BID have organised one around the city centre with completed entries going into a prize draw. You can pick up your trail sheet free in the city or download it and print at home in advance.
If you want to pick your own pumpkin to decorate then you can do this at the Pop-up Farm, just off J9 of the M1.
Willows Activity Farm have their annual Pumpkin Festival where there are 1000s of pumpkins waiting to be picked and carved, along with a whole host of other activities.
Pumpkins can also be picked at Mead Open Farm's Pumpkin FunFest where they also have other Halloween fun planned, and also at Hitchin Lavender.
Hatfield House have a Halloween Trail planned around the woodland and they invite you to come dressed in your scariest costume, as do RSPB Rye Meads who also have a Halloween trail for you to follow and you don't need to book this one, you can just turn up. You can also just turn up and take part in the Halloween Trail at Jordan's Mill.
For some spooky fun you could head to the Spook-Fest at Aldenham Country Park where activities like Selma's Spooky Shack and the Horrid Hayride await!
ZSL Whipsnade will have some fun Wizard Trails and talks for their experts on the more gruesome side of nature!
Wrest Park will be putting on a creepy trail and spooky stories throughout half-term as well as Spooky Woodland Walks in the evenings on 29th - 31st October.
You can book to enjoy a whole family day out at Celtic Harmony Camp taking part in autumn crafts, carving pumpkins, exploring the haunted forest and more.
For even more half-term events - Halloween-themed or otherwise, take a look at our What's On page.
For anyone who doesn't know what to do with all the toys, clothes and equipment your children have grown out of, or who is looking for kids’ stuff for free, there is a brilliant new app that has just launched across Hertfordshire called YoungPlanet
Harpenden Lions are inviting children up to the age of 16 to take part in a Christmas card design competition. The two winning Christmas card designs will be on sale from mid-November to help raise funds for Harpenden Cares. The theme is "Christmas in a Covid World".
Entries should be sent to [email protected] by 8th November 2020. Further details and the rules of the competition can be seen at www.harpenden-lions.co.uk.
Harpenden Town Council is conducting a survey for residents ages 13-19 as part of effortsto engage more with young people in the town. The Council would like to learn more about what types of projects young people would like to be involved in and how best to engage with them.
For any young people who would like to give feedback, click here to take the survey.
It's time for the annual Mayor's Christmas Card Competition. Children aged 4-11 who live in Harpenden can submit their designs for a chance to feature on the Mayor's official card for 2020. The theme this year is "Key Workers at Christmas".
Vauxhall - Made in Luton (Thu - Sun only)
(FREE)
5th September
- 11th April
Stockwood Discovery Centre, Luton
PYO Pumpkins
15th October
- 31st October
The Pop Up Farm, M1 Junction 9
Harpenden Treasure Hunt
15th October
- 1st November
Around Town, Harpenden
Spook-Fest
16th October
- 1st November
Aldenham Country Park, Elstree
Pumpkin Festival
17th October
- 1st November
Willows Activity Farm, London Colney
Hitchin Lavendar - Pick your own Pumpkins
17th October
- 31st October
Hitchin Lavendar, Ickleford
Boo at the Zoo
17th October
- 1st November
Cedars Nature Centre, Cheshunt
FREE 5-day Virtual Feeding Hub
(FREE)
19th October
- 23rd October
Online via Facebook Group, Harpenden
St Albans Halloween Trail
19th October
- 31st October
City Centre, St Albans
HENRY Healthy Families Programme ONLINE
(FREE)
20th October
Online, Harpenden
Halloween Spook-tacular Activity Trail
21st October
- 25th October
Jordan's Mill, Broom
Dinos After Dark
23rd October
- 1st November
Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne
Audley End Miniature Railway Halloween Special
24th October
- 1st November
Audley End Miniature Railway, Saffron Walden
Spooky Wrest Park
24th October
- 1st November
Wrest Park, Silsoe
Halloween @ Waddesdon
24th October
- 1st November
Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury
Pumpkin FunFest
24th October
- 31st October
Mead Open Farm, Billington
Wild Things at Halloween
24th October
- 1st November
RSPB Rye Meads, Stansted Abbotts
Halloween Festival
24th October
- 1st November
Odds Farm Park, High Wycombe
Halloween at ZSL Whipsnade
24th October
- 1st November
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable
Nocturnal Creatures Trail
24th October
- 1st November
Tring Natural History Museum, Tring
Victorian Lessons
24th October
British Schools Museum, Hitchin
Grove Schools' PTA Halloween Trail
24th October
- 1st November
Around Southdown, Harpenden
Harpenden Halloween Trail - SOLD OUT
(FREE)
25th October
Town Centre, Harpenden
Harpenden Farmer's Market - NEW LOCATION
(FREE)
25th October
Main Car Park, Rothamsted Reseach Conf Centre, Harpenden
Victorian Lessons
25th October
British Schools Museum, Hitchin
Halloween Fun Trail
25th October
- 1st November
Around Town, Harpenden
Sustainable St Albans Pop-up Market
(FREE)
25th October
Market Place, St Albans
Trick or Treat Bag Workshop
26th October
Poppyseeds Home Studio, Harpenden
Halloween Trail
26th October
- 1st November
Hatfield House, Hatfield
Halloween Trail
26th October
- 1st November
Forest of Marston Vale, Marston Moretaine
Pumpkin Week at Rothamsted
26th October
- 31st October
Rothamsted Research Conference Centre, Harpenden
Harvest Trail
26th October
- 31st October
Highfield Oval, Harpenden
If you are running a local event for families or children you can add the details to our site for free.
Christmas is going to feel a little different this year, with covid-safe guidelines and socially-distanced Santas. We are expecting that there won't be as many grottos this year (some are already confirmed as not going ahead), so we've expanded our usual "Where to see Santa" article to include other Christmas experiences too. From grottos to pantos, train rides to winter wonderlands you can find them all here. So don't delay and get booking, as some of the most popular ones get booked up very quickly, especially this year when space will be limited.
Harpenden Town Council are running a Pumpkin Carving Photo Competition in aid of the Mayor’s charities - Daylight Club and The Human Milk Foundation
You have until 31st October to enter so you have plenty of time to think about your design and then get carving!
Entry costs £2 per photo and you can enter via the Town Council website. There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place!
Why not browse through some of the listings we have recently added to the site...
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Need some help deciding where to go and what to do? Read about the places we've tried and tested...
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