10 family-friendly Halloween activities to do with the kids this year

Embrace the carnival spirit 

Derry’s Halloween programme is renowned around the world, attracting over 100,000 revellers each year. Spanning four days and encompassing a wide array of spellbinding events – from ghoulish ghost tours to spooky story-telling, creepy arts and crafts and spine-chilling haunted houses – there are plenty of highlights though the real standout is on Halloween night itself, when hundreds of performers take to the streets for the traditional carnival parade and firework show. to get you in the mood. 

Pick your own pumpkin 

Sure, adding one to the cart whenever you’re doing the weekly shop probably makes the most sense… but where’s the fun in that? Loads of places around the country have set up their own pumpkin patches so you can live the full Instagram experience and pick your own. From Tinahely Farm in Co Wicklow to Joe’s Farm in Co Cork, have a browse through this list and see what tickles your fancy. 

Have a home craft day

The sky is deceivingly blue right now but we all know better than to depend on the Irish weather, so best grab some crafting supplies just in case the heavens open and your original trick-or-treating plans fall through. Instagram and Pinterest are a treasure trove of good ideas but I especially love these little paper mache ghost lights. Here are a few other options that look fun: 

Pack the car up and go to the drive-in

Pack the kids into the car and head to Leopardstown Race Course where Retro Drive-in Movies will be showing a number of Halloween classics over the next few weeks – from Ghostbusters (the original) to Halloweentown, Hotel Transylvania and Hocus Pocus, there’s something for everyone. Get your tickets here.  

Bring the teenagers to Farmophobia 

For older kids, Farmophobia might be just the thing to get your blood pumping this Halloween (not literally, we hope). Ireland’s biggest Halloween event, you’ll find it at Causey Farm in Co Meath. This year’s set-up includes five terrifying haunts spread over 100 acres of fear with attractions ranging from Peril Penitentiary to Clown Town and the Zombie Morgue. It’s worth noting that Farmaphobia is strictly 13+ and all 13-16-year-olds must be accompanied on-site by an adult. Book your tickets here… if you dare.

Go to gaol 

Not really of course but a visit to Wicklow Gaol is about as spooky as things get. The immersive experience, bolstered by elements of virtual reality, will guide you through the gaol’s grisly history of corruption, rebellion and darkness a special detour through the ‘Gates of Hell’. Along the way, you’ll hear stories of the gaol’s most infamous prisoners – and you might see why it’s dubbed one of the most haunted places in Ireland. For kids over 10, more info and booking details can be found here. 

Learn more about the origins of Halloween

The 31st of October marks the celebration of ‘Samhain’, one of the four major pre-Christian Gaelic Pagan Festivals along with Bealtaine, Lughnasadh and Imbolc. For those in the know, the cave of Oweynagat in Co Roscommon is widely reputed as Ireland’s Gate to Hell… so, what better way to celebrate Halloween than by a special guided visit down into the bowels of the earth? This special seasonal tour runs from October 23 to November 3 inclusive and departs Rathcroghan Visitor Centre at 3pm sharp.

Do a ghost tour

The medieval capital of Ireland, Kilkenny still has a certain ghoulishness to it what with its narrow cobbled lanes, remnants of its old city walls and mystic charm. This tour will take you through the haunted streets recounting tales of yore, starting with the curse of Sir Richard Shee along St. Marys Lane to St. Marys Church and graveyard. Visitors will experience the first-ever witch trial of the notorious Dame Alice Ketyler along with her accomplices, Petronilla and Basilia and her imp, or evil spirit, called Robin Artisson. Keep your eyes peeled for the ghostly presence of the highwayman, James Freney, the Irish Robin Hood, the monk and the Dr. Death along the way too. 

Experience the magic of Macnas

Macnas will reclaim the streets of Galway on Sunday 29 October for their first bone-chilling street parade in four long years. The world-renowned masters of storytelling and pioneers of imagination, this year’s parade is inspired by the legend of La Loba – a wild Wolf-Woman who collects and preserves the bones of animals, humans and gods that are in danger of being lost to the world and sings them back to life by moonlight. As darkness descends on the Halloween Sabbath, La Loba will prowl Galway’s city streets. If you’ve yet to experience a Macnas parade, I can assure you that there’s little else like it.

Take a stroll with a Gruffalo 

Ireland’s only official Gruffalo Trail, the enchanting walk at Colin Glen invites little ones to immerse themselves in the famous stories of Julia Donaldson with searches for the famous characters in the woods, listen, live retellings of the classic tales and some festive pumpkin carving too. More info here.

Photo by Clint Patterson on Unsplash