October half-term in Surrey lands earlier than usual in 2026 and, for community and voluntary controlled schools, runs across two full weeks: Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October. That is the biggest change in the Surrey school calendar in recent memory, and it turns the traditional half-term scramble into something more like a mini-holiday. Families and carers have twice the days to fill, but not necessarily twice the budget or twice the ideas.
This guide covers the venues Surrey families are most likely to use across those two weeks. It groups them by category so you can plan a mix of outdoor days, indoor rainy-day options, Halloween events for children who love the season, and quieter museum or castle visits for those who do not. Every venue named has a listing at kidzrgogo.com so you can click through, check current pricing, and book straight from there. Postcodes and rough drive times from Guildford, Farnham and Reigate are included where they help, and there is a specific West Surrey section because parents in Farnham, Haslemere and Godalming have been badly served by generic "things to do in Surrey" pages.
Prices in this guide are current at the time of writing (July 2026) but do change. Always check directly with the venue before travelling.
When is October half term 2026 in Surrey?
Surrey County Council term dates confirm that for community and voluntary controlled schools, October half-term 2026 begins on Monday 19 October and ends on Friday 30 October, with schools returning on Monday 2 November. From September 2026, Surrey has moved to a two-week autumn half-term, so this is the first year the break is a fortnight long.
Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools set their own term dates and may differ. If your child attends one of those, check the school's own calendar because some of the private and independent schools in the county still run a one-week October break. This matters when you are booking events that sell out: the busy days are the ones that fall inside every school's break, and Halloween week (Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October) is the peak.
Best October half-term activities in Surrey 2026
The two-week break gives you more room to mix outdoor days with rainy-day back-ups. Below is a category-by-category run-through of the venues Surrey families use most. Where a venue runs a specific Halloween event that has run in recent years, we have noted it, but always confirm on the venue's own booking page before travelling.
Family farms and pumpkin picking
Farm days are the most reliable half-term choice for children under about ten, and Surrey has a strong bench of them. In October the pumpkin patches are open, the animals are still out, and the queues are shorter than in the summer school holidays.
Bocketts Farm Park in Fetcham (KT22 9BS) is the busiest farm in central Surrey and typically runs a full Halloween half-term programme with pumpkin picking, spooky trails and character appearances. It is about a 20-minute drive from Guildford and 15 minutes from Reigate off the A24. Google rating sits at 4.7 from more than 2,600 reviews. Adult admission is around £17.95 and children (2 to 16) around £19.95 in peak weeks; under-2s are free. The car park is large but does fill by mid-morning at half-term.
Godstone Farm in Godstone (RH9 8LX, just off Junction 6 of the M25) is the East Surrey equivalent and runs a Halloween week of themed sessions. Rating 4.5 from more than 3,200 reviews. Standard admission from about £14.95 per child in October, with under-2s free. It is roughly 25 minutes from Reigate and 40 minutes from Guildford.
Hobbledown Adventure Farm Park and Zoo in Epsom (KT19 8PT) mixes farm animals with a large indoor and outdoor play frame, so it copes with mixed weather better than most. Rating 4.5 from over 4,100 reviews. Off-peak entry from around £14.50, peak (which will include the second half-term week) around £22 per child. Runs Halloween-themed events most Octobers.
Birdworld just south of Farnham (GU10 4LD) is the West Surrey option and a strong pick for families with children who prefer a gentler pace. Rating 4.5 from more than 4,600 reviews. Admission around £15.95 per child, £17.95 per adult, family tickets bring the per-head price down.
Loseley Park near Guildford (GU3 1HS) has walled gardens, a play area and open grounds. The house closes to the public in September but the grounds and events schedule usually continue into October. Free member entry for National Trust or English Heritage cardholders varies year to year, so check on arrival.
For pumpkin picking specifically, Garsons in Esher (KT10 8LS) runs one of the largest pick-your-own patches in the South East, with pumpkins from around £2 to £15 depending on size. Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone (KT15 2BU) runs a smaller but well-reviewed pumpkin field in October with pumpkins from about £1 upwards.
The camps and activities in this guide have been included based on parent recommendations, Google ratings and publicly available information. KidzRGoGo lists these providers as a helpful starting point for families. Listings are not officially approved, inspected or endorsed by KidzRGoGo. Always check directly with the provider before booking, particularly for current pricing, availability and safeguarding policies.
Adventure and outdoor
October is an underrated month for outdoor days in Surrey. The colour on the beech woods around Alice Holt and the Surrey Hills is at its best in the last week, the ground is usually still walkable, and paths are quieter than at any other point in the year outside of February.
Go Ape Alice Holt (GU10 4LS) sits on the Surrey and Hampshire border about 15 minutes south of Farnham. The Tree Top Adventure course is for children age 10 and up (minimum height 1.4m) and costs around £38 per child in peak season. The Tree Top Junior course takes children from age 6 (minimum 1m) and is around £22 per child. Book ahead: the last week of half-term fills first.
Painshill in Cobham (KT11 1AG) is an 18th-century landscape park with follies, a grotto and a lake. The autumn colour walk in October is one of the best in the county, and the site has run a family Halloween trail most years. Standard admission is around £11 per adult and £6 per child; under-5s go free. Rating 4.6 from more than 800 reviews.
RHS Garden Wisley (GU23 6QB, just off the A3) runs Wisley in Autumn events across October half-term with pumpkin displays, family trails and craft sessions. Non-member admission is around £19.80 per adult and £9.90 per child aged 4 to 16; under-4s are free. RHS members go free. Rating 4.7 from over 18,000 reviews.
Polesden Lacey near Great Bookham (RH5 6BD) is a large National Trust estate with mown paths, a playground and a good café. Grounds admission for non-members is around £15 per adult and £7.50 per child. National Trust members go free. Rating 4.6 from more than 5,300 reviews.
Box Hill near Dorking (KT20 7LB) is free to walk. Parking is £6 for non-members and free for National Trust members. The viewpoint walk at the top is short enough for a five-year-old with fresh legs.
Frensham Little Pond (GU10 3BT) and Frensham Great Pond are both free to visit. National Trust manages the Little Pond with parking charged (currently £4.50 for non-members). Great Pond has council parking at similar rates. Both are 10 to 15 minutes south of Farnham and give you a full morning of woodland and heath walking.
Halloween-themed events in Surrey
Halloween week in Surrey runs from Monday 26 October to Saturday 31 October 2026. The bigger venues sell out first, so if a Halloween trail matters to your child, book by early October at the latest.
Bocketts Farm Park runs a Halloween half-term with pumpkin patch, spooky trail and dress-up days. Typically priced within the standard admission.
Godstone Farm runs a Halloween week with themed trails, storytelling and character appearances.
Hobbledown in Epsom leans harder into the horror end of the spectrum in its evening events; the daytime sessions stay child-friendly.
Painshill in Cobham has run a Painshill Pumpkins or Halloween trail most years. Timed entry and separate ticketing so check the website in early October when tickets open.
Chessington World of Adventures in Chessington (KT9 2NE) runs its Howl'o'ween season across October half-term with trick-or-treat trails, meet-and-greets and daytime rides. Peak-day tickets are around £35 to £55 per person if booked online in advance; walk-up on the day is significantly more.
If your child is at the younger end (under 5), a smaller pumpkin patch visit is usually better than a large paid trail. Garsons in Esher and Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone both run drop-in pumpkin picking with no timed entry, which suits toddlers who cannot cope with queues.
Free and low-cost options
Not everything needs a booking or a card payment. Several of the best October days out cost only a car park charge.
The National Trust sites above (Polesden Lacey, Box Hill, Frensham) are free to walk if you have a membership; parking is the only cost otherwise. Runnymede (TW20 0AE) sits on the Surrey side of the Thames near Egham and is free to enter; there is a playground and a wide flat riverside walk that suits buggies and scooters.
Priory Park in Reigate (RH2 7RL) is free, with a large playground, skate park and open field. Rating 4.7 from more than 2,300 reviews.
Leith Hill near Dorking is another free walk. Leith Hill Tower is a National Trust site with a small admission charge on open days, and the surrounding woodland is where Surrey's best autumn colour usually sits from about 18 October through to early November.
Waverley Abbey ruins near Farnham (GU9 8EP) are free to visit and give you a genuine 12th-century Cistercian ruin to wander around, with the River Wey running past. Bring wellies after wet weather.
Guildford's town-centre attractions include the free grounds of Guildford Castle (GU1 3SX), where the castle keep charges a small entry but the grounds and rose garden are free and pram-friendly.
Rainy day October half-term ideas in Surrey
October rain in Surrey is a fact, not a possibility. Have a wet-weather back-up ready.
Gym Jams Soft Play in Worplesdon near Guildford (GU3 2DT) is one of the highest-rated soft play sites in West Surrey at 5.0 from 21 reviews. Admission is around £8.50 per child weekdays and £11 per child weekends, with under-1s at reduced rates.
AirHop Guildford (GU2 8XW), Jump In by AirHop Esher (KT10 8BL) and Jump In by AirHop Camberley (GU15 3DT) all run high-frequency jump sessions across half-term. A 60-minute jump is typically £14 to £18 per child depending on the day and site; grip socks are around £2.50. Toddler sessions are cheaper and quieter and run most weekday mornings.
Guildford Spectrum in Guildford (GU1 1UP) covers a swimming pool, an ice rink, a ten-pin bowling alley and a soft play area on one site. Swim from around £5.90 per child, ice skating from around £8.50, bowling from around £6.50 per game. It runs Junior Skate School during half-term for children who want to learn from scratch.
Brooklands Museum in Weybridge (KT13 0SL) is largely indoor with the Concorde Experience, a large aircraft factory hangar and motoring exhibits. Family ticket around £48; adult £22, child £13. Rating 4.8 from over 8,000 reviews. Consistent recommendation from Surrey parents of children who like cars, planes or anything mechanical.
Watts Gallery in Compton near Guildford (GU3 1DQ) runs family art sessions across half-term. Admission around £12.50 per adult, under-18s free.
Arts-specific half-term sessions are worth checking early. Watts Gallery in Compton runs family art workshops across both weeks, and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford (GU1 3UX) typically publishes a half-term drama and craft programme in September. For younger children who prefer a smaller class, The Creation Station Woking and Guildford runs drop-in art sessions across the school holidays.
Museums, castles and attractions
Some children want a quieter day. Surrey has a good stock of small museums that work as half-day trips.
Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford near Farnham (GU10 2DL) is an open-air museum of restored buildings on a 10-acre site, with a working narrow-gauge railway on selected days. Adult around £11, child around £7. Runs family events at half-term including seasonal trails.
Farnham Castle (GU9 0AG) is a working 12th-century castle with public open days that fall roughly across half-term weeks. Check the events calendar for open days and family trails.
Guildford Castle keep (GU1 3SX) is open through October at reduced hours; adult around £4.50, child around £2.50. It combines well with a walk down the town's cobbled High Street.
Holiday clubs and childcare cover
Two weeks off school is a lot of childcare to cover. Holiday clubs are the pragmatic answer for families where every day of the fortnight needs supervision.
Surrey Sports Park Junior Camps (GU2 7AD) run a full half-term programme from around £45 per day, with sports-mixed sessions for children aged 5 to 12. Full-day cover from 9am to 5pm and extended hours available.
Barracudas Activity Day Camps at Edgeborough School in Farnham (GU10 3AH) run October half-term weeks. Barracudas is a national multi-activity provider with a broad daily rotation covering sports, arts, crafts and outdoor games. Day rates typically £45 to £60 depending on booking window, five-day weeks at reduced per-day rates.
Guildford Spectrum runs Junior Skate School and swim intensive courses at half-term. These are shorter than full holiday clubs but useful as a morning or afternoon booking.
Planning tips
Half-term booking follows a predictable pattern in Surrey. The paid Halloween events sell out first, usually by mid-October, with the last three days before Halloween going first. Farms are next, then the trampoline parks and soft play. If you know your child needs a specific date, book by the end of September.
For mixed-age families, farms and trampoline parks are the most forgiving because they offer separate zones for different ages. Painshill and Polesden Lacey work if there is a walker in your group and a scooter-age sibling; both have paths that take pushchairs. Chessington World of Adventures suits mixed ages if the youngest is at least 90cm and comfortable in queues.
For families and carers who need full working-day cover, holiday clubs are the answer. Surrey Sports Park and Barracudas are the two most established options with a real timetable and safeguarding processes; both fill early. If you are a single parent, a carer, or part of a household where everyone works, book by early September to secure the dates you actually need.
For Halloween-nervous younger children, avoid the evening-timed events at Hobbledown and Chessington; those lean towards older children and can genuinely frighten a three-year-old. Daytime farm trails, Painshill's family trail (typically pitched at ages 5 to 10) and Garsons' pumpkin patch all stay firmly in "friendly Halloween" territory.
Parking is worth planning. Bocketts, Godstone Farm and Hobbledown all have car parks that fill by 10.30am on Halloween week; arrive by 10 or aim for after 1.30pm. Chessington strongly encourages pre-booking parking. RHS Wisley and Painshill both have paid parking that is included in your ticket.
Frequently asked questions
How long is October half term 2026 in Surrey?
October half-term for community and voluntary controlled schools in Surrey runs for a full two weeks in 2026, from Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October, with schools returning on Monday 2 November. This is the first year the break has run to a fortnight, following Surrey County Council's move to a two-week autumn half-term from September 2026. Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools set their own dates, and many independent schools in Surrey still run a single-week October break, so check your child's individual school calendar before booking longer sessions.
What's free to do in October half term in Surrey?
Several of the county's best days out cost only what you pay to park. National Trust members can visit Polesden Lacey, Box Hill, Frensham Little Pond, Leith Hill and Runnymede for free. Non-members pay a car park charge of around £4 to £6 at each. Priory Park in Reigate, Waverley Abbey ruins near Farnham, the grounds of Guildford Castle and Frensham Great Pond are free with no membership required. For a Halloween-themed free option, most Surrey libraries run drop-in craft sessions across half-term.
When is October half term 2026 in Surrey?
For community and voluntary controlled schools, Surrey County Council has confirmed the break runs from Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October 2026, with schools returning on Monday 2 November. From September 2026 the county has moved to a two-week autumn half-term. Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools set their own dates, so check with your child's school if it falls into one of those categories. Independent schools in Surrey often run a one-week October break instead.
What are the best indoor activities in Surrey for October half term?
The consistent parent picks are Gym Jams Soft Play in Worplesdon for under-8s, AirHop Guildford or Jump In by AirHop Esher for 5 to 12-year-olds, Guildford Spectrum for a mixed-age day covering swim, skate and bowling, and Brooklands Museum in Weybridge for children interested in cars, planes or engineering. Watts Gallery near Guildford runs family art sessions that suit quieter days.
Which farms in Surrey run pumpkin picking in October 2026?
Garsons Pick Your Own in Esher runs the largest patch in the county, with pumpkins from around £2 to £15 by size. Crockford Bridge Farm in Addlestone runs a smaller drop-in patch. Bocketts Farm Park in Fetcham includes pumpkin picking inside its Halloween half-term ticket. Godstone Farm and Hobbledown both usually run pumpkin activities as part of their Halloween week programmes. Loseley Park has run a pumpkin trail in recent years but the exact 2026 dates are published in early September so check before travelling.
Are there Halloween events in Surrey suitable for young children?
Yes. Painshill's family Halloween trail in Cobham is typically pitched at ages 5 to 10 and stays gentle. Bocketts Farm and Godstone Farm both keep their daytime Halloween sessions child-friendly, with dress-up encouraged but no jump-scares. Garsons pumpkin patch is drop-in with no timed queues, which suits toddlers. Avoid the after-dark events at Chessington and Hobbledown for under-5s: those are pitched at older children.
How much does October half term in Surrey typically cost?
A single farm day out for a family of four (two adults, two children) usually lands between £60 and £90 including a lunch. Chessington World of Adventures is the most expensive daytime option at around £150 to £200 for a family of four booked in advance. Trampoline park sessions cost around £14 to £18 per child per hour. Holiday clubs are typically £45 to £60 per child per day, with reduced rates for a full five-day booking. Free days at Box Hill, Frensham or Priory Park bring the running total down and are worth mixing into any two-week planning.
Is Guildford Spectrum busy at October half term?
Yes, especially in the second half-term week which includes Halloween. Book swim slots and ice skate sessions online in advance rather than turning up. The soft play area is walk-up only and can queue at peak times. Weekday mornings before 11am are the quietest and best if your child does not do well in crowds.
Where can families in West Surrey (Farnham, Haslemere, Godalming) go without a long drive?
Birdworld and Rural Life Living Museum are both within 15 minutes of Farnham. Go Ape Alice Holt and Frensham ponds are the outdoor picks; Waverley Abbey ruins are free and take about 30 to 45 minutes to walk. Loseley Park and Watts Gallery are 20 minutes from Godalming. For an indoor option, Gym Jams Soft Play in Worplesdon is about 25 minutes from Farnham and Godalming, and AirHop Guildford about 20 minutes.