October is a month of brilliant contrasts in the UK—crisp mornings and cosy evenings, harvest abundance and spooky fun. After the first term of school, kids are ready for a break, and the October half‑term gives families a chance to explore museums, go on adventures or simply slow down and enjoy autumn. Just like September’s Could‑Do List, this is not a to‑do list but a gentle collection of ideas and inspiration to dip into when you feel like it

Key Festivals & Special Days

• Black History Month (all October): A wonderful opportunity to learn together—read books by Black authors, visit exhibitions or make a family poster about inspiring figures. They have some amazing resource packs for kids.
• World Space Week (4–10 October): Stargaze, build LEGO rockets or try a simple solar system craft. We have a simple toilet roll rocket craft that moves.
• World Mental Health Day (10 October): Encourage mindful colouring, nature walks, or making a gratitude jar, but most of all reach out ask and talk about mental health and listen.
• Diwali (18 October 2025): Celebrate the festival of lights—make colourful rangoli patterns, try diya lantern crafts, cook a sweet treat or do some of our Diwali colouring.
• Apple Day (21 October): Go apple picking, bake pies or try apple print crafts.
• Halloween (31 October): Dress up, carve pumpkins, or explore spooky and fun Halloween crafts for kids.

Festivals, Events & Adventures

October is packed with arts, science and storytelling festivals across the UK.  Pick one near you or make a weekend trip!

• Tulleys Shocktober Fest (West Sussex, 3 Oct – 1 Nov) – For families with teens, Europe’s largest scream park offers immersive haunted attractions and live shows.
• BFI London Film Festival (8 – 19 Oct) – Family gala screenings and children’s film events take place across cinemas nationwide.  Watch a premiere or join an online Q&A with filmmakers.
• Cheltenham Literature Festival (10 – 19 Oct) – Storytelling sessions, illustration workshops and free family activities celebrate the written and spoken word .
• New Scientist Live (18 – 20 Oct) – Interactive science exhibitions and hands‑on experiments at ExCeL London inspire children with cutting‑edge technology .
• Scottish International Storytelling Festival (22 Oct – 1 Nov) – In Edinburgh and online, storytellers from around the world share myths and folktales through performances and workshops .
• Local Apple and Harvest Festivals (mid‑late Oct) – Country shows, apple‑picking weekends and community harvest celebrations offer seasonal food and crafts; check your local council for events.
• Diwali Celebrations (20 October)– Many UK cities host Diwali events with fireworks, parades and Indian street food.  Leicester’s Diwali celebration is one of the largest outside India.

🍁 Things to Try This October

• Go pumpkin picking at a local farm and choose pumpkins for carving, roasting seeds and making soup.
• Press autumn leaves and start a seasonal scrapbook or create a leaf collage.  Try making leaf lanterns (see the blog’s tutorial) for cosy evenings.
• Have a conker tournament or go on an acorn hunt; use your finds to make nature art.
• Explore the night sky during World Space Week – take a blanket and hot chocolate and look for constellations.
• Host a no‑tech board‑game night by candlelight.  Make some spiced hot chocolate or mulled apple juice to sip.
• Make a family film or book night featuring authors highlighted during Black History Month or Harry Potter Day.  Hidden Figures is a great watch. Create popcorn boxes decorated with autumn leaves.
• Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, tulips or crocuses in the garden or a pot.  They’ll be a welcome sign of colour when winter ends.
• Write a gratitude list: at the end of October, have each family member share three things they’re grateful for and add them to a jar.

🎨 Crafts to Match the Month

Use the changing season as inspiration for crafting.  All of the ideas below link to tutorials or printables on Mum in the Mad House – perfect for rainy afternoons!

1. Leaf Lanterns – Collect colourful autumn leaves and create cosy leaf lanterns using recycled jars and PVA glue.  They make beautiful table centrepieces for dark evenings.
2. Apple Print Cards & Tote Bags – Follow the blog’s Apple print bags tutorial to make cards or tote bags using cut apples and fabric paint—ideal for Apple Day or World Teachers’ Day.
3. Diwali Crafts and Printables – Explore the blog’s Diwali craft roundup for simple paper diyas, rangoli colouring pages, printable cards and more.  It’s a great way to teach children about the meaning of Diwali while making decorations.
4. Halloween Crafts – Try DIY mummy treat bowls, ghost jars, simple jar lanterns or printable Halloween dolls.  A paper leaf garland from the site’s tutorial adds a softer autumnal touch to your décor.
5. Recycled Robot or Space Craft – In honour of World Space Week and National Reuse Day, raid the recycling bin for cardboard boxes, bottle tops and foil to create rockets, robots or constellations.
6. Welsh Phrase Bookmarks – To celebrate Shwmae Su’mae Day, make bookmarks with simple Welsh greetings (“Shwmae” or “Su’mae”) and practise them together.
7. Grandparents Day Photo Frame – Even though the official Grandparents Day falls on 7 October , it’s never too late to show appreciation.  Use the blog’s pocket‑money photo frame tutorial to create a personalised gift and fill it with a drawing or photo.

Download Your Free October Could-Do List

If you love having these ideas all in one place, I’ve pulled everything together into a free October Could-Do List printable. Pop it on the fridge, slip it into your family planner, or let the kids pick an activity each weekend. It’s designed to make seasonal fun simple and stress-free. 🍂✨

These printables are offered for your non-commercial personal use only. Mass-production of this printable is not permitted, even for non-profit purposes. Please do not upload the October Could-DO List to other sites – instead, if you want to let people know about these freebies, post a link to this page. Pinning is okay as long as the pin links back to this page. Thanks!

All you need to do is add click on add to cart and the free printable October Could-Do List will be added to your shopping cart. When you are finished click on the orange cart menu at the top right of your page and follow the instructions on the screen. You will not be charged and the free pdf file will be available for you to download immediately and will also be emailed to your inbox.

🗓️ Plan Ahead for November

October’s energy flows into November with Bonfire Night, Remembrance Sunday and the lead‑up to Christmas.  Take a peek at our November Could‑Do List (coming soon) for more ways to stay inspired as the days grow darker.

Whether you mark every day or pick just a few, we hope this October Could‑Do List sparks joy, curiosity and togetherness for your family.  Share your adventures on Instagram and tag @muminthemadhouse—we love seeing how you bring these ideas to life!