Free things to do in the North West this half-term

With the kids off school for the autumn half-term break, many parents will be looking for fun ways to fill the week without breaking the bank.

From pumpkin carving and spooky crafts to fish feeding and swimming sessions, here are just some of the free activities that are available.

• Paper Pumpkin Trail, Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse, Northwich - from 24 October to 1 November a free Halloween-themed trail will take visitors all around the history and industry museum.

• Self-Led Crafts: Spooky Museum, Grosvenor Museum, Chester - On 27 and 28 October the Grosvenor Museum will be putting on Halloween drop-in craft sessions in which children will be able to create some spook-tacular models.

• Brereton Heath Halloween Trail, Congleton - from 24 October to 1 November Cheshire East Council countryside ranger service will be filling the nature reserve with "spooky visitors" for their Halloween trail.

• Swimming sessions, Manchester - Children under 16 (and adults over 60) can take part in free swimming sessions over the half-term break at various locations across Manchester. Sessions can be booked via the Better website, in partnership with the council.

• Halloween Pumpkin Fun in Manchester Parks, 27 October to 31 October. Free pumpkin carving sessions will be hosted in several Manchester parks throughout the week.

• Heaton Park, Free lantern making session. 27 October 12:00 to 13:00. A colourful craft event where you can make your own lanterns. Suitable for all ages.

• The Lowry, Salford: Wild Things - The Lowry gallery at Media City will be running a free exhibition of animals from children's books, with play areas built for children aged under seven. Wild Things will be in the galleries until 1 November. Slots must be reserved on the Lowry website.

• The People's History Museum, Manchester - Secret Society skeleton activity. The free-to-visit People's History Museum will be putting on a spooky Halloween-themed activity with a skeleton trail and mask-making workshop. It will run from Thursday 1 October to Monday 30 November.

• Wild About Wildlife, Spinningfields, Manchester. Throughout the half term week and beyond, will be an outdoor exhibition by artists Gillie and Marc - featuring nine endangered-animal sculptures ready to be found across Spinningfields.

• Bolton Aquarium - fish feeds. During half-term Bolton Aquarium will be putting on free fish-feeding sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 13:00.

• Bolton Library and Museum Bolton Library will be hosting a range of free events and activities from 26 to 31 October, including craft workshops and a cinema screening. The full schedule is available on the council website.

• Family Crafts - mask making, Leigh Town Hall. Wigan Council is hosting a "suitable for all ages" mask-making event. Two Halloween-themed sessions will run on Friday 30 October.

• Half Term Spooktacular at Rochdale Town Hall An eery obstacle course will be available from 27 October to 2 November at Rochdale Town Hall.

• Lightpool Festival, Blackpool - A programme of illuminations, live performances and interactive installations has already begun in Blackpool and will run until 31 October.

• Craft Fun at Lancashire Police Museum, Lancaster - On 29 and 30 October the museum will be putting on sessions where children can make and decorate Halloween-themed keyrings - no booking required.

• Amazing Accrington Halloween Shop Trail, Accrington - The Hyndburn trail is back this October half-term from Monday to Friday - with dressing-up encouraged and prizes to be won.

• Fun Palaces, Lancashire Libraries - Libraries across Lancashire will be putting on free activities through the week, including slime making, family yoga, sensory play and a Lego club.

• Half Term Arts and Crafts, Brockholes Nature Reserve - Over in Brockholes, a different spooky crafting event will be hosted at the nature reserve every day during the half-term week.

• Wyre Monster Ball - Wyre Council is bringing free family theatre back to Pilling and St Michael's - with 45-minute Halloween shows running on 30 and 31 October.

• River of Light Festival, Liverpool - from 23 October to 1 November a free immersive light trail will run through Liverpool city centre and across the docks.

• Branching Out, Tate Museum Liverpool - 24 October to 1 November. During half-term week the Tate will be opening its doors daily. In its learning space and free creative sessions, children can make woodland-themed art.

• Books Alive, Southport - 24 to 31 October Sefton Council's free children's book festival will be on all half-term and includes a Postman Book Trail across the city.

• Halloween craft - Sefton Council libraries - throughout the half-term week Halloween craft sessions will be running at Formby Library, Netherton Library, Maghull Library and Bootle Library. Dates and times are listed on the Sefton Council website.

• Day of the Dead Dance Workshop, World Museum, Liverpool - The museum will host a dance workshop on 29 October in which participants will watch and learn a traditional dance from the Nahua region of La Huasteca in Northeastern Mexico.

• Spooky Sudley, Sudley House craft room, Museum of Liverpool - on 30 and 31 October the museum will offer free workshops for children to make creepy crafts. There will also be the Sudley Pumpkin Trail.

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