Children are invited to get spooky and wild this October half term with a great selection of events and activities at Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) visitor centres across Dorset.
At the Kingcombe Centre in west Dorset, the Kids Club on Tuesday 25th October will be hosted by local artist Sarah Butterworth, teaching children how to make a Halloween Lantern using craft materials. (Age 7+, £17 per child, 10am-4pm). Then on Wednesday 26th October, families are invited to come back to the Centre (fancy dress is very welcome) for a free Halloween lantern walk through Kingcombe Meadows, searching for bats, night time wildlife and enjoying the reserve by candlelight, from 6pm – 8.30pm. The Kingcombe café is open for spooky treats and evening meals. Book on 01300 320684 or visit www.kingcombe.org/family-events.
The Chesil Beach Centre has a host of activities throughout half term week for children, starting with the ‘Cuttlefish Kids, Seaweed Explorer’ on Tuesday 25th October from 10.30am – 12.30pm. Learn fascinating facts, how to identify seaweeds and have fun pressing them. £2.50 per child (must be accompanied). Children can also find out more about how to look after garden birds in winter with the ‘Chesil Half Term Bird Bonanza’, running from Saturday 22nd October to Sunday 30th October, 10am – 4pm. Activities include making fat balls and bird feeders (from £1) If you enjoy watching birds in your garden and want to treat yourself to a new pair of binoculars, on 23rd October there will also be an Opticron Optics Day, where you can try out a large range of binoculars and scopes whilst viewing the spectacular wildlife of Chesil and the Fleet Lagoon.
At Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve in Weymouth, the Caterpillar Kids event, ‘Minibeasts in the wild woods’ invites children to explore the spooky Withy Woods to find the beetles, bugs and slugs lurking under logs. Crafts and games will be provided. On Friday 28th October, get into the Halloween spirit with ‘Spooky spiders and Halloween bats’, discovering the baffling life of bats and then making bouncing bats to take home. Both events £2.50 per child, 10.30am-12.30pm, booking essential on 01305 816546.
At the Fine Foundation Marine Centre in Kimmeridge, things are getting spooky with the ‘Creatures of the deep, dark ocean’ event on Wednesday 26th October from 1-3pm. Children are invited to learn about the lives of vampire squid, ghost sharks and coffin fish, all lurking in the depths of the ocean. Make the creepiest one of all to take home. £2 per child. On Saturday 29th October, everyone is invited from 12.30am-2pm to ‘Beachcomb the Bay’, by exploring what’s been washed up on the beach at Kimmeridge. Search for treasures and see previous finds such as whale bones and goose barnacles. Adult £3, children £2.
Over in east Dorset, The Great Heath team have organised a Bat Walk with Knoll Gardens in Wimborne, and are inviting families for a dusk stroll around the gardens to discover bats and celebrate Wild about Gardens week with experts from DWT. Cost £5 per adult, £3 per child. Booking is essential on 01202 692033 or email Katie at [email protected].
For all our half term events, visit www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/events.
