10 reasons for a family holiday in October

As the seasons turn, rather than be downhearted at the passing of summer, make the most of the golden month of October with some family fun.

With the glory of the autumn colours, the October half term break and the thrill of Halloween, October is a great time to take a family holiday. Whether you escape for a weekend of adventures early in the month or wait until the October half term for a breather after the first few weeks of school, here are 10 reasons why you should take a family break in October.

1. The last festival of the summer – They are not letting summer go without a fight down in Cornwall. The Looe Music Festival sees out September and welcomes October in style. Running from 29 September to 1 October, it's a family-friendly event with Lulu and Happy Mondays headlining and a pirates theme. Pack the dressing up box and stay at Deerpark, just a short drive away.

2. The month of festivals – a few hundred miles north, Nottingham city centre has no fewer than 15 festivals in October. With the traditional, family-friendly Goose Fair (4-8 October) and the Robin Hood Pageant at Nottingham Castle on the first weekend of the October half term, it's time to book a cabin at Sherwood Forest. Enjoy the city events and then escape to the forest, just 45-minutes' drive away.

3. Autumn colours – The glorious autumn display is truly the best reason to escape to the forest in October. From the golden magic of the beech trees in Blackwood Forest to the array of autumn colours that envelop Forest of Dean, enjoy this spectacular season on a Forest Holiday and kick through the leaves on our walks and trails.

4. Forest Ranger adventures – Take an October break at one of our nine UK locations and you don't even have to leave the forest to enjoy a memorable family holiday. Book a Forest Ranger adventure and learn about the changing seasons, find out which animals are about to hibernate, discover forest survival tricks or see the forest wildlife by night.

5. Cosy evenings in – One of the delights of October is the chance to get cosy as the evenings draw in and there's nowhere cosier than our forest cabins. After a day of woodland adventures, load up the wood-burner, order your in-cabin takeaway and watch a family movie together.

6. Meteor shower stargazing – Who doesn't love to see shooting stars? Keep the kids up late for the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks on 20 October. The best place for star gazing? - a holiday hot tub, so book your Golden Oak or Silver Birch cabin now. Our low-light policy keeps light pollution to a minimum so you can sit back and enjoy the show in style.

7. Steam into autumn – October feels like the perfect month for a ride on a steam train. As the steam billows into the autumn air you can view the changing landscape around you. Stay at Cropton or Keldy for a trip on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) from Pickering to Whitby. And their Railway in Wartime event is not to be missed, from 13-15 October.

8. October half term holiday – It's been a slog and by now you all deserve a holiday. Come to the forest for your October half term break and we'll find something different for you to do. At Thorpe Forest, head to Banham Zoo for some Lemur Love, as part of the World Lemur Festival. Stay at Cropton or Keldy and go on a guided fossil hunt on the North Yorkshire Coast, or visit Stirling Castle near to Strathyre to catch the amazing Flights into Scotland's Past exhibition before it closes on 31 October.

9. Halloween fun – There are Halloween events across the country so you can build some spooky fun into your October half term break. Down at Deerpark, we like the look of the Eden Project's Roald Dahl's Halloweden, which includes the Little Monsters' Ball on 28 October. Back up in Yorkshire, NYMR has a Halloween Train on 26-29 October, while near to Forest of Dean, Puzzlewood is hosting a Halloween Hunt during the half term break. In the forest, all our locations will be celebrating Halloween with a host of ghostly goings-on.

10. Last chance attractions – And so, before the winter arrives, there's one last chance in October to enjoy some of our country's finest attractions. Make the most of the following before they close, or scale down, at the end of October: Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, near to Cropton and Keldy, Inveraray Castle, near to Ardgartan Argyll, Peppa Pig World, near to Blackwood Forest and the enchanting BeWILDerwood, just under an hour's drive from Thorpe Forest.

Book an October family weekend away or your October half term break now and discover why it's the best month of the year for family time.