No child likes being cooped up indoors during the holidays – and there is just no telling what sort of weather this October half-term will bring.

But it doesn’t matter, because whether it is sunny or raining, there are plenty of sure-fire ways to entertain even the pickiest of children – from exploring exciting museums to a spectacular firework display.

Halloween used to be a low-key affair here, unlike America where thousands join in the celebrations going from house to house in spooky costumes.

But not any more. Last year I ran out of ghostly sweets before All Hallows Eve was half over, as I answered the door to a steady stream of children, most with parents standing watchfully in the background.

You don’t have to take the children far to celebrate, with a spooky time on offer in Haworth next weekend for all the family. Normally more famous for the Bronte sisters, Hawortheen is becoming a firm favourite and is just the place to be after dark – or maybe not...

Watch your step as you walk through darkened Victorian streets, past scary ginnels full of spooky things that go bump in the night. Ghouls, goblins, witches and wizards help you scurry on your way!

You can dress up to join in the fun and even take part in a spooky graveyard walk. Saturday is Dragon Day, where you’re invited to follow the giant dragon to the sound of a drum beat. Sunday is the Halloween parade up Main Street. The procession starts at 3pm and the shops will be open from 10am until 6pm.

The Royal Armouries in Leeds is offering any bloodthirsty youngster the chance to make their own executioner’s axe, as well as many other gruesome items, during their Craft And Punishment session next Wednesday.

Running from 10am to 5pm, they can also have realistic torture scars and wounds applied to their skin.

Also in Leeds, at the Thackray Museum near St James’s Hospital, they can have even more special effects make-up applied, so they can scare their mates with a bloody seeping wound. There are lots of drop-in activities from Monday to Wednesday, as well as Friday afternoons.

There are a number of theme parks, museums and cities which offer not only special half-term activities and plenty to see and do, but also special events.

Lightwater Valley, for instance, has a Firework Spooktacular next Saturday with a display set to music, eerie magic shows and strange nocturnal happenings in the park. More Frightwater Valley than Lightwater.

The Deep, in Hull, is showing a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas with the award-winning 3D movie The Curse Of Skull Rock as part of Pirate Week.

Plenty of half-term activities will keep the youngsters happy if they can tear themselves away from the 40 sharks, 3,500 fish, and Europe’s deepest viewing tunnel.

The weather outside may be frightful, but that won’t stop children enjoying one of the UK’s largest outdoor water play areas and playground at Magna in Rotherham.

As well as gruesome grubs and fizzy bugs, they can even enjoy a spooky sleepover at one of the most awe-inspiring indoor attractions, where they won’t realise just how much they are learning.

A day in York probably isn’t enough when you cast your eye over what is available to do there next week.

The National Railway Museum will be keeping the kids entertained with steam rides on the steam locomotive Furness 20, and they can get inventive with the museum’s Cunning Inventions activities. There will also be live science shows, storytelling and theatre shows at the weekend.

The Jorvik Viking Centre is celebrating its 25th birthday with a series of special events including Halloween For Creepy Kids next Saturday, with a late night spooky tour with plenty of gruesome ghouls and scary stories. Watch out as dangerous Vikings lurk at every turn, waiting to ambush unsuspecting children.

The Vikings will once again be invading York as York Museum and Garden pull out all the stops. On Monday, youngsters can create Viking artworks, and there’s a chance to try metal detecting on Tuesday. They can make their own chainmail on Wednesday, mint their own Viking coin on Thursday and find out about Viking weapons and armoury on Friday.

When darkness falls, you can join thousands of others who flock to see the buildings in a colourful new light as the annual Illuminating York event lights up the city.

This year, the Roman Multangular Tower will be featured, and you can even draw with light on a huge historic canvas in the museum gardens. To round off the day, you can join a torch-lit tour of the galleries and objects in the museum.