Romford October Half Term: 26 to 30 Oct, What's On

Havering schools break up for October half term on Friday 23 October and are off from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Some families get longer: the Coopers’ Company and Coborn School in Upminster is off for two weeks from 19 October. The week already has a solid list of things to book in Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham, most of them under £13 a ticket.

The quick answer

• Half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for schools on Havering Council’s calendar (term dates)
• Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has a children’s show every weekday but Thursday, from £8.70 a child
• Rainham Hall’s pumpkin carving runs on five days, 24 to 30 October, at £5 a pumpkin

When half term is, school by school

Havering Council’s 2026/27 calendar sets the week as 26 to 30 October. Not every school follows it:

Academies, free schools and independents set their own dates, so check your own school’s calendar. The full year, including the Christmas break and INSET days, is on our Havering school term dates page.

What is on, day by day

Everything below is taken from the organiser’s own listing on 25 September 2026. Prices include booking fees where the organiser quotes them that way.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

The theatre in Billet Lane has built a half-term week of short family shows. Children under 14 must come with a paying adult at every performance (Queen’s Theatre what’s on).

The two Create and Play mornings are drop-off sessions: children aged 4 to 6 spend two hours on drama games, a story and a craft to take home, and the theatre says children outside that age range cannot attend. Box office: 01708 443333.

Pumpkin carving at Rainham Hall

The National Trust’s Rainham Hall runs pumpkin carving on Saturday 24, Sunday 25, Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, 11am to 3pm. It is £5 per pumpkin, all materials are provided, and a Halloween ghost trail round the garden is included. It is indoors, but the Trust says wear messy clothes; booking a slot is advisable and children must be supervised (National Trust event listing).

While you are there, the hall has a new exhibition of costumes and props from the film Sense and Sensibility, which was shot in the house. It runs from 24 September to 19 December and is included in the hall ticket; people with an RM13 postcode get into the hall free all year (National Trust exhibition listing).

Spooky species show at Ingrebourne

Barleylands Farm brings snakes, lizards, a bullfrog and minibeasts to the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Ingrebourne Valley Nature Discovery Centre in Hornchurch Country Park on Tuesday 27 October, at 1pm or 2.30pm. Each show is an hour. Tickets are £7.75 per person, adults included, booking is essential and refunds are not given. Parking is free (Essex Wildlife Trust event page).

Spooky Sunday at Upminster Windmill

The windmill in St Mary’s Lane holds Spooky Sunday on 25 October, 11am to 4pm, with themed activities for children, refreshments in the garden and the sails turning if the weather allows. No price is listed yet (Upminster Windmill what’s on).

Annie at Brookside Theatre

The musical Annie is at Brookside Theatre, Eastern Road, Romford, from Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 October, so its last two days fall on the half-term weekend. Box office: 01708 755775 (Brookside Theatre).

Romford Library chess club

The weekly children’s chess club at Romford Central Library meets on Monday 26 October, 4pm to 5pm. Beginners are welcome, parents can join in, and booking is not essential (Havering Libraries events).

For the grown-ups

Havering Museum in the High Street holds a Halloween murder mystery on Sunday 25 October, 2.30pm to 5.30pm, at £13 a ticket; bring your own drinks and nibbles (Havering Museum). The museum’s galleries are open Wednesday to Friday, 11am to 4.30pm.

Free things that week

• Hornchurch Country Park and the Ingrebourne Valley: the Nature Discovery Centre is open daily, 10am to 5pm until 31 October, then 10am to 4pm from 1 November (Essex Wildlife Trust).
• Rainham Hall’s gardens and café are free to walk into.
• Romford Library’s chess club on the Monday.

More ideas for the rest of the year are on our things to do in Romford page.

Getting there

Council car parks and on-street charges are on our parking in Romford page. If you are driving to Hornchurch or Upminster, check roadworks and travel first.

Still to be confirmed

• Havering Libraries normally add half-term craft and story sessions closer to the week. On 25 September only the Monday chess club was listed.
• Upminster Windmill has not published a price for Spooky Sunday.
• Queen’s Theatre Thursday: nothing is listed for 29 October yet.

We will check the listings again on 12 October and update this page.

Frequently asked questions

When is October half term 2026 in Havering?

Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, with schools back on Monday 2 November. Coopers’ Company and Coborn School breaks a week earlier, from 19 October.

Is there anything free to do in Romford over half term?

Yes. Hornchurch Country Park and the Ingrebourne Nature Discovery Centre, the gardens at Rainham Hall, and the Monday chess club at Romford Central Library cost nothing.

What is on at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in half term?

Five children’s shows across Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, plus two drop-off Create and Play mornings for 4 to 6 year olds. Most tickets are £8.70 for a child and £10.70 for an adult.

Sources

• School term and holiday dates, London Borough of Havering.
• What’s on, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and the individual show pages linked above.
• Rainham Hall events, National Trust.
• Ingrebourne spooky species show and Ingrebourne Nature Discovery Centre, Essex Wildlife Trust.
• What’s on, Upminster Windmill.
• Brookside Theatre.
• Events, Havering Libraries.
• Murder Mystery, 25 October 2026, Havering Museum.

Last checked 25 September 2026.