October Half Term in Edinburgh Without Breaking the Bank – 2026

It seems like only yesterday that the kids went back to school, but lo and behold it’s October already and the half term holidays are about to kick off. I’ve pulled together my usual round-up of holidays activities in Edinburgh that won’t break the bank, i.e. that are either free or very low cost. I hope you find something you’ll enjoy.

Usual disclaimer, all info correct at the time of writing, but please do double check before travelling! And please also check whether pre-booking is required, even though events and activities are free, some of them are ticketed as space is limited.

MUSEUMS

Edinburgh has a fantastic choice of family friendly museums, most of which offer free entry. Many of them also host free events during schools holidays. See below for our favourite museums and some of the special events taking place over the October Half Term holidays.

National Museum of Scotland

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. The museum has several interactive galleries aimed at families, and a host of free trails to choose from. Check out the online Family Hub for more details.

Special Events:

October Half Term: The Stories We Tell
Mon 12 – Fri 16 October, 10am – 4pm
Free, drop-in

National Galleries Scotland

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Free family trails, art trolley and sensory bags at the National; Free family trails, sensory walks and ‘Art Space 2’ activity room at the Modern; Free family trail and art trolley at the Portrait. Find out more on the Galleries website or read our Art Space 2 review and The National with Kids review.

Special Events At the portrait:

Picture Yourself!
Mon 12 – Fri 16 October, 2pm – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Picture Yourself! Relaxed Morning (autism & learning disability friendly)
Weds 14 October, 10:30am – 12 noon
Free, booking essential

Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

Fantastic wee museum open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm. It tells the story of Scottish firefighting from its inception to the present day. Very family friendly, with interactive displays, dressing up, reading nook, and ‘search and explore’ bags to borrow. Find out more on the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage website, or read our Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage review.

Special Events:

UV Morse Code Challenge
Tues 13 to Sat 17 October, 10am – 4pm
Free, drop-in

St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum

St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm (last entry at 4:30pm). Admission is free. It’s a wee gem of a museum to explore, with a year round family trail and interactive discovery drawers in the Wolfson Gallery that are particularly fun for children. Find out more on the St Cecilia’s Hall website or in our St Cecilia’s Hall review.

Special Events:

Halloween Family Trail
Thurs 1 October until Sat 31 October; various time slots during opening hours
Free (donations appreciated), pre-booking recommended

Physician’s Gallery

Open Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 4:30pm. The Physician’s Gallery at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh includes the Joyce Grainger Learning Centre – a permanent exhibition exploring our relationship with health, medicine and our bodies. Over 50 objects, illustrations and books are on display, sharing stories from medieval medicine to modern day treatments, with some family-friendly activities.

Special Events:

Drop-in Activity: Brain Blocks
Mon 13 October, 11am – 2pm
Free, drop-in

Kids’ Workshop: Make a Pomander
Weds 14 October, 11am – 2pm
Free, please book a 1-hour arrival time slot

Museum on the Mound

Open 1-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and Bank Holidays. Learn about the (hi)story of banking and money, with lots of hands-on activities scattered throughout the galleries. Indoor family trails, sensory bags, and sensory garden trail available, ask at reception.

Find out more on the Museum on the Mound website or read our Museum on the Mound review.

Special Events:

“We’ll have a Halloween Super Squirrel trail, as well as our usual design activities and trails.” (many thanks to Hannah from the museum for sending this via email)

City Art Centre

Open daily, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm). Family ArtSpace available daily, packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the relevant exhibitions, and they now also have two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the City Art Centre website or read our City Art Centre review.

Museum of Edinburgh

Open daily, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm). Free family activity area packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the galleries, as well as a reading corner and some replica objects you can explore. They now also have a new Sensory Room, and two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the Museum of Edinburgh website or read our Museum of Edinburgh review.

Museum of Childhood

Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids busy, including games, dressing up and a story corner. They now also have two sensory backpacks which families can borrow for free. Can be combined with a visit to the Scottish Storytelling Centre across from it, which has a nice cafe including an interactive story wall with lots of cubby holes to open and explore. Find out more on the Museum of Childhood website.

Alphabet Hunt at any museum or gallery

All day, any day! (during museum/ gallery opening hours)

We have this at both the National Museum of Scotland and the National Gallery of Scotland, though would work at most museums or galleries.The idea is simple – find something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. All you need is paper and something to write with and keep track of what you find. Optionally you can take photos if the museum/ gallery allows. A small clipboard is also useful but optional.

It’s a great way to see a place you’ve visited many times before through new eyes, and to get the kids to engage more with what they are seeing. Find out more about our Alphabet Hunt in my previous posts, where you can also download a free printable Alphabet Hunt activity sheet.

>> Museum Alphabet Hunt Blog Post (info, photos + free printable)

>> National Gallery Alphabet Hunt Facebook Album (photos only)

LIBRARIES

Opening times vary by library, mostly Mondays to Saturdays.

Many of the Edinburgh city libraries run both regular free events and/ or are putting on free events for the October holidays – too many to mention them all here! Unfortunately, there’s not a central page that lists them all, you need to check out each library individually. We have found the best place to do that is on Facebook. Activities include Bookbug sessions, board game meet-ups, arts & crafts, Lego clubs, story time, and more! Visit the individual library Facebook pages via the links below:

OTHER INDOOR VENUES & EVENTS

Water of Leith Visitor Centre

Open daily, 10am – 4pm. Cafe and interactive exhibition about nature and waterways, with including water play activities. Find out more on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust website or read our Water of Leith Visitor Centre review.

The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament might not be the first place to spring to mind, to visit with kids, but we had quite a fun filled afternoon there (and that was before the introduced their regular craft sessions). Find out more about it in our review of visiting the Scottish Parliament with Kids. Opening hours vary, depending on whether Parliament is in recess or not. During October, opening times are 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; and 9am to 6:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Closed to the public 9 – 12 October.

Special Events:

Crafternoons at the Scottish Parliament
Saturdays, 11am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
(Sat 10 Oct: Butterflies, Sat 17 Oct: Bug Boxes)

The Wee Play Hub at Ocean Terminal

The Wee Play Hub on the first floor of Ocean Terminal is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 11am – 3pm. As well as free play, they also have a weekly programme of free drop-in events including art classes, crafts, story time and Lego club. Check out their website for details.

Special Events

Arts & Crafts Club at the Wee Play Hub
Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays, 12pm – 1pm
Free, drop-in (check Facebook for cancellations)

Wee Lego Club at the Wee Play Hub
Saturdays, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Free, drop-in (check Facebook for cancellations)

Pets at Home Stores Workshops

“…just in time for Halloween and Bonfire Night. Children will learn how to spot when a pet might be feeling spooked and discover how to help them stay calm and comfortable…Packed with fun facts, games and activities, these workshops are a great way to build confidence while learning all about responsible petcare.”

Workshops will take place at Craigleith, Fort Kinnaird and Pentland stores, from Sat 10 October – Sun 18 October, at 2pm on week days and 11am on weekends. For pet lovers aged 4 – 10 years. Free but booking required. Details on the Pets at Home website.

Ikea Edinburgh Events

Himalayan Animal Crafts
Fri 9 Oct, 1pm – 3pm; Mon 12, Tues 13 & Fri 16 Oct, 11am – 4pm
Free, drop-in

Ethical Animal Encounters with ZooLab (Ikea Family Members only)
Weds 14 October, various times between 11am and 5pm
Free, booking essential

Make Mess Matter
Mon 19 October, 11am – 12 noon
Free, drop-in

Gyle Shopping Centre Events

Owl Magic
Sat 10 & Sun 11 October, 10am – 4pm

Halloween Themed Workshops
Mon 12 to Thurs 15 October, 10am – 1pm
Daily spooky crafts, plus face painting and soft play

Plant Pot Painting
Fri 16 October, 12 noon – 4pm

Note: All events are drop-in, no details on costs but in the Summer holidays their family activities were all free.

Visit an Independent Bookshop

Independent bookshops we love to visit, that have children’s sections and reading nooks, include The Edinburgh Bookshop (Bruntsfield), Typewronger Books (Bruntsfield), Till’s Bookshop (Newington), Lighthouse Bookshop (Newington), Golden Hare Books (Stockbridge), Ginger and Pickles (Stockbridge), Topping & Company Booksellers (New Town), Argonaut Books (Leith) and Portobello Bookshop (Portobello). While it’s not free, going together to browse a bookshop and pick out a new book together for the holidays is still a relatively low cost activity compared to other visitor attractions and event with big price tags.

Find our more about all these bookshops in my previous post >> Our Top Indie Bookshops in Edinburgh to Visit with Kids

Special Events

Storytime for under 5s at The Edinburgh Bookshop
Thursdays & Fridays, 9:30am – 10am; Free, drop-in

Miscellaneous Indoor Events

Mimi and Friends’ Big Earth Adventure at Dynamic Earth
Sun 11 to Tues 13 October, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
“A new free hands-on exhibition from the Institute of Physics.”

Cloudy Crafts and Rainbow Rhymes at the National Library of Scotland
Tues 13 Oct, 11am – 12 noon; Weds 14 & Thurs 15 Oct, 11am – 12 noon & 3:30pm – 4:30pm; Free, booking required
“Weather-related crafts and creative activities suitable for 6 to 10 year olds.”

Prewired Coding Club at CodeBase Edinburgh (age 7 – 17)
Weds 14 October, 5:30pm – 7:30pm; Free, booking required
Note: children under 11 need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian

Institut français d’Écosse Children’s Book Festival
Sat 17 October, various times; includes free and paid for sessions; booking required
Some sessions are in French, some are in English or bilingual

Family Singing Session at Bridgend Farmhouse
Sun 18 October, 10:30am – 12:30pm; Booking essential
Tickets are on a donation basis: from £3 per adult, kids go free

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Hopefully we’ll have some nice weather over the October holidays. But as we say in Scotland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. So get yourselves out there whatever the weather! Here are some outdoor events, plus some of our of other places favourite places to head for some fresh air over the holidays. Why not take along a picnic and make a day of it!

Murder Mystery Trails around the Hermitage & the Meadows

All day, any day!

I wrote these trails for my sons, but you can download free copies for personal use, along with answer sheets, maps and certificates. I offer them for free as I want them to be accessible to all, but you are welcome to make a small donation if you are able.

>> Download Hermitage of Braid Trail
>> Download The Meadows Trail

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

We love the ‘Botanics’ in all seasons. Opening times in October are 10am – 5pm. Admission to the Botanics is free. More info on the Botanics website.

Special Events

Kit’s Magical Trail
Sat 10 to Sun 18 October, 10am – 4pm
£3 per trail booklet per child (includes scoop of ice cream as a prize); PLUS free kids hot chocolate per booklet purchased if you are a RBGE member!

Lauriston Castle Grounds

Entrance to Lauriston Castle itself is by pre-booked guided tour only, but the grounds are free to access daily from 8am to 7:30pm and are a popular spot for walks and pics. Lauriston Castle now also has a sensory backpack, which families can borrow for free. Keep your eye on the Lauriston Castle Facebook page for any closures to the grounds due to weather warnings. Mimi’s cafe is open Mondays to Fridays 9:30am – 4:30pm & Saturday to Sunday 9am – 5pm ; toilets are open 10am – 5pm.

Special Events

Autumn Sakura
Sun 11 October, 11am – 3pm
Free, drop-in

The Big Draw
Mon 12 & Fri 16 October, 10am – 12pm
Free, drop-in

Holyrood Park

Did you know Holyrood Park is managed by Historic Environment Scotland, and the park’s Ranger Service runs guided walks, group tours and events for visitors.

Special Events

Holyrood Family Adventure
Thurs 15 October, 1pm – 3pm
Free guided walk, suitable for age 5+ (booking required).

Edinburgh Parks & Playgrounds

Edinburgh has no shortage of parks and playgrounds across the city, for when you want to go out with the kids to burn off some energy over the holidays. Tip: Bring a towel to wipe down any wet play equipment!

Check out our A to Z map of playgrounds in Edinburgh for inspiration on which ones to visit next. Our favourites include East Meadows Playpark, Saughton Park, Leith Links Playpark, Victoria Park, Seven Acre Park, and the (fairly) newly refurbished Princes Street Gardens.

Or grab a bag of bird seed and visit one of the many spots across the city where you can feed ducks, swans and other birds. Our favourite spots include Blackford Pond, Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, Inverleith Park, and Duddingston Loch & St Margaret’s Loch in Holyrood Park.

Family Walks

We like to get out for a good family walk over the holidays. Some of our favourite walks are:

Some other walks I haven’t written up yet, that we enjoy doing, include going up Arthur’s Seat (via Dunsapie Loch); walking along the Innocent Railway to Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston; and the circular up and around Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, starting from the dock pond at Lockharton Crescent.

Junior Parkrun

Head out in to the fresh air and get some exercise in the process, by joining a Junior Parkrun – a free, fun, and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors (4 to 14 year olds). Junior Parkruns in Edinburgh Include:

Pilrig Park Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
Inverleith Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
The Meadows Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
Hailes Quarry Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am

Miscellaneous Outdoor Events

Play Saturday at Collective Gallery on Calton Hill
Sat 10 October, 1pm – 3pm. Free, booking essential
Followed by Sett studios’ annual folkloric procession, which is free and drop-in

Cargo Bike Carnival in the Meadows
Sun 11 October, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in
Try a cargo bike or bring your own, plus other fun family activities.

Free Kids Intro to Rockpooling Workshop at Scottish Seabirds Centre
Fri 16 October, 11:45am – 1:30pm; Free, booking required
Note: This is in North Berwick rather than Edinburgh.

LOW COST DAY TRIPS

Head to the Beach

We love a good trip to the beach, even in Autumn. Sunbathing and sea paddling days may be over for this year, but there’s still time for a good beach walk with stone skimming and shell collecting – why not download our Beach Scavenger Hunt to take along!

We love our local Cramond and Portobello beaches, which you can visit by bus within Edinburgh, and there’s also plenty other beaches within reach that you get to within 30 – 45 minutes by train. Our favourites include Dunbar, North Berwick and Longniddry in East Lothian; and Aberdour and Kinghorn in Fife. And with Kids for a Quid, up to four children can travel for just £1 return each with an adult on Scotrail train journeys.

Go on an Adventure

If you want to venture a bit further afield for a little adventure during the holidays, there are some options available without breaking the bank. We don’t have a car, but have travelled to lots of places within 1.5 hours of Edinburgh by train. Here are some reviews of a few of our favourite low cost trips:

Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Coatbridge (free entry).
Callandar House & Park, Falkirk (free entry).
Riverside Museum, Glasgow (free entry)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (free entry)
Weehailes Adventure Playpark, East Lothian (£5 for kids age 3+, £1 per adult)

Don’t forget to claim your Kids for a Quid rail ticket, to keep travel costs down too. Only available from station ticket counters (or on the train if no ticket counter available).

Kids for a Quid Scotrail Offers

I’ve already mentioned the Kids for a Quid rail tickets above, but did you know you can also get free entry for one child per full paying adult at selected visitor attractions in their Kids Go Free Deals! Maybe there’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but admission costs have prevented you from going. The special Kids Go Free deals can help take the sting out of things a little. Current offers in Edinburgh include the Royal Yacht Britannia, Deep Sea World, Camera Obscura, and Edinburgh Zoo. For further afield we can recommend Abbotsford, the National Mining Museum, and Discovery Point (Dundee), which are all do-able as day trips from Edinburgh.

This isn’t a complete list, I’m sure there’s probably more great free events that are missing – if you know of any other free events in Edinburgh this October half term, just leave a comment or send me a message and I’ll add them in!

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