The last week of October usually sees schools up and down the UK closing for the half term holidays. The timing and actual length of half term varies slightly around the UK.It can be a difficult holiday for parents. The summer holiday break may be longer but with better weather and lighter nights there is more to occupy children. The holiday following this Autumn half term is Christmas which, no matter what the weather, will excite and entertain the kids.

This autumn half term can seem almost nothing but a nuisance. Keeping the children entertained can be difficulty especially if money is tight. However, it is possible, with a little planning and thought.

So what's on offer to keep the kids entertained.

Halloween.

Well October 31st is Halloween and perhaps you are planning a party? Even if you are not you may be able to get into the spirit of Halloween. Drawing, painting and creating with a theme of Halloween should be fun. It does not have to be costly though.

These tips for Halloween will be especially those who are struggling to make ends meet.

Make Halloween outfits out of old clothing which has been thrown into the rag bag. It maybe that the item of clothing has nothing useful to offer but the buttons, but these could be perfect for your witches outfit.

Look for cheap pumpkins if you only want to carve one out for a lantern.

Use crayons, pencils, paints and the like, which you already have, to draw some spooky posters. Make it a competition between your children and their friends.

Getting out and about

The weather can be a mixed bag at this time of year but 2009 looks set to be a mild week for autumn half term. Conker searches mean that everyone gets some fresh air and welcome exercise. Local parks and country walks are perfect. Conkers, which fall from horse chestnut trees, are collected by boys, and sometimes girls, who then thread them onto a string to have conker fights.

Collect some of the beautifully coloured autumn leaves to press in a favourite book when you get home. They can be pressed between the leaves of a book or spread out to make collages and frames around some favourite photographs.

Old-fashioned entertainment such as this may not appeal to older, worldlier kids but younger ones should have fun.

Children's cinema

During the school holidays the local cinemas usually have a good programme of suitable children's films. Check out what days special offers are available. Just visiting the cinema earlier in the day, or a particular day of the week, may mean that you can get two tickets for the price of one.

Avoid the expensive treats though such as popcorn and chocolates. Some cinemas will not let you take your own cheaper treats in with you these days. Check ahead before you visit to avoid embarrassment.

Too cold for the seaside?

Probably not if you wrap up well. Resorts such as Scarborough will still have many of their attractions open.This half term could be perfect for a final visit to the seaside for this year. Many of the attractions will still be open but the resorts will be less busy and cheaper. Travel by train and bag another bargain. A special family rail fare could be a much better option than taking the car.

Baking days

Kids, both boys and girls love to be creative. Most like to experiment with baking. The resulting food may not be perfect but the kids will have fun and it is instructive. You could be surprised though at the quality of their wares.

Easy Krispies are always a firm favourite.

Simply melt some chocolate in a bowl, which is resting over hot, almost boiling water. This fact though means that the children will need supervision. When it has melted put the chocolate into a bowl that contains a breakfast cereal, such as Rice Krispies or Cornflakes. Mix well and spoon this mixture into individual bun cases. Leave to set, preferably in the fridge and voile. Try experimenting with different cereals and chocolates.

This week will be perfect for baking Halloween themed treats.

Too early for Christmas planning? Maybe not.

Sometimes we try not to mention the C word too soon before Christmas, as it may encourage young children to bounce around the walls with excitement for the months to come. However, if the weather is less than perfect a day at home making Christmas bits and bobs can be fun.

Children can set to making personalized cards and small gifts, Christmas tree ornaments, fancy wrapping paper and more. The many themed Hubs at HubPages.com will offer all the knowledge needed. Check out the links at the bottom of this hub.

Children swap.

Not as drastic as it sounds, children swap. Get together with a few of your trusted friends who have children and arrange to take it in turns to have the children. These sorts of days can be good for all concerned. You will get some valuable free time and the children will have some welcome company. Simply sharing their day with other children may be enough to keep your child or children entertained. It goes without saying though that you must know, without the shadow of a doubt, that you can trust the adults and children concerned.

Budding artists in the family?

Use large potatoes that are past their best for eating to get creative. Half a large raw potato and then cut out a pattern in the flat open side. Cover this surface with a suitable paint and press on paper to create a pattern. Experiment with different paints, vegetables and patterns. Great for using up out of date veg.

Try a little paper mac-he. Make a flour and water paste. Tear strips of newspaper and stick these, using your flour and water paste, onto a bowl, for example. Layer the paper until the shape is fully covered. Once the paper is dry you should have a paper mac-he bowl, or whatever, left. Get creative and paint this paper mache bowl. In order to prevent any damage to expensive items you could use old Jam jars, for example. The paper mache pot which it will make would be perfect for storing pens and pencils.

Special deals

Research the Internet and local newspapers for special offers. Cinemas and local attractions will no doubt be vying for your trade. Local Art Galleries and Museums often have free children's workshops during the school holidays. Actually visiting your local museums may cost you nothing more than the price of a bus ticket or whatever.

Overall

Remember when you were a child? Often the most remembered fun days were not those that cost a fortune. Be inventive and creative and utilise what you have to hand.

My Mum used to make word searches for us, which would keep us entertained for a long time. A favourite word of hers was CONSTANTINOPLE. Our task? To find as many words as we could from that word. Each word had to be a proper word and at least four letters long. Educational and fun but so very simple.

Another one? Work your way through the alphabet finding an animal, a girl's name, a place or a what you will for each letter.

All such games cost is a little time, some scrap paper, a pen or pencil and a little imagination.