Today was grey and drizzly so instead of vegging in front of the TV we headed to the O2 Centre in Finchley Road where there was plenty to do to entertain my bored children.
I like the O2 Centre - there are enough shops for it to be interesting with a great range of products from umbrellas to unicorn-themed items without it being so enormous you lose the will to live and all sense of direction.
Of course there are lots of places to eat too, whether you want a quick snack or refreshing cuppa or a full on family meal, maybe after a visit to the onsite Vue cinema. You can park easily behind the centre too with discounts on parking for shoppers and those who visit the leisure facilities including the restaurants.
This week (Thursday October 26 to Sunday October 29, 12 noon until 6pm daily) the centre is offering children the chance to enter The Horror Zone, an area all set up with spooky fun activities. They can put their wizarding skills to the test at the magical potion stand, head over to the gloopy slime-filled cauldron to cast a spell and maybe pick up a trick or treat in the lucky dip.
There's a Bush Tucker trial - will you encounter ghoulish jelly spiders or goo-filled beetles- or something worse.......
There are face painters on hand to help visitors get into the Halloween festival spirit too.
The Horror Zone is free to enter but there is a suggested donation of £4 per child which will be passed on to Barnardo's, the children's charity which helps children in poverty, supports young careers and helps families looking to foster or adopt amongst other vital projects.
My two tweens found the centre's activities lots of fun- my 12 year old son was delighted to succeed in landing his quoit over a skull on the first throw!
If all these creepy capers aren't enough, on Tuesday October 31 the centre will be inviting families to take part in their fun and frightful Halloween trail. Those who manage to find all of the hidden spooky characters around the centre can earn a paper bag filled with scrumptious sweets.
Why not round off the visit with a nice meal? We enjoyed lunch at Pizza Express which made a lovely end to our half term treat. Full review to follow.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.
I like the O2 Centre - there are enough shops for it to be interesting with a great range of products from umbrellas to unicorn-themed items without it being so enormous you lose the will to live and all sense of direction.
Of course there are lots of places to eat too, whether you want a quick snack or refreshing cuppa or a full on family meal, maybe after a visit to the onsite Vue cinema. You can park easily behind the centre too with discounts on parking for shoppers and those who visit the leisure facilities including the restaurants.
This week (Thursday October 26 to Sunday October 29, 12 noon until 6pm daily) the centre is offering children the chance to enter The Horror Zone, an area all set up with spooky fun activities. They can put their wizarding skills to the test at the magical potion stand, head over to the gloopy slime-filled cauldron to cast a spell and maybe pick up a trick or treat in the lucky dip.
There's a Bush Tucker trial - will you encounter ghoulish jelly spiders or goo-filled beetles- or something worse.......
There are face painters on hand to help visitors get into the Halloween festival spirit too.
The Horror Zone is free to enter but there is a suggested donation of £4 per child which will be passed on to Barnardo's, the children's charity which helps children in poverty, supports young careers and helps families looking to foster or adopt amongst other vital projects.
My two tweens found the centre's activities lots of fun- my 12 year old son was delighted to succeed in landing his quoit over a skull on the first throw!
If all these creepy capers aren't enough, on Tuesday October 31 the centre will be inviting families to take part in their fun and frightful Halloween trail. Those who manage to find all of the hidden spooky characters around the centre can earn a paper bag filled with scrumptious sweets.
Why not round off the visit with a nice meal? We enjoyed lunch at Pizza Express which made a lovely end to our half term treat. Full review to follow.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.