Under-5s picks
Things to do with babies, toddlers and under-5s this October half-term near Timperley
Things to do with babies, toddlers and preschoolers near Timperley this half-term, 26 October to 1 November. Play, stories, shows, parties and the weekly groups still running.
Published . Prices and booking status below are checked every week.
Half-term is quieter for little ones than for school-age children, and lots of regular groups take the week off. Here’s what is on for babies, toddlers and preschoolers near Timperley from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November: places made for them, stories and rhymes, a show, an outing and a couple of Halloween parties. Prices, dates and booking status in each row come from our checks and update themselves.
For older brothers and sisters, see our half-term picks; on a wet day, our rainy day picks.
Made for little ones
Free, book a slot; closed on Mondays; ends on Sunday. Nearly 100 original illustrations from animal picture books, from Elmer to Dear Zoo, with hands-on play areas designed for under-7s, short storytelling sessions, a book nook and drop-in crafts. This is its last week.
Tuesday to Friday, 10am or 11.30am, £12 (four for £40). An hour of play at Z-arts for ages 1 to 8: follow the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole, crawl through tunnels, jump in a ball pool, play croquet with flamingos and get lost in a giant card maze. Book a session.
Daily, 10am to 4pm, with Dunham Massey admission. Help Speechly the Pineapple deliver the pineapple post: a trail round the estate with clues, stamps to collect and seasonal surprises, for under-10s. Pick up a booklet at Visitor Reception or the garden kiosk; National Trust members get in free.
Quarry Bank’s indoor play space, on the top floor of the mill, has soft play, dressing up and puppet shows all week, with normal admission.
Stories and rhymes
Wednesday 2pm, £4 a child. A reading of the new picture book Gruffalo Granny at Waterstones Altrincham, then a visit from the Gruffalo himself. Every child takes home an activity pack; the shop asks for one adult per family.
Free, Sunday 10 to 11am, reserve a place. A reading of There’s a Ghost in This House, then colouring and a craft. Ideal for ages 3 to 7; contact the shop to book, as places are limited.
Trafford’s library sessions carry on through half-term, free and first come first served on the day: at Timperley Library, rhymetime on Monday at 2pm and storytime on Thursday at 2pm. Altrincham Library has storytime on Monday at 11am and rhymetime on Thursday morning; Sale Library has storytime on Tuesday at 10.30am and rhymetime on Friday morning; Hale Library has rhymetime on Tuesday and storytime on Friday, both at 2pm. Manchester Museum’s Billie Bee storytime, for ages 2 to 7, is on Wednesday and Friday.
A show
Sunday 11am and 2pm, child £18, adult £19. Nick Cope, from CBeebies, plays his gently funny songs live with animations on screen, at Waterside in Sale. About an hour with no interval, for ages 3 and up. When we checked on 17 October, the 2pm show was nearly full and 11am still had seats.
Also for the very young: the Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at the Lowry all week (from £19.50, with relaxed, BSL and audio-described performances), and The Littlest Yak at HOME from Tuesday to Thursday, for ages 3 and up.
Out and about
Free, Friday 2 to 3pm. St Mary’s toddler groups lead a short stroll along the Bridgewater Canal towpath and back for a play in Walton Park, Sale. Meet at the miniature railway station and wear boots; any family is welcome.
Free, Friday 10am to 12pm, drop in. Make a ghost puppet at Stockport Museum. It’s for ages 3 and up because of small parts.
Sale’s free Haunted Pumpkin Patch Trail round Stanley Square is short enough for toddlers, daily to Saturday. Move Altrincham’s drop-in gymnastics for under-5s is on Thursday at 9.30am, with baby and toddler swims on Tuesday to Thursday.
Halloween parties
Thursday 5.30 to 7.30pm, £10 a child. Spikey Mike hosts an evening Halloween party at Let Loose soft play in Sale, with games, fancy dress and music. Babies under one are £4.50 and adults £3.95; book online.
Friday 3.30 to 6pm. Antz in Your Pantz in Broadheath fills the afternoon with soft play, a tea (hotdog or tomato pasta), a spooky squishy to make, a monster disco, a scavenger hunt, crafts and its annual costume parade. The 3-and-up ticket is £27.95 with food; babies and toddlers come on a £10 entry-only ticket.
There’s also the Mega Halloween Party at Aviva Studios on Saturday (£5, babies under 18 months free), and Adventure Forest’s SEN Halloween party on Sunday morning, for children with autism and additional needs, when the centre is closed to the public.
Every regular group for babies and under-5s, day by day, is on our baby and toddler groups page.
Questions parents ask
What can I do with a toddler in half-term near Timperley?
Wild Things at the Lowry is made for under-7s and free (book a slot); Z-arts’ Adventures in Wonderland is an hour of play for ages 1 to 8 from Tuesday to Friday; Dunham Massey has a pineapple post trail for little ones; and there are Halloween parties at Let Loose in Sale (Thursday) and Antz in Your Pantz (Friday). Nick Cope plays Waterside in Sale on Sunday.
Do baby and toddler groups run in half-term?
Many stop for the school holidays, but Trafford’s library rhymetimes and storytimes carry on this week. At Timperley Library, rhymetime is on Monday at 2pm and storytime on Thursday at 2pm; Altrincham, Sale and Hale libraries have sessions on other days. Places are free, first come first served. Check any other group before you go; the regular ones are on our baby and toddler groups page.
Where can toddlers play indoors when it rains?
Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts (Tuesday to Friday), the play space at the top of Quarry Bank’s mill (with admission), Wild Things at the Lowry, and soft play; Little World for Scholars in Altrincham, Antz in Your Pantz in Broadheath and Let Loose in Sale are among the nearest, and all of them are on our soft play page.
Are there free things to do with under-5s this half-term?
Yes. Wild Things at the Lowry, the library rhymetimes and storytimes, a free autumn walk and play for under-5s at Walton Park in Sale on Friday at 2pm, and Waterstones Altrincham’s Read and Make on Sunday at 10am (reserve a place). More on our free things to do this half-term.
Is there a Halloween party for toddlers near Sale or Altrincham?
Spikey Mike’s party at Let Loose in Sale (Thursday 5.30pm), Antz in Your Pantz’s party with a costume parade in Broadheath (Friday 3.30pm), Adventure Forest’s parties in Trafford Park (Friday and Saturday), and the Mega Halloween Party at Aviva Studios, where babies under 18 months go free (Saturday).
Details change, so check with the organiser before you set off. Spotted something wrong, or know an event we've missed? Tell us.