North East Halloween events for kids including a Family Fright Fest, light trails, fireworks and puppets

The nights are drawing in; shops are already filling up with Halloween costumes and the stage is being set for the spookiest night of the year.

While it seems Halloween events for adults become more macabre and bloodthirsty each year, most kids still like the simple pleasures of pumpkins and trick-or-treating. And it's good to know there are plenty plans afoot of offer them a pick of special treats that won't scare them witless.

In the run-up to October 31, and on the big night itself, there will be a whole host of events for families to enjoy across the region. The good news is that the emphasis is firmly on the fun, not fear, and the range of upcoming entertainment includes such please-all options as fireworks, fancy dress and puppetry.

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Watch this space as we plan to add more to the mix in coming days. We also will be bringing a guide to all the local Halloween-theme events being planned for adults. And for those who really like to plan ahead check out our early round-up to Christmas events across the North East with bookings open now.

Halloween events for children

Family Fright Fest

It's back. The creators of award-winning adult scare park Psycho Path at Lintz Hall Farm have proved pretty good at delivering child-friendly Halloween events too over the past few years where it tones down the chills and ups the family-friendly fun at the Burnopfield site with these day-time specials.

During weekends in October, it will open from 11am with a whole range of treats for to suit those aged up to 12 years, including daily stage shows featuring a superhero spectacular and Halloween-style panto of Frozen; a fairground; three scare mazes; a Cutthroat Island; a fun and games barn; inflatable maze with a pick-your-own pumpkin experience and prizes and giveaways for those in fancy dress.

There also will be themed street theatre; costumed characters; a wizard school; clown school; pirate attractions including a Pirates Galleon and end-of-day parade with its own Jack Sparrow and a range of North East street food outlets, plus coffees and alcohol available for grown-ups. The current phase of sales has tickets available for £11 for up to 15-year-olds and £14 for adults, plus booking fees: see here. Family ticket options are also available.

Halloween Maze Pumpkin Trail

From October 26 right up to Halloween itself, October 31, Tynemouth Park will be inviting families to navigate its spooky maze which can be booked at half-hour intervals between 9.30am and 4.30pm. It is promising plenty weird and wonderful characters too.

There will be an opportunity to pick-your-own-pumpkin from the pumpkin patch; enjoy trick-or-treat goodies and try an ice cream with a vampire twist. Tickets cost £12.50 for children and £2.50 for adults: book here.

Treat & Trail in the Park

Families are invited to Saltwell Park in Gateshead on October 27 for a Halloween-theme event - not scary, just fun says organiser Let It Snow Productions - with an opportunity to meet costumed characters; enjoy some treats and take lots of photos. And all visitors are encouraged to dress up too.

Upon arrival they will be given a map to follow a route around the park, showing where the Halloween characters, as well as superheroes and princesses, are located, while they also will have a special 'Kingdom Pass' which will allow meet-and-greets with them.

They will receive a Halloween treat bag to collect goodies too. Various time slots are available to book between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

The event is aimed at children aged two and upwards. A family ticket, which admits four, costs £30 while single tickets are £10 and £4.50 for under-twos, plus fees, To book see here.

Sunderland Spooktacular

Sunderland's Barnes Park again will be hosting a low-noise pyro-musical with fireworks and flames on October 31 so expect more dazzling entertainment without the bangs. The audio-visual event, involving AH Events, Nobles Funfairs and Reaction Fireworks, will include - alongside the display - a funfair, prize giveaways and spooky music plus live acts with those confirmed so far being the Geoff Mull Band - fronted by the singer who made his name on The X-Factor a decade ago - and local singer-songwriter Lauren Amour.

Expect fire performers, walkabout characters and food outlets. There won't be any alcohol available. The event will open at 5pm and fireworks will get under way at 7.45pm.

For tickets, costing £7 (£5 for children), plus fees, see here. A family ticket costing £20 for two adults and two children is also on offer and under-twos have free admission.

Nerd Fright Fest

The popular Nerd Fest will be back, takino on a Halloween theme, on October 20 at the Parks Sports Centre in North Shields and - as usual - its raising money for the charity Cash for Kids which supports disadvantaged children in the North East. There will be its own Ghostbusters, green screen attractions and Harry Potter car and movie set, plus Michael Henbury as special guest who played a goblin in the Potter films.

Organiser Michael Harrison says they are 'keeping it retro' and 1990s TV 'funhouse twins' Mel and Martina will be there too. Alongside cosplay competitions and an array of geeky traders, the spooktacular day, running 10am to 4pm, promises a Mister Twister magician; free retro gaming area plus board games and the Lina and the Lions band - plus a whole lot more.

Tickets - with fees - cost £11.55 for adults; £9.38 for those aged from six to 16 and entry is free to those five and under. They can be bought online now - see here.

Halloween After Dark

Raby Castle in County Durham will be hosting its eerie illuminated trail again in The Plotters Forest, its woodland adventure play area where it invites families to dress in spooktacular outfits and enter a world of spider webs, witches and wolves. There they can look out for 'enchanting creatures' amongst the pine trees.

Those wanting to a snack after all their efforts will find sweet treat available from the Kiosk or The Vinery outlets. The trail will run on October 31 and from November 1-3 with time slots available at 4.30pm-5.30pm; 5pm-6pm; 5.30pm-6.30pm and 6pm-7pm. Tickets cost £6 for adults and £8 for children: to book see here.

The Glittering North

This new Halloween experience is also available at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens and could be combined with the trail for a double treat. Billed as a "never-seen-before spectacle of live music, dance and captivating puppetry", it will come alive after dark in the castle for an immersive adventure which will conjure up a carnival mood and combine a light trail, puppets, folk music and performances telling tales of myths and legends.

Wild Rumpus theatre company is promising something for all ages and a please-all addition will be hot chocolate and marshmallows. For tickets costing £20 for adults and £13 for those aged four to 15 years, plus fees, see here. There are also family tickets available.

Pumpkin trail

At Woodhorn in Northumberland, a seasonal trail running from October 16 to November 3 invites families to seek out pumpkins hidden in the shadowy corners of the museum. Those visiting from 10am until 4pm on those dates can pick up a trail sheet to explore the site and and colliery buildings and those who complete it can claim a small sweet treat from Woodhorn's welcome desk.

The Pumpkin Trail is included as part of the museum's annual pass admission which, when bought, allows unlimited visits for a year. The cost is £9.50 for adults and £8.50 for concessions. It is free to under-18s. See here.

Ghost Hunt

The spooky Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is hosting one of its family ghost hunts on the night of Halloween itself, October 31 and while its ghost hunts tend to be more hands-on that its ghost tours it presumably will be toning down it down for this 5.15pm-7.15pm family event as there is none of its usual age restrictions.

There's also one on October 26. The cost per person is £25. See here.