Entertain the kids for less this half-term!

Find out how kids can get free entry to Alton Towers, half price entry to the theatre, go bowling for a penny and take part in Hallowe'en fun!

If sending the kids back to school after the summer holidays filled you with a sense of relief, you're probably not particularly pleased the half-term break is only a week away. So if you're looking for cheap ways to entertain the kids during the holiday, you've come to the right place.

Theme parks

The hot weather might be far behind us, but if you don't mind queuing in the cold you can still pick up some great deals at theme parks. And while entry tickets can be expensive, I've found some brilliant bargains to help you save the pennies.

Until 1 November, kids can go free at Alton Towers with this voucher from the Visit The Heart website.

However, if you live closer to Chessington World of Adventures, you can pick up 2 for 1 tickets through myvouchercodes.co.uk. This is valid until 2 November.

And if you'd prefer to go to Thorpe Park, you can also get 2 for 1 entry with this voucher from Rustlers. This is valid until 1 November.

Theatre deals

If you're more interested in staying in the warmth and paying a visit to the theatre, you can currently pick up 2 for 1 tickets to We Will Rock You through VoucherCodes.co.uk. The top price tickets of £55 will be reduced to £27.50 (Mondays-Thursdays) and from £60 to £30 (Fridays and Saturdays).

Meanwhile, at Lastminute.com you can enjoy up to 50% off tickets in a special half-term deal to see Sister Act, with tickets starting from just £25. Alternatively, tickets to The Side Show of Wonders - a family magic and illusion show - in London are also half price at Lastminute.com at just £5!

A little bit of history

If you're looking to teach your kids some history, websites such as enjoyEngland.com and Visit The Heart are well worth a browse because they are jam-packed with 2 for 1 or kids go free offers to a range of historical sites.

For example, pay a trip to Oliver Cromwell's House in Cambridgeshire and you can enjoy 2 for 1 entry with this voucher from enjoyEngland.com. Meanwhile, if you live in Bedfordshire, this voucher will also get you two tickets for the price of one to visit Woburn Abbey.

Alternatively, if you're based in the West Midlands, you can collect a 2 for 1 voucher on the Visit The Heart website for the fabulous Black Country Living Museum, which I definitely recommend! And if you're trying to encourage your kids to enjoy a bit of Shakespeare, you can also enjoy 2 for 1 tickets to Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon with this voucher.

Take the train

If you're taking the train into London, it's worth bearing in mind that you can pick up a whole host of 2 for 1 deals on a range of London attractions. All you need to do is print of the correct voucher from the Days Out Guide website, and bring that, along with your train ticket, to your chosen attraction. Venues include Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Tower of London.

Free (or nearly free) activities

How about taking the kids bowling for just one penny? Well, with Hollywood Bowl you can! Throughout half term, Hollywood Bowl is allowing you to play one game of bowling for just one penny! So if you've got a Hollywood Bowl near you, check it out now before it gets booked up! Just be warned that you will need to be prepared for an early start as bowling must start between 9am and 9.30am.

Autumn is the perfect time to get out and about and enjoy nature at its finest! So if you want to get out and explore the countryside, The Woodland Trust has more than 1,000 woodland sites which are free to visit across the country.

And if you're worried the kids might get bored, The Woodland Trust also has an Autumn Booklet packed full of activities for the little ones to enjoy while they're on their walk. You can even find out why leaves change colour in autumn.

Finally, for a cultural trip, don't forget to check out your local museum or gallery as many of them are absolutely free. What's more, there's a good chance they will be holding activities specifically aimed at children. For example, at the Tate Modern in London, kids can play with jigsaws and board games and take part in drawing activities.

It's Hallowe'en!

Once again, Hallowe'en falls during half term this year. So don't forget to look out for Hallowe'en based activities in your area. For example, if you live in Bristol, pay a visit to Bristol Zoo Gardens on 30 October and you can take part in a fancy dress parade, with prizes for the best costume. There will also be a pumpkin carving competition - and children can get in free between 9am and 12 noon with a pumpkin and a full-paying adult.

Meanwhile, the Jorvik Viking Centre in York is hosting a late night spooky tour on 31 October, including scary stories, gruesome ghouls, goody bags and refreshments. Child tickets cost £9, adult tickets cost £5. And at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham, there will be a Hallowe'en Party on 30 October. Tickets cost £6, plus skate hire.

It's also well worth checking out the National Trust website as it's holding a wide range of Hallowe'en half term activities at numerous properties. Just be warned, however, some of these events do charge on top of the normal admission fees.

On the other hand, if you're simply hoping to entertain the kids at home over Hallowe'en, check out netmums.com which is packed full of ideas. Find out how to make Simple Cat Eye Masks out of an old cereal packet as well as spooky spiders out of toilet roll. The website is also full recipe ideas including Marshmallow Ghosts and Ghostly Lemonade. 

Thanks to VoucherCodes.co.uk for supplying some of these vouchers.

More: Five ways to slash your childcare costs | Seven ways to save money every week