little willow clubsBack to homeManchester · October half term
Manchester state schools close on Friday 23 October and reopen on Monday 2 November, which leaves the week of Monday 26 to Friday 30 October to fill. Compare four clubs with published dates for that week, their prices, and free options. One outdoor club needs its dates confirmed; it is listed separately below.
Every detail below was visible on each club's own website when we checked on 18 October 2026. Prices and places change, so confirm with the club before you book.
Chorlton (CHS South, M21 7SX)
Ofsted registered, accepts Tax-Free Childcare. Bring a nut-free packed lunch. Also runs Sale, Altrincham and Whalley Range venues.
Urmston / Flixton, next to Golden Hill Park
Accepts childcare vouchers. Book by emailing fun@playworks-manchester.co.uk.
Didsbury Road venue (Elm Cottage runs clubs in the Altrincham/Trafford area)
Autumn crafts, woodland walks, LEGO club, yoga, rugby skills, multi-sports, and a spooky disco on the Friday.
Bramhall, Stockport
Accepts Tax-Free Childcare and childcare vouchers.
South Manchester
Entirely outdoors in all weather: bushcraft, forest school, canoe trips.
Alongside the paid camps, council-funded places are free to the families they are for, and they always include a meal.
Free holiday club places with a meal, for children from Reception to Year 11 who get benefits-related free school meals. Booking is open now through holidayactivities.com using the HAF codes emailed to you. Stockport runs a limited number of clubs in October, some with longer or SEND-specific sessions.
Thousands of free places with a free meal, for Manchester residents whose children get benefits-related free school meals (from September 2026, only "Targeted" FSM households — income under £7,400 — qualify for the free camps). Book through the MCRactive Activity Finder after registering for free school meals and a free Manchester Active Go account.
Free swimming for young people during the school holidays, listed for 26–31 October. No meal and no booking system to learn — just turn up at a participating pool.
For the confirmed clubs, a full day runs from £35 to £40 — so a five-day week for one child is roughly £175 to £200 once you pick the cheapest full-day option. Half days and shorter sessions cut that sharply, and Elm Cottage and Fun Fest both let you book single days rather than the whole week. If your child gets benefits-related free school meals, the HAF routes above make the week free, and free swimming covers an afternoon for nothing.
We are building a search at Little Willow Clubs that filters clubs by your postcode, your child's age, your dates and the price per day, in one go — so next half term, this list is one search instead of an evening of club websites.
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This guide, and the search it points to, are built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how we keep the dates and prices on it checked each school holiday.