Your children should beware of Dracula if they venture into London Zoo at half term!

He’s a meerkat getting ready for a ‘boo at the zoo’ — along with all the other animals — out to give the kids some monstrous Halloween “hairy-but-not-too-scary” fun during next month’s school holiday.   

The fun kicks off at the eerie ‘Halloween hub’ in the Wildlife Garden, where children get spine-tingling activities at the Pumpkin Patch, picking their own pumpkin to decorate in a spooky painting workshop the zoo is laying on. 

Not to be missed are the ‘Spooky Animal’ talks where families can learn about Halloween favourites like bats and spiders, discovering other nocturnal creatures that thrive in the dark.  

A ‘Race Against Extinction’ trail has been laid on, where they can learn about species that have become extinct in the wild — but not to be blamed on Count Dracula!

Youngsters can journey through the zoo to meet its incredible ‘extinct in the wild’ animals like the Socorro Dove and collect colourful sand along the way as a keepsake reminder of how time is running out to save these species.

The trail finishes at the zoo’s Extinction Graveyard, a stark reminder of why we humans all need to do our bit to help wildlife. 

Young visitors can also discover the hidden world of bats at the Bat Talks or craft their own horror masks. They can see the endangered Rodrigues ‘flying fox’ bats in the zoo’s Rainforest Life exhibit — London’s only living rainforest. This exhibition coincides with International Bat Week from October 24 to 31.

Eager visitors can also step into the eight-legged world of spiders, where giant webs will surround the most fearless of folk. 

The jam-packed ‘Boo at the Zoo’ itinerary includes Halloween crafts and exploring more than 10,000 incredible animals, which claims to be “wickedly wonderful” family fun. Kids can trick-or-treat themselves to toasted marshmallows, indulge in face painting and look out for the Golden Pumpkin hidden somewhere different in the grounds each day.

‘Boo at the Zoo’ runs from October 19 to November 3, children under three going in free. Tickets can be booked on the “londonzoo.org” website.