BARRY families have two opportunities to enjoy Halloween activities this half-term without making every outing an expensive one.

Kidora, a UK parent-to-parent marketplace for preloved baby and children's items, believes that the same practical thinking can help households approach Christmas shopping.

Barry Town Council's Halloween Which Craft? event returns to Central Park on Friday 30 October, from 10am to 3pm. Entry is free, with a mixture of free and low-cost activities. The programme includes games, a spooky colouring station, creative workshops, a reptile encounter, archery and a mini market featuring local traders.

Some hands-on workshops, including slime-making, bath bombs and bracelet-making, carry a small charge, so parents can decide beforehand what fits their budget. There are also talks about the history and legends of the Cadoxton Witches at Barry Town Hall, with advance booking required.

A second half-term option takes families into the outdoors. The Hallows Trail at Porthkerry Country Park runs from 29 to 31 October, with bookable sessions from 11am to 12.30pm and 12.30pm to 2pm. Children can follow clues, hunt for hidden objects and take on a series of magical challenges. Beach Academy Wales lists children's tickets as free, with adults paying £3.

These events are organised independently of Kidora. Yet they illustrate a useful principle for parents: a memorable afternoon often comes from the experience itself, rather than the amount spent on new toys, costumes or accessories.

That can be worth remembering as Christmas approaches. Before buying a new dressing-up outfit, parents could check what already fits, swap with friends or look for a good-quality preloved option. The same applies to picture books, puzzles, toy vehicles and baby essentials that another family has finished using.

On Kidora, UK parents can buy and sell preloved baby and children's items directly to one another. Sellers pay no seller fees and keep the full item price. Buyers can arrange local collection or choose available delivery options, while buyer protection applies to orders. Parents should still check product descriptions, photographs, condition and suitability carefully before purchasing, especially for toys or baby equipment.

The wider platform also includes a Parent Hub with family-focused ideas and a Family Places directory covering more than 6,500 places across the UK. The aim is to give parents options for finding things to do as well as everyday items their children need.

None of this means skipping Barry's independent shops or its seasonal events. Families can support local traders at the Halloween market, enjoy free activities where available and decide which Christmas purchases genuinely need to be new. A thoughtful mix of experiences, second-hand finds and carefully chosen gifts may go further than an overflowing shopping basket.

For families beginning their seasonal planning, the immediate starting point is simple: check event booking details, set a realistic spending limit, and consider what could have another life with a new family.

https://kidora.uk