Get ready to be spooked this Halloween with haunting affairs taking place at Stratford Circus Arts Centre.

At Halloween Parties families will be able to enjoy a jam-packed hour of interactive and sensory play – from singing and dancing, games, potion-making and science-based fun with a host of colourful characters.

Tea Dance for Little People is back in Newham after bringing the interactive show A-MAZE-IN’ to life last year for children aged two to eight-years old.

The Inventor has set up his laboratory and is ready to perform some explosive experiments, whilst the Witch and Wizard have flown all the way to Newham to enchant their audience with slime and spells.

And it wouldn’t be the Halloween season without some dressing up. Everyone is invited to put on their pointy hats and don their white sheets to make their hour of tricks even more of a treat.

Halloween Parties is a performance for the Family Arts Festival 2014 – the same festival that awarded Stratford Circus the title of Best Family Venue last year.

Head of Education Eliza Wilson said: “Stratford Circus are pleased to once again be participating in the Family Arts Festival following our ‘Best Family Venue’ award as voted by festival-goers last year in a public vote.

“We can’t wait to present Halloween Parties as part of the Festival with our Associate Artists Tea Dance for Little People.

“With their commitment to improving the health and well-being of Newham families through creative play and artistic adventure, it is a delight to welcome them once again for another fantastic show for October half term.”

Newham mother Katy said she appreciates having theatre available for pre-school children in the area, adding: “It is definitely one of the borough’s selling points and reasonably priced for an area of London where many simply could not afford the prices you see in other parts.”

Held every year in October, the Family Arts Festival incorporates over 1,900 events and entertains tens of thousands of families across the UK.

Cllr Ian Corbett, executive member for infrastructure and environment, said: ““We are extremely proud that Stratford Circus has been recognised nationally and we look forward to building on our strong partnership with this award winning venue and supporting them to provide residents with world-class theatre on their doorstep.”

The Family Arts Festival is part of the Family Arts Campaign, funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Halloween Parties runs from Thursday, October 30 to Saturday, November 1 at Stratford Circus Arts Centre.

With four slots each day there is a time to suit everyone – for the early birds at 10am and 11:30am, as well as in the afternoon at 2pm and 4pm.