This Halloween, families will be able to search for strange creatures and spooky spectres at the Museum of Dartmoor Life as part of the national Eerie-on-Sea Monster Museum Tour to celebrate the release of the latest book in the Eerie-on-Sea Mysteries series by children’s author Thomas Taylor.

Between October 16 and November 5, familes are being challenged to spot all the monsters from fictional seaside town Eerie-on-Sea that will be dotted around the museum and will receive a prize for completing the trail. To take part pick up an activity sheet from the museum.

Families will also have the chance to enter a national prize draw competition. Families are being invited to design their own mythical monster or magical creature and share it on social media for a chance to win a bundle of all five books in the Eerie-on-Sea series.

Over 50 museums around the UK will be taking part over in the Halloween trail over the October half-term to encourage families to explore their local museum.

The initiative was set up collaboratively by Kids in Museums and Walker Books.

Kids in Museum is an award-winning charity dedicated to making museums open and welcoming to all children, young people and families. We support and champion family friendly organisations through wide-ranging initiatives, including the Family Friendly Museum Award and Takeover Day. The charity invites heritage organisations to sign up to its manifesto, which sets out simple guidelines for making museums easy to reach for all ages.

The Museum of Dartmoor Life originated as a charitable trust which was founded in 1978 to establish a museum for Okehampton and the north Dartmoor area. The museum was first opened to the public in 1981 The next book in the Eerie-on-Sea Mysteries series is called Mermedusa and follows protagonists Herbert and Violet on their next adventure as they uncover the secrets of the town and the famous legend of the fearsome Malamander.