It’s snuck up on early this year, but there are lots of eggs-cellent Easter-themed activities to make the most of this weekend. Here’s our pick of the egg hunts, plus a few at home ideas
This year’s unseasonably early Easter means the school holidays don’t coincide with the Easter weekend break, so many families will be on home turf rather than going away. But you don’t have to go far to have some Easter fun. Research this week suggests that, unsurprisingly, kids prefer staying at home and playing with their friends to queuing to get into museums or sitting in traffic jams. So throw an Easter party, organise an egg hunt in the garden (or indoors if it rains) and get the tots kitted out in home-made Easter bunny ears (see below). And if you do fancy getting out, there are lots of fun Easter activities not too far from home for all the family to enjoy.
These are just some of the Easter events for all the family around the country this weekend. See their websites for up to date information, and prices if relevant.
Egg hunts and Easter fun
These are just some of the Easter events for all the family around the country this weekend. See their websites for up to date information, and prices if relevant.
- Battersea Park Easy Peasy Skate Easter Egg Hunt, 22 March, free, bring your own skates.
- All kids must be accompanied by an adult.
- Bewilderwood - Mildred’s Egg and Spoon Hunt, 22-30 March, Hoveton, Wroxham, Norfolk.
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Easter events, 21 to 25 March.
- Bolsover Castle Easter events and trail, 21 to 24 March, Derbyshire.
- Blackpool Zoo Easter Bunny, 21 to 24 March.
- Butlins Easter weekend break from £99.
- Cardiff egg-stravaganza, 24 March.
- Coneygear Park Egg Hunt, Huntington, Cambs, 24 March.
- Dean Forest Railway Prize Easter Bunny Hunt, 21 to 24 March, Lydney, Gloucestershire.
- Edinburgh Castle Easter Fun Day, 21 and 22 March.
- Hamleys, Regent Street, London, various fun Easter events in store till 24 March.
- Kew Gardens Easter Bunny and Children’s Spring Trail, 21 to 24 March.
- Kenwood House Easter Egg Trail, 24 March, Hampstead Heath, London.
- National Trust Easter egg trails – various venues around the country 21 to 24 March.
- Paignton Zoo Easter Egg Hunt, 21 to 24 March, Devon.
- Plas Newydd Easter Fun Day, 23 March, Anglesey.
- Stirling Castle Easter Extravaganza, 23 and 24 March.
- Sudeley Castle Chocoholics Weekend and Eastermania, 22 to 24 March, complete with giant chocolate fountain, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.
Take a look at the Let’s Go with The Children site for more on what’s on in your area.
Easter at home
If it’s too chilly to spend too long outdoors this weekend, keep them busy getting crafty indoors with these ideas:
Easy peasy Easter bunny ears
Simple enough for older kids to make themselves.
You’ll need white card, thick pink paper, scissors, pencil, PVA glue, sellotape or stapler, Easter stickers - optional, felt pens, crayons or coloured pencils
- Cut a strip of card about 6cm wide by about 61cm long.
- Cut 2 ear shapes out of the card each about 21cm long x 9cm wide.
- Cut 2 smaller ear shapes out of pink paper.
- Glue the pink ears inside the white ears.
- Glue the ears inside the band with the pink ones facing forward, positioning to fit behind the child's head.
- Let the kids decorate the head band with stickers, pens, crayons or pencils.
- Tape or staple the band to fit their head and cut off any excess.
- You could also use black face paint to create a bunny face: paint a black spot on the end of each child’s nose and black whiskers on their cheeks.
- Hop to it!
Easy Easter cakes
To make these super-easy for you and the kids, buy ready-made plain fairy cakes, cake decorations, sweeties, mini eggs and coloured icing or chocolate spread. For a healthier option, add blueberries and sliced strawberries, then let them get creative:
Top cakes with chocolate spread and mini eggs Decorate with coloured writing icing and sprinkles/blueberries Swirl with coloured icing and scatter with sweeties/strawberry slices
Egg decorating
A classic that kids love. Get together felt pens, poster paints and brushes, stickers, glitter and glue (if you can tolerate the inevitable glitter mess), tinsel, pipe cleaners etc. Boil your eggs a while before the decorating starts so that they cool right down. Give each child an egg in an egg cup and get them to decorate the top half first, let it dry (they can start on another one in the meantime), then turn it over to decorate the other half. Display in egg boxes and award prizes for the best egg. If they can bear to shell them, the eggs will be perfectly edible, so egg sarnies for tea.
Happy Easter!
