Easter is the perfect occasion for family adventures and spending time together, as well as offering the chance to find more eggs than you could possibly eat, there are a variety of other fun activities to entertain you too
How about following an egg trail at a National Trust property near you? Trails cost just £3 plus normal National Trust entry and all end with a chocolate egg, or vegan and free from egg, made in the UK using cocoa responsibly sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. To find out more including whether booking is required (in many cases it’s not), visit Easter trails and Easter egg hunts | National Trust
Oxfordshire
West Berkshire
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Surrey
West Sussex
Hampshire
Oxfordshire
Hop along to the Walled Garden at Blenheim Palace to enjoy a whole host of egg-citing activities including circus skills, balloon modelling, bubble performances, bungee trampolines and a travelling vintage variety show, not to mention appearances from the Easter Bunny, 7th to 10th and don’t forget the Easter egg hunt to win a tasty chocolate treat. Tickets Easter Eggstravaganza | Blenheim Palace
Adopt a dragon this Easter at Oxford Castle & Prison from 1st to 16th. Join the Dragon Masters and paint and decorate a dragon egg, build your own nest for your dragon and then adopt your dragon to take home. Each child will take home their egg, nest and soft toy dragon as well as a certificate of adoption and fact sheet for them and their fiery friend. Spaces limited, book at Oxford Castle & Prison
Myths and legends swirl around the neolithic landscape at White Horse Hill. With burial mounds, hillforts, Giants Steps and a Dragon Hill to discover at this unique site in Uffington from April 7th to 10th. Complete all the activities and take home a chocolate egg.
Travel back in time to the golden age of Great Western Railway and savour the sights, sounds and smells of steam at the 21-acre living museum at Didcot Railway Centre with trains dating from Victorian times. April bank holiday steam days run from 7th to 10th, 29th and 30th with May bank holiday steam days 27th to 29th. You won’t want to miss that lovable bear Paddington on May 1st. More details and tickets at Didcot Railway Centre.
Thame Country Fair comes to Thames Showground on Easter Sunday and Monday, with country sports and pursuits and arena entertainment. Watch falconry, gundogs, horse boarding, scurry driving and a stunt display team. Enjoy demonstrations and have-a-go events while a visit to the World of Dogs is a must for any dog lover. The Food Glorious Food Section offers street food and drink vendors, chef demonstrations and music and stop by the craft village. Plenty of amusements for children too. Tickets at Thame Country Fair | Living Heritage Country Shows.
Join the Family Easter Trail: Easter Bunny’s Egg Hunt at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, follow the trail and help the Easter bunny discover who has laid all the different eggs to earn your Easter treat, 3rd to 6th! More at Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.
Leap into a new era of bouncing at Oxfordshire’s largest inflatable park! The Bounce Park is now open weekends at Willowbrook Leisure Centre, Didcot offering fun for all ages. Looking for the ultimate birthday party? Let The Bounce Park host with all the fun with no stress. Open bounce, Tots and SEN sessions available online at The Bounce Park are offering all Round & About customers an exclusive discount when booking open sessions, please use Rabout10 code when checking out!
If you’ve over indulged on choccy at Easter how about walking it off in a good cause? Challenge yourself to a 10 or 20-mile Pink Ribbon Walk at Blenheim Palace on Saturday, 13th May and soak up the sights on the ramble-ready routes. Starting and finishing in the stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace, the walk will showcase the best of the Cotswolds’ spectacular rural scenery. Whether you’re a newbie walker or a seasoned hiker, the Pink Ribbon Walk is for you. Sign up now www.breastcancernow.org/pinkribbon
West Berkshire
What are the differences between rabbits and hares? How fast can a hare run? Discover more about this wonderful, elusive creature at Where’s The Hare? Family Easter Trail at the Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham 4th and 5th, includes a take-home craft and a small chocolate treat, more at Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.
Spring into Newbury and enjoy the great Newbury Easter egg hunt from April 1st to 16th along with the Easter Farm and Family Fun Day on 6th when you can meet rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, lambs and donkeys in the Market Place. Details at visitnewbury.org
Go on a journey of discovery at the Living Rainforest, Thatcham this month and take part in the latest in a new series of monthly Children’s Rainforest Activity Trails. Discover Rainforest Foods – find out how the rainforest is linked to your kitchen cupboard in this latest adventure in the warm tropical glasshouses. Pre-order a children’s Activity Pack when booking at The Living Rainforest or buy onsite.
Join the fun at Avebury this spring for an Easter adventure. Explore the garden and have a go at lots of exciting activities to claim your Easter egg. Make your way along the trail and find nature-inspired activities for the whole family between Saturday 1st and Sunday 16th.
Berkshire
If you’re looking for some motivation to get outdoors (especially after all the chocolate) why not join the Goring Gap walk, a ramble along the Thames and through the riverside villages of the Chiltern Hills. Choose from half marathon or marathon distance routes (13 or 26 miles) starting at Mapledurham House, Saturday 13th May. Fully signposted, friendly marshals, village hall refreshments/ facilities on route, medals, massage and more at the finish. Dogs welcome! Find out more at Goring Gap Walk.
Follow the trail and find nature-inspired activities leading to a secret garden at Basildon Park. Find blossom-inspired activities for the whole family as you make your way along the Easter trail through the spring parkland at Greys Court, Henley. Both trails run April 1st to 16th and include a trail map, pencil, bunny ears, and a chocolate egg at the end.
Wellington Country Park has a cracking assortment of Easter events planned from 1st to 16th with Junk Jodie and her Easter crafts and singing and dancing with Canary Mary and her friends Custard the Chick, Lolli the Lamb and the Easter Bunny. There’s Big Top show tent entertainment too from PeteZa, Big Foot and Friends and Circus Wellingtonia. Don’t miss the Mega Egg Hunt on Sunday 9th – solve the clues and find the missing eggs to claim your prize. More info and to book visit Wellington Country Park.
Plant a wicker basket decorated with a bow to create a charming Easter gift at Squires Garden Centre, Wokingham, April 3rd to 14th (booking required) and join the bunny hunt – same dates – and follow the clues in the centre to help find the magic word.
The Berkshire Egg Run is a Motorcycle Ride across Reading which takes place annually on Good Friday, April 7th this year. Riders converge at Stadium Way in Tilehurst from 11.30am, for a 12.30 departure, riding through Reading ending up at The Abbey Rugby Club in Emmer Green where the Easter Eggs are donated to the Rotary Club and Southcote Children’s Centre who distribute them across Berkshire. The Ride is marshalled and slow so all types and size of bike/scooter/trike and quad can join in. More at www.tvvultures.co.uk/the-berkshire-egg-run
Dive into a world of adventure with Secret Adventures in the Berkshire countryside. Tuck into a four-course woodland feast at Goring Heath on April 29th. Walk through the woods, enjoy a botanical cocktail on arrival and chef’s mouthwatering fare. Find out more at secretadventures.org
Add a twist to your egg hunt this Easter, by looking for dinosaur eggs at Savill Gardens, Windsor, on April 5th and 6th. Follow the footprints to find dinosaur nests and evidence of other egg-laying creatures. Discover how plants, animals and dinosaurs evolved on Earth along the way, and help solve a mystery to win a chocolate egg. Suitable for children aged four to 11 years, but all children are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Book at Dinosaur Egg Hunt.
Binfield Easter Egg Hunt is back for the eighth year, 2nd – 10th, and it’s all set to be another eggsellent hunt! There will be 30+ eggs to find around the village, simply buy a map for £3 from either Binfield Village Stores, Daphne’s Coffee Shop or Foxes Den Community Cafe, and have some fun. With cafes, shops and playgrounds enroute, come and have a great day out, www.binfieldevents.com/easteregghunt
Buckinghamshire
Sports day comes to Stowe with an Easter-themed twist from April 1st to 16th, so hop, jump, throw, run, stretch and race your way around each of the activities. As you play and have fun on your family adventure in nature, there’s plenty of new life to spot along the way.
The Easter trail at Waddesdon is jam-packed with fun games and creative activities. Follow your map, get involved in 10 activities to claim your chocolate egg at the end. Starting at the back of the Manor, it makes its way around the grounds before ending at the Woodland Takeaway and Toyshop. Visit the newly-refurbished playground and refuel with delicious food and drink. Tickets must be pre-booked for the Easter trail which runs from March 29th to April 9th, excluding April 3rd and 4th.
Make your way along the trail and find nature-inspired activities for the whole family in the grounds at Cliveden from March 31st to April 16th. Families and dogs are all welcome on this seasonal adventure. After picking up an activity pack, there are 10 activities to find around the estate. Make your own Easter discoveries, have fun and head back to the Easter Trail tent to collect your treat.
Surrey
The flowers herald the arrival of spring at Polesden Lacey with nearly 200,000 planted creating a floral fiesta of daffodils, irises and anemones (to name a few). This year’s Easter adventure trail (until April 19th) will get your family running wild through time, journeying back to when wolves and lynx roamed free. Check out the new natural play area too.
Limber up this Easter on the activity trail at Claremont Landscape Garden until April 10th. Join in with games in the garden whilst taking in the picturesque views. Spring offers the chance to stroll through swathes of daffodils, feed tiny goslings, and make the most of bright days in this historic royal pleasure ground.
Waxy magnolia blooms and swathes of daffodils line the paths in the upper arboretum at Winkworth, take a voyage of discovery through the arboretum on an activity-filled nature trail – 1st-16th – while taking in the landscape springing into life and colour. Kids can make their own masterpiece with items found on the woodland floor, search for wildflowers or predict the weather. Booking advisable.
On the Long Walk at Hatchlands Park, the delicate cream flowers of blackthorn blossom are a welcome sight of spring, followed closely by the hawthorn blossom. Be on the lookout for some giant eggs hiding around the grounds on an adventure trail from 1st to 16th.
Games and challenges abound on the adventure trail at Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punch Bowl from 1st-16th. Try birdwatching, den building and bug hunting as you take in views across the Weald or explore heath, streams and woodland.
A walk along the towpath at Dapdune Wharf will reveal lots of new life this Easter – ducklings, baby coots and moorhens and green shoots from the waterside vegetation. Kids can spring into action too on a fun-filled Easter trail, 7th-10th, before trying some relaxing creative crafts at the wharf.
Haslemere Museum celebrates British wildlife this spring. The Museum’s amazing collection of wildlife specimens means it has been chosen as lead museum for the Surrey consortium in the national Wild Escape project. There’s a lively programme of wildlife-related events and activities for all the family, including talks, workshops and fun sessions for children. Why not combine a scheduled event with a browse around the Museum’s displays and woodland grounds? More at HaslemereMuseum.co.uk
Children can do an Easter Egg Hunt with a difference 1st-16th April at Gilbert White’s House & Gardens. Find 10 eggs hidden in the garden and use clues to work out which creature laid them, (hint, it’s not only birds that lay eggs!). Complete the trail and claim a prize. Easter Egg Hunt With A Difference!
Farnham’s Rural Life Centre invites you to follow the trail of eggs left by the Easter bunny on April 9th and 10th. Collect a trail sheet, spot them all and claim your treat.
Surrey Artists feature strongly in AppArt’s Art Exhibition & Sculpture Trail. Soroya French, President of the Society of Women Artists will open AppArt’s exhibition at Prior’s Field School, Godalming GU7 2RH, on Saturday, 1st April. With over 700 artworks this is one of the largest exhibitions in Surrey and an ideal free outing for families over the Easter holidays. AppArt will open from 1st to 16th, 10am to 4pm.
In spring the Painshill landscape comes alive with beautiful daffodil displays and goslings around the lake. Enjoy soaking up the season with a walk around the stunning 18th century garden. Over Easter, magical beasts have come to the landscape to lay their eggs. Can you spot all the dragon statues and match them to their eggs? Find them all with this fun family walking trail over the school holiday, April 1st-16th.
From dragons to witches with Room on the Broom at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre this Easter holiday. Hop aboard from 7th to 9th and join the witch and her cat along with some unexpected hitchhikers – a friendly dog, a green bird and frantic frog – but is there room on the broom for everyone or will the hungry dragon snap them up? Tickets at Room On The Broom.
Dive into the world of science with the Ministry of Science Live at G Live on April 11th. Expect 20ft liquid nitrogen clouds, exploding oxygen and hydrogen balloons, fire tornados, hydrogen bottle rockets, ignited methane and a self-built hovercraft! Book at G Live | Guildford.
With thoughts turning to summer activities, how about tennis? Godalming Lawn Tennis Club is a friendly club open to players or all ages and abilities in Farncombe, whether you have never held a racket before or are looking to perfect your serve and volley. There’s everything from five floodlit hardcourts to a variety of club playing and training options and a social calendar to get involved with. All you need to bring is a desire to play, find out more at www.godalmingtennis.co.uk
West Sussex
Celebrate spring by taking in blossom trees and bug hotels, and spotting butterflies and bluebells on the Springfest Easter trail at Nymans. The fun continues in the Play Glade where games, musical instruments and a play tent can all be found. There’ll be plenty of photo-ops around the garden too, and don’t forget to pick up your prize until April 16th.
Take a spring adventure through Petworth House’s glorious 18th-century Pleasure Garden. Collect your map and get cracking to find 10 fun activities to complete from 1st to 10th. There are winding paths and spring flowers, old stone monuments to explore and amazing views to discover as you track down animal- and flower-themed games, crafts and puzzles.
Hampshire
Come out and play this spring as you journey through the gardens at The Vyne. Among other activities, look for wellies hiding in trees, spot nature in bingo and hopscotch your way alongside the lake. Easter trail sheets and chocolate egg prizes will be available to purchase at Visitor Reception from 1st to 16th. Booking essential Easter adventures at The Vyne | National Trust.
It’s ‘ready, set, hop’ at Hinton Ampner with their Spring into Nature Easter egg hunt. Explore and play in the grounds and complete a set of Easter-fuelled tasks to win a chocolate prize! You’ll leap like a rabbit and jump like a spring chicken as you spot the dazzling array of spring colour in the beautiful gardens.
Explore woods, gardens and meadows at the beautiful Uppark House and Gardens near Petersfield, high up on the South Downs. Uppark’s Easter trail, 1st-16th, is jam-packed with fun family challenges. Can you jump as far as a deer on the lawn, or hula hoop for 30 seconds in the scented garden? Who’s best at racing just like a rabbit, or playing Bug Bingo in the woods?
Waxy magnolia blooms and swathes of daffodils line the sides of the main paths in the upper arboretum at Winkworth so this Easter – 1st-16th – take a voyage of discovery winding your way through the arboretum on an activity-filled nature trail while taking in the landscape springing into life and colour. Kids can have a go at making their own masterpiece with items found across the woodland floor, search for wildflowers or predicting the weather. Booking advisable.
Explore Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery in a new light with fun, self-guided trails for the family. Follow the clues, find the hidden objects and take part in a series of challenges in exchange for a mystery prize from April 1st to 15th. The 15th is also the date for an Easter Family Fun Day with an Easter Hop Disco and seasonal crafts through to the Easter hunt trail. Can you find the eggs and treats the Easter rabbit has dropped throughout the museum and gallery before it’s too late? Book at School Holiday Trail: Spring Forward | Petersfield Museum.
Boom & Bloom runs on weekends through the Easter holidays until April 17th at Winchester Science Museum. As well as all the usual science centre fun with two floors of hands-on exhibits and the out-of-this-world Planetarium, families can join an eggs-travaganza Easter hunt and search for eggs laid by animals that hatch. If they find them all, children will be in for a delicious Easter treat. Help plant the Boom & Bloom garden when visitors can discover more about flowers and plants and plant their own. There’s also hands-on bubble fun in Science Live and a pollination exploration live show in the Science Theatre called Flower Power, www.winchestersciencecentre.org
Here’s a great way to feel better about all that chocolate you’ve eaten (and help a fabulous cause) – walk it off by getting in training for the brand new Breast Walk Ever coming to a town near you in 2023! Raise funds for vital breast cancer research. Take part at IBM Hursley near Winchester on Sunday 7th May, with a choice of three distances on signposted routes. Medal, massage and a glass of fizz at the finish. Discounts available for teams of four and dogs welcome. Sign up at www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk/events
Explore
Get away for the day with Barnes Coaches with a wide range of day trips on the schedule for spring including great family days out by coach for over the Easter holidays and May Half Term. Join them going to exciting attractions such as Longleat, Bletchley Park, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Kew Gardens and more! Request a free day trip leaflet on 01793 821303 or view at www.barnescoaches.co.uk