Here are our top recommendations for outings that include woodland strolls to find early bluebells, egg hunts, storytelling, and visits to sculpture parks.
Egg hunts
In April, amidst the beautiful blooms of April, the five RHS gardens organize grand egg hunts that range from the delicate violets and alpine pear blossoms at Rosemoor in Devon to the hellebores and flamboyant camellias at Bridgewater in Salford. The entry fee for adults starts from £12.35 and for children, it is £5.95. Furthermore, the Derwent valley is blooming with daffodils, and visitors can enjoy an Easter egg trail around the Heights of Abraham. They can take a cable car to reach the wooded clifftop park and explore two underground caverns, nature walks, and epic adventure playgrounds. The entry fee starts from £23.50 for adults and £16 for children. Additionally, visitors arriving by train or bus can avail a discount of 20%.
Pasqueflowers
During Easter, one can search for the luxurious purple pasqueflowers at Therfield Heath, located near Royston in Hertfordshire. A series of chalky tracks lead through a small beechwood called Fox Covert and lead to a grassy slope that is adorned with thousands of these magnificent blooms. In Royston, you have the opportunity to explore a mysterious cave that features intricate carvings. This cave is open for guided tours on weekends and bank holidays, starting from 1 April, with admission prices set at £8 for adults and £2 for children. Additionally, the Bedfordshire Chilterns and a few other locations (listed on wildlifetrusts.org) also showcase the pasqueflowers in full bloom.
Crafts
Forget about Easter bonnets, as there are plenty of exciting activities to partake in during the holiday season. In Norfolk, you can construct nests, fly kites in Yorkshire, or create animal pompoms in Midlothian. Dalkeith country park, located near Edinburgh, offers various spring-themed activities, including a duck race on the River Esk. The park features Fort Douglas adventure park, which boasts an array of exciting attractions, such as tunnels, rope bridges, slides, zip wires, scavenger hunts, and more. Additionally, Restoration Yard hosts workshops for both kids and adults, such as cookie decorating, mask making, and candle pouring. Admission prices start at £35 for adults and £5 for children.
Children can participate in Easter Saturday workshops at the Alley theatre in Strabane, County Tyrone, where they can make colourful wreaths from recycled materials or funky clay frogs. On the vast Holkham estate along the Norfolk coast, visitors can explore stories, toy boxes, craft sessions, and an Easter market, with admission prices starting at £9 for adults and £4.50 for children. A stroll around Harewood estate in West Yorkshire leads you through budding April bluebells and beautiful views of Capability Brown-designed parkland, with red kites soaring overhead. Visitors can also take part in holiday kite-making workshops and outdoor activities, with admission prices starting at £3 for children, plus standard entry prices of £14 for adults and £8 for children.
Gardens
Scampston in North Yorkshire welcomes the arrival of cherry blossom and narcissi in April, along with an Easter bunny trail that guides visitors through the walled garden using clues. On the bank holiday Monday, visitors can participate in egg-decorating and games hosted by fairy godmothers for a fee of £2.50 per child, in addition to the standard entry fee starting at £9.50 for adults and £5.50 for children.
On 1 April, Attadale Gardens in the Scottish Highlands reopens to the public with a stunning display of daffodils, primroses, and colourful rhododendrons. Admission costs £10 for adults and is free for children. The gardens also offer a self-service cafe that sells homemade cakes, including coconut, lime, and white chocolate muffins.
In Cornwall, the Eden Project offers eco-themed activities that include a straw-bale Bread Maze designed for scooters, a golf course fashioned after allotments, giant slingshots for delivering pollen, scavenger hunts, and cow-corking. Visitors can participate in these activities and win pick ‘n’ mix prizes.
New openings
Who says that only kids get to have all the fun? Ad Gefrin in Wooler, Northumberland is unveiling a new whisky distillery and Anglo-Saxon museum on March 25th, featuring tours, tastings, historical artifacts, and festivities highlighting Northumbrian heritage (starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children). Meanwhile, in Portsmouth, the Mary Rose is debuting an interactive ride that allows visitors to relive the ship’s discovery, excavation, and salvage from 40 years ago.
When the wooden warship sunk in the Solent in 1545, the possessions of the 500 men (and the ship’s dog) who perished with it were preserved in time. These artifacts, which include leather jerkins, longbows, and even a backgammon board, provide a vivid snapshot of Tudor life and can be seen at the museum located nearby (£24 for adults and £19 for children). Also, in Southampton, there is a newly accessible trail with a focus on texture and scent, featuring a blooming wisteria pergola in April (free of charge and self-guided).
