Easter is a magical time of year for kids and parents alike, as there’s plenty of fun to be had as a family to celebrate the resurrection of jesus, for those who have christian faith, or simply to welcome the easter bunny and have a good old fashioned easter egg hunt in the garden.
We’ve compiled some of our favourite ideas for making Easter full of laughter and memories to share for years to come.
Making your garden more wildlife friendly – by leaving it alone with minimal upkeep!
A lot of people like a low maintenance garden and think the way to have that is artificial grass, paved areas and minimal flowers etc. If that’s your style, then of course, it’s one option – however your garden has the potential to be a hotbed for thriving wildlife.
The good news for those who don’t have time to get out into the garden and love wildlife is that it’s a great time of year to resist the urge to tidy up for a few more weeks!
Here’s some great advice from Greening Steyning on why it’s a great idea to let your garden run wild in Spring:
“You may end up disturbing some ladybirds hibernating in seed pods or moth larvae just below the soil surface. If your herbaceous plants really are struggling to find their way through last year’s vegetation, cut back dead stalks late this month and place them on the compost heap where insects will be protected until the weather warms up. You don’t want to expose too much foliage anyway, as plummeting temperatures may damage new shoots as they emerge.
“Now is a good time to mulch with matured compost if you have it or can get it, protecting invertebrates and feeding your soil. But avoid turning your compost until the weather warms up in April, you may disturb and injure frogs and other animals who have taken shelter.”
– Greening Steyning
By leaving the garden wildlife to hibernate and keep their shelter in spring, your kids and a wide range of insects and creatures can enjoy the summer together in perfect harmony – opening up opportunities for fun activities, such as ladybird spotting in the summer months!
Egg face painting
Celebrate Easter with a fun arts and crafts activity that’s themed perfectly for the occasion. Boil some eggs so they can be used later as a tasty snack and then get the coloured felt tips and pens out and encourage your kids to draw the funniest faces they can! Happy, mischievous, excited, facial hair, no facial hair, glasses and more – there’s so many options and it’s guaranteed to keep everyone entertained for an hour or so.
If you want to get really creative, you could create some celebrities and movie stars in egg form, like these made by brother and sister, Karlo and Karolina:
Easter egg hunt
A fun activity to get kids excited about easter is to hide easter eggs around your garden or house, give your kids a basket to collect them in and send them off to find a stash of chocolatey treats!
It’s up to you whether the hunt is a random one, or led by clues, guiding them from one hiding place to the next – the world is your oyster egg on that one.
Easter baking – Chocolate cornflake nests
What could be more Eastery than making some delicious chocolate nests, complete with brightly colour chocolate mini eggs! Super simple to make and not likely to last very long in any household, so get in quick before they’re all gone.
This recipe from BBC Good Food guides the way and will have the kids rushing to be the first to lick the bowl and spoon!
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 50g/2oz butter
- 75g/2¾oz cornflakes
- 36 mini chocolate eggs
Method
- Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.
- Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the cornflakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate.
- Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.
Local Easter events, egg hunts, trials & fairs
Easter adventures in nature at National Trust sites
Can you help the Easter bunny find all the nature activities hidden around the garden? Find buzzing bees, spot what’s springing up in the Kitchen Garden, have a go at your own nature art and discover a spring display of crocheted flowers to celebrate the season. Don’t forget to collect your chocolate egg or allergen free reward at the end!
Where: Standen, Sheffield Park, Nymans and Petworth
Dates: Friday 2 – Sunday 18 April (whilst stocks last)
Times: 10am – 5pm (last entry at 4pm)
Cost: £3 per person.
Arundel Wetlands
Easter Duck Trial
Come and have a quacking time at our wetlands as you enjoy our Easter Duck Trail.
Pick up a trail card and crack the clues to find the dozen bright yellow, cheeky ducks that are hiding around our wetlands. It’s a perfect opportunity to get outdoors with all the family.
Fisher’s Farm ‘Eggs-perience’
‘A Hopping Easter Adventure’ at Fishers Farm over the Easter holidays
Meet their wonderful selection of cute baby animals out and about on the farm; prepare to ‘oooo’ and ‘aaaaa’ for the spectacular Magician; and have a cool down at the Splash Attack!
Where: Fishers Farm Park, Newpound Lane, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0EG
More info:
To get updates on ticket releases, sign up to Fisher’s Farm’s email marketing list, here, and see the full website for more information
Easter Bunny Boat Trips at the Chichester Canal
Designed for younger members of the family, Easter Bunny boat trips take about an hour and 20 minutes and you get to meet the Easter Bunny. The boats are brightly decorated for Easter and there is usually plenty of Spring wildlife to be spotted along the canal. After a brief stop in Hunston, bunny friends join you onboard for fun all the way back to the Basin. There are refreshments for all and a gift from the Easter Bunnies.
Where: Chichester Canal
When: Running between Wednesday 13th April and Monday 18th April – Our trips run 3 times daily at 10:30, 12:45 and 15:15.
More info: https://chichestercanal.org.uk/boat-trips/easter-bunny/
Hetty’s Easter Adventure at Borde Hill Garden
This Easter holiday spend time together as a family for fun and nature-filled discoveries at Borde Hill Garden.
Spot the signs of spring while exploring the Garden on an Easter-themed trail. Find all the hidden chicks in time for the Easter Parade to receive a delicious treat.
Fuel up for your adventures with a delicious Easter-themed treat from the Gardeners’ Retreat Café, or let off steam in the Adventure Playground.
Where: Borde Hill Ln, Haywards Heath RH16 1XP
When: 9th – 24th April 2022
More info: https://www.bordehill.co.uk/event/hettys-easter-adventure/
Easter Foraging Family Workshop
On this family friendly spring guided walk you will be taken on a circular walk from the Cowdray Farm Shop to explore the range of plants found along our route which takes us past the Cowdray castle ruins and around the banks of the Rother.
The focus will be on identification of individual species using touch, smell, and their unique identifiable features to build up a picture that will help quickly identify plants and allow you to forage safely as a family. There will be a find and seek exercise to help engage the whole family and get everyone looking a little closer at nature.
Where: Cowdray Farm Shop & Café, Cowdray Farm Shop & Café, Midhurst, GU29 0AJ
When: April 23rd 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
More info: https://www.cowdray.co.uk/events/easter-foraging-workshop-family-friendly/
Hever Castle Easter Trail and Easter Egg Hunt
Make some special family memories this Easter. Hop through the beautiful grounds following the trail of colourful carrots and look out for the Hever bunny.
Celebrate spring by taking part in a free Easter Egg hunt. Once you find the Easter eggs, write down all the answers hidden around the eggs and you’ll receive a chocolate treat from our information centre (dairy free alternatives available).
Where: Hever Rd, Hever, Edenbridge TN8 7NG
When: 2nd to 18th April
More info: https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on/easter-family-fun/
Thanks for reading!
