Yay! It’s the Easter holidays and, although you might just be looking forward to the lack of structure to your days (I know I am), there are myriad activities to keep little ones entertained. Here are a few of our favourites.
Introduce your little one to the delights of dance at English National Ballet’s My First Ballet: Coppélia at the Peacock Theatre, London, the enchanting tale of a doll who comes to life. Suitable for age three upwards, tickets from £10. 8-19 April.
Explore how some of your favourite books and stories were transformed for television and film in the fab Moving Stories exhibition at Newcastle’s Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books. From 5 April.
Theatre Rites’ Rubbish at the Southbank Centre takes recycling to a whole new level, with four excavators creating amazing puppet and characters from bin bags and their contents. Suitable for age five and above, tickets from £6. 11-21 April.
Down beside the seaside, we’re all about our stomachs with the Brighton Children’s Food Festival offering lots of opportunity for tasting and, if you’re game, the Wagamama Food Bravery Challenge. All events are free. 18-19 April.
Also on a food theme, the Eden Project is holding a Chocolate Festival this Easter. Look at where it comes from, make your own bar and listen to stories from around the world. Entrance price, plus 50p for chocolate making workshop. 5-21 April.
The Natural History Museum is always a safe bet and Sensational Butterflies has returned for Spring, offering the chance to get up close and personal with over 50 types of butterfly and moth. Top tips: book online and wear something bright if you want lots of butterflies to land on you (I speak from experience). Tickets from £5.50. From 3 April.
Another of London’s gems is The Museum of Childhood – it’s a massive building full of toys, what’s not to love? – and this Easter they also have a Jacqueline Wilson exhibition, looking at the inspiration behind the 100 books she has written. Free. From 5 April.
Across the country National Trust properties will be running their annual Easter Egg Trails. Follow a series of clues relevant to wherever you are and collect a chocolatey treat at the end. Easter weekend. £3 per child.
And if chocolate eggs don’t do it for you, check out the real ones at The Hatchery at @bristol – you might even get to see chicks emerging. From 7 April as part of the Spring Live event.
Keeping to the nature theme, Nature’s Stage at Eureka offers the chance to dress up as jungle animals, meet animals on the Mobile Farm, get hands-on with insects and reptiles and go on a bear hunt. 5-28 April.
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