If you want to know what’s on during the Easter school holidays, look no further than this guide to fun days out. We’ve rounded up a great selection of events that all the family will enjoy, ranging from traditional Easter egg hunts to explosive science stunts. In between there’s a memorable tour of Concorde with its chief pilot from British Airways, motor racing thrills and spills for petrol heads and even a cool scooter rally for mod-culture fans.
WHAT? Easter egg hunt
WHERE? Kew Gardens, Richmond upon Thames
WHEN? 20 April
Easter wouldn’t be complete without an Easter egg hunt ‑ and there are few destinations quite as magical as Kew Gardens on the edge of London. The hunt for tokens that earn finders fair trade, organic chocolate eggs is spread across the gardens, and is run in partnership with The Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre, and the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical. There’s a chance to create your own Willy-Wonka-inspired chocolate bar or an everlasting gobstopper recipe. Yum!
COST: Egg hunt is free with entry ticket. Adults: £14.50; children under 16: free
CONTACT: Kew Gardens
WHAT? Professor Nitrate’s Mad Lab
WHERE? Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey, Essex
WHEN? 5-21 April
With an Anti-Gravity Machine and Ejector Seat, Professor Nitrate’s Mad Lab sounds like the bonkers Dr Emmett Brown from Back to the Future has come to the Royal Gunpowder Mills. The professor requires volunteers to help with his experiments, but those who would prefer to watch from a distance can also join in with craft and face-painting, Easter egg hunts, or try their hand at the new Indoor Nerf Range. And of course, there’s the chance to tour the fascinating Gunpowder Mills – complete with its own test firing range. Stand clear!
COST: Adults: £9.50; children 3 to 15 years old: £7.50 (under-3s go free)
CONTACT: Royal Gunpowder Mills
WHAT? Modstock
WHERE? Central London
WHEN? 17-20 April
If the sound and smell of two-stroke scooter engines gets you revved up, head for Modstock, a celebration of a half century of mod culture running in London from 17-20 April. On 19 April, one of Modstock’s main attractions will be a scooter rally that starts at Bar Italia, the cult coffee bar that is one of Soho’s landmark attractions. Scooters, sharp suits and sideburns gather from midday.
COST: Free
CONTACT: New Untouchables
WHAT? British Touring Car Championship
WHERE? Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby
WHEN? 19 and 20 April
Crash! Bang! Wallop! The British Touring Car Championship will be battling it out at Donington Park race circuit, home to Craner Curves, one of the greatest sequences of bends of any motor racing circuit in the world. The cars are recognisable from the showroom models they’re based on – BMW 1-Series, Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Mercedes A-Class – even if their performance is seriously hot. And on Sunday, 20 April, there’s an after party for music fans, with Scouting for Girls, Reef and Toploader taking to the legendary Donington sound stage.
COST: Adults: £10 to £30; children under 13 go free
CONTACT: Donington Park
WHAT? Concorde Champagne Day
WHERE? Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey
WHEN? 21 April
When Concorde stopped flying in 2003, an era of supersonic commercial flights came to an historic end. A lucky few got to experience it at 1,350mph in the air, but today it’s possible to see Concorde (plane G-BBGD) on the ground at Brooklands Museum and learn about this innovative plane from a pilot who knows it better than any other, Captain Mike Bannister, chief Concorde pilot for British Airways. In addition to its usual Concorde tours, Brooklands is offering this special Champagne Day which includes a tour of the plane and flight deck with Captain Bannister, a look at the original Concorde Simulator and a three-course meal with champagne reception and presentation by Captain Bannister.
COST: Adults: £109
CONTACT: Brooklands Museum
WHAT? Edinburgh Science Festival
WHERE? Edinburgh
WHEN? 5-20 April
There’s a huge variety of fun-filled activities for budding scientists of all ages at the Edinburgh Science Festival. One of the most popular shows is Brick Wonders, a Lego recreation of both the original ancient seven wonders of the world and their modern day successors, which are the work of Warren Elsmore, an artist who uses standard Lego parts and shares instructions for other budding builders to follow.
COST: £4
CONTACT: Science Festival
WHAT? The Transport Show
WHERE? Weston Park, Staffordshire
WHEN? 20 and 21 April
The name “Transport Show” doesn’t do justice to the scale of the Easter extravaganza at Weston Park stately house, near Telford. There will be more than 1,300 vehicles on display in the magnificent 1,000-acre grounds of the house, and spectacular shows with the Piston Ring Youth Motorcycle Display Team, a birds of prey display, funfair, inflatables’ zone and children’s play area. Big and little kids alike will love the miniature steam railway and there’s even an adventure playground.
COST: Adults: £7-£8; children £3
CONTACT: Transtar Promotions
WHAT? British Superbike Championship
WHERE? Brands Hatch, Kent
WHEN? 18-21 April
Nothing sets motorsport fans on the edge of their seat quite like watching bike racing, and the best of the lot is the British Superbike Championship. The wheel-to-wheel, elbow-to-elbow racing will be taking place over the Easter weekend at Brands Hatch, the best circuit for spectators who can just about watch an entire lap from certain vantage points.
COST: Adults: £8-£33; children under 13 go free
CONTACT: Brands Hatch
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