20 Fabulous Family Spring Days Out Across the UK for Easter Fun
Spring has arrived, bringing with it a wealth of opportunities for family adventures across the United Kingdom. From the wetlands of Cambridgeshire to the coastal paths of Northern Ireland, there are countless ways to enjoy the season with children. This selection of Easter treats offers something for everyone, ensuring entertainment and education in equal measure.
Birding in the Fens Near Ely
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire stands as one of Europe's most important wetlands, making it an ideal destination for birdwatching enthusiasts. As spring unfolds, the first summer migrants, such as chiffchaffs with their rhythmic songs, begin to appear. Mild weather may bring blackcaps and willow warblers, while the foghorn-like calls of booming bitterns echo across the reedbeds at dawn and dusk.
The site features a pushchair- and wheelchair-friendly boardwalk around Sedge Fen, along with accessible wildlife hides. Visitors can spot the electric blue flash of kingfishers and witness male marsh harriers performing dramatic sky-dancing flights as the breeding season commences. Cuckoos typically arrive in late April, adding to the avian spectacle. Admission is priced from £10 for adults and £5 for children, with under-5s entering free.
Artful Planting in East Sussex
At the Goodwood Art Foundation sculpture park in East Sussex, landscape designer Dan Pearson has crafted 24 seasonal moments to complement art-dotted trails through woodland, glades, and meadows. This spring marks the first opportunity to see his graphic plantings, including daffodils, bluebells, cherry blossoms, and the copper-coloured leaves of the katsura grove.
During the Easter holidays, children can participate in free Art in Nature packs, creating rubbings and collages inspired by natural shapes and textures. Nearby, Petworth House hosts a spring festival with over 100 pots of spring bulbs in bloom, willow foraging workshops, basket making sessions, and other garden-themed activities for kids. Goodwood Art Foundation charges £15 for adults, with under-18s free, while Petworth's festival runs from 4-19 April, with tickets from £21 for adults and £10.50 for children.
Feast by the Sea in Kent
The Kent coast has significantly enhanced its foodie credentials, offering everything from Italian small plates in Margate to Japanese ramen in Deal. The Broadstairs food festival, taking place on the seafront over Easter from 3-5 April, features a delicious lineup of chefs, street food stalls, and local artisan producers.
Food-themed arts and crafts workshops include chocolate lollipop making and screen printing napkins with designs inspired by figs, oysters, crabs, or seaweed. Broadstairs itself is a culinary delight year-round, with seafood at Kebbells, tapas at Bar Ingo, and iconic sundaes at Morelli's ice-cream parlour. Entry to the festival is free.
Treetop Thrills and Stargazing in the Lake District
Grizedale Forest in the Lake District provides an action-packed day out for families, featuring Go Ape treetop adventures, adrenaline-pumping mountain biking, and sculpture-filled walking trails. New for this season is the Grizedale Observatory, the Lake District's first public observatory and planetarium, which opened last May.
Family sessions every Saturday at 4pm allow budding astronomers to touch real meteorites and watch planetarium shows. Easter holiday events include Jupiter viewings, aurora nights, and afternoon planetarium presentations. While forest entry is free, Go Ape and observatory events have separate charges, with observatory tickets from £13 for adults and £8 for children.
See Grand Designs and Baby Lambs in North Yorkshire
Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, designed by playwright Sir John Vanbrugh in 1699, celebrates its creator's tercentenary with new tours offering unprecedented access to usually closed areas of the house, follies, and monuments. The estate also features the magical Skelf Island adventure playground, where visitors can meet baby lambs born on the property on 4 and 5 April.
Garden tickets, which include access to Skelf Island, start from £17 for adults and £8.50 for children, with under-3s free. This historic site provides a blend of architectural grandeur and family-friendly fun.
Woodland Blooms in Cornwall
In Cornwall, the arrival of spring is officially declared when six champion Magnolia campbellii trees in the Great Gardens of Cornwall, including the Eden Project, come into full bloom with 50 flowers each. This year, the event occurred on 27 February, thanks to the Gulf Stream's warming influence.
Bluebells may appear in the Easter holidays, with Tehidy Woods famous for its carpets of these flowers. The fantastical theatre company Rogue Otherworld presents the Wild Awake show from 3-6 and 8-12 April, weaving through the trees to tell the story of the forest awakening, guided by the Wild Spring Hare. Tickets range from £10 to £15 for adults, with under-3s free.
Poohsticks in Ashdown Forest
This year marks the 100th anniversary of AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, making a visit to the real-life Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest particularly timely. Milne wrote the classic at Cotchford Farm on the forest's edge, and visitors can follow Pooh Walks from Gills Lap to see spots from the book, such as The Enchanted Place and Roo's sandy pit.
A game of poohsticks on the Poohsticks Bridge is a must-do activity. Later in the summer, The Big One Hundred celebration will feature a giant puppet, interactive performances, and new walking routes. Access to the forest is free.
A Wild Coastal Walk in County Antrim
The Gobbins cliff path in County Antrim offers a thrilling coastal experience, with walkways, bridges, and steps clinging to sheer basalt rock above crashing waves. Built in 1902 by engineer Berkeley Deane Wise, the path is accessible only on guided tours, which resume on 20 March after a pause due to rockfall.
Alternatively, the free Blackhead Path provides a dramatic route past smuggler's caves and rocky coves, culminating at the cliftop Blackhead Lighthouse. A reward of Mauds ice-cream at Coastal Coffee in Whitehead awaits after the climb. Tours cost £22.75 for adults and £16.50 for children aged seven and above.
Relive Springwatch in the Peak District
The Peak District's Longshaw Estate, featured on BBC's Springwatch last year, offers excellent wildlife spotting opportunities. The Padley Gorge and Burbage Brook walking route winds through ancient woodland with twisting oak trees and moss-covered boulders.
Visitors can watch for birds of prey like buzzards, red kites, and peregrines, as well as adders emerging from hibernation. Dogs must be kept on leads in grassy areas. Entry to the estate is free.
Go Mudlarking on the Thames
For a hands-on historical experience in London, the Thames Explorer Trust's In the Footsteps of Mudlarks tours allow participants to search the river's foreshore without the usual permit waitlist. Guided by archaeology experts, combers can find and identify surface artefacts such as smoking pipes, pottery, or bones.
Family sessions during school holidays meet at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe, with tickets priced at £30 for adults and £17 for children under 12. Regular tours are available for children over eight.
Take a Seabird Safari in North Berwick
Off the coast of North Berwick, Bass Rock hosts the world's largest colony of northern gannets, which return in February after wintering in warmer seas. Boat trips from the Scottish Seabird Centre restart in late March, ranging from exhilarating RIB seafaris to gentler catamaran cruises around Craigleith and Bass Rock, often accompanied by dolphins and seals.
Back on land, the centre offers live wildlife cameras, exhibits, and a spring beach clean on 10 April. Boat trips start from £32 for adults and £15 for children, while the Discovery Experience costs £13.50 for adults and £9 for children.
Join the Famous Five in Dorset
Enid Blyton's Famous Five adventures were inspired by Dorset's Isle of Purbeck, particularly the imposing ruins of Corfe Castle, believed to be the model for Kirrin Castle. Arriving via the vintage carriages of the Swanage Railway adds a storybook charm to the visit.
Catching the new Magic Faraway Tree film completes the Blyton-themed outing. Railway tickets start from £14 for adults and £7.50 for children for a one-way journey.
Iron Age Living at Loch Tay
The Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay offers an immersive look into iron age life, with reconstructed roundhouse settlements on artificial islands. After a fire in 2021, the centre reopened nearby in 2024 and will complete its first new crannog this spring.
The Crannog is Hatching event on 4-5 April explores traditions of birth and renewal, featuring springtime foods in the Feasting Hall. Admission is £15 for adults and £10 for children, with under-5s free.
Dive into Art Near Edinburgh
Jupiter Artland, a Scottish sculpture park near Edinburgh, allows visitors to swim in artistic installations like Joana Vasconcelos's Gateway pool and Charles Jencks's Cells of Life. The park also features works by Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, and others across 120 acres.
The Make Studio provides materials for budding artists to get messy with paint and clay. Tickets start from £11.80 for adults and £7.50 for children, with swim sessions included but requiring pre-booking.
Find Dragons in Caerphilly
Caerphilly Castle, Wales's largest castle, reopened last July after an £8m renovation. The 13th-century stronghold features wide water defences, hulking walls, and a leaning tower. Recent upgrades include the Great Hall dining room, now dressed for its medieval heyday.
Interactive exhibits bring history to life, and a family of animatronic dragons resides beside the moat. Tickets cost £12.90 for adults and £9 for children, with under-5s free.
Ride a Carousel in Flintshire
The Hawarden Estate in Flintshire hosts the Great Easter Show on 4 April, featuring vintage fairground rides like ferris wheels and carousels. Activities include circus skills workshops, a dog show, and an egg-and-spoon race.
Throughout the season, the estate offers a kids' Explorer Club every Saturday and classes at the Walled Garden School, such as birdhouse building and spring foraging walks. Show tickets are £18.50 for adults and £12.50 for children, including unlimited rides.
Highland Tales in Inverness
Inverness Castle, recently redeveloped for £47m, opened as the Inverness Castle Experience in January. Visitors follow Gaelic storytellers to learn about Highland history, culture, Celtic music, and shinty.
A tapestry created by over 600 stitchers and a rooftop platform with views of Ben Wyvis are highlights. Tickets are £20 for adults and £14 for children, with under-5s free.
Cruise the World's Highest Canal Aqueduct in the Dee Valley
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in north Wales, a Unesco World Heritage site, is the world's highest canal aqueduct at 39 metres. Visitors can take a 45-minute trip on the Little Star boat or walk across the towpath for free, enjoying views of the Dee valley.
The journey continues along the Llangollen canal to Llangollen, where hikes to Castell Dinas Brân and homemade butter fudge at Cottage Cream'n'Candy await. Boat trips start from £10.48 for adults and £6.29 for children.
Hike the New Teifi Valley Trail
Launching in April, the 83-mile Teifi Valley Trail in west Wales offers a source-to-sea hiking route. A day walk from Cilgerran Castle through the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve to Poppit Sands provides a scenic experience, with a willow maze for kids and lunch stops in Cardigan.
The trail ends at the dunes of Poppit Sands, perfect for a chilly dip. This new route enhances the region's already stunning walking opportunities.
Car-Free Cotswolds Garden Tour
Moreton-in-Marsh serves as a car-free gateway to the Cotswolds, with direct trains from London. A walking tour includes Batsford Arboretum, home to Japanese flowering cherry trees, Bourton House Garden with its topiary and tearoom, and Sezincote House and Garden, featuring Indian-inspired water gardens and elephant statues.
Admission prices vary, with Batsford from £10.90 for adults, Bourton at £10 for adults, and Sezincote from £9 for adults. This tour combines horticultural beauty with easy accessibility.
