The dark and dreich winter weather is largely in the rear-view mirror and the lighter nights means more opportunity to get out there and be active after work. And, of course, the Spring holidays, normally coinciding with Easter time, usually means the first extended holiday of the year for most working people, and especially those with young families eager to keep their children occupied during their school holidays.
So if you’re looking for cool activities to do to keep some egg-spectant youngsters happy during their holidays – or looking for a fun activity for yourself in the process – then Autoparts’ Easter staycation guide should provide a little inspiration.
Crafting caper in Pollok
Glasgow is known as the ‘Dear Green Place’ for a reason, with more parks per head of population than any other city in the UK.
The mansion house of one of its finest, Pollok Park, is hosting a range of Easter-themed activities (which are ticket-based) promising a ‘fun-filled family day out’ including a Springtime trail, and Easter crafting activities.
So if you’re a native of the city and have seen the Highland coos a few times, a peek in at the park’s fine 18th-century stately home, in the care now of the National Trust for Scotland.
Book your space here.
See the beautiful south (of Scotland)
So often overlooked, the Solway Firth coast which includes Scottish counties such as Wigtownshire and the famous fishing village of St. Abbs, home of an out-of-condition Thor in Marvel’s Avengers film series.
A little further inland, Dumfries and Galloway is a region synonymous with great dairy products, producing high-quality cheddar cheese and full-fat milk that have become a regular fixture in Scottish supermarkets.
90 minutes’ drive from the Central Belt, this southerly region combines pleasant towns with pretty countryside – and there’s plenty to do this Easter on an ice cream theme...
The Cream o’ Galloway dairy outfit is running ice cream-making workshops for 5+ years, where participants will get to make their own flavours – adult groups even able to add a hint of something stronger to their ice cream creations.
So say, ‘Gelati-bye’ to work and head down to Galloway with the family, even for a daytrip, and enjoy some world-class ice cream in a relatively unexplored part of Scotland, in mass tourism terms.
Take in nature by the Tyne
Living in towns and cities, getting our pre-packaged food from supermarkets, seeing concrete replacing green spaces and glass skylines replacing treelines – it can all result in our disconnection from nature, from the largest animals like badgers and foxes to the smallest and equally important creatures like bugs and insects.
On Tyneside, kids, and adults, can enjoy reconnecting with nature through Urban Green Newcastle’s range of bug-based Easter activities, across several days during the English school holidays. Bug hunts start at 10am on each of the six mornings between 12th-22nd April, while a drop-in for families at a number of locations between 10am and 3pm offers face-painting, crafting, and more outdoor fun.
Find out more about the ecosystem at Easter.
Free Easter fun in Liverpool
Along with universities, local government presence and other ceremonial spaces, a cathedral is a building that makes a city a city. And in Liverpool, it’s opening its doors to the public this Easter to entertain anyone interested in some holiday fun.
Offering free 45-minute arts and crafts activity sessions at 11am, 1pm and 2pm throughout the Easter holidays, the cathedral homepage states these must be booked in advance so that each child attending has a ticket.
If you’re in Merseyside, find free arts and crafts over Easter time.
Other Easter staycation ideas
- Put best foot forward this Easter holiday, with a family hike along a woodland trail, or a testing hike up a Fell, or Munro. Check out Walkhighlands, which has two-hour trots after lunch, to multi-day hikes in Scottish mountain ranges. For England and Wales hillwalking ideas check out the excellent Walkingbritain site.
- Hit the beach: visit one of the many world-class beaches which can be found across the UK. Fresh air and fun – with a sandcastle thrown in for good measure.
- Scotland has some of the cleanest sand and sea in Europe, from the imposing dunes of Gullane Sands in East Lothian, to Ganavan and Machrihanish in Argyll.
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England has plenty of award-winning, family friendly, soft sand beaches from Bournemouth Beach in Dorset, Filey Beach in Yorkshire, and Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk. If you're into surfing, you can't go wrong with a trip to Woolacombe Beach in Devon, or Perranporth Beach in Cornwall.
- Wales is home to an abundance of outstanding beaches perfect for a relaxing family picnic, or for those into their water sports. Some of our top picks include Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, once voted the best beach in Europe, and the stunning Newborough Beach, set in Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest, in Anglesey.
Image credit: Header image by Susanne Jutzeler via Pexels.com
