Looking For Last Minute Easter Plans? Here Are A Few Ideas

Easter is finally approaching after a very long wait this year! At least that gives us the compensation of longer daylight hours and hopefully some warmer weather, all the better to enjoy trips out over the long weekend. If you are looking for some last minute plans in the south east of England, here are a few top suggestions.

Minibus hire is the perfect way to travel, as you will avoid crowded and unreliable public transport, and someone else will deal with the hassle of driving and parking. 

Top Easter events in Brighton 

Brighton Easter Egg Trail 

Brighton is one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, and there’s generally something interesting going on at any time of the year. The Easter weekend is certainly packed with cool  happenings and family-friendly fun. There’s the Brighton Easter Egg Trail that will be running every day from 11-23 April. 

It’s free to enter for all ages, and it’s a fun way to explore the city centre. Colourful eggs will be disguised in posters displayed in 22 participating businesses, and you can download the map or pick one up from one of the local venues. You just need to count the number of eggs you find in each poster, add up the total, and then enter to win a gift card worth £25 to £100.

Drusillas Park, Alfreston 

A short drive from Brighton is Drusillas Park, which is laying its own Easter Egg Trail every day through the Easter holidays. The interactive map will guide you through a fascinating Zoo Route, where you will encounter not just giant eggs but all manner of exotic animals. There are red pandas, armadillos, ring-tailed lemurs, giant anteaters, and much more. 

Your kids will love a close encounter with an animal of their choice, where they will spend 30-40 minutes with a zoo keeper as they feed the animals and help out with the daily routine. There are also a range of family-friendly themed rides, such as the Safari Express Train, the Flying Cheetah, and the Hippopotobus. 

Top things to do in London

London is a great place to be over Easter, with endless options for shopping, entertainment, culture and food and drink. If you are looking for something a little different, then you might enjoy the Wintershall Players open-air re-enactment of The Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. 

The two-hour performance takes place from 12.00 on Friday 18 April in Trafalgar Square, and it draws huge crowds, so be sure to get there early. The cast includes over 100 actors, backed up by horses, donkeys and doves. The crucifixion scene aims for realism over suggestion, so it may not be suitable for young children. 

What to do at Easter in Oxford 

Oxford is the ideal destination if you love history and culture. There are also plenty of family-friendly activities taking place over Easter, including the Eggstraordinary Easter Eggventure Family Trail at Museum of Natural History, Oxford. It’s a great way to encourage your kids to discover amazing animal facts as they hunt out hidden eggs.

If you’ve had your fill of eggs, then explore the museum’s highlights such as Mary Anning’s Icthyosaur. This is the partial skeleton of a young marine dinosaur with stomach contents that was discovered by Anning at Lyme Regis around 1836. It’s possible to see the individual fish bones and scales from its last meal within the ribcage.

Science Oxford Family Days, open every Saturday,  are also a great way to combine fun and learning. There’s an Exploration Zone packed with interactive exhibits, where you can make animations, test flying designs, and build a giant magnetic ball run, among other things. Afterwards, have fun exploring the 15 acres of woodlands and wildlife ponds.