Get the family together – Easter will be here much sooner than you think. The kids will be raring to go with two weeks off from school so how will you be spending your Easter break?
If you’re looking for the best place to do it – there’s nowhere better than Norwich and Norfolk. We’ve got plenty of inspirational activities and events – indoors and out!
Read on for our recommendations!
Whether you’ve got children who love Peter Rabbit, or if you grew up following this iconic character’s adventures yourself, you’ll love this new trail for spring at Chantry Place. Partnering with Orchard Toys to celebrate their new ‘The World of Peter Rabbit’ collection, this new and inspired trail is FREE for families and will run from Saturday, March 23 – Sunday, April 14.
Simply start by picking up the Trail booklet from Langleys or The Works on the lower ground floor, then hop off to collect the hidden letters and form a secret word! Once done, post your entry in the postbox at Langleys to be in for a chance to win an Orchard Toys bundle and a £50 H&M voucher courtesy of Chantry Place.
Plus, the first 3000 children to complete the trail will receive a free Peter Rabbit Word Trail Badge to show off a job well done! To add to the fun even more, on each day of the trail, children and their families can also play the giant Orchard Toys Peter Rabbit floor garden maze!
The Peter Rabbit Word Trail is perfect for any families visiting Chantry Place!
If you’re looking for a multitude of fun activities to keep the kids occupied and active this Easter, there’s no better place than The National Centre for Writing – they’ve got an incredible five events on across just one week! The best bit? They’re all educational, crafty, or full of discovery!
Start off with the ‘Dragon Egg Easter Trail’ (Monday, April 1 – Wednesday, April 3 and Sunday, April 7 – Wednesday, April 10). The Dragon at Dragon Hall has been busy hiding eggs in preparation, but can you find them all? You can also create your own decorated dragon egg to take home or leave on their Easter tree! This event is suitable for families with children up to 8-years-old and open for drop-ins, but it can be booked on the National Centre for Writing website too!
Or bring a story to life with ‘The Magic of Storytelling’ (Wednesday, April 3, 10am – 12pm). The children who come along will all together play games, and plot and develop believable characters, so make sure to come with a well-equipped imagination (and a pen!). This workshop is suitable for children aged 9-12-years-old, with spaces available to be booked through a ‘whatever you can afford’ system priced between £2.50 and £7.50. There are only 15 spaces available for this event, so be sure to book your place soon!
And if history is more your thing, they’ve got that covered too with ‘Step into Dragon Hall’s Story – Family Activity Day’ (Tuesday, April 9, 1pm – 3pm). It’s during this event that you’ll discover fascinating stories across the buildings 600 years of history, including its different uses and who lived there! Explore the site and take part in family-led activities and crafts – there’s even a dragon to spot! This is FREE to attend, and is only open for drop-ins, so be sure to arrive in good time to make the most of the fun!
That’s just three of the Easter activities you can find at the National Centre for Writing this year. For even more fantastic events like these across the year, be sure to check out their website – there’s plenty of events for adults too, like mentoring, workshops, and tours!
Which of the fantastic events at the National Centre for Writing will you attend?
Where better to celebrate Easter than Norwich Cathedral? This year, as every year, there’s a huge range of events and sermons on throughout Norwich Cathedral to make the most of you Easter, including a fun, FREE family day!
The Easter Experience Family Event (Wednesday, April 3, 10am – 2pm) invites families to join crafts, games, and activities based on the Easter story. There will be five places to visit around the Cathedral which each pick up on a different theme of the Easter message and have a story scene with linked activities. There’ll also be a reflection zone and a trail to enjoy. No booking required, simply come along, find out more, and enjoy this special day at the Cathedral!
The Easter Experience Family Event at Norwich Cathedral is the perfect way to celebrate this year!
Housed in only one of three building-based puppet theatres in England and featuring rod, glove, shadow, marionette, object theatre, and animation, the Norwich Puppet Theatre is a must-visit this Easter, especially for their incredibly busy programme!
There are a whopping eleven shows on this Easter (yes, you read that right), so there really is something for every child to enjoy – and the parents will love it too! We couldn’t possibly go into detail about all of the shows, so be sure to visit the Norwich Puppet Theatre website for more. However, two highlight shows this Easter are…
An absolute classic with ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ (Multiple dates and times from Tuesday, April 2), the simple story of three hungry goats and a grumpy old troll. Watch out for the dance of the goats, the flying troll, and loads and loads of rubbish. Expect live music, storytelling, and singing!
Or enjoy another iconic show in ‘Little Bo Peep’ (Multiple dates and times from Friday, April 5). Our hero has lost her sheep and doesn’t know where to find them. Her friend Little Boy Blue is doing his best to help find the woolly runaways, but keeps falling asleep, meanwhile The Nursery Rhyme Man is in his kitchen baking a surprise cake for Little Bo Peep’s birthday. Watch your favourite nursery rhymes come to life, featuring magnificent puppets, scenery, and music!
Help Little Bo Beep find her sheep in this iconic show!
Since Easter also marks the start of spring, it only makes sense to get out and enjoy some fresh air and (hopefully) some warmer weather! Here’s some of our favourite places to head to make the most of the outdoors…
A choc-a-block day out full of fun, sweet surprises and chocolate eggs, and of course dinosaurs – that’s what you can expect from this half-term trip to Roarr!. Golden tickets will be hidden around this 85-acre park, and lucky guests can win all kinds of prizes, from toys and games to free tickets/vouchers! A special team of chocolatiers will also be on-hand to show you the way along their 900-metre trail and help you with some Easter-themed crafts!
That’s not all, the park will also be launching its very own Top Trumps, a version of this popular card game featuring a host of prehistoric personalities! The full set is available from Roarr’s gift store and online, but visitors can follow the Top Trump Trail to pick up an extra-special, extra-rare, limited-edition card too! Book your tickets to the park on the Roarr! website here!
Roarr! have got plenty on this Easter, so pop down and enjoy a great day out!
Hop over to Pensthorpe for this fantastic ‘Giant Egg Hunt’ across the nature reserve this Easter (Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, April 14)! Explorers here can spot nature’s eggs and where they come from, and there’ll also be an egg-stravaganza of themed Easter crafts, workshops, talks about the reserve’s flock of flamingos, as well as pond-dipping to spot some of Pensthorpe’s water creatures!
Once you’ve conquered all things Easter, families can head over to Hootz house, Pensthorpe’s award-winning play area. Wildlife enthusiasts can also visit their five stunning gardens, including the new Glade Sculpture Garden!
With its natural beauty and brilliant Easter event, Pensthorpe is an ideal place to kick off your spring.
Just outside the City of Stories, you’ll find the gorgeous Taverham Mill. This 100-acre site is one of Norfolk’s most picturesque nature reserves, with four lakes, an old weir, mill pool, walking and cycling routes, and a whole host of wildlife, including highland cows! It’s truly beautiful in the spring and summer months.
This year, they’re adding to the fun with their very-own Easter Trail (Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, April 14), which will show the signs of spring with wildlife facts to find along the reserve walk – see if you can spot any bunnies on your way round too! Entry into Taverham Mill costs £5 per adult and £3 per child.
With so much natural beauty to see, Taverham Mill is a wonderful visit!
So, there you have it! Just a few of the wonderful Easter events on across Norwich and Norfolk this year. There’s plenty more to discover, so be sure to check out our ‘What’s On’ page. No day out is complete without some good lunch or dinner to keep you going too, which we’ve also got covered on our ‘Eat & Drink’ page!
