These fabulous days out offer plenty of fun (and hardly any eggs) for the whole family

Swash and buckle
Immerse yourself in medieval life at stunning Warwick Castle. There’ll be fighting knights and fairytale princesses galore as two ‘warring’ factions do battle over the castle. See how the foot soldiers prepare for action, gasp at the combat displays and try to work out which side will win the final confrontation.

Wandering minstrels, jesters and colourful courtly characters all add to the lively atmosphere. Of course, the ancient castle itself is pretty impressive and well worth exploring.
The facts: 21-24 March, 10am-6pm; tickets cost £18.95 adults, £11.95 children (4-16yrs). Warwick Castle, Warwick (0870 442 2000 / http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/).

Say choo-choo
Meet the Fat Controller and take a ride behind Thomas the Tank Engine at one of the country’s best steam museums. As well as the usual exhibits, there’ll be a traditional Punch and Judy show, a magic show and a cinema in a railway coach showing, what else, Thomas the Tank Engine stories.

There’s also an amazing half-mile miniature railway that even big kids will enjoy, plus roundabouts and bouncy castles.
The facts: 21-24 March; advance tickets cost £10 adults; £8 children (over 2yrs); £2 more on the door. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton (01296 655720 / http://www.bucksrailcentre.org.uk/).
Can you dig it?
Spend happy hours tracking down dinosaurs at Eureka! The Museum for Children this Easter. The park will be transformed for the whole holiday period into an archaeological camp where you can become an explorer, dig for dinosaur bones or drop in for magical stories of prehistoric worlds.

Naturally, there’s plenty of hands-on fun for kids in the rest of the museum, too.
The facts: 21 March-13 April; tickets cost £7.25 adults; free to children dressed as dinosaurs or explorers and accompanied by a paying adult, otherwise £7.25. Discovery Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire (01422 330069 / http://www.eureka.org.uk/).

Up, up and away
Look to the skies at Leeds Castle’s first ever Kite Festival. There’ll be loads of kites of all shapes and sizes, from colourful lobsters to massive things that have to be tethered to a car to stop them flying away completely.

Once you’ve admired the skills of the display teams, there’s a kite picture trail through the beautiful grounds (with an Easter egg for each child waiting at the end). Younger visitors will also love the craft workshops where they can make their own flying masterpiece.
The facts: 21-24 March; tickets cost £14 adults; £8.50 children 4-15yrs. Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent (01622 765400 / http://www.leeds-castle.com/).

Completely quackers
If you thought plastic ducks were just for bath time, think again! On Easter Sunday, a flotilla of them will be racing along the Barry Burn at Barry Mill, a traditional oatmeal mill not far from Dundee.

After the family have lost their voices cheering on their sponsored duck (and eaten the prizes), the grounds are perfect for a picnic, while the water-powered mill is fascinating. Don’t forget to pick up a bag of freshly-milled oatmeal to take home with you.
The facts: 23 March, noon-4pm; tickets £5 adult, £14 family, race fee £1 per duck. Barry Mill, Barry, Carnoustie, Angus (01241 856761 / http://www.nts.org.uk/).

Fair’s fair
Dodgems, roundabouts, rollercoasters and stalls with prizes; you’ll find all these and more at the Easter Funfair at London’s Alexandra Palace. Even the youngest members of the family have a chance to join in with roundabouts and other rides just for them.

And when you need a break, there are plenty of places for a restoring bite to eat and acres of parkland to explore, with boating lakes and even an indoor ice rink.
The facts: 20 March-6 April; free entry, but charges for rides, etc. Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London N22 (020 8365 2121 / www.alexandrapalace.com).

A blast from the past
See how they celebrated Easter in Tudor times in this enjoyable history re-creation day. Watch and enjoy the delicious smells as the cooks, in period clothing, make special Easter dishes in the kitchen and hot cross buns in the bake house.

Elsewhere, there are Easter plays and plenty of singing, dancing and egg decorating. Don’t miss the (non-Tudor) Great Easter Egg Quiz and the homemade bangers from their own pigs in the Stableyard Kitchen.
The facts: 21-24 March, 11am-6pm; tickets cost £11.95 adults, £8.75 children (5-15yrs). Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk (01787 310207 / http://www.kentwell.co.uk/).

Naturally good
Stretch little legs and minds with a nature treasure hunt at the RSPB Reserve at scenic Lake Vyrnwy. Within the reserve’s enclosed sculpture park, your kids will race around trying to answer questions such as, ‘What’s brown and crunchy and falls off trees?’

Quiz over, it’s back to the cosy centre to warm up and make collages of their finds; the perfect souvenir of the day.
The facts: 22 March, 1pm; tickets cost £1.50 children (under 16s), accompanying adults free. RSPB Lake Vyrnwy Reserve, Llanwddyn, Powys (01691 870278 / www.rspb.org.uk).

Via iVillage

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