Easter Days Out with Toddlers 2024
Are you hunting for things to do this Easter break with your little ones?
Read on to discover some of the best Easter events in Suffolk and Essex happening over the next few weeks.
FLATFORD MILL, EASTER EGG TRAIL
📍 Flatford Mill, East Bergholt, Colchester CO7 6DH
💰 Cost: £5 parking for non-National Trust members. National Trust Members go free. Easter Egg trail pack is £3 and includes a chocolate egg at the end* (*Free From egg available for anyone with allergies) and colouring activities.
🕰 Open 10am-3pm
🗓 Start March 23rd - 7th April 2024 - booking not necessary.
Suitable for all ages and wheelchair & pram accessible (although in a field)
We’ve kicked off our Easter this year by taking this outdoor Easter Egg trail at Flatford and this is definitely something we recommend! With such a picturesque backdrop, it’s the perfect place to make a day of it. We kept commenting on how fun the trail activities are - from welly wanging to hoop throwing, to hopscotch - all the activities are perfect for a range of ages and adults can join in too. At the end there was the opportunity to colour in an easter egg and hang it on the tree, which Leo loved. Pack a picnic or head to the Flatford tea rooms afterwards, or even head off on a walk. We headed to the tearooms for a babyccino afterwards and just missed the hail shower! Leo also couldn’t wait to eat his chocolate egg, managing to get into the box and devour it in minutes - cue sugar high!
MELFORD HALL EASTER EGG HUNT
📍 Melford Hall, Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9AA
💰 Cost: Easter Egg trail pack is £3 and includes a chocolate egg and bunny ears at the end* (*Free From egg available for anyone with allergies) and colouring activities. Normal admission applies for non National Trust members.
🕰 Open 12-16:30, on certain days
🗓 Start March 29th - 7th April 2024 - booking not necessary.
Suitable for all ages and accessible for wheelchairs and prams via the lower path.
At Melford Hall, families can engage in an Easter Egg Trail, promising fun and surprises for all participants. Another National Trust trail, featuring lots of Easter-themed creative, active and performance-based activities in the park and gardens of Melford Hall. Take the whole family along and dress for the weather! We haven’t been to this one yet as it hasn’t started but it’s on our list of spring plans!
Sutton Hoo Easter Egg Trail
📍Tranmer House, Woodbridge IP12 3DJ
💰 Cost: Easter Egg trail pack is £3 and includes a chocolate egg and bunny ears at the end* (*Free From egg available for anyone with allergies) and colouring activities. Normal admission applies for non National Trust members.
🕰 Open 10-16:00, on certain days
🗓 Start March 29th - 14th April 2024 - booking not necessary.
Suitable for all ages and accessible for wheelchairs and prams via the lower path.
Sutton Hoo invites visitors to join in an Easter Egg Hunt, combining historical intrigue with holiday enjoyment. We went to the trail last year and had loads of fun and are excited to go again this year - at the time of posting this it hasn’t opened yet! - There’s so much to do here, you've got the historical side, Tranmer house, burial mounds, and exhibitions, plus hilly, riverside and woodland trails, play areas, a cafe, and shop and bookshop. It’s a really varied place to go, perfect to keep little ones - and their grown ups - entertained for hours.
Dunwich Heath Easter Egg Hunt
📍Dunwich Heath, Minsmere Road, Dunwich, Saxmundham, IP17 3DJ
💰 Cost: Easter Egg trail pack is £3 and includes a chocolate egg and bunny ears at the end* (*Free From egg available for anyone with allergies) and colouring activities. Normal admission applies for non National Trust members.
🕰 Open
🗓 Start March 29th - 14th April 2024 - booking not necessary.
Suitable for all ages and accessible for wheelchairs and prams via the lower path.
Join us at Dunwich Heath for an Easter Egg Hunt against the scenic Suffolk coastline.
Easter at Little City
📍Various Locations: Copdock Village Hall, Bucklesham Village Hall, Rushmere, Woodbridge Community Hall, Acton Village Hall, Framingham Village Hall, Snape Village Hall, Moreton Hall Community Centre, Nowton Village Hall, Thurston New Green Centre, Whatfield Village Hall in Hadleigh (see full list here)
💰 Cost: Children: £9.50. Additional adults £3
🕰 Open: Various dates and times - check here to book.
🗓 Start March - April
Have you been to a Little City event near you yet? This fantastic role-play set up for toddlers is the perfect place to burn off some energy. With so many different scenarios to get stuck into, it offers endless imaginative play for little ones. And now there are Easter themed sessions on offer in a range of locations! We haven’t been to the Easter sessions yet but are booked onto one this Easter and can’t wait. We’ve loved the sessions we' have been to as they’re so friendly and there’s a ton to do. You’ll usually find refreshments on offer too so you can enjoy a tea or coffee and snack while your little one/s plays - great playdate plan!
Wild Tots Easter Special and Wild Families Easter Special at Holywell’s Park
📍Holywells Park, the Stable Block, Ipswich IP3 0PG
💰 Cost: Wild Tots: £4.50 - £5.50 (depending on ticket choice)
Wild Families: £3-£13 (depending on ticket choice)
🕰 Time: Wild Tots: 10 - 11:30am
Wild Families Easter Special: 10:30am - 12:30pm
🗓 Date: Wild Tots Easter Special: Friday 29th March 2024
Wild Families Easter Special: Wednesday 3rd April 2024
Note: Wild Tots is aimed at 18 months - 5 years. Wild Facilities is aimed at age 6-11 (plus younger siblings)
Booking essential - book on the Suffolk Wildlife website or on Eventbrite
For a nature-focused activity, families can participate in the Wild Tots Easter Special or Wild Families Easter Special at Holywells Park, Ipswich, catering to little explorers. Featuring child-led, hands-on activities designed to help build confidence, creativity, communication, and gross and fine motor skills, Wild Tot sessions are perfect for little ones aged 18 months to 5 years. It’s a lovely opportunity to spend quality time together in nature.
The Wild Families Easter special is aimed at older age children 6-11 but open for younger siblings to attend too.
You can also find Wild Tots and Wild Facilities activities on at other sites in Suffolk including Foxburrow Nature Reserve, Christchurch Park, and Lackford Lakes. See their website for more details.
FRAMLINGHAM CASTLE
EASTER ADVENTURE QUEST
📍Framingham Castle, Church Street, Framlingham, IP13 9BP
💰 Cost: £2 to take part in the Easter quest on top on normal admission prices. English Heritage members free
🕰 Open: 10am - 5pm
🗓 Start Sat March 23rd - Sun 14th April 2024
Booking not necessary but if you book online you can save 15% on your entry ticket.
A castle Easter quest! What could be more exciting? Get stuck in hunting for clues, and tracking down the Easter eggs in the castle grounds, and once you find them, enjoy your reward - a tasty chocolate prize! We can’t wait to try this one and explore the castle at the same time. It’s the perfect history and egg-hunting adventure.
WYVERNWOOD GOLDEN DRAGON EGG HUNT
📍Wyvernwood, St Osyth Road, Alresford, Colchester, CO7 8AP
💰 Cost: Family ticket: £62.49, Child 2-17: £17.49, Adult: £16.49, Senior: £15.49
🕰 Open: 10am - 5pm
🗓 Start Sat March 29th - Sun 14th April 2024
Booking essential.
If you’re looking for a jam-packed Easter Day out over half term, this is perfect for young families. Children can get stuck into the Golden Dragon Egg Hunt activities, with riddles and clues to solve, and meet the various characters along the way. Recently, Wyvernwood characters were stopping at various locations handing out free Golden tickets for a free child place and we were lucky enough to grab one so looking forward to putting it to use this Easter.
BAYLHAM RARE BREEDS LAMBING AND ANIMAL ACTIVITIES
📍Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm, Mill Lane, Ipswich, IP6 8LG
💰 Cost: Easter peak prices: Adults: £11, Concessions (65+): £10, Children (4-16): £7, Under 4’s Free, Family ticket (2 adults, 1 child): £28
🕰 Open: 10am - 5pm
🗓 Start: 19th March - 14th April 2024
Booking not necessary
There are so many things to do at Baylham Rare Breeds Farm this Easter half term, perfect for all ages. You’ll find lamb cuddling, animal encounters with the bunnies, goats, pigs, and ponies, den building and walks, and you can even enjoy the wood-fired BBQ in the outdoor kitchen. It’s a fantastic day out. We visited in the last couple of weeks and Leo loved feeding the animals, climbing the trees, riding on the tractors, and brushing the pony!
EASTER AT WORLD OF PLAY
📍World of Play, 17 High Street, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 2HH
💰 Cost: Pricing varies - see website. You can book 2 hour sessions or 5 hour play all day sessions.
🕰 Open: Monday 9.30-11.30, Tuesday-Friday: 9:30-11:30 & 12:30-2:30
🗓 Start: March 25th - 12th April
World of Play is a wonderful place to take babies and toddlers! With role-play areas and dress up, small world play, sensory rooms, a messy art room, and mud kitchen and garden play area, it keeps little ones effortlessly engaged. The delicious cakes and drinks on offer make it perfect for a playdate too. This Easter there will be lots of Easter-themed activities at World of Play to get stuck into and even Easter bakes to tuck into as well!
EASTER LUNCH AT JIMMY’S FARM
📍Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Pennington Hall Lane, Ipswich, IP6 8LG
💰 Cost: Easter Sunday Lunch; £10pp to book. Access to Farm & Wildlife Park: See website for pre-booked prices and on-the day. Annual members go in free.
🕰 Open: 10am - 5pm
🗓 Start: March 31st, 2024
Booking for the Easter lunch essential
Why not enjoy a delicious Sunday Easter Lunch at Jimmy’s farm and pair it with a trip around the wildlife park? It’s the perfect opportunity to visit Diego the bear who’s newly arrived and Ewa the polar bear. Plus there are countless other animals to see, new trails to explore, den buildings areas, and plenty of other varied play areas around the park. We love visiting Jimmy’s farm because every visit is different here - Leo loves to feed the animals, visit the hobbit house, and burn off some of that never-ending energy in the play areas.
THE TREEHOUSE EASTER EGG HUNT
📍The Treehouse, St Augustine’s Gardens, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8NS
💰 Cost: Free entry to event. Stalls and activities pay as you go. £3 entry for Easter Egg hunt
🕰 Open: 11am - 3pm
🗓 Start: Friday March 29th, 2024
Book on the website to receive the full details of the event.
Check out this wonderful Easter event at The Treehouse, Suffolk Hospice, featuring stalls, refreshments and a petting zoo, plus an Easter Egg hunt. It sounds like a great way to spend the day, perfect to keep little ones entertained and for all the family to enjoy.
