Share:

Easter events for children in Edinburgh

Gardens, parks, attractions and even houses will be scattered with Easter eggs this March and April as eagle-eyed youngsters go on the hunt for these oval shaped objects, and hope for a surprise and a treat! 

To read about Easter events and activities in Edinburgh click here...

 

 

 

Easy to Make: Easter Bunny Bunting 

Decorate the walls and window frames with these bright little bunnies. To make: buy a variety of patterned card, place a basic bunny template on top of each piece of card and draw around it. Cut this out and glue on a small ball of cotton wool for a tail. To finish, attach each bunny to a natural piece of string using mini wooden pegs.

 

Easy to Make: Eggy Lambs 

These funky-looking lambs will look a treat perched on a mantelpiece or sideboard. Plus they’re so easy to create – simply roll small pieces of cotton wool into balls and glue these to the surface of the egg. Cover the whole egg with cotton wool, leaving a space at the front where you can add a funny face!

 

Easy to Do: Painting Easter Eggs 

Very young children may wish to use hard-boiled eggs, whilst slightly older-children may use hollowed-out eggs. Cover the smooth glass-like surface of egg with acrylic paint. Using a mixture of soft brushes, coat the egg in a base colour. To add detail, use a fine brush dipped in paint or glitter, or use finely-tipped pens.

 

 

Easter egg hunts with a difference:

The Easter Egg Hunt is usually pretty-high up on the Easter activity list but what are the alternative options to searching for chocolate eggs?

Primary Times has been on its own ‘hunt’ for fun ideas that will get the kids active, listening and counting… Here they are:

 

 

Matching Sound Egg Hunt

Test your child’s auditory processing ability by creating a game that will encourage them to match a sound in an egg case to an image of the item that is making the sound (in the egg case) on a printed sheet of paper.

You can fill the egg cases with items such as coins or pasta shapes or seeds.

Once all the eggs and sounds have been matched, the children can be rewarded with a treat.

 

 

Make the kids work for their chocolate treats!

Lay on some fun energy-burning Easter egg hunts for the kids.

Simply hide several plastic empty egg cases around the house, garden or local park and fill them with little notes inscribed with a physical activity to complete.

Each egg has a fun mini exercise challenge for the kids. For example, this could be: do ten star jumps; run on the spot for 2 minutes, do a roly-poly.

After all that exertion, the kids will have earnt their chocolate treat!

 

 

Colour matching and maths Egg Hunt Game

This is a simple game where children hunt for coloured eggs.

You may wish to use mini chocolate eggs wrapped in different coloured tin foil and hide them around the garden.

Once all the eggs have been collected they can be separated by colour and counted – and then consumed!

 

 

The Story of the Easter Egg

The humble egg is the food most synonymous with Easter. It symbolises the start of new life, rebirth and fertility. Many people associate the egg with Christian values at Easter, yet the egg also played a role in lots of pre-Christian festivals celebrated by the Ancient Egyptians, Persians and Romans.

In the Middle Ages when people were unable to eat eggs during Lent they began to decorate and store them for Easter Sunday and the tradition of the egg hunt began.

The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in France and Germany in the early 19th Century, and in 1873 the first British chocolate Easter egg was produced by Fry’s.

Cadbury quickly followed producing a chocolate egg in 1875 and by 1892 produced 19 different types of eggs.

Today, the UK chocolate Easter egg market is worth more than £220 million with sales growing every year. Cadbury’s Crème Egg is the most popular and over 500 million eggs are made every year.

 

Easter Adventures

Easter trails, scavenger hunts, egg and spoon races, bottle-feeding lambs, beach cleans – you name it – there’s plenty of adventures to be had this spring.

Easter Egg Hunts are usually a big hit with youngsters who simply love becoming mini-explorers and what’s more, this fun activity can be affordable.

You have the choice of hosting an egg-citing Easter Egg hunt in your back garden or local park, or alternatively head to a local attraction and enjoy the novelty of the occasion with lots of other families.

During the Easter school holiday, should the weather allow, go outdoors each day for some free fun.

It’s easy to distract children with uncomplicated activities such as spotting and naming clouds, searching for mini-beasts or seashore critters, visiting and perhaps bottle-feeding newborn lambs, watching a spider weaving a web, and following slimy snail trails. It’s all great fun and doesn’t cost a penny!

 

Nature Hunt for Kids

It’s spring! That means it’s time to head outdoors and go on a nature hunt! See how many of these activities your child can tick off this spring:

• Go cloud-spotting
• Find a twig shaped like a letter
• Search for animal tracks
• Hunt for mini beasts and bugs
• Look for a tree with blossoms
• Count the daffodils
• Follow the snail trails
• Draw a picture of a wild flower
• Search for spider webs
• Look for a squirrel

 

Mums and dads: why not take photos of what you find on your nature adventures this spring and share these with our other readers on Primary Times Facebook Edinburgh?

 

 

So, why is Easter on a different date each year?

Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that happens on or after the Spring Equinox on 21 March. That means Easter can be celebrated at any time between 22 March and 25 April.

 

 

 

Walks for Little Legs

Families are being encouraged to put one foot in front of the other onto the streets, forest paths, parks, beaches and countryside in May.

The choice of walks in the city is vast and if you’re needing a little direction there’s a great website –www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lothian/Edinburgh – which lists several walks of varying difficulty – from easy circular routes to the slightly more challenging hike up Arthur’s Seat.

Keep up the exercise by walking to school too - see www.livingstreets.org.uk

 

Find out what's going-on this Easter in Edinburgh and the Lothians here...

 

Find the weird and the wonderful at the Edinburgh International Science Festival 

There’s so much going on for families at this year’s Edinburgh International Science Festival, you won’t know what to choose first!

The City Art Centre will be packed full of activities for children, all of which are free when you buy the City Art Centre day pass.

There’s also a whole load of weird, wonderful and cutting-edge science at Summerhall and the National Museum of Scotland including an enormous balloon sculpture!

Head to www.sciencefestival.co.uk and check out the Science Festival’s extensive programme.

 

Become a scientist at Edinburgh Zoo! 

Create, build, learn, and get closer than ever to the world of science at Edinburgh Zoo as the Edinburgh International Science Festival takes place over this Easter break.

From 30 March to 15 April, visitors to Edinburgh Zoo can take part in lots of fantastic daily science events. Discover the world of animal genetics and DNA, take part in the egg-citing Hatchimal trail, and explore RZSS’s conservation programmes with animal experts.

Visit over 1,000 rare and endangered animals that call the Zoo home, take part in some of the animal handling sessions and talks, and discover more this Easter. To book your tickets visit www.edinburghzoo.org.uk

 

Life-saving skills, reptiles and sport at Excel’s Easter Camp

This Easter, experience an action-packed week full of fun, exercise, skills development and the chance to make new friends at Excel’s camp.

The week offers a variety of sporting activities, tournaments, team games and filmmaking. Excel manager Colin, will be teaching life-saving skills and will take the children through the essential skills of the recovery position and CPR on dummies.

The Animal Man will be visiting, to help children interact with and find out more about reptiles. Plus, the Roaring Reptiles will give children the chance to meet and feed a T-Rex!

Easter Camp 2018 will run from 9 to 13 April and is suitable for youngsters aged 5 to 15 years old. For details visitwww.excel-sports.co.uk, email fun@excel-sports.co.uk or call 07970 514514.

 

Lots to do at East Links Family Park 

There’s so much going-on at East Links Family Park over the Easter period. From newborn lambs to go karts, tiny chicks to train rides, bouncing bunnies to crazy golf – there’s so much to see and do.

The massive, annual Easter Egg hunt will take place from 30 March to 2 April, where youngsters can go on the hunt for red and gold eggs, for a chance to win a chocolate egg.

During the Easter festivities, there will be ample opportunities for the children to get their faces painted or enjoy a pony ride. The park is also expecting some lambs, goat kids and chicks – so keep an eye out for these cute looking arrivals. See www.eastlinks.co.uk

 

Easter Eggscitement at Almond Valley Heritage Centre 

Throughout the Easter school break, from 24 March to 16 April, the farm at Almond Valley Heritage Centre will be alive with the cheeps and bleats of baby animals, who will be introduced to you at handling and encounter sessions.

Grab your clue sheet, sharpen your pencil, and tear around the farm collecting clues on the springtime trail. Keep a look out for hidden eggs that might win you a prize. In the craft area you can make bonnets, masks and other springtime decorations.

Plus, there will be further special attractions over the four days of Easter, from 30 March to 2 April, including the famous plastic duck race along the mill lade. Visit www.almondvalley.co.uk or call 01506 414957.

 

Steam to The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and Museum this Spring 

This Spring, travel in style on the steam railway and enjoy Scotland’s largest railway museum at The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and Museum of Scottish Railways.

Show your old-fashioned ticket to the Guard, watch the engine being coupled up to the carriages and be a ‘Harry Potter’ in a compartment carriage with its own sliding door.

Then have some fun in the museum - get hands-on and discover railway history through educational interactive displays and enjoy sorting letters in the Travelling Post Office. Find Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway at Union Street, Bo’ness, EH51 OAQ. For details see www.bkrailway.co.uk

 

An exciting time at the Wildlife Park… 

Keepers at the Highland Wildlife Park were thrilled to announce that resident female polar bear, Victoria, gave birth in December to the first cub born in Scotland in over 25 years.

When polar bear cubs are born they are very small, weighing only around 500g. They grow rapidly, reaching 2kg at one month old and opening their eyes for the first time when they reach 30 days.

The team at the Park, and its visitors, are patiently waiting for the pitter patter of polar bear paws, with the cub (or cubs) due to make their first appearance outside the maternity den in spring. To the latest ‘cub’-dates visit www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk

 

Easter aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia 

Step aboard Britannia for Easter fun for all the family and discover five decks with the audio handset guide and a special audio tour for children. Spot Clarence the Corgi and his friends hiding all over the ship in the Cuddly Corgi Treasure Hunt.

Don't forget to look out for the LEGO replica model of Britannia, created using 40,000 LEGO bricks, and measuring over 11 feet in length. Try out the different flavours of fudge, made on board, and enjoy milkshakes and cakes in the Tea Room. See www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk

 

Dynamic Earth celebrates the Edinburgh International Science Festival

This Easter, join Dynamic Earth for a packed programme to celebrate the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Become a trainee environmental scientist and help Earthy on their trip to the Doctors in the Operation Earth family science show or blast off into the depths of space with the Cosmos Planetarium.

Take a walk on the wild side in the outdoor family learning experiences in Holyrood Park, and have a cinematic experience like no other in the 360degree cinema Double Dome Nights.

You’ll also get the chance to meet real scientists working in amazing environments all over the planet. Keep an eye out for special Earth Day celebrations taking place on the 22 April. Booking is essential for some events – see www.dynamicearth.co.uk

 

Mid-Lothian Snow Sports - Easter Junior Ski and Snowboard Camps

Escape the city and visit the stunning hillside of the Pentlands Hills Regional Park.

Enjoy practice skiing with great value lift tickets available - and an added bonus is the fact that the views across Edinburgh from the chair lift are spectacular. There’s no need to worry about equipment as it is all included, even down to poles and helmets.

For an exhilarating ride down the hill, slide down the purpose-built tubing runs in an inflatable doughnut ring, fun for all the family! Fancy a party with a difference? Why not try a Tubing party? Enjoy an hour of tubing and a party meal in cafe 360. To book visit: www.ski.midlothian.gov.uk