Brilliant Birds – 25, 26, 28* March & 2, 4 and 5* April 2024
Calling all little nature lovers!
Our fascinating flocks of birds have lost their eggs in the Museum.
Become a nature detective and help our brilliant birds find their missing eggs.
Make your own egg hangers, bird masks and neat nests to carry on the adventure at home.
*Thursday 28 March and Friday 5 April – SEND sessions:
SEND groups are always welcome at all of our sessions.
We are also running these SEND sessions for visitors who benefit from a more relaxed atmosphere.
The sessions will be run with more sensory activities and more focus on independent learning.
There will also be a lower light level and with a sensory tent and ear defenders available upon request.
Carlton Street, Castleford, WF10 1BB
Embrace your inner child and experience the magic of cinema with the whole family at Cineworld Wakefield.
Whether it’s your little one’s first cinema visit or you’re already big fans of the big screen, our Cineworld Family Favourites have got you covered. From great value ticket offers to discounts on cinema snacks.
Get ready to Be More Childish as adults pay kids’ prices with the Cineworld Family Ticket! Valid for one adult and one child (aged 14 years and under). In addition to the discount on the price of your seat, Cineworld’s Family Ticket also gets you more than 25% off the price of a Family Special snack pack.
Releasing March 22nd, the latest Ghostbusters movie pairs Ghostbusters: Afterlife heroes Phoebe and Trevor with the OG franchise heroes to save New York City, who are ready to dispense the proton packs, traps and sarcastic jokes to clean up the streets of Manhattan once again. Not only that, the legendary Po the Panda is back this Easter in Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 29th). Jack Black’s unlikely yet loveable martial arts hero has already powered his way through three kick-ass feature films and he’s now set to embark on another epic adventure beyond the valley that he knows and loves.
Book tickets now at cineworld.com
Full terms available at cineworld.com
Westgate Retail & Leisure Park, Colinsway, Wakefield, WF2 9SH
Have a ROARRRRSOME holiday with the Love Exploring app!
Using Augmented Reality and GEO-Location, The Love Exploring app has brought dinosaurs to parks across the district, ready for families to discover this school holiday!
Find dinosaurs at:
DOWNLOAD THE LOVE EXPLORING APP HERE
Press “Wakefield” and then select “Games”
Tip – make sure you’ve got a full phone battery!
This experience is similar to Pugrassic Park at Pugneys – read our review from Nov 2019
Start your Easter adventures this school holiday with the National Trust. Each 10-point trail has nature themed challenges around a Yorkshire garden near you. Pick your nearest or head further afield, with many running over two weeks, you could try a few.
In North Yorkshire pick from Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Beningbrough, Ormesby Hall, Brimham Rocks and Nunnington Hall. In West Yorkshire head to Nostell and East Riddlesden Hall, and further south visit Wentworth Castle Gardens.
Prices are £3 per trail which includes an Easter trail sheet for that garden adventure, bunny ears to make and wear and a dairy or vegan and Free From chocolate egg prize at the end. Normal admission charges apply to each place, or free to National Trust members and under-fives.
Check locally for dates of the trail at each place as they vary, opening times, and to plan your visit.
Yorkshire | England | National Trust
Find out more about Easter at National Trust HERE
Our ever popular Easter Egg-Styravaganza Egg hunt will get your little piggies running around to solve the puzzles and find out where the eggs are! We have two hunts one for the under 7’s and one for the over 7’s and everyone gets a prize! Take the Tractor and Trailer Ride to the Indoor Play Barn where we are now serving hot food and delicious coffee!
Lambing Live is in full swing with lots more Mummy sheep about the give birth – if you are lucky you can see them being born! We also have lots of new born lambs that need bottle feeding every day, so come and help us at our daily sessions!
Our beautiful beach has re-opened the best place to relax whilst watching your children play in the sand and water play. Rent a beach hut for a special treat!
We’ve got the perfect pit stop for you and your little piggies during your day of play! Try a delicious sourdough Pizza, treat yourself to a yummy Ice Cream or enjoy a jacket potato or our famous curly fries which make the perfect snack!
Bo Peep’s Panto “She’s Lost The Flock…Again” is showing daily, can The Grand Old Duke Of York help her find our lost lambs?! and of course we have all of our wonderful animals on the farmyard trail!
You can book through the website unless you are an annual member (annual members do not need to book)!
Piglets Adventure Farm is located less than 1 hour from wakefield, on Towthorpe Moor Lane, between Strensall Road and the A64, North of York.
For full information please go to www.pigletsadventurefarm.com
Piglets Adventure Farm Park, Towthorpe Grange, York, YO32 9ST
23rd March – 7th April 2024
Enjoy a day out at The Hepworth Wakefield this Easter and get creative as a family while you explore the galleries and garden. There’s something fun happening every day from Saturday 23 March to Sunday 7 April.
In the galleries and learning studios, drop-in to workshops to craft your own sculptures and paintings. The workshops happen every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11am – 4pm, during the school holidays.
Every Monday, Friday and Saturday, 11am – 4pm, look out for the Art Pod in the gallery spaces. Explore artworks together and return to the Art Pod to make, draw and create. Activities in the galleries and learning studios are free with an exhibition ticket.
Families can take inspiration from The Hepworth Wakefield Garden to build, experiment, draw and imagine in the open-air during Garden Play sessions, happening every day during the holidays from Monday 1 April. Garden Play is free. No need to book, just turn up and play!
Family activities are developed for 2 to 12 year olds, however babies and toddlers are more than welcome to join in.
If you’re feeling peckish, grab a bite to eat at The Hepworth Wakefield Café or bring a picnic to enjoy in the learning studios or garden.
Exhibition entry is free for Members of The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield District residents and under 18s. During the holidays, non-Wakefield families can get 50% off adult tickets when visiting with children.
Find out more at hepworthwakefield.org
Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW
Open throughout the Easter holidays
The recently revamped nature-based fairy trail, funded by Wakefield Council Culture Grants, is nestled in local woodland at Earnshaws Fencing Centre, Midgley. This is a great FREE activity for families to discover nature in our local environment. There are 12 fairies to find on the trail which each represent a different species that lives in the woodland. There are nature based top tips and fun facts along the way too! Each child will receive a free activity sheet and lollipop!
And it’s not just the new fairies on the trail. There is the Earnshaw woodland trail fairy houses, fort and play trail with the play houses & sand pit down at the entrance so you can really make a great visit out of it and let the kids have a good explore and run around!
Calling all Easter enthusiasts! Prepare for an egg-cellent Easter Egg Hunt you won’t want to miss.
Join us at Funstation from the 22nd – 29th March with your family, friends and little ones for a week filled with fun and of course, delicious chocolate!
Find all the coloured eggs, crack the Easter themed code and claim your bag of chocolate treats. Just come to Funstation and ask the prize counter to enter. The egg hunt is FREE entry.
Also for Easter – From 15th to 29th of March 2024, when you load up the Easter Bonus of £25, you’ll receive a free Easter Bunny.
Find out more about Funstation on their website here. Full Ts&Cs can be found on their facebook page here.
Event Details:• Date: March 22nd to March 29th• Objective: Find all the coloured eggs, crack the Easter themed code and claim your bag of chocolate treats!• Who Can Participate: Everyone! This event is open to individuals, families, friends and little ones.• Entry: Just come to Funstation and ask the prize counter to enter. It’s free entry, T&Cs apply.• Prize: Bag of chocolate goodies for successful egg hunters.• T&C’s: Egg Hunt promotion is valid only during the specific dates. Entry is Free. To enter in the Easter Egg Hunt, participants must provide their full name and a valid email address, for children parents can provide their own email. The bag of chocolates received as a reward for completing the Easter Egg Hunt will be selected by Funstation. Please be aware those with allergies will be offered an alternative, subject to availability. Funstation reserves the right to modify or terminate the offer at any time.
Location: Funstation Xscape Yorkshire, Unit 30, Xscape, Colorado Way, Castleford WF10 4TA
Hop along to Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play area at Tong and Tingley Garden Centre for a proper playtime!
You’ll find a huge outdoor adventure playground with sand pits and bouncing pillows and a large indoor play area, with sports court, big play frame and a baby and toddler zone, where your young ones can enjoy playtime – whatever the weather!
There’s also great grub including pizzas, toasties and award winning ice cream in Woody’s Kitchen!
For more information and to book your playtime session, CLICK HERE
Booking required. Suitable for babies and toddlers.
EPIC NEWS ALERT- TICKETS NOW LIVE!
Get ready for an AWESOME adventure because MISSION OUT is reopening on SATURDAY 23RD MARCH!
And that’s not all! They’ve got 100% EPIC offers lined up just for YOU!
PLUS! NEW FOR 2024
ADULTS pay ONCE and come back 4 FREE throughout 2024!*
KIDS ANNUAL PASS: For just £39.95, you can play ALL SEASON LONG!*
FAMILY TICKET SPECIAL: The Family Ticket is back and better than ever! Add additional tickets, and you’ll get AN EXTRA 15% off each single ticket. Concessions/max card not applicable*
Don’t miss out on EPIC FAMILY FUN at even better VALUE this season.
Tingley Garden Centre, Thorpe Lane, Tingley, Leeds WF3 1SL
Explore the power of your voice this Easter with hands-on activities, striking stories and so much more.
Makers’ Shed
Daily, Free, Drop-in
11.30am-3.30pm
Get creative and make statement badges inspired by objects from the 1984-1985 Miners’ Strike.
Striking Stories
Daily, Free, Drop-in
11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm & 3pm
Meet Uncle Fred and Auntie Brenda as they chat about the 1926 Strike from when they were a child. Has much changed?
Hope Pit Explore
Every Sunday, 12.30pm
Free, meet at Hope Pit
Explore Hope Pit to understand the functions of giant mechanical machinery and explore the Lister-Kaye Tunnel.
Artist in Residence Sculpture Making
Wed 27 March
Free, near train station at the Hub, timings tbc
Join our artist-in-residence, James Brunt, to create spectacular sculptures around our site.
Animal ‘Tails’ Storytelling
Wednesday and Thursday
11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 1pm, 1.20pm and 2pm
Free, Drop-in
Discover stories about ponies and cats, just like our furry friends at the Pony Discovery Centre. Suitable for under 7s.
The Railways of Caphouse Tour
Every Wednesday, 1pm
Free, meet at Pit Yard
Unearth the secrets of our coal’s incredible journey, from the mighty locomotives that carried it, to the hidden passage that saw it vanish far away from site.
STEAM Club (11-16 yrs)
Wed 27, Thu 28 and Fri 29 March
11am-12.30pm
£5 per child, pre-bookable
Investigate potential and kinetic energy, you’ll even be able to invent a marble run that defies gravity.
Reed Bed Tour
Sat 30 March & Sat 6 April, 11am
Free, meet at Reception
Discover how we pump and purify orange mine water, through our innovative water treatment system.
Caphouse Creators (7-12 yrs)
Wed 3, Thu 4 and Fri 5 April
11am-12pm
£5 per child, pre-bookable
Discover how badges are used to advertise and make statements. Make your own shrinking resin badges inspired by our Strike exhibition.
Other activities include the Power House (open daily 10am-4pm), Nature Trail, Paddy Train (weather dependent), Horsekeeper talks (12pm & feeding 2:30pm), Pithead Baths Explore (12pm daily), Discovery Spots, and lots, lots more!
PLEASE NOTE: THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED MONDAYS & TUESDAYS
Dragon Egg Week
The Easter Dragon Egg Hunt at Pontefract Castle is back!
Can you help Ilbert the Dragon find all his eggs?
Join in with different dragon activities throughout the week.
The trail and most activities will be free!
For more details go to bit.ly/DragonEgg2024 or see below
Let’s Sew Springtime Bunting!
Wednesday 3 April
Let’s celebrate the start of spring with some beautiful bunting!
Explore what plants are growing around the Castle this spring.
Work together to your own colourful spring-themed bunting using simple sewing techniques.
Don’t worry, no previous sewing experience is required!
This workshop is delivered in partnership with the Community & Family Learning Team at Wakefield Council’s Adult Education Service.
The Castle Chocolate Factory
Did you know that chocolate literally grows on trees? Find out more at our pop-up Castle Chocolate Factory!
Discover how cocoa beans are turned into chocolate. Have a go at grinding cocoa nibs to make a chocolate liquor (not a boozy one!)
Explore what makes white, milk and dark chocolate different.
Best of all, make your own tasty treats to scoff over Easter!
Please let us know of any allergies when booking.
Castle Garth, Pontefract, WF8 1QH (SAT NAV WF8 2JF)
Flower Power
It’s springtime and fabulous flowers are beginning to bloom!
We’re feeling floral and being inspired by Michelle’s Flowers in our Ladies who Launch exhibition.
Explore the Museum to find the flowers and plants hidden in everyday objects. Learn how to make different types of fancy flowers from items in your home.
Craft your own posey of paper flowers to take home – or give to someone special!
5 Salter Row, Pontefract WF8 1BA
Advertorial Blog by Experience Wakefield
Here’s a list of the Top 8 things family-friendly activities coming up soon that you won’t want to miss…
23 March – 1 April
Help Ilbert the Dragon find all his eggs on a special trail at Pontefract Castle. Join in with different dragon activities throughout the week, including craft activities, storytelling and games. Dress up and spread your wings with Ilbert on the Great Big Dragon Parade – come in your own dragon outfit or make a dragon mask onsite!
The Pontefract Castle team will also be running SEND family sessions during the week for those families who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere with restricted numbers.
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/dragon-egg-week-at-pontefract-castle/
23 March- 14 April
Easter Entertainment for the Whole Family
If you want endless family fun and adventure with a little “EGGSTRA” magic, then come and join us at Stockeld Park this Easter.
We are proud to offer some of the most popular events in Yorkshire, sure to “EGGCITE” you and your family this Easter holiday.
So there’s no reason to SCRAMBLE around for something to do this Easter – HATCH a plan and join us at Stockeld Park.
Stockeld Park, off the A661 Wetherby Road, LS22 4AN.
Shipshape: Medicine at Sea
Sat, 23 March 2024 – Sun, 14 April 2024
All aboard! This Easter, H.M.S Thackray will set sail on a voyage into unchartered waters to explore medicine at sea through the ages.
From galleons and battleships to trawlers and cruise liners, which worrying ailments have made sailors, captains and pirates alike gruesomely groggy? And what could be prescribed to ensure you don’t fall victim too?
Across the holidays we’ll be testing the cut of your jib and tying you in knots with a treasure trove of activities across the museum, suitable for all ages and free with your museum ticket. Will it all be smooth sailing? Join our motley crew and find out.
Don’t forget that a ticket lasts a whole year so you can return every holiday!
Let’s Make Easter Biscuits!
There are so many yummy things to enjoy over Easter! Explore the history of Easter treats through our collections.
Work together to make your own Easter biscuit dough to take home and bake (gluten and dairy free ingredients available).
This workshop is delivered in partnership with the Community & Family Learning Team at Wakefield Council’s Adult Education Service.
Please let us know of any allergies or food intolerances when booking.
Springtime Tots
Sing your way into spring!
Join in with a special springtime story, rhymes and songs.
Use your senses to sort fabulous flowers and herbs. Explore nature in the Museum on a spring-themed trail.
Get your own set of seeds to grow together at home!
Activities link to the following of your 50 Things to do Before You’re 5:
#6 Rhyme Time, #11 Making Connections and #19 Growing Little People, Plants and Things
Wakefield One, Burton Street, Wakefield, WF1 2EB
Easter Adventures at William’s Den, runs 23rd March to 7th April 2024. Includes:
*Chargeable separately, Additional costs apply*
PLUS All-day Adventure Play indoors and out! You’re welcome to arrive anytime from 9.30am, we’re open until 5pm. Your day out with us includes: Access to playing in our specially crafted Indoor Play Den where we’ve brought the outside inside, with streams, rainfall, stepping stones, rope bridges, sand play, climbing structures and a huge real treehouse just waiting to be explored! A kids’ dream playscape made of wood and trees. This is not soft play! Access to all of our Outdoor Adventure play areas overlooking the Yorkshire Wolds. Including den building areas, tyre swings, zip wires, a huge sandpit, a hidey house & slide. Discover the treehouse, hide in the mountains & molehills, or make mud pies in the mud kitchens.
Save money when you pre-book your tickets online before your visit.
Bunnies have taken over Abbey House Museum! Join us for a range of fun family activities during the Easter Holidays.
There will be grocer bunnies weighing carrots, bunny barmaids pulling pints, snow bunnies and some famous faces like Peter Rabbit. Join us for a bunny counting competition, our usual range of fun trails and scavenger hunts, and a range of crafts in our Education room.
*Closed Mondays*
Abbey Walk, Leeds LS5 3EH
Anglers Country Park draws families from afar for so many different reasons. A calming walk around the lake, a lovely bike around on the flat path or a casual stroll with a pushchair.
Family days out with fun activities at our outdoor activity centre
Activities from 4 years to adults
Ogden, North Halifax, HX2 8YB
Can you and your little ones help us to find all the hidden Easter eggs? The Blacker Hall Bunnies have been busy hiding Easter eggs around NEW Little Farmers Trail, and we need your little ones to help us find them all! Book your tickets online or come along and
Pick up a map from the Animal Barn at the start of our Little Farmers Trail
Use the map to find the hidden eggs
Fill in the missing information
Hand your completed map back into the tills in The Farm Shop
Receive your Easter biscuit
£4 per child (included FREE easter biscuit)
Branch Road, Calder Grove, Wakefield, WF4 3DN
A day out with the kids at Castle Howard just became even more adventurous and intriguing. Now they can join into the treetops of Yorkshire’s newest adventure playground, Skelf Island.
Ingenious treetop nest structures connected by rope bridges, slides, nets and climbing equipment will allow the Skelves to take young visitors on an adventure like no other.
Skelf Island is included in a gardens ticket.
Pre-booking required.
Castle Howard, York YO60 7DA. Tel: 01653 648333
We’ve picked some of our favourite family friendly walks in Wakefield – featuring woods, ponds, ducks, nature reserves and places it’s easy to push a buggy!!
Diggerland is the Ultimate Adventure UK Theme Park Experience where children and adults alike can ride, drive and operate REAL diggers, dumpers and other full- size construction machinery.
Diggerland Yorkshire, Willowbridge Lane, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 5NW
Phone: 01634 711711
Join us for a cracking adventure quest at Brodsworth Hall this Easter holiday. Explore the gardens to hunt for clues and challenges and discover traditional Easter games like egg rolling and the egg and spoon race. Track down the Easter eggs and you’ll be rewarded with a tasty chocolate treat
The quest costs just £2, which you can pay when you arrive at the site. This is in addition to the normal ticket price.
Brodsworth, Doncaster, DN5 7XJ. Tel: 01302 722598
Adventure around the gardens and complete the Easter trail to receive your chocolate reward
Trail maps cost £3 per person plus normal admission charges
Park Drive, Barnsley S75 3EN
Hop along to explore the brand new Easter Bunny Tipi Trail where lots of cracking surprises are waiting to be found. Immerse yourself in delightful Easter Stories with Daisy Maisy the Storyteller and plant your very own seeds of Spring with Tumbleweed the Gardener. If you’re lucky, you might even get to meet the Easter Bunny himself!
Knaresborough, HG5 8DD
Celebrate Easter at Newby Hall with their Family Trail.
Trail is included free of charge with a Gardens Admission ticket or Season Ticket.
The trail will be further brought to life with characters on Easter Sunday & Monday.
Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon, HG4 5AJ
Charge down to the museum this Easter and enjoy a full programme of events and activities inspired by the challenging life of the knights in the Medieval Period.
FREE
Armouries Drive, Leeds, LS10 1LT
Easter holidays programme from Wakefield District Libraries.
Many events are pre-bookable so please do phone your local library for more information and to book.
Airedale Library 01977 724040
Castleford Library 01977 722085
Featherstone Library 01977 722745
Hemsworth Library 01977 722270
Horbury Library 01924 303060
Normanton Library 01924 302525
Ossett Library
N/A
Pontefract Library 01977 727692
Sandal Library 01924 303355
South Elmsall Library 01977 723220
Stanley Library 01924 303130
Wakefield Library 01924 305376
More information and booking links can also be found here.
Join us at Cannon Hall Farm for Easter on the Farm!
As well as the usual farm fun – a packed agenda of sheep and ferret racing, daily talks – you can also explore our amazing adventure playgrounds (including soft play) for the full day.
Spring is our busiest time for lambing so the chances are high that you will see a live lamb birth from our roundhouse.
Cannon Hall Farm, Bark House Lane, Cawthorne, Barnsley, S75 4AT
25th March – Alice in Wonderland
27th March – Spot’s Birthday Party
Drury Lane, Wakefield WF1 2TE
Step into the pages of Beatrix Potter’s tales this Easter holidays with this family friendly trail which will take you around the Arboretum in search of clues – come along and see if you can spot Miss Tiggy Winkle, Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher and other well know characters surrounded by fun and imaginative scenes.
£2.50 per child for the trail and a small prize gift, standard entry prices apply.
Thorp Perrow, Bedale, North Yorkshire
Pond dipping season runs April to October and is a fantastic way for families to get hands on with nature. Hire your kit from the centre and head to the ponds to explore the underwater world and the creatures who live there. £3 per kit.
RSPB Fairburn Ings Visitor Centre, Newton Lane, Castleford WF10 2BH
Easter adventure in nature trails will be coming to Fountains Abbey this Easter. Complete the trail and earn a chocolate reward at the end (£3 per trail map, normal admission costs apply)
Soak up the spring light on a stroll from Fountains Abbey to Studley Royal Water Garden. The dramatic abbey ruins at Fountains are the largest monastic ruins in the country.
Spring is a colourful time of year in Studley Royal water garden. Follow the gentle banks of the River Skell down from the abbey to the garden, which has been channelled into canals, cascades and tranquil moon ponds. There is a real sense of peace on this walk.
Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY
Monday 1st April, 2pm – 4pm
Children under 10 years old, everyone taking part wins a prize
Children to be accompanied by an adult
Haveroid Lane, Crigglestone, WF4 3PF
The perfect family day out in the forest!
Go Ape’s first high-ropes experience in West Yorkshire, set within 1500 acres of parkland, the aerial adventures at Temple Newsam can be found in the heart of Menagerie Wood featuring challenging obstacles as increasing heights, a free-fall Tarzan Swing, four tree-to-tree zips and a 46ft sheer drop called The Plummet. It is a vertical drop experience that will leave you feeling seriously exposed. It’s a true leap of faith!
Phone: 01603 895500
Saturday 30th March, 10am – 12pm
Free surprise for all children aged 13 years and under on completion of the treasure hunt (whilst stocks last)
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Bun sale, raffle, meet the Easter Bunny
Manor Road, Ossett, WF5 0LW
The new nature-based fairy trail, funded by Wakefield Council Culture Grants, is nestled in local woodland at Earnshaws Fencing Centre, Midgley. This is a great FREE activity for families to discover nature in our local environment. Each fairy on the trail represents a different species which lives in the woodland and they have many top tips to share with you about looking after wildlife and the environment.
Whenever we go on a walk where there are ducks, they are always being fed by people of all ages! It is such a good activity to get some fresh air and run off some energy with the kids (as well as being FREE!!)
Reel Cinemas brings you amazing films at bargain prices!!!!
Tickets are priced £3.99 for an adult or child before 1pm!
What a bargain! Oh and you get free parking at The Ridings Centre too!!
The Ridings Shopping Centre, Wakefield, WF1 1DS
Go hunting for the larger-than-life hand-painted eggs hidden around the garden on ‘The giant Easter egg hunt’, and on 4th & 11th April, meet the Garden Detectives for more family fun!
Normal garden admission.
Crag Lane, Harrogate HG3 1QB. Tel: 01423 565418
From mini tractor rides to live entertainment, once inside all activities and workshops are FREE. This fun family day out celebrates farming, food and the countryside. Children can also get close to farm animals from chicks to lambs, piglets to calves, goats, sheep and alpacas.
Due to the popularity of Springtime Live, entry is by advance ticket only.
Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate
