The C&TH Ultimate Easter Holidays Guide
By
45 minutes ago
Keep the kids entertained for two whole weeks with our pick of the best family days out
Another term done – and there’s two weeks off to celebrate. If you spend much of your time packing your mini me’s diary with social occasions, this two-week gap (28 March–12 April) might seem dauntingly empty. From chocolate masterclasses to magical light shows, here are the best things to do in London and beyond throughout the 2026 Easter holidays to keep little ones entertained.
Looking for fun days out beyond half-term?
Best Family Days Out For The Easter Holidays
The world’s first Peter Pan drone light show is coming to the UK this Easter
Peter Pan Drone Light Show, Berkshire & Warwickshire
Step into Neverland this April at the world’s first Peter Pan drone light show. This dazzling production will illuminate the skies of Windsor (4 April) and Warwickshire (11 April) with hundreds of LED drones, alongside a cinematic score and original narration of the beloved tale. There will even be fairground rides, face painting and food stalls for attendees to explore before the show. Plus, it’s all for a good cause: £1 per ticket will be donated to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, supporting its mission of making every childhood magical.
DETAILS: Windsor Racecourse, Maidenhead Road, Windsor SL4 5EZ (4 April); Ragley Hall, Alcester B49 5NJ (11 April)
HOW: Tickets £18.99 per adult and £15.99 per child, windsor-racecourse.co.uk, ragley.co.uk
Big Penny Social Family Disco, London
Fancy a boogie? Creative community venue Big Penny Social in Walthamstow is hosting an Easter family disco on 5 April. Kids and adults are invited to dress up, play games and groove to some good tunes – and a mouth-watering menu at the venue means there’s plenty to curb your after-party appetite. Other events during the Easter break include kids’ cooking classes, inflatable assault courses and a circus-themed concert by the Britten Sinfonia.
DETAILS: Event dates vary. Big Penny Social, 1 Priestley Way, London E17 6AL
HOW: Ticket prices vary by event but start at £7pp, bigpennysocial.co.uk
Book a chocolate making class at Melt and learn about the long history (and deliciousness) of the ultimate favourite sweet treat © Getty
Bean-To-Bar Chocolate Making Classes, London
Instead of (or as well as) scoffing cheap Easter chocolate this spring, why not try your hand at making a luxury version? Head to Melt in Notting Hill for a 1.5-hour masterclass in creating the perfect, milky-smooth bar. Sessions are available for ages 14 and up, beginning with learning – and tasting – how chocolate has evolved through the centuries. Participants will then craft their own creations, all the way from sorting and roasting cacao beans to coaxing bars out of their molds. Melt promises it to be a ‘very exciting sensory experience’ – designed to impress tastebuds and beyond.
DETAILS: Seven classes run throughout the Easter holiday. Melt Chocolates, 59 Ledbury Road W11 2AA
HOW: Tickets £54.99pp, meltchocolates.com
Cambridge Festival Family Weekend, Cambridgeshire
To keep your little ones’ brains firing over the two-week break, head to East Anglia for a dedicated family weekend of the annual Cambridge Festival. This cultural cornerstone is a celebration of the innovative research happening at the University of Cambridge, and from 28–29 March, venues across the city will host hundreds of interactive activities specifically for kids. These include hands-on archeology sessions, robotics workshops and an interactive plant lab, and you can even expect live game shows and escape rooms – perfect for the whole family to get involved.
DETAILS: 28–29 March. Events across Cambridge, with a main hub at University Centre, Granta Place, Mill Lane CB2 1RU
HOW: All events are free but some require tickets, festival.cam.ac.uk
Catch the new cast of Matilda The Musical at London’s Cambridge Theatre © Manuel Harlan
Matilda The Musical, London
‘When I grow up…’ Don’t let the kids wait until then to see Matilda – the beloved musical has just announced an all-new cast, taking to the central London stage from this month. This heartwarming Roald Dahl adaptation follows a young girl with magical powers who finds the strength to stand up for herself against a slew of nasty adults. Having just celebrated 15 years on stage, the multi-award-winning RSC production has undoubtedly earned its place as one of the UK’s most iconic and unmissable shows.
DETAILS: Daily shows Tuesday-Sunday. Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9HU
HOW: Tickets from £20pp, matildathemusical.com
The Magic Faraway Tree, Nationwide
On one of the Easter break’s inevitably rainy days, head to your local cinema for the long-awaited Magic Faraway Tree film. This modern adaptation of Enid Blyton’s fantastical children’s book has been in the works for ten years – and with big names on board like Claire Foy and Jennifer Saunders, as well as the writer of Paddington 2, it vows not to disappoint. The story follows three siblings who stumble upon an enchanted tree with magical lands that come and go at the top of its trunk, from the Land of Do-As-You-Please to the Land of Topsy-Turvy. Moonface (Nonso Anozie) is just one beloved character who will be coming to life on the big screen.
DETAILS: In cinemas nationwide from 27 March
HOW: Check your local cinema website for ticket prices
Tweedy The Clown’s new show comes to Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire this Easter break
Tweedy’s Massive Circus, Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire
Tweedy The Clown is on the go again with his ‘little’ big-top tent for a wacky new tour across the UK. Tweedy’s Massive Circus: The Big Number 2 promises the very best of the riotous redhead with ‘a whirlwind of clowning, comedy mischief and mayhem’ as the show goes belly-up… again. This Easter holiday, catch the Giffords Circus star in Oxfordshire (26 March–4 April) or Gloucestershire (8–19 April) for a brilliant day out for all ages.
DETAILS: Millets Farm Centre, Garford, Abington OX13 5HB (26 March–4 April); Moreton-in-Marsh Showground, Batsford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0AB (8–19 April)
HOW: Tickets from £29pp, underbellytickets.com
Shakespeare’s Globe Ghosts & Ghouls Tour, London
Spooky spirits aren’t just for Halloween. In Shakespeare’s plays, they pop up year-round – and this spring you can learn all about the writer’s love of the supernatural at his eponymous London theatre. The Globe’s Ghosts & Ghouls family tour promises to ‘bring to life the ghosts, spirits and scary happenings of Shakespeare’s most chilling plays’, digging into eerie 16th-century beliefs and traditions. If you dare, pop into the gift shop afterwards to pick up the Great Shakespearean Deaths card game for some more morbid entertainment.
DETAILS: Until 31 October. Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT
HOW: Tickets £28 per adult and £21 per child under 16, shakespearesglobe.com
Horrible Histories The Concert is on tour across the UK © Richard Southgate
Horrible Histories: The Concert, Nationwide
If you thought you’d never have the chance to catch King Henry VIII himself on stage, you were terribly mistaken. The infamous Tudor has joined the cast of this unmissable Horrible Histories musical, which is touring the UK until mid-April and stops off in Nottingham, Southampton, York and Brighton during the Easter break. Experience the ultimate star-studded line-up, with Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Shakespeare alongside Cleopatra and Boudicca – complete with a live band and a host of catchy songs from the original CBBC programme.
DETAILS: Shows in Nottingham (29 March), Southampton (2–4 April), York (6–7 April) and Brighton (9–11 April) during the Easter holiday
HOW: Tickets from £25, musicalsontour.co.uk
