Springtime Easter Activities for Kids

Spring is on its way, and the kids will soon be off from school again for two weeks! 

If you're struggling for ideas on things to do in the Easter holidays, we've listed a few activities accessible via the Grand Central network that won't break the bank! You can also enjoy these activities from the comfort of your own home.

Easter Crafts for the Kids and Museum Garden Activities, York

For those looking for York Easter activities, why not explore York's Museum Gardens and follow the springtime garden trail to discover the beautifully bright flowers and plants. The perfect way to spend a sunny day in the Easter holidays. 

Other York Easter activities include the Walled Garden Easter trail at Castle Howard. This is an imaginative spring adventure, ideal for children. The trail invites visitors to follow a charming garden route, helping reunite animals with their babies along the way by tracking tiny footprints! All children who complete the trail will receive a chocolate prize, making the experience all the more exciting. Get ready for a full day of family enjoyment! Running from saturday the 28th March to Monday, the 13th April 2026. 

Read our ‘Quirky Art Workshop Picks In York’ blog if you enjoy craft-related things. 

To help cut your travel costs, consider purchasing the Family & Friends Railcard if you and your kids are frequent train travellers. You'll receive 1/3 off the price of your train ticket, plus 60% off for the kids! You can also save money on your train fares by opting for advance tickets.

Easter Gifts for the Kids at the Easter Mini-Market  in Hartlepool

This Easter mini-market craft is the perfect opportunity to treat your little ones to unique items and locally made Easter goodies.

Hop on a Grand Central train to Hartlepool and visit these lovely stores on Saturday, the 28th of March from 14:00pm - 19:00pm.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park Easter Activities for Kids in Doncaster 

From the 28th March to 12th April, you are invited to hop into an adventure full of magic and fun for the whole family.

The Wildlife Park will be hosting an exciting Easter trail and live entertainment, including the Easter Bunny Magic & Mayhem show, tribute acts and an exclusive circus skills workshop. Children will also get the chance to meet their favourite characters, with the likes of Hansel &Y Gretel and Alice in Wonderland making a special appearance! 

The nearest major station to the park is Doncaster, situated approximately 15 minutes away.

Kids' Easter Egg Hunt in Sunderland

The Bridges shopping centre in Sunderland often offers a free Easter Egg trail, with a prize up for grabs for everyone who completes it! 

To enter, customers must collect a map and stickers from the Customer Services desk before going around the centre searching for Mr Men and Little Miss-themed egg displays in retailers’ windows.

They then mark them off their map. Once they’ve found all the egg displays, they can return to Customer Services to claim their prize.

Will you be able to find all the eggs in this fun Easter activity?

Easter Story for the Kids at Bradford Libraries

Bradford Council's Libraries Service often hosts fun, family-friendly activities to encourage reading and book-sharing during the Easter holidays. 

You can enhance their story time by taking them to one of Bradford's libraries, where the staff will tell stories about bunnies, chicks, and Easter eggs. 

Plus, they can create fluffy bunnies, design Easter eggs, decorate birdhouses, build Easter baskets, and create Easter plant pots. Perfect if your little ones want to develop characters for their storytime. Easter 2026 schedules are not yet published, but these activities are usually available throughout the Easter holidays each year. 

Pontefract Easter Activities

This Easter, on Thursday the 2nd April, Knottingley Club are hosting an exciting Easter party. You can expect free crafts, fun party games for the kids and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

But if parties aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other things going on in Pontefract this Easter: 

• Dragon Parade Day: April 2nd 2026 
• Dragon Egg Week at Pontefract Castle: 28th March - 6th April 
• Easter egg extravaganza at Castleford Market: 4th April - 11th April 

Hop on a train to Pontefract and get stuck into this year's Easter activities!

London Zoo Kids Easter Egg Hunt

This is an eggcellent idea for kids who love animals!

Celebrate at London Zoo as we teach you all about the incredible egg-laying creatures there. Some animals you will meet include reptiles, birds, fish and butterflies as you go around the egg hunt.  

To add to the challenge, you must solve the clues at each checkpoint to crack the code and reveal a golden egg hidden in a top-secret location. Once completing this trail, you will be rewarded with a tasty treat.

This event will take place from March 28th to April 12th and is included in the cost of the zoo entry ticket. Grab a Grand Central train to London and take full advantage!

Discover other things to do in London at Easter:

• Lindt Gold Bunny hunt at Hampton Court Palace: 21st March - 12th April 
• Easter trail at Ham House & Garden: 28th March - 6th April 
• Easter Scavenger Hunt at Golden Square: 4th April 

Easter baking

If you want to stay at home with the kids but are looking for cheap, fun activities, why not enjoy a spot of baking? Plan Easter baking sessions throughout the holidays to get the whole family involved. Kids love baking – especially when they have a delicious treat to look forward to at the end!

Keep the kids busy in the kitchen and have them whip up some tasty Easter delights. For the beginners, you can make simple hot cross buns. Or get creative and bake mini egg brownie bites or chocolate Easter cupcakes!

Another great Easter activity near your home is going on a walk. The best spring walks are just a train ride away. 

Discover other Easter activities you can enjoy at home: 

• Decorate your own eggs (all you’ll need is some hard-boiled eggs and some paint!) 
• Do your own Easter egg hunt at home 
• Create your own game of egg-rolling (you’ll need some hard-boiled eggs and a ramp). Consider decorating them beforehand and then using the same eggs for rolling to save on waste
• Make sock bunnies! Grab some unwanted socks (put the odd ones to use that you’ll never wear again), and some crafty bits like googly eyes, string or ribbon, and you’re good to go
• Create your own Easter-themed quiz 

Choose Grand Central this Easter

Download the Grand Central app to secure your tickets today for quick, convenient booking. You'll find our latest budget-friendly fares, making travelling with us even more straightforward.

If it's your first time travelling on the train with the kids, check out our Tips for Travelling with Children blog. Don't forget – all kids under five travel for free! And if you’re travelling with older children who are perhaps at college or university, we also offer 25% student discount, valid on all advance fares!