Coming to the Lake District with children this Easter? The two-week break for most schools begins on Good Friday, 30th March, and there is a packed calendar of events, activities, and shows that children will delight in. Along with a plethora of Easter egg hunts across the national park, there are craft workshops, fun exhibitions, children’s theatre performances, and much more. If you haven’t booked your break, it’s not too late, but hotel and self-catered accommodation is filling up fast.
Please Note: This is an older blog post. For the top things to do this coming Easter weekend in 2023, please visit our April What's On guide.
Easter Egg Hunts
There are lots of Easter Egg Hunts taking place across the Lake District this year. Many have been organised by the National Trust in collaboration with Cadbury, whilst others are hosted by individual attractions. Our top tip for all of these hunts is to get there early, as they are very popular and you may find parking in many of the areas difficult if you arrive too late.
Cadbury & National Trust Easter Egg Hunts
Cadbury has once again teamed up with the National Trust to provide some great Easter fun for children and adults alike. Be sure to check out Cadbury's sponsored egg hunts in the Lake District this Easter.
These hunts cost £2 to 2.50 and some require additional standard admission rates. Those in natural areas, such as Buttermere, require participants to complete a number of fun outdoor activities, whilst those located in attractions often revolve around following a series of clues.
Natural / Open Space Easter Egg Hunts
Egg hunts will take place in open space locations, such as along the beautiful shores of Derwent Water near Keswick
Claife Viewing Station, Near Far Sawrey
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday
- Time: 10am to 3.30pm
Fell Foot Park, Newby Bridge
- Day: Good Friday
- Time: 10am to 3pm
Tarn Hows, Coniston
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday
- Time: 10am to 3.30pm
Ennerdale Water (Bowness Knott Car Park)
- Day: Good Friday
- Time: 11am to 3pm
Buttermere (Beginning by Croft House Farm Café)
- Day: Good Friday
- Time: 11am to 2.30pm
Derwent Water, Keswick (Beginning by Theatre by the Lake)
- Day: Easter Monday
- Time: 11am to 2.30pm
Attraction Based Hunts
Sizergh Castle in Kendal, one of the many attractions hosting an egg hunt
At the following attraction based egg hunts, you'll want to consider the cost of the admission to access the attraction in addition to any charges for the egg hunts. These costs will vary by venue, so do look on the official websites prior to your visit.
Townend, Troutbeck, Windermere
- Day: Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 1.30pm to 4pm
Wray Castle, Near Ambleside
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 10am to 3.30pm
Hill Top, Near Sawrey
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 10am to 4pm
Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 10.30am to 3.30pm
Steam Yacht Gondola, Coniston Water
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 11am to 4.15pm
Allan Bank, Grasmere
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 10.30am to 4pm
Wordsworth House, Cockermouth
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 11am to 3pm
Sizergh Castle, Kendal
- Day: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
- Time: 11am to 4pm
Brockhole
Packed with things to do for the whole family, Brockhole is the Lake District National Park Authority’s visitor centre. The play area has been recently revamped, plus you will find a plethora of other activities to try here. The centre’s Easter egg hunt runs from Saturday, 24th March until Sunday, 15th April. Entrance to the centre is free, whilst the Easter Egg hunt costs £3 and takes visitors around the large grounds on the shore of Windermere. In addition, there are drop in Easter and Spring themed craft sessions costing £2 per child for one hour.
Lowther Castle
Once again, the dragons of Lowther Castle have left eggs around the sprawling estate. Follow the trail to spot the giant eggs along the way and you will be rewarded with chocolate treats for your efforts. The castle has a giant outdoor play fortress complete with picnic areas, and there is a café in the castle ruins serving a delectable array of treats and light meals. The trail runs from Saturday, 24th March until Sunday, 15th April. The event is included in the standard admission rate which is £9 for adults and £7 for children aged 3-15 years with children under 3 receiving free admission.
Lakeland Maze Farm Park
The Maze at the Lakeland Maze Farm Park won’t be ready yet, but the park is hosting an Easter Egg hunt around the grounds. This is a great attraction whatever the weather with a huge indoor play area with a soft play and craft activities, as well as trampolines, go-karts, and farm animals. The Easter Egg hunt will be available from Saturday, 24th March until Sunday, 15th April.
Kong Adventure, Keswick
We sadly can’t guarantee good weather this Easter in the Lake District, but don’t let that put you off. At the Kong Adventure centre in Keswick, children can experience mountain climbing in a safe, indoor environment. The hard play area will be infested with dragons this Easter and children will need to follow a map, decipher clues and discover a secret password to win a prize. There is a café overlooking the hard play area, so parents can sit back and relax whilst children play. The hunt runs every day during April between 10am and 4pm and costs £6.50 for children aged 2 and under and £9 for children aged three and up. This includes the map, prize, and entry into the hard play area.
Where is Peter Rabbit? Easter Treasure Trail
This is a unique Easter Egg hunt like no other, and the largest in the North. On Wednesday, 4th April, 100 individually painted ceramic eggs will be placed in various locations around the Lake District, led by the team at the World of Beatrix Potter. Those who wish to participate in the hunt must register online in advance of the date and give a minimum donation of £5 to WaterAid. On the day, you will be given access to an interactive Google map with clues to the locations of the eggs. Find an egg and it’s yours to keep. Furthermore, each egg has its own unique code and, if you are lucky, one of these codes may reward you with a fantastic prize including Lake District hotel breaks and theatre tickets.
The event is extraordinarily popular with hundreds of families taking part. It’s therefore no surprise that some children will be disappointed with only 100 eggs to find. We recommend that you take along some of your own chocolate treats to stave off any disappointment.
World of Beatrix Potter – Mini Egg Hunt
If the Peter Rabbit treasure trail above seems like too much hard work for potentially no reward, then children can enjoy a mini egg hunt in the garden of the World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness-on-Windermere. The hunt takes place on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday and is included with the admission fee. Each child who completes the trail will receive a sticker and a chocolate treat.
Muncaster Castle – Teddies Go Free
Muncaster Castle in Ravenglass hosts a giant Easter Egg hunt each year. The hunt takes place on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday at 12.30pm and participants must register in advance by 12.15 at the gift shop as places are limited. Prizes are available. The hunt is part of the “Teddies Go Free” weekend where each child who attends with a teddy bear and a fee-paying adult will receive free entry. Around the castle grounds, there will be trails and teddy bear displays, plus lots more.
Family Fun at the Rheged Centre This Easter
During the Easter holidays this year, the Rheged Centre once again has a packed programme of activities to suit the whole family. In one of the exhibition halls, the centre has created an interactive exhibition that celebrates Peter Rabbit. Along with a display of rarely seen manuscripts and artwork, there will be games and activities for children to play. Visitors to the centre will also be able to see adorable Easter chicks hatching in an incubator. Family friendly films include the new Peter Rabbit movie, Early Man from Aardman Animations, as well as Tomb Raider and the Greatest Showman for older children and adults. Workshops available include archery, camp cooking, animal encounters, and various craft activities. Most of these events do require advanced booking.
Jennings Brewery Easter Family Fun Day
The Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth is opening its doors on Easter Saturday for a free family fun day. Parents can enjoy a pint of real ale whilst children are entertained by local children’s events company Imagination Parties. Fancy dress is encouraged and there will be an egg decorating competition. Whilst the event is free, donations will be requested to raise money for local charities. The event starts 11am and there are 190 prizes to be won as part of the brewery’s celebration of its 190th birthday.
Easter Fun at the Woolpack Inn, Eskdale
The Woolpack Inn in Eskdale hosts various events throughout the year and many are family friendly. This Easter Monday, the inn is having a children’s fun morning with an early start of 9am. Children can take part in egg rolling races and take part in a craft activity, involving making ducks to race on the river. The event will finish off with a “real egg hunt” where you can find actual eggs, which the pub will then cook for you for breakfast!
Boot Up Your Weekend with George Fisher
The school Easter holidays coincides with the opening of George Fisher’s new boot room in Keswick. This independent outdoor gear shop has been suppling equipment to Lake District explorers for over 60 years and are particularly renowned for their children’s walking boots programme. During the weekend of the 7th and 8th of April, the store will be celebrating the arrival of their new boot room with a series of activities, including two aimed at children. On both days, between 11am and 12 noon, children can make and decorate badges, and, on the Sunday, there will be a family walk at 10.30am.