Fun Activities To Do With The Kids This Easter
With the Easter holidays approaching and the days getting longer, it’s time for some fun! To make things a little easier, we’ve made a list of some fun activities and places to try with the kids in and around Edinburgh this Easter.
Easter at Camera Obscura
We’ve got the Easter Holidays sorted, with an Easter bunny treasure hunt. Pick up a trail hunt when you arrive to take part and hop on over to our shop at the end where you might just find an egg-cellent surprise awaits! We will be open late every day from 8am-10pm from 2nd to 24th April 2022.
Our interactive and engaging exhibits are perfect for everyone, from tiny babies who will love the sensory experience to hard-to-impress teenagers. With five floors of fun and over 100 different illusions, we have something to entertain all ages. Tour Edinburgh’s streets without moving. Test your brain against mind-bending illusions. Take spectacular city scape photographs from our Rooftop Terrace. It’s all part of the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions experience. The exhibits that toddlers especially seem to love are the bendy mirrors, the infinity corridor, the automatons, the thermal camera, shadow walls, kaleidoscope and many more.
We have space to leave prams in our buggy park on the ground floor and baby carriers (of varying sizes) available to borrow; just ask one of the front desk staff about this and they'll be able to help you out. Book online here.
Image Credit: https://www.camera-obscura.co.uk
Dalkeith Country Park
You can explore this beautiful park on foot with one of the waymarked walking routes, in the heart of Midlothian. Whether you’re a boots or sandals sort of person, fancy a two hour hike or leisurely amble in the countryside with a picnic, Dalkeith is the place to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Not only this, but there are also a range of fun activities to choose from too:
Fort Douglas Adventure park is a playground with a twist. Explore the Sky Maze, the most magical turreted treehouses, zip wires, suspension bridges, slides, climbing walls and secret tunnels of this brand new playground. Fort Douglas has two amazing play zones: one that’s perfect for toddler play with their new mini maze and another for ages five plus. What’s more, adults can go on all the equipment so the whole family can play together!
Go Ape has arrived at Dalkeith Country Park too. Embrace adventure and take family days out to a whole new height. And it’s not just the grown-ups that can have all the fun; Go Ape are introducing their first Scottish Treetop Adventure course for children over 1m tall. With a range of options available, you can choose the experience that’s right for you.
After tiring yourselves out head to the range of eating spots at Restoration Yard. The Kitchen is a gorgeous light-filled and spacious restaurant with stunning panoramic views of the estate and historic Orangerie. It is an idyllic place to eat to enjoy brunch or lunch all day, indoors or on the outdoor terrace. You’ll find child-friendly options and something tasty for everyone. Also, The Larder is currently open for take-away teas, coffees, cakes, soft drinks, treats, sandwiches and kids’ lunchboxes.
Image Credit: https://www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk
Collective
Collective is a great place to visit with children, with lots to explore indoors and out and more space nearby on Calton Hill to play in. To help you make the most of your visit, Collective created their Explorer Backpacks for 4 to 8 year olds, which include a trail to explore the site and some tools to help along the way such as a pair of binoculars. Visit the welcome desk in The Hillside to borrow your Explorer Backpack.
With Collective’s Nature Trail, you can take on the roles of Beastie Hunters, Bird Spotters and Tree Detectives; guided by colourful illustrations to help identify different species found on the hill. The trail, illustrated by Charlotte Henderson, introduces Collective and offers a Nature Checklist for children to use while they discover the environment around the hill. This trail, part of Collective PLAY, is designed engage children with their surroundings by challenging them to look closely and carefully to tick each species off on the checklist.
If you are looking for organised fun, check out Play Fridays. A new edition to Collective's family programme, activities are free, child-led and based on developing creativity through loose parts play. Working with a range of artists, cooks, gardeners and beekeepers, during the drop-in session's families will play, create and explore our environment on Calton Hill. Families should meet at the outdoor play shelter. Hot drinks, water and snacks are provided. Please come prepared for the weather, in exceptional weather check with Collective before attending. Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer. For more information on how you and your family or group could get involved visit Collective’s website.
Image Credit: https://www.collective-edinburgh.art
Doodles
Doodles welcomes all ages of children from babies to teenagers 7 days a week to their ceramic studio in Marchmont, Edinburgh. Book in for a family outing, treat day, one on one time, hand and foot print mementos, clay imprints or simply make a personalised gift for a loved one. They have gift ideas and items for all occasions and events. They also welcome group bookings for Birthday parties, school, nursery and community outings. Ceramic decorating couldn’t be easier, first you choose a white unglazed piece of pottery from hundreds of items, then select your colours from over 80 glaze paints and finally paint, splash, splatter, dab, sponge, etch, stamp or stencil on your design. Just bring your imagination! For more instruction book your child into one of the very popular Holiday Ceramic Workshops or organise a school trip based on a class topic. The options are huge for children to be creative and have fun, so please contact them today and a member of the Doodles team will be happy to run through your ideas and options.
Image Credit: https://www.doodlesscotland.co.uk
So get out there this holiday and explore, and make sure to have some fun too! For more fun tips make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we will be posting throughout the holidays. If you try any of these out for yourself, be sure to let us know too!