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Our guide to family-friendly things to do this Easter bank holiday weekend across Kent

05:00, 11 April 2022

From hunting down Easter eggs to laughing at live theatre and shopping ‘til you drop - we’ve got some great ideas to top off the Easter holiday this weekend…

EASTER EGG HUNTS

If you want to enjoy a traditional Easter weekend, these family-friendly egg hunts are the perfect way to give your kids a chocolate treat.

The Easter trail at Brogdale takes you through the orchards.
The Easter trail at Brogdale takes you through the orchards.

Brogdale, Faversham

Stroll through Faversham's beautiful blossoming orchards, map and worksheet in hand, as you follow the Easter egg trail. The flowering fruit trees and sprawling gardens hold all the clues you need to win yourself a tasty chocolate egg - and there might even be an Easter bunny hiding in there too.

The egg hunt takes place from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. Adult tickets start from £6. Book online here.

Each year, an egg hunt is held at Doddington Place and Gardens. Picture: Alan Langley
Each year, an egg hunt is held at Doddington Place and Gardens. Picture: Alan Langley

Doddington Place Gardens, Sittingbourne

Explore the gardens in search of Cotton Tail’s friends who have been spotted hopping through the flower beds near Sittingbourne this Easter. Once you’ve found them - and your eggs - you can enjoy a host of family activities, shop at the craft stalls and take a break with some refreshments.

The egg hunt takes place on Good Friday. Adult tickets cost £1. Book online here.

Find the bunnies at Great Comp Garden. Picture: Vikki Rimmer
Find the bunnies at Great Comp Garden. Picture: Vikki Rimmer

Great Comp Garden, Sevenoaks

Find all the bunnies, solve the anagram and explore the 7-acre gardens to win a delicious chocolate treat to take home. Follow your egg hunt with an afternoon of fun with Great Comp’s live children’s entertainer, who will be hosting lots of games and craft activities.

The egg hunt takes place on Good Friday. Adult tickets to Great Comp Garden cost £8.50, children’s entertainment costs an additional £8. Book online here.

Kent and East Sussex Railway, Tenterden

All aboard! Find the mischievous bunnies who are hopping around Tenterden station before boarding the train for a host of Easter activities. There will be workbooks and crafts to keep kids busy while you travel and, when the train stops off in Bodiam, there’s a countryside Easter egg hunt waiting for you.

The egg hunt takes place from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £20. Book online here.

Meet the friendly Easter characters at Lullingstone Castle. Picture: Alan Graham
Meet the friendly Easter characters at Lullingstone Castle. Picture: Alan Graham

Lullingstone Castle, Dartford

Green-fingered guests will be in their element as the World Garden near Dartford is open to explore. Find unique plants and flowers, discover clues, answer questions and meet the Easter characters this bank holiday to get yourself a surprise Easter gift.

The egg hunt takes place from Saturday, April 16 to Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £10. No pre-booking needed.

Rede Common, Strood

Time to get crafty with fun egg decorating sessions, just in time for the Easter weekend. Your children can create their own festive eggs, before letting loose on the common on the hunt for chocolate treats. You can also meet the nature reserve’s volunteers and spot local wildlife.

The egg hunt takes place on Saturday, April 16. This event is free. No pre-booking needed.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

If you’re fed up with screens and are looking for new ways to entertain the kids before they go back to school, these fabulous shows could be just the ticket.

Explore Chiddingstone Castle's picturesque grounds. Picture: Shepherd Photography
Explore Chiddingstone Castle's picturesque grounds. Picture: Shepherd Photography

Chiddingstone Castle, Sevenoaks

The Walking Theatre Company are bringing their fantastic outdoor show to the picturesque castle grounds near Sevenoaks this bank holiday. Follow the charming characters of the White Rabbit’s Wonderland Adventure along a gentle walking route through the gardens and lose yourself in a truly immersive live theatre experience.

White Rabbit’s Wonderland Adventure is showing on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £22. Book online here.

Party like it's the 1930s at Leeds Castle this spring. Picture: David Fenwick
Party like it's the 1930s at Leeds Castle this spring. Picture: David Fenwick

Leeds Castle, Maidstone

Step into the 1930s and celebrate the castle’s glamorous parties of yesteryear. Meet the guests and staff of heiress Lady Olive Baillie who are preparing for a weekend of music, dancing, cocktails and gossip. Hollywood stars and society’s finest once partied inside these castle walls, and now you can join them with this live experience.

The exhibit opens from Wednesday, April 13 onwards. Adult tickets cost £32. Book online here.

Aardvark Productions are performing a fun Easter panto at Penshurst Place during the holidays. Picture: © Penshurst Place and Gardens
Aardvark Productions are performing a fun Easter panto at Penshurst Place during the holidays. Picture: © Penshurst Place and Gardens

Penshurst Place, Tonbridge

You are cordially invited to a royal Easter weekend in Tonbridge. Inspired by Queen Victoria’s supposed love of the holiday, there will be a hunt for Victorian-style eggs in the colourful gardens before the amusing and captivating Hunt for Easter Island panto on Easter Monday. Enjoy this story of a fearless rabbit’s voyage to a far-away place from Aardvark Productions.

Hunt for Easter Island is showing on Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £13.50. Book online here.

Travel through the countryside with Little Red Riding Hood. Picture: Spa Valley Railway
Travel through the countryside with Little Red Riding Hood. Picture: Spa Valley Railway

Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells

Join Little Red Riding Hood on the hunt for the perfect chocolate egg. Follow this interactive show, which begins on the station platform and continues onto the train, as Little Red Riding Hood and her friends perform slapstick comedy and magic tricks to create a train ride you’ll never forget.

Little Red Riding Hood trains are running from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £15. Book online here.

OUT AND ABOUT

Stop your youngsters from climbing the walls and make the most of spending time together in the great outdoors this spring.

Barn Farm Shop, Canterbury

First-hand foraging is a great way to fall in love with nature. Find the best produce on your doorstep with this Canterbury wildlife walk, where you can help yourself to hand-picked herbs, salad greens and edible flowers, all guided by an experienced forager.

The forage trail takes place on Saturday, April 16. Adult tickets cost £20. Book by emailing forthandforage@gmail.com.

Meet the animals at the Hop Farm. Picture: Matthew Walker
Meet the animals at the Hop Farm. Picture: Matthew Walker

The Hop Farm Family Park, Paddock Wood

Take a relaxing walk around one of Kent’s best-loved farms in Paddock Wood. The Easter nature trail takes place over the bank holiday weekend and gives you the chance to meet the farm animals, including spring lambs and piglets, and explore the huge outdoor space. There are plenty of activities too, from crazy golf to the adventure play park, to keep you busy.

The Easter trail is open from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £4. Book online here.

Take a springtime stroll through Sissinghurst Castle. Picture: ©National Trust Images/David Sellman
Take a springtime stroll through Sissinghurst Castle. Picture: ©National Trust Images/David Sellman

Sissinghurst Castle, Cranbrook

Follow footpaths, tracks and lanes through the beautiful High Weald countryside on this leisurely bank holiday walk. Take in the landscape of the area, such as fields, woodlands and orchards, before exploring the delightful grounds of Sissinghurst Castle and tucking into a mid-walk picnic lunch.

The walk takes place on Easter Monday. Adult tickets cost £3.50. Book online here.

SHOPPING

Finish off the holidays by treating yourself to some well-deserved retail therapy with these unique shopping experiences.

Chatham Dockside Outlet Centre

See Chatham's outdoor shopping centre transformed into a fun fair of food and craft stalls. Whether you want to pick up some homemade gifts or sample some local snacks, you can browse the range of stands that line the dockyard. Don’t forget to pick up a bargain at the outlet stores and stop off for some Easter prizes for the whole family.

The fair is open from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Entry is free. No pre-booking needed.

Visit Faversham's market place and pick up some unique treats. Picture: Lowri Chant
Visit Faversham's market place and pick up some unique treats. Picture: Lowri Chant

Artisan Craft and Gift Market, Faversham

This historic market town will be bursting with some of the best makers and traders in the south east. There will be just about everything - jewellery, artwork, vintage fashion, bath bombs, soaps, candles, homeware, cakes and more - for you to peruse and purchase.

The market is open on Saturday, April 16. Entry is free. No pre-booking needed.

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