30+ Easter school holiday events in Gloucestershire

30+ of the best Easter school holiday events, Gloucestershire.  Wondering how you are going to entertain your kids over the Easter school holidays in Gloucestershire without spending a fortune?  Hopefully I can help.  Below is a list of over 30 Easter events in Gloucestershire handpicked by me, a local mum.  The events are divided into – budget friendly Easter ideas, local attractions offering Easter activities and nearby attractions within a short drive of Gloucestershire.

As the Easter holidays are very early this year, rainy day options are clearly highlighted. (Although let’s keep fingers crossed that this weather improves!)

I will add events to this list throughout the Easter holidays so please share with your local friends, bookmark this page and keep checking back for more ideas. **Please click-through the links to the attraction websites for specific details and to check dates/details have not changed before you travel**

Budget friendly Easter school holiday events in Gloucestershire 2018

Easter Family Fun – Greystones, Robinswood Hill Country Park, Gloucester & Crickley Hill, near Birdlip
http://www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk
Join Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust for an Easter egg hunt and other wildlife activities including bug hunts, crafts and wildlife quizzes.  Entry free, small charge for activities i.e.£2 per trail sheet.  Daily Easter Egg Hunts 31st March – 15th April at Crickley Hill and Robinswood Hill.  One day only Easter Eggstravaganza events (free but activities to be paid for) at Robinswood Hill 31st March & Greystones – 3rd April.

Painswick Easter Egg Hunt, St Marys Church Yard and Painswick village.
http://www.painswickplaygroup.co.uk/easter-egg-hunt/
An annual community event organised by Painswick Playgroup.  34 beautifully designed eggs will be hidden all around the village on Easter Saturday 31st March, for families with their little ones to find.  There will also be bouncy castles, food stalls, face painting, live music and teddy bear parachuting from the church spire (don’t forget to take along a teddy!)  Maps for the event will be on sale from The Falcon Pub, the Falcon’s Nest, Painswick Library or Painswick Playgroup, and will be £3 in advance or £4 on the day per child (under 2s are free).  Event taking place 12pm – 4pm.

Easter Mouse Hunt, Mallard’s Pike Lake, Forest of Dean
https://www.facebook.com/events
Put on your wellies for a walk around Mallards Pike Lake to find the 30 hidden mice.  Follow the illustrated boards telling you the magical & original story of how Mallards Mice came together to save Easter after the Easter bunny got into a pickle & lost his eggs.
You can do the trail at your own leisure, it’s FREE and just requires £3 to park your car.  The trail is suitable for buggies and wheelchairs, it’s great to scoot/cycle around with extra paths to explore, ducks to feed and plenty of picnic tables.

Easter at Primrose Vale, Shurdington
http://primrosevale.com
Lots of fun taking place again this Easter at Primrose Vale 10am – 4pm daily from Thursday 29th March – Sunday 15th April.  Suitable for children of all ages, but most enjoyed by those between 3 and 15.  There’s an Easter Challenge, Egg Hunt and pre – schoolers  trail.  £5 per child, accompanying adults go free.  Small Easter treat included for all children.

Easter Egg Hunt, The Boat House, Pittville Park, Cheltenham
http://www.inthepark.co.uk
Oh Buoy, how eggciting!  This Easter the cafe are celebrating the return of the rowing boats by holding a special Easter hunt around the lake.  31st March – 3rd April.  Boats will be running 11am – 3pm.  £10.55 for 1 hr or £7.00 for ½ hr.  Chocolate cream egg for each child completing the hunt.

Easter Trail, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester City Centre
http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk
FREE Easter egg trail taking place Saturday 31st March – Sunday 15th April 10.30am – 4pm daily (12-2pm Sunday).  Download the Easter trail from the website above or collect from a Cathedral Welcomer.

Easter Trail, Over Farm, Gloucester
http://www.overfarmpresents.co.uk/easter/
From Thursday 29th March – Sunday 15th April (9am – 4pm), take a short walk around Over Farm in search of the Easter bunny’s giant eggs. Trail sheets cost just £3.50 per child (adults go free) and there’s a prize if you can crack the trail.  The inflatable theme park is also returning (Sat 31st March – Sunday 8th April), all day wristbands are £8. Suitable for 2-14’s.

Big Batsford Bunny Hunt, Batsford Arboretum & Garden Centre, Moreton-in-Marsh
http://www.batsarb.co.uk/news-events
Friday 30th March – Sunday 15th April visitors will be challenged to find bunnies by exploring the Arboretum grounds and simply marking their locations on a map to win a prize!  The Bunny Hunt costs £2.50 per child (plus Arboretum entrance fee).

Forest Activities Festival, Speech House Hotel, Forest of Dean
https://forestactivitiesfestival.co.uk/
Enjoy the end of the Easter holidays by experiencing some of the best outdoor activities on offer in the Forest of Dean including archery, segways, forest bushcraft, rocket science, battlesports, rugby, cycling and climbing.  Taking place Sunday 29th April 10am – 5pm.  Tickets only – £5 for adults, U18’s £2. U5’s free. Family Ticket £12 ( 2 adults/up to 3 children).

Tennis for Kids, various locations in Gloucestershire
https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/tennisforkids
Let the kids burn off the chocolate they will eat over the Easter holidays by signing them up to a six-week introductory tennis course for just £25!  This is a nationwide initiative to get more kids interested in playing tennis.  Tennis for Kids returns 5th April.

Easter Eggspress, GWSR from Cheltenham Racecourse or Toddington Station
http://www.gwsr.com – Good rainy day option!
On Easter Monday (2nd April) catch one of the GWSR ‘Easter Eggspress’ specials from either Cheltenham Racecourse or Toddington Station and enjoy a family day of Easter fun at Winchcombe station.  Meet the Easter Bunny and take part in Easter activities including egg and spoon races, Easter egg rolling, an Easter bonnet competition, Easter craft activities and an egg hunt.  Click here to read our tips on visiting GWR.

Breakfast or tea with the Easter Bunny, various Wyevale Garden Centre’s
http://www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk – Good rainy day option!
Taking place from 19th March – 15th April at several local centre’s including Gloucester, Nailsworth, Cheltenham and Lechlade.  This popular annual event includes meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, Easter cookie decorating and an Easter Bunny egg hunt.  All children will be given a cuddly toy to take away as a souvenir. We thoroughly enjoyed the event last year, click here to read our review – Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

Easter fun, Cattle Country, Berkeley
http://www.cattlecountry.co.uk/ – Good rainy day option!  
Lots taking place at this all-weather adventure park over the Easter holidays (daily 10am – 5pm) including lamb and calf feeding and donkey grooming!  Click here for our review and tips for visiting Cattle County. 

The Easter Joust, Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe
http://www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
On Easter Sunday (1st April) wannabe knights and princesses can watch jousting performances by skilled horses & horsemen and meet with actors dressed as royalty and knights!  Also taking place, Easter Children’s Wednesday – 4th & 11th April – children’s fun days including easter trails, egg hunts and animal encounters (included with admission).

Easter Dragons, Berkeley Castle, Berkeley
http://www.berkeley-castle.com
For something a little different visit Berkeley Castle over the Easter weekend 30th March – 2nd April. Kids will love the dragon tales, joining in the Chinese dragon parade and getting up close with baby dragons!  Click here to read our review and tips for visiting Berkeley Castle. 

The Secret Book Garden, Gloucester Quays, Gloucester
http://www.gloucesterquaysspringtime.co.uk/enchanted-market/
Two weeks of creative fun for all ages.  Taking place 30th March – 15th April including an writing workshops, tales from the tipi, crafty corner, circus skills, meet authors and pop up library.

Giant Easter Duck Hunt, WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge
www.wwt.org.uk
Giant ducks will be landing again at Slimbridge this Easter (27th March – 15th April) and local families are challenged to find them all!  There will also be Easter arts and crafts.  (Included in regular admission fee).

Easter Egg Hunt, Newark Park, Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events
Enjoy an Easter egg hunt and spring walk with your family at Newark Park from the 30th March – 2nd April. There will also be games on the lawn, jig-saw puzzles and exhibitions to explore in Newark House.

Connect with Nature, Dean Heritage Centre, Forest of Dean
http://www.deanheritagecentre.com
From the 30th March – 13th April kids are invited to join in the Easter family fun with egg trails, crafts and walking trails.  Click here to read our recent review of ferret walking and other activities at Dean Heritage Centre.  

Meet Peppa Pig, Dean Forest Railway, Forest of Dean
http://www.deanforestrailway.co.uk – Good rainy day option!
Peppa Pig will be revisiting the railway on Saturday 14th April.  An exciting day is planned with bouncy castles, face painting and magic shows.  Tickets must be purchased in advance.

East Egg Hunt, Chedworth Roman Villa, Yanworth near Cheltenham
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events
Get close to nature while you follow the clues on site to claim your chocolate treat. £2 per trail including chocolate treat plus normal admission charges.   Taking place 30th March – 2nd April.

Spring Festival, Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power
www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk – Rainy day option!  Some activities take place inside
Take part in a ‘hopstacle’ course and a treasure hunt around the Park with a prize for every child. There will also be craft activities and a puppet show as well as all of the usual fun including live lambing. All activities are included in the cost of admission.   Click here for our tips on visiting Cotswold Farm Park 

*** For daily ideas of how to entertain your kids in Gloucestershire join this fab Facebook group – Entertaining kids on a budget in Gloucester and check out their pinned post located at the top of the page ***

Fancy travelling a little further for an Easter family adventure?

Here are a few attractions offering activities over the Easter school holidays within a fairly short drive of Gloucestershire…

SS Great Britain, Bristol 
http://www.ssgreatbritain.org
We visited for the first time on Sunday and had a brilliant day out.  My boys loved exploring the ship which is very realistic with sound effects and smells demonstrating how the crew lived in cramped quarters below deck.  Over ten year old’s can climb the ships rigging, (my knees are still shaking from this experience but it’s worth it for the incredible views from the crows nest!)  The new museum, Being Brunel, is also highly engaging for kids of all ages.  (Full review coming soon).

Warwick Castle, Warwickshire
www.warwick-castle.com/ – Good rainy day option!
Celebrate the castles 950th anniversary with brand new exhibits, a knight school, new Horrible Histories show, Birds of Prey show and lots more.  Annual pass sale now on, passes from just £23pp. Click here to read our tips for visiting Warwick Castle

Drayton Manor Theme Park, Nr Tamworth, Staffordshire 
http://draytonmanor.co.uk/events
From 28th March – 15th April families can enjoy the Easter school holidays at Drayton Manor.  Easter trails, live shows, animal feeds, thrill rides and Thomas Land are just of the activities open over the Easter holidays.  Click here to read our recent review of Thomas Land and the Drayton Manor Hotel. 

West Midlands Safari Park, Bewdley, Worcestershire
http://www.wmsp.co.uk/Events/
From 24th March – 15th April the Safari Park are offering lots of extra Easter activities for the family, all included in the standard admission price!

Dino Eggstravaganza, All Things Wild, Evesham
https://www.allthingswild.co.uk – Good rainy day option!
Egg hunts, trails and lots of dino fun taking place 30th March – 15th April.

***For more ideas by local mums in the know check out this useful guide – UK family friendly attractions handpicked by local mums.  The guide covers Cornwall through to Scotland and links to articles such as 60 family friendly attractions in East Anglia, 55 days out in Devon and free family days out in Northumberland ***

Do you know of any other good Easter events in Gloucestershire?  Please do let us know about them by commenting below!