There’s plenty of family friendly events taking place in Shropshire over the Easter break, see our guide.
A cracking Easter at spectacular at Telford Shopping Centre
Sherwood Square in Telford Shopping Centre has been transformed into a lovely spring garden this Easter, with a host of free family-friendly activities and attractions planned for the school holidays, including a VIP visit from TV’s very own Mr Bloom.
The star of Mr Bloom’s Nursery will be taking a break from his allotment and leaving behind his ‘Veggies’ to bring his fun stage show to Telford on Saturday 4 April. With shows taking place at 11am and 3pm, there are two opportunities throughout the day for the region’s ‘tiddlers’ to catch Mr Bloom in action.
Families heading to Telford Shopping Centre over Easter are also invited to visit the spring garden, where there will be special storytelling sessions, character visits and much more.
Easter also means the return of Telford’s annual ‘Find the Bunny’ competition, with children aged 12 and under tasked to find 10 bunnies from the Build-A-Bear Workshop which are playing hide and seek in shops around the Centre.
Entry forms are available to pick up from the Customer Service Desk and can be downloaded online at www.telfordshopping.co.uk. All entries must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 3 April. Winners will be selected shortly afterwards to pick up a dapper and delicious Big City Bunny from Hotel Chocolat on Saturday 4 April – just in time for Easter!
Easter at Sunnycroft
Hidden down a driveway of Wellingtonia trees is one of National Trust in Shropshire’s hidden gems. Tucked away from the bustle of Holyhead Road in suburban Wellington a hive of activity will greet visitors over the Easter weekend.
Sunnycroft, in Wellington, is once again teaming up with Cadbury to put on a fantastic Easter trail through the gardens to win a Cadbury chocolate egghead. Over the Easter weekend, from Good Friday to Easter Monday, families are invited to be Eggsplorers and take part in the Cadbury outdoor trail. This year children will be able to wind their way through a hidden trail, counting eggs to solve a cryptic code and discover the concealed word to be able to win their egg.
From Friday 3 to Monday 6 April, children can have a go at activities in the Conservatory with colouring in and creating your own mask between 10.30am and 4pm. There will also be croquet, skittles and giant dominoes on the lawn for all to enjoy.
Once you have had your fill of the activities, why not call into our Edwardian tea-room and soak up the atmosphere of this idyllic place with lunch or a cup of tea and slice of cake.
On Tuesday 7 April Sunnycroft will be open to visitors. Call in to enjoy a relaxing walk through the gardens or sit on the terrace with a cup of tea and a piece of cake and relax in our oasis in the middle of suburbia after Easter.
Sunnycroft is open Friday 3 to Tuesday 7 April and then Friday 10 April to Monday 11 April over the Easter holidays. Easter trails run from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April. More information can be found by visiting www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sunnycroft
Easter events at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums
Across the Ironbridge Gorge Museums sites there will be a number of Easter events taking place.
Egg Dancing and Easter Bonnet contest at Blists Hill Victorian Town:
Join the residents at Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge in Shropshire as they celebrate Easter over the school holidays from Saturday, 28th March to Sunday, 12th April. A highlight will be the unusual pastime of Egg Dancing, which will take place twice a day opposite the Print Shop. Once blindfolded, the townsfolk will dance across the street without stepping on eggs that are carefully placed along their route. After the demonstration, everyone can have-a-go with mini Easter Eggs as rewards for completing the course without stepping on an egg!
From Friday, 3rd April to Monday, 6th April visitors are invited to come wearing their best Easter Bonnet, as the Town’s Milliner will be judging the finest creations at 2pm in the Pleasure Gardens; there will be prizes for the best entries and everyone taking part receives a small Easter egg.
Great Easter Bunny Hunt at Blists Hill Victorian Town:
Go along to Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge during the Easter school holidays between Saturday, 28th March and Sunday, 12th April and join in the Great Easter Bunny Hunt to find the ‘rabbits’ hiding in the Town’s woods. Free, self-led trail sheets contain clues to help you find the bunnies; copies can be collected from the admissions desk when you arrive at the open air museum. There will be a small ‘prize’ for every child correctly following the trail and finding all the bunnies.
Make Easter Shadow Lamps at Blists Hill Victorian Town:
Make and decorate an Easter themed Shadow Lamp at Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge at a drop-in hands-on workshop in the Goods Shed between Saturday, 28th March and Sunday, 12th April. Using craft materials such as cardboard, you can design and make your own Shadow Lamp which, when lit by a battery powered tea light, will cast delicate shadows. Suitable for children of all ages, sessions will take place daily between 11am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm.
Discover more about light and create a kaleidoscope at Enginuity:
Illuminate your understanding of light during the Easter school holidays at Enginuity, near Ironbridge, Shropshire. Drop-in family workshops from 28th March until 12th April will celebrate the 2015 Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (www.light2015.org) and look at reflection and how light can be used to make electricity. Use craft materials in different colours and shapes to make your own kaleidoscope and watch the silhouettes of the shadow puppets perform in the theatre. Sessions will take place between 10.30am and 3.45pm, activities will vary from day-to-day and some additional costs will apply in addition to the museum admission fee.
Make ceramic Tea-Light Holders at Coalport China Museum:
Join in the Easter family workshops at Coalport China Museum, near Ironbridge and make your own Tea-Light Holders, inspired by the beautiful and intricate china cottage models known as the Coalport Pastille Burners. At the sessions you can try your hand at sculpting a cottage, castle or lighthouse from clay, which can be fired and sent to your home. Then put a small candle inside your sculpture and transform it into a beautiful Tea-Light Holder. The ‘Home Sweet Home’ hands-on sessions will be held between 30th March – 3rd April and 6th – 10th April from 11am until 1pm and 2pm until 4pm; fired ceramic activities carry an additional fee from £4 per item, plus a postage charge from £3.50, if you want to have your creation sent home after firing.
Easter themed ceramic tile decorating workshops:
Create your own Easter themed ceramic tiles at family drop-in tile decorating workshops during the Easter school holidays at Jackfield Tile Museum in Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge. Designs can be as colourful and original as your imagination allows, perhaps an Easter bunny, baby chick, chocolate Easter egg or spring flowers. The fun and informal sessions will take place between Saturday, 28th March and Saturday 11th April, excluding Sunday 29th March and Easter Sunday 5th April. The Victorian tube lining technique will be used to decorate the tiles, which are priced from £5 per tile (p&p extra to have your tile sent home after firing) plus the museum admission fee. Workshops start from 10am, but allowing up to 1½ hours to decorate your tile, last admission is at 3.15pm.
Opening times and ticket prices:
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Enginuity, Coalport China Museum and Jackfield Tile Museum are open 10am-5pm during the Easter holidays. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing entry into all ten museums and unlimited return visits, costs £27.95 per adult, £21.50 for the 60 plus, £16.95 for students and children, £68 for a family of two adults and all their children aged up to 18 years in full time education (terms and conditions apply) and £50 for a family with one adult; under 5s free. Activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee. Individual museum entry tickets are also available.
Easter Fun at Apley Farm Shop
Apley Farm Shop is springing into action as the team get ready to open on Easter Saturday 4 April, with an Easter craft fair in the courtyard.
Children are invited to bring along their Easter bonnet for the parade & judging at 2pm.
At Scotty’s Animal Park, you can feed a lamb (at 11am & 3.30pm), ride a donkey, stroke a bunny rabbit & you may even see one of the hens lay an egg if you watch long enough ! Children love meeting, stroking & touching the baby Spring animals. Spot the signs of Spring & new life along the 45 min Skylark Nature Trail. You may even spot a skylark – they’re small & hover & sing very high.
Easter bunting & Easter egg decorating workshops for children in the Playbarn run on Wednesday 1 & Wednesday 8 April, 10-12 & 12-2pm. Win a prize on the daily Easter treasure hunt which runs all day, every day until 4pm on Sunday 5 April. All Easter holiday activities are an additional £1 on top of Pigg’s Playbarn admission. Parental supervision is required at all times.
On Easter Sunday, 5 April, the Farm Shop, Alley Katz Toy Shop, Elizabeth Beckett Skincare & Lottie’s (clothing) will be closed. The Creamery Café Restaurant, Pigg’s Playbarn, the Skylark Nature Trail & Scotty’s Donkeys & Animal Park will be open as usual 10-4pm.
Eye spy Easter fun at RAF Museum Cosford
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is hosting two weeks of family entertainment over the Easter break. With a First World War themed ‘Spot the Slang’ trail and glider craft activities to choose from, children of all ages are sure to have fun.
28 March – 11 April: Spot the Slang Trail:
The First World War brought together service personnel from different countries and backgrounds and slang words were often used to help people describe their experiences. This Easter, children will be challenged to find all of the hidden slang words, hidden in and around the Museum’s new First World War in the Air exhibition. By following the trail, youngsters will discover the meanings behind a selection of First World War slang terms including ‘Ace’, ‘Basket Case’ and ‘Whizzbang’, some of which are still used today.
In addition to this, children taking part in the trail can also enter into a competition to win a prize bundle from the RAF Museum shop worth over £50! So, if you have any eagle-eyed children in your family and are up for the challenge, pick up your trail from the Admissions Desk on arrival at the Museum. Participation is just £1.00 per person and entry into the competition is free.
30 March-2 April and 7-10 April: Bird Gliders:
Is it a bird or is it a plane….? Taking inspiration from our feathered flying friends, children can participate in ‘Bird Gliders’, perfect for families who are looking for hands on craft activities. Personalise your glider design using the colours provided before following the easy step by step instructions to build it. Test how well it flies and compete against your fellow participants by trying to land it in the RAF roundel target zone. All materials to build and decorate your bird glider will be provided by the Museum and tickets to take part can be purchased from the Admissions desk on arrival at the Museum. Taking place in Hangar 1 from 11.30am to 3.30pm, participation in the activity costs just £2.00 per person.
In addition to this, there is plenty for the whole family to enjoy at the Museum including getting a taste of the action in the 4D Experience. With a variety of rides to choose from, visitors to the RAF Museum Cosford will be able to experience all the thrills and exhilaration of powered flight by entering the Museum’s 4D Experience. The 4D Experience combines cutting-edge 3D computer animation with the added fourth dimension of special environmental effects, including seat movements, water spray, leg ticklers and smoke effects.
The Museum is open daily from 10am and entry to the Museum is FREE of charge, car parking charges apply.
Cadbury Easter trails and activities at Dudmaston
Put on your eggsploring hat this Easter and enjoy the trails and activities at Dudmaston Hall, a local National Trust property. Have a go at our Easter trails and pick up a Cadbury Egghead for each one completed.
On Monday 30 March, Wednesday 1 April and Wednesday 8 April, help the Easter Bunny finish his eggstra special deliveries by following our trail around the garden and get crafty making an egg decoration to take home.
On Easter Sunday and Monday there’s a different challenge for visitors. Find out where the Easter Bunny has been on his eggciting adventures, visiting his family around the world. Then have a go at designing your own Egghead… Who will yours look like?
There are plenty of other things for visitors to enjoy including a new exhibition, ‘Unheard Voices’ in the Galleries, which provides visitors with a special moment of peace and reflection amongst all the Easter fun and the tearooms will be offering a wonderful selection of Easter treats and possibly just a bit more chocolate.
Normal admission charge applies with a small additional charge for trails and crafts.
Celebrating Easter at Severn Valley Country Park
Shropshire Council rangers at Severn Valley Country Park near Alveley are celebrating Easter in style during the school holidays.
There will be ranger-led events each Wednesday and Friday, and throughout the holidays a self-led trail will be available for younger visitors.
The trail will weave visitors around the park, as they follow clues to see if they can find the characters from Frozen. Olaf has lost the Snow Queen and the trail should help him to find her. The Frozen theme continues on Wednesday 1 April 2015 as rangers take an exciting look at the Snow Queen story. Visitors will be able to spot Olaf, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Sven as they ranger takes them on walk around the park, telling the story along the way.
Let technology take the strain with a Geocache Easter egg hunts. The hunt on Good Friday has proved very popular and is already fully booked, but there is two sessions on Friday 10 April with spaces available. Working in teams, visitors will be able to use a handheld GPS unit to navigate around the park to search for treasure chests holding special eggs.
On Wednesday 8 April rangers will be welcoming spring by asking our younger visitors to make some clay collages to decorate Ethelfleda’s well. The well is at the site of a natural spring which feeds Elfin Pool before making its way in to the river. Visitors will also have the change to make a grass head to take home… so they can watch as bright grass ‘hair’ sprouts up.
The visitor centre and teashop will be open every day of the holidays between 11am and 5pm. Trail maps are £2 each. The other events are £3.50 per child (adults free). Booking for the other events is essential, please call 01746 781192.
Easter Holiday Eggs-travaganza at Attingham Park
Attingham Park is offering family adventures galore this Easter holiday, with Family Trails, Attingham Adventures, Sporty Wednesdays, Easter crafts and a Cadbury Easter Egg Trail.
Explore the grounds with a Family Trail from Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April (excluding Friday 3 to Monday 6 April), from 10am to 4pm. Ages 4 to 7 years will enjoy hunting for Artie the Attingham Caterpillar and older children can take a step back in time and uncover some of Attingham’s history in the History Hunters Trail (ages 7 to 11 years approximately). Trails cost £2.50 and include a small prize.
Cadbury Easter Trails will be taking place from Good Friday 3 to Easter Monday 6 April. Become an Eggsplorer, complete the special Easter Trail and claim a chocolate Egghead prize! Trails are £2.50, available from 10am – 4pm, and Egghead prizes are available while stocks last.
On Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April you can join Attingham’s storyteller on a walk around the grounds for some springtime poetry. Walks will take place at set times between 11am and 3pm.
On Sunday 4 and Monday 5 April take part in an Easter Egg Challenge – colour in a polystyrene egg and challenge your family to see who can keep their egg on a spoon and complete the Easter obstacle course! The Challenge will take place between 11am and 3pm, and costs 50p to take part.
Attingham Adventures will be back again with a Big Bird Day and Kite Creators this Easter holiday. On Wednesday 31 March build a bird box, create a bird feeder and go on a bird calls walk between 10am and 4pm, there is an additional charge of £5 to take part. On Tuesday 7 April have a go at making a kite and fly it in front of the Mansion, and make your own kite bookmark between 10am and 4pm, there is an additional charge of £5 to take part. Both days are ‘drop-in’ and do not need to be pre-booked, Attingham Adventures is aimed at children 5 years + and children must be accompanied by an adult on both activity days.
There’s plenty of sporting challenges to tackle this holiday at Attingham with Sporty Wednesdays on 1 and 8 April. On Wednesday 1 April scale the heights of the Climbing Wall in the Sports Field, £4 per climb, suitable for ages 4+ (at instructors discretion), 11am to 3pm. On Wednesday 8 April budding Robin Hoods can test out their aim with a bow and arrow at Archery from 11am to 3pm. Suitable for ages 6+ (at instructors discretion), £3 for eight arrows.
Have a go at geocaching at Attingham on Wednesday 1 and Wednesday 8 April from 10am to 4pm. The team from Cotswold Outdoor in Shrewsbury will be on site to teach you how to use a GPS device to find 14 hidden caches. £2.50 to have a go, limited availability of GPS devices.
On Thursday 9 April take part in an Easter Craft activity and make your own daffodil windmill and design a wooden egg cup to take home. 10am to 4pm, £2.50 to take part.
To round your Easter holidays off why not drop in and see Feather Perfect Falconry at Attingham on Sunday 12 April as they showcase their stunning birds of prey between 11am and 3pm.
Standard grounds admission charges apply for all events. Admission to the grounds is free for National Trust members and under 5s.
Wheel-y great fun for kids in the Darwin Shopping Centre
The traffic is crazy in Shrewsbury’s Darwin Shopping Centre this week – but that’s all the more reason to go because it’s going to be great fun.
Madcap motoring mayhem is guaranteed when Stop & Go, the latest in a year-long series of special free children’s activity days for three to 11-year-olds on Thursdays through 2015’s school holidays.
The Snapper Jaxx Kids Club team from the fabulous Bakehouse Factory are behind the wheel for the traffic-themed activities starting on Thursday, April 2, at 11am and running through every hour until 4pm.
Everyone is welcome to join in an action packed adventure on wheels as Gertie-a-Go-Go and Stevie-Stop-n-Brake-it invite children to hop in to their dream vehicles and go for an imaginary tour around Snapperville.
It’s a must for all those who love cars, trucks, bikes and trikes – as well as anyone who loves an adventure story and the chance to get hands on and make something to take home.
All the events take place on Thursdays and run from 11am to 4pm with plenty of special offers in the shopping centres as well and they follow this Thursday’s Stop & Go with some cosmic adventures in Shooting Stars next week, on Thursday, April 9, in the Pride Hill Shopping Centre.
Fun-packed Easter planned by Crossbar
A Shropshire sports coaching company is making the Easter holidays as much fun as possible for local youngsters.
Crossbar Coaching Education in Sport, who deliver sport across the curriculum to many county primary schools, will be holding their popular soccer schools in both weeks of the Easter school holidays in Shrewsbury, Telford and Broseley.
Open to boys and girls aged between five and 11, youngsters will receive top quality coaching in a fun and structured environment from Crossbar’s team of expert coaches.
Surprise visits are also planned from professional footballers after both Wolves and Wales international midfielder Dave Edwards and Shrewsbury Town defender Connor Goldson delighted children at the Shrewsbury course by calling to see them during February half term.
The London Road courses will take place from March 30 to April 2 in week one of the Easter holidays and between April 7-10 in week two.
Sessions will be held each day from 9am-3pm at a cost of £12.50 per day or it’s £40 for all four days during a week.
Early drop offs from 8am and late pick ups until 4pm priced £2.50 each time are also available while there is also the optional extra of youngsters having breakfast and lunch at the venue.
Meanwhile, Crossbar will also be running three-day courses each week of the Easter holidays at both Lawley Primary School in Telford and Broseley C of E Primary School.
Week one runs from March 30 to April 1 and week two from April 7-9. The cost of the course is £15 per day or £35 for all three days each week.
Families can take advantage of Crossbar being Ofsted registered and they also offer a childcare voucher scheme. To book a place on any of the courses, call 01743 362368 or email admin@crossbarcoaching.com
Easter chick treat for kids at The Birds Nest Café
Children will have the chance to meet and name eight Easter chicks that will be in residence at The Birds Nest Café, in Shrewsbury Market Hall, on Saturday April 4.
The chicks were born to bantam hens owned by café owner Aaron Brown and now he’s looking to find names for the eight-week-old birds.
Children will be able to view and handle the chicks under supervision and get the chance to enter a naming competition.
Eight names will be drawn out of a hat at the end of the day and the winners will receive a chocolate hen made by national award-winning chocolatier Julia Wenlock, of Toot Sweets, also based in the Market Hall.
“My three bantam hens laid 10 eggs and eight hatched into these cheeky chicks eight weeks ago,” said Aaron.
“I thought it would be a lovely idea to bring them to the market for children to enjoy at Easter time and get involved in naming them. There are three cockerels and five hens.”
Market facilities manager Kate Gittins said a dedicated viewing area would be set up within the Market Hall. The indoor market, located between Shoplatch and Claremont Street, will also be open on Good Friday for shoppers to snap up last minute Easter treats.
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