Easter Egg Hunts at Amazing Places

Easter is once again upon us and we all know what that means… chocolate in abundance, the first bank holiday of the year, bunnies, and of course, Easter egg hunts! As the spring weather warms up, it’s the perfect time to take the children to an Easter egg hunt for a fun day of searching and eggs-ploring.

The National Trust has organised Easter Egg Hunts at various prestigious venues all around the country, so to help you narrow the search, Leonardo Hotels has put together a quick guide of our four top choices. We’ve also included a handy overview of how to make your own hunt for those wanting to stay close to home. Tip: don’t eat all the chocolate before the kids find them…

Brighton - Devil's Dyke

This year the National Trust is holding two Easter events at Devil’s Dyke, a scenic v-shaped valley that legend says was dug by the Devil! This beautiful spot (believed to be formed during the last ice age) is only a 20 minute drive away from Brighton. The first event is the annual Easter egg hunt - quiz sheets and maps are provided as participants have to follow the clues around the valley, answer the questions, and finish the given tasks to find their way to a prize awaiting at the end. The hunt costs £3 per person and runs over every day throughout the Easter weekend (Saturday 4^th – Monday 6^th April) from 11am – 3pm.

The second event is the Easter Egg Rolling Competition down the Dyke valley. Taking place on the Bank Holiday Monday from 10.45am – 12pm at £1 per ticket, partakers have to bring their own hand decorated, hard-boiled egg to roll down the valley. Whoever’s goes furthest, wins! There’s also a separate prize for the best decorated egg, offering a fun morning for all the family (make sure to turn up a little earlier to guarantee a place).

Liverpool - National Trust Formby

Only 35 minutes by car from Liverpool (30 minutes on the train), the National Trust Formby is a beautiful part of the coastline and ideal for a family outing. There’s miles of beach to trek and vast woodlands to wander through, making it an exciting and adventurous location for this year’s Easter egg hunt.

Taking place on Saturday 4^th April from 11am – 3pm, this National Trust egg hunt in the woods offers a number of additional activities, from tree-climbing to bug hunting to spotting cute red squirrels. The egg hunt trail costs £5 to participate, and as the event normally sells out, those wishing to go are encouraged to book tickets online. There’s an additional parking charge (per car) of £5.

The National Trust Formby has a lot on offer this Easter, providing the perfect adventure for getting the kids out and about.

Leeds - Nostell Priory and Parkland

Nostell Priory – Becks/ Creative Commons (image and image size have been modified)

A 300 year old Georgian house with 300 acres of grounds and an adventure playground – Easter Weekend at Nostell Priory and Parkland is certainly an exciting day out for both adults and kids. With egg hunt trails taking place every day over the weekend from 10am – 4pm at £1 per trail, there is ample time to explore and enjoy the vast estate. As well as egg hunting, there’ll be various games and activities to get involved in too.

Only a half hour drive from Leeds, The Nostell house also has many interesting attractions to see inside. There’s a collection of Chippendale furniture (made especially for Nostell), paintings by Brueghel, Hogarth and Kauffman, and an 18^th century dolls’ house. Entry to the house is separate to the trail cost and is £6.90 for adults and £3.55 for children over 5.

Glasgow - Pollok House

Pollok House – Son of Groucho/ Creative Commons (image and image size have been modified)

Another National Trust treasure and said to be Scotland’s answer to Downton Abbey, Pollok House is a grand country house set on the gorgeous surroundings of Pollok Country Park, only a 20 minute drive from the Glasgow city centre. The Easter egg hunt trails will be available to take part on every day across Easter weekend from 10am – 4pm and cost £2 per trail.

There are also a lot of other awe-inspiring elements to Pollok house that make it a fantastic and educational day trip including the stunning Pollok Formal Gardens, and the UK’s finest collection of Spanish art with paintings by El Greco, Goya and Murillo. Additionally, situated in the middle of the Pollok Country Park, there is the Burrell Collection, which houses a vast collection of medieval art and artefacts. Entry to the property costs £6.50 for an adult and £5 for children over 5.

Make your own Easter egg hunt

Easter Eggs – Praktyczny Przewodnik/ Creative Commons (image and image size have been modified)

What you’ll need for your own Easter egg hunt:

• Chocolate eggs. A variety of foil wrapped eggs, ranging in different sizes from small to large.
• Some bowls or baskets to collect the eggs in.
• Some hard-boiled eggs for decorating later.
• Card, sellotape, paints and other craft materials.
• Additional tip: buy plastic eggs that open up and fill with other treats.

Before starting, it’s a good idea to set some ground rules for the egg hunt.

• Create a base and ask each child to return to it once they have collected 5 eggs, where they should stay until the rest of the children have returned ensuring that they all find the same amount.
• Set an amount of how much of the chocolate can be consumed on the day.
• If handling a large group of kids of differing ages, a good idea is to pair up an older child with a younger one.

Choose an outside or indoor area with a lot of nooks, crannies and hiding places. This could be in the house, garden or at the local park. Spread both the chocolate and hard boiled eggs (make clear that these aren’t for eating!) evenly throughout the area, making sure to leave the larger chocolate eggs for the last or furthest away search.

Clues can be made inventive and fun, in the form of riddles or poems with missing words, and should be left at each spot indicating where the next batch may be. After all the eggs are found, gather the children to paint the hard-boiled eggs whilst they enjoy their chocolate treasure. This is a good way for them to concentrate and use up the extra, chocolate energy.

If you’re planning a trip to any of the Easter egg hunts, our city centre hotels in Brighton, Liverpool, Leeds, and Glasgow are perfectly situated easy distances from the National Trust locations. If creating your own… have fun!