🎢 Big Day Out
Greenwich: Sailors, Space & Egg Hunts
A full day that earns its keep — history, eggs, and a ship to climb aboard. Works brilliantly for ages 4–12.
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10am
Arrive at Cutty Sark — meet the captain and cook, crack the nautical-code Easter egg trail, and collect your chocolate reward. Workshops and sea shanty singers running across the holidays. Included with entry.
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12pm
Picnic lunch on the grass at Greenwich Park, or grab something from the market on College Approach.
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1:30pm
National Maritime Museum — head for the AHOY! Children's Gallery (ages 0–7): fire cannons, haul ropes, hide in cabins. £5 per child during holidays, under 6 months free. Free entry to the rest of the museum.
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3:30pm
Royal Observatory for the view and a quick walk around the Prime Meridian. Kids love standing in two hemispheres at once.
📍 Greenwich SE10 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10am–4pm | 😊 Ages 4–12 | 💰 Cutty Sark £11 kids / £22 adults; AHOY! gallery £5 per child during holidays; rest of museums free
☀️ Free Day
Hyde Park Morning
Low-key, free, and actually lovely in early April if the sun shows up.
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10am
Hyde Park Learning Centre — free Spring Surprises workshop: pond dipping, nature trail, seedball making.
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12pm
Walk across to Kensington Gardens for Play in the Park — free nature-inspired play sessions run by London Play. Drop-in, no booking needed. 31 Mar & 9 Apr, 12–4pm.
📍 Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens W2 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10am–4pm | 😊 All ages | 💰 Free
☔ Rainy Day
Young V&A + Lunch in Bethnal Green
The best rainy day museum in London for under-10s, full stop.
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10:30am
Young V&A (free entry) — the Wallace & Gromit exhibition runs through Easter (£12.50 per person). The rest of the museum is completely free to explore.
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1pm
Lunch at Brawn or Towpath on the canal — or a bagel from Brick Lane if you fancy a walk.
📍 Bethnal Green E2 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10:30am–2pm | 😊 Under 10s | 💰 Young V&A free entry; Wallace & Gromit exhibition £12.50pp
🎢 Big Day Out
Kew Gardens: Octonauts & Spring Colour
A proper outdoor day — 300 acres, 110,000 tulips, and a mission to help honeybees. Great for ages 3–6.
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10am
Head straight to the Octonauts: Above & Beyond trail on arrival — become a young nature explorer on a mission to help honeybees. Free, drop-in, included with garden entry. 28 Mar – 12 Apr, 10am–4pm.
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12pm
Tulip walk through the Azalea Garden — genuinely spectacular in early April. Let them run.
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1:30pm
Lunch at the Pavilion Bar & Grill or bring a picnic. The lawns near the lake are perfect.
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3pm
Treetop Walkway for older kids — 18 metres up among the tree canopy. Younger ones love the playground near the Orangery.
📍 Kew TW9 | 📅 28 Mar – 12 Apr | ⏰ 10am–4pm | 😊 Ages 3–6 | 💰 Adults from £15 (under 16s free); Octonauts trail included with entry
☔ Rainy Day
South Bank: Paddington + Board Games
The South Bank is built for bad weather. Two stops, zero stress, excellent coffee for you.
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11am
Paddington Immersive Experience at County Hall — themed rooms, Easter egg hunt included over holidays. Tickets from £29pp. Book ahead.
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1:30pm
Lunch along the riverfront — Gourmet Burger, Ping Pong dim sum, or a Pret with a view.
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3pm
Draughts board game bar in Leake Street tunnel — 1,000+ games. Children under 12 play for free, ages 13–17 half price. All children must be accompanied by an adult; under-18s not permitted after 9pm. Genuinely brilliant for a rainy afternoon.
📍 South Bank SE1 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 11am–5pm | 😊 Ages 5+ | 💰 Paddington from £29pp; Draughts: under 12s free, 13–17 half price
☀️ Free Day
City Farm Loop
London's city farms are an underrated treasure. Pick one and take it slow.
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10am
Mudchute Farm (Isle of Dogs) — free entry, huge site, goats, pigs, horses, Easter activities running through the holidays.
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12:30pm
Canary Wharf for lunch — explore the free Children's Art Trail around the estate. Kids love it.
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2pm
Not too far from here: London Museum Docklands at West India Quay has free Easter activities (28 Mar – 12 Apr) — paper food crafts, storytelling, printing workshops, and more. Worth extending the day for.
📍 Isle of Dogs E14 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10am–4pm | 😊 All ages | 💰 Free
☀️ Free Day
Natural History Museum Morning
Never gets old. Best arrived at 10am sharp before the queues build.
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10am
Blue Zone first — blue whale and dinosaurs. Free entry. Spring family activities running throughout Easter.
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12pm
Lunch in the Cromwell Road café or walk to the V&A café next door — bigger, less chaotic, equally beautiful.
📍 South Kensington SW7 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10am–1pm | 😊 All ages | 💰 Free entry
🎢 Big Day Out · Good Friday
Shakespeare's Globe + Borough Market + Tate
A brilliant South Bank day for slightly older kids (7+). Culture, food, and river air.
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10:30am
Shakespeare's Globe — Easter holiday workshops running 28 March – 12 April (ages 5–11). Pre-book essential. Swordfighting demo included.
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1pm
Borough Market for lunch — let them pick. Raclette, Spanish ham, Ethiopian stew — the education is in the eating.
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3pm
Tate Modern — UNIQLO Tate Play with Linda Bell: Loop. Swing. Shake. Remake (28 Mar – 12 Apr, 10:30am–6pm): explore colour, movement and creativity — bind, wrap and loop sensory materials to build growing sculptures. Free, drop-in.
📍 Bankside SE1 | 📅 28 Mar – 12 Apr | ⏰ 10:30am–5pm | 😊 Ages 7+ | 💰 Globe workshops from £12 (Tate free)
🎢 Easter Sunday Plan
Hampton Court Palace: Easter Special
A royal Easter day out — palace, maze, gardens, and a chocolate bunny hunt. Worth the trip.
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10am
Arrive at Hampton Court Palace — explore Tudor kitchens, the Great Hall, and the famous gardens. A brilliant family day out with plenty to see.
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11:30am
The Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt — follow the trail around the palace grounds and claim your chocolate reward at the end.
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1pm
Lunch in the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop or bring a picnic for the gardens — gorgeous grounds to spread out in.
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2:30pm
Take on the famous Hampton Court Maze — the UK's oldest surviving hedge maze. Kids absolutely love getting lost in it.
📍 Hampton Court KT8 | 📅 Easter holidays | ⏰ 10am–4pm | 😊 All ages | 💰 Palace entry required; Lindt Bunny Hunt additional