Thanks to some frankly pretty wacky decisions made at the Council of Nicea in the year 325AD, the Easter weekend famously jumps around crazily from year to year, making the Easter holiday undoubedly the most erratic of all school breaks.
For 2026, the school Easter hols stretch from Monday March 30 to Friday April 10, with the Easter weekend tucked away snugly in the middle of that (Good Friday is April 3; Easter Monday is April 6). Theoretically, then, the holiday should be precisely two weeks long with the bank holidays neatly contained therein, although doubtless some schools will tack on a cheeky Monday teacher training day at the end.
Easter is a funny old holiday that be perfect outdoor weather and can be bloody awful. But hopefully spring will have fully sprung, and if not don’t worry – there’s absolutely loads to do in London this Easter holiday, and we’ve rounded up teh best option below.
Stuck for ideas on how to fill all this free time? That’s where we come in. Below is a list of ideas for things you can get up to in London with the kids this Easter holidays.
RECOMMENDED: Crack open our full guide to the Easter weekend.
What is it? It’s a regular trip to London Zoo except a delicious chocolate egg will be gifted to children who tracking down all six giant eggs on the zoo grounds and crack the code written on them. There’s also a new exhibition on the lawn celebrating 200 years of the ZSL.
Where is it? London Zoo.
Why go? London Zoo is always a delight, but it’s just a great time of year in which you can reasonably expect ever heritage attraction in the country to offer an egg on top of the usual fun.
What is it? It’s an immersive, family-friendly celebration of our galaxy and all things space, but the undoubted highlight is the pop-up planetarium that will show a variety of films for kids of all ages, ranging from Animals in Space! for the little ones to the more sober The Night Sky for those looking for something a bit more stats heavy.
Where is it? National Maritime Museum.
Why go? Greenwich without a planetarium is like Greenwich without Meantime: against the natural order of things. Fortunately, while the iconic one at the Observatory is closed for a massive makeover for a couple of years, the good old Maritime Museum has stepped into the gap – a valuable service and a fun looking exhibtion.
What is it? It's unclear whether Henry VIII would have enjoyed Easter egg hunts. But don't let that stop you from enjoying an Easter adventure with a gorgeous Tudor backdrop this spring. As you hunt for the Lindt Gold Bunnies that are dotted throughout the historic grounds, you can learn all about the legendary figures who have made their mark throughout the decades of this London landmark.
Where is it? Hampton Court Palace.
Why go? We’re not going to round up every Easter trail in London on this list, but frankly Hampton Court Palace’s gigantic bunnies and chunky 90-minutes (approx) runtime make it probably the fanciest trail in town. Plus it doesn’t take a genius to guess what your prize for completion is.
The trail takes around 90 minutes and is self-led. Once you've found all the Lindt Gold Bunny statues, you'll be rewarded with your very own edible gold bunny (or non-chocolate treat). Suitable for kids aged between 3 and 12.
What is it? Following in the footsteps of immersive exhibtions dedicated to Tutankhamun, the Titanic and the destruction of Pompeii, here comes a fairly self-explanatory new show that sticks to a tried and true formula of a worthy handful of artefacts augmented by splashy AR, VR and immersive video, plus giant insta-friendly sets.
Where is it? Dock X.
Why go? Because kids love Vikings – at least as an idea – and here they can both actually learn about them while also enjoying the usual fun digital silliness and delve into more lurid mythology. Lest the subject seem intrinsically a bit laddish, it’s actually emphasised that there’s a big focus on ‘the wise Queen Kraka’, who probably didn’t exist but sounds cool anyway.
What is it? The very welcome return of Sam Wilde and Ian Nicholson’s cardboard puppet adaptation of Jon Klassen’s wondrously droll I Want My Hat Back Trilogy of picturebooks about animals scrapping over headwear.
Where is it? Little Angel Studios.
Why go? It’s funny and weird and – as with the books – operates on two extremely different levels depending on what your age is. Because it’s all three books, it also reaches a respectable runtime without needing to be padded out with songs or audience interection (which is fine for some shows but would kill the weird buzz here).
What is it? The British Museum’s Samurai exhibition may be a blockbuster but it’s not actually on for very long – having started just before half-term, the Easter holidays are your last chance to see it.
Where it is? British Museum.
Why go? On the one hand, you’ll learn an awful lot you didn’t know about these most iconic of Japanese warriors, including their startlingly progressive approach to gender. On the other hand, Samurai is packed to the rafters with cool murder weapons and sick looking ornamental armour. A win for all ages, attentions spans and degrees of bloodthirstiness.
What is it? Herd Theatre has created a colourful, interactive wonderland for kids to create and play in, full of with recycled materials ready for repurposing and making. The experience is accompanied by a score made of recycled sounds, as well as prompts to encourage kids and adults to play side by side.
Where is it? Southbank Centre, Spirit Level.
Why go? It’s been staged before and we can confirm it’s fun, worthy and very very popular – if you’re thinking of going, go to the Southbank Centre website and try and book now, basically.
What is it? The Unicorn Theatre joins forces with the RSC for a 90 minute version of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, aimed at ages seven plus. To what extent it’ll feel different to a ‘regular’ production is TBC: you still get a good chunk of Bard in 90 minutes,and the plot synopsis suggests the fairies, lovers and Mechanicals are all present and correct.
Where is it? Unicorn Theatre.
Why go? The magical larks of the Dream definitely make it child friendly, but a proper kids’ version made by the mighty RSC and our very own Unicorn is a rare gateway into the Bard’s works for little ’uns.
What is it? As is now traditional at Shakespeare’s Globe, its outdoor programming gets underway with a truncated pre-season ‘Playing Shakespeare’ play aimed at schoolkids, but very much open to members of the public who are up for open-air theatre in March. This year, Romeo and Juliet gets the 90-minute treatment.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
Why go? A trip to the Globe is always a fun day out and this boisterous gangland R&J should more than hold the attention of the average teen. if you’re rocking younger kids, the Globe has other fun holiday options including storytelling session and swordfighting demonstrations.
What is it? London’s playful homegrown circus company Revel Puck returns with its biggest show to date.
Where is it? Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Why go? Pure joyous acrobatic thrills, at a reasonable price. The show is called A Glimmer Daze Gambit and follows a naive duo desperate to join the circus, but essentially what you need to know is that it’s 100 minutes of circus thrills, from acrobats both local and international.
What is it? Wintershall Players return with their huge open-air re-enactment of ‘The Passion Of Jesus’ on Good Friday, marking the day the big man is believed to have been crucified by the Romans. Two 90-minute performances will be delivered by a cast of more than 100 actors and volunteers – plus a true menagerie of horses, donkeys and doves.
Where is it? Trafalgar Square.
Why go? Clearly there’s a religion dimension to this that is between you and whatever you do or don’t believe in. But it’s an awesome free spectacle and just a quintessential London Easter holidays thing that really everyone should see at least once. Do bear in mind that it’s a recreation of a public execution and therefore not really suitable for younger children.
What is it? Custom designed to introduce tiny tots to ballet, this version of Cinderella is especially adapted for young children, and performed by students of English National Ballet School.
Where is it? Sadler’s Wells East.
Why go? Ballet is popular with young children – but actually going to a ballet show can be daunting. My First Ballet: Cinderella helps it slip down smoother, with a narrator on hand to make sure that kids are following the action, which is choreographed by George Williamson, to Prokofiev's gorgeous music. Ages three-plus.
What is it? Gabby’s Dollhouse – the mildy surreal Netflix kids show about a now teenage girl and her somewhat psychedelic menagerie of animated toy cats – recently spawned a film version and now gets a stage spin-off.
Where is it? Eventim Apollo Hammersmith.
Why go? Clearly a love of Gabby’s Dollhouse helps – this officially licensed new story should delight fans (although it’s worth stressing none of the TV actors will be present).
What is it? A rare London visit from spectacular immersive art company Architects of Air, Luminarium: Myriad is a gigantic installation for all ages that’s perfect for kids to tear around in and also perfect for adults to have a moment of awed contemplation at the world (the two things would seem to be slightly mutually exclusive).
Where is it? Woolwich Works.
Why go? It’s a big cool glowing network of cool artistic tunnel type things to hang out in – we can’t vouch for exactly how long it’ll hold your attention but tickets aren’t expensive and it looks generally pretty cool.
To be honest we’re a bit hazy on the size and shape of this thing, but it sounds cool: ‘visitors can wander through winding tunnels, soar beneath cavernous domes, and explore interconnected chambers full of radiant colour, created as natural light filters through translucent PVC walls’, we are told.
What is it? The names change a bit but you basically know what you’re getting with Disney on Ice: top notch ice skating by performers dressed as a mix of Disney stars old and new. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse host the whole thing – where else do you see Mickey and Minnie these days? – while performers evoke everything from Moana to Frozen to Coco to Beauty and the Beast. Naturally the iconic songs from these films are present and correct.
Where is it? OVO Arena Wembley.
Why go? You love Disney, you love the songs of Disney, and the idea of relocating it all to a giant ice rink fill you with unimaginable joy.
What is it? After a five-year-long world tour, this blockbuster exhibition on the ancient Egyptians is finally arriving in London. Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold will display 180 priceless treasures on loan from the Supreme Council of Antiquities, of which the pinnacle is the coffin of Ramses II, giving Londoners the chance to see an original sarcophagus here in the Big Smoke.
Where is it? NEON at Battersea Power Station.
Why go? In a fine holiday for Egyptologists, this isn’t another gimmicky immersive happening but a collectioon of actual millinnea old awe-inspiring artefacts from the zenith of the Old Kingdom.
What is it? This massive new immersive exhibition is inspired by the legendary beauty Cleopatra, and will bring the world of Ancient Egypt to digital life. The show feels like a bit of a follow-up to last year’s Tutankhamun exhibition (which is by the same people), but it'll focus on the end of the Egyptian empire rather than its heyday.
Where is it? ImmerseLDN.
Why go? Because the Tutankhamun exhbition was a lot of fun and Cleopatra is a great subject being one of teh single most famous people to have ever lived. Although she’s the focal point, it’s more about her dynasty than her specifically – it won’t be just nine rooms on her beauty regime.
What is it? Awaken your inner child by delving into enchanted lands, magical creatures and timeless tales at the British Library’s interactive family-friendly exhibition. All the bangers from your childhood will be explored – from Goldilocks, to Aladdin – through books, artworks, interactive displays, theatrical design, story sharing spaces, costumes and activities.
Where is it? British Libary.
Why go? The British Library’s exhbitions make thoughtful and surpisinghly lively use of its mindboggling collections. Plus: it’s free!
What is it? A cute afternoon tea at this swish Park Lane restaurant, themed around the beloved picturebook Guess How Much I Love You?
Where is it? Lanes of London, Mar 13-Apr 19.
Why go? Costing £65 for an adult and £45 a child it’s a bit of a treat, but that’s generally the deal with afternoon tea. High concept dainties on offer inclide a whisker tip hare biscuit, a miniature wildflower meadow made with rhubarb confit, wild honey panna cotta and cocoa soil and a chocolate orange tree stump with a fluffy lychee rose cloud. The kids’ food is slightly simplified, but they do get a Nutbrown Hare soft toy and a copy of the book.
What is it? Bring along a toy and watch it come to life on stage in Your Toys, a new show from Slot Machine Theatre – created in collaboriation with children – in which every ‘puppet’ in this tale of unlikely friendship is in fact a toy. For ages five to nine.
Where is it? Unicorn Theatre.
Why go? Well it’s just an incredibly fun idea for a show: who doesn’t want to see their toys go on a theatre adventure?
What is it? Following a successful debut last summer, this spring sees the return of the Tower of London’s Duke and Disorderly strand, essentially a series of playlets staged around the fortress’s grounds that imagine the Duke of Wellington’s efforts to impose order on the building after he was made Constable of the Tower in 1826.
Where is it? Tower of London, Mar 30-May 30.
Why go? Free with admission, it’s a bit of fun to pep up your visit. But it’s also a window into a completely different era of the Tower (and, indeed, the Napoleon-conquering Wellington).
What is it? It is literally impossible to have young children and not listen to at least one million hours of Pinkfong’s diabolically catchy ‘Baby Shark’, probably accompanied by its trademark simplistically animated CGI videos. This Easter the phenomenon will cross over into the real world with a special 20-minute looping video delighting children and giving adults coronaries at the Outernet for the duration of the Easter hols from 9am to noon every day. There are also promised special events and an egg hunt.
Where is it? Outernet.
Why go? It’s 20 minutes (or more if you want to watch it on loop!) of free distraction for you children – don’t knock it!
Get set for family fun with our round-up of exciting events and activities for children in London.
Discover Time Out original video
Â
