Time Out’s National Trust Easter adventure guide: natural play

Kent

Janek: ‘I love playing on the balance beams!’

We live in Bromley, in easy striking distance of Kent’s many National Trust properties, and the curiously named Ightham Mote is definitely a firm family favourite. The moated medieval manor house at its centre is cute and photo friendly, and my kids absolutely love the natural play area – especially the chimes, balance beams and stepping stones!  

Easter Egg Hunt runs from March 25-April 23. Booking is not required. £3 per trail. Entry is free for National Trust members (not including trail). Adult £16, child £8, children under five go free.

Cambridgeshire 

Janek: ‘It had a farm!’

There’s lots of fun stuff to do at the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire: its grounds are absolutely vast, including 300 acres of woodland with a haunting gothic folly at the summit. But for pretty much all children the highlight is going to be obvious: there is an entire actual working farm on the estate, aka Home Farm. It’s one of the UK’s largest rare breeds centres – the little ones can encounter everything from a giant shire horse to a cheeky little Bagot goat.

Easter Egg Hunt runs from April 1-16. Booking is not required. £3 per trail. Entry is free for National Trust members (not including trail). Adult £18 (whole estate) or £9 (gardens and parkland), child £9 (whole estate) or £4.50 (gardens and parkland), children under five go free.

Kent

Janek: ‘It’s just really big!’

A picturesque semi-ruin in the heart of Kent’s Bewl Valley, the remnants of the original medieval Scotney Castle look really cool: the Victorians basically developed them to look as romantic as possible, and they’re sure to capture the imaginations of any child liable to be impressed by a crumbling castle (ie hopefully all of them!). What’s a real clincher for parents is that the gargantuan 780-acre grounds feature plenty of buggy-friendly routes – when we visited a few summers ago it was ideal to trundle Janek’s little brother Feliks from castle to playground.

The Great Scotney Egg-stravaganza runs from April 1-16. Booking is not required. £3 per trail. Entry is free for National Trust members (not including trail). Adult £12, child £6, children under five go free.

Northumberland 

Janek says: ‘I think I saw a red squirrel!’

This truly vast Northumberland estate – gifted to the country by unconventional MP Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan – boasts a selection of cycling trails (plus seasonal cycle hire) and four excellent playgrounds that ought to go down well on any family visit. But for keen young nature-lovers, the highlight will surely be its woodland walks and wildlife. You’ll see woodland birds; you might see a deer, if you’re really lucky you’ll spot a red squirrel; you may even spy white-clawed crayfish in the river. Whatever happens you’ll all enjoy have fun ducking into the wildlife hide and imagining what might be out there.

Easter Egg Hunt at Wallington runs from April 3-14. Booking is not required. £3 per trail. Entry is free for National Trust members (not including trail). Adult £16 (£10 before March 26) child £8 (£5 before March 26), children under five go free.

Wales

Janek: ‘It’s fun climbing the logs in the play areas.’

The Edwardian gardens on the outskirts of Cardiff have plenty to offer a grand day out for the kids. It boasts not one but two log-based natural playgrounds and a den-building area, plus there’s loads for any nature-lover to get their teeth into, from the glasshouse and garden rooms to the celebration of blossom events currently running there until the end of May. 

Easter adventures at Dyffryn Gardens runs from April 1-11. Booking not required. £3 per trail. Entry is free for National Trust members (not including trail). Adult £11, child £5.50, children under five go free.