Five things to do with the kids this Easter holiday in Surrey

The Easter Holidays are here and we at The Business Magazine hope you will soon be logging off and taking some well earned rest. We have put together some holiday activity inspiration for Surrey should you be short of ideas for the kids during the break.

Take part in a gold bunny hunt

Awe-inspiring and dramatic, Hampton Court Palace at East is a fantastic place for a day out.

This is where you can truly explore the sheer splendour of the Tudor court under Henry VIII, with massive rooms like the Great Hall covered in magnificent floor length tapestries, a mind blowing kitchen area as well as the secrets of court life.

READ MORE: Six things to do with the kids this Easter Holiday in the Thames Valley

Take some time off in the gardens to storm battlements and find the secret grotto in the Magic Garden, or enjoy a long walk around the grounds. See the sight of thousands of tulips in bloom during Hampton Court’s annual Tulip Festival (12 April-02 May) while for kids there is the ever-popular Lindt Gold Bunny hunt (02-18 April).

It is a trail that requires time and effort to complete, since you have to discover the stories of people who have lived at the Palace over the centuries. Each story is hidden within a Lindt Gold Bunny statue and can take nearly two hours to complete around the long trail. Once complete, a tasty Lindt Gold Bunny awaits collection at the Clore Learning Centre.

Hunt for super-sized eggs

It is not just Hampton Court Palace that is hosting special Easter trails. There are a host of other locations, from grand houses to pretty gardens, vineyards to adventure parks. At RHS Wisley, Easter (1-19 April) sees a supersized egg hunt. These are no ordinary eggs as they are giant painted versions, and to find them you have to solve puzzles, spot plants and wildlife along the route. On successfully completing the trail, children can claim a chocolate treat from Play in Choc. The fun doesn’t stop there, since there are also daily planting sessions enabling children to plant a carrot seed to grow on at home, as well as craft activities such as making an Easter Bunny hat or daffodil plant label.

Take part in an Easter egg trail with a difference

Over at the National Trust’s Painshill estate (2-24 April), families face the task for finding giant colourful egg shaped characters including a pirate and Mistress Hen. Alternatively head for the National Trust’s Polesden Lacey to complete a trail involving ten hidden nature inspired activities. Find the bunnies in the grounds and what’s growing in the woodlands. You might even find yourself having to shake like a squirrel to complete a challenge! A Rainforest Alliance chocolate egg awaits each successful trail entrant.

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Take a thrill ride this Easter

Fancy some excitement? Then head for Thorpe Park, between Chertsey and Staines. Described as ‘the UK’s most thrilling theme park’ it definitely contains rides perfect for thrill seekers. This is the home of Stealth, the UK’s fastest roller coaster where you get fired 205 feet into the air, and the UK’s first winged roller coaster The Swam with speeds of 60 mph, a horror themed roller coaster with a 100 degree vertical drop, a massive ten loop roller coaster and Tidal Wave, one of Europe’s tallest water rides complete with an 85 foot plunge into the water below. But Thorpe Park is more than just scream inducing adult rides. There are lots of activities perfect for younger members of the family or for family groups such as Mr Monkey’s Banana Ride swinging ship, water rides down rapids, super slides, dodgems, teacup rides and a magic carpet ride. Relax on Amity Beach, make sandcastles or paddle in the pool. New for Easter is a special attraction celebrating HYPERSpring (4 April – 1 May). The challenge is to solve a cryptic code phrase giving access to various special digital delicacies, as well as a new 2020 live show in the Cosmic 6 challenge.

Visit the home of British motorsport

Explore the science behind speed with a special workshop at Brooklands Museum for this is a site with an awe-inspiring history. It contains the world’s first ever purpose-built race track and is the home of British motor sport, as well as being a major centre of aviation with countless planes being built here. Learn about Concorde’s supersonic flight, discover a wide range of vehicles and aircraft along with the stories of the people who made and used them. There’s even a massive Stratosphere Chamber used to research high-altitude flight and an opportunity to walk through a Wellington Bomber

Brooklands Museum is also hosting lots of special events over the Easter period including a gathering of Classic Cars (April 16) and SATRO Sensational Science (April 26). Between April 2-24, there are various interactive Easter activities. Little ones can try out pedal planes and pedal cars, while keen builders can try creating their own supercar in a LEGO build-your-own race car stations. Join a vintage bus ride around Brooklands, or take an invigorating ride up Test Hill and along the race track with the Brooklands Car rides team. Equally engrossing are the Ready to Race family drop in workshops where you create a mini car and try out their power in a big race.