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Easter activities on the canals


With the children off school for two weeks and a four-day weekend for the adults, the Easter holidays are a great time to get out and enjoy a fun family activity at your local canal or river. Whether it’s a boat trip, an Easter egg hunt, or a chance to see wildlife, waterscape’s guide to Easter events offers a selection of ideas for keeping the whole family entertained.

Easter hunt on the Basingstoke Canal, Surrey, 9-26 April

Find clues in the grounds of the Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre and win a prize. Just turn up and take part any time. £2 per child.

Easter holiday activities at the Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands, 9-25 April

Join in with an Easter egg hunt, an Easter bonnet parade, children's crafts, a prize quiz, egg painting and an egg rolling competition.

Easter bunny boat trips on the Chichester Canal, Sussex, 10-25 April

Take a trip on a canal boat and meet the Easter Bunny. There will be gifts and chocolate for the children and refreshments for all. £8. Booking essential – call 01243 377405.

Wacky wildlife adventures at Rye Meads Nature Reserve, Hertfordshire, 12-14 April and 19-21 April

Fun, wildlife-related activities for 6-11-year-olds, including pond dipping, mini-beasting, bird-watching, outdoor games and crafts. To book, call 01992 708383.

Circusology at the Anderton Boat Lift, Cheshire, 13 and 20 April

Circus skills workshop at the Anderton Boat Lift. Learn plate spinning, juggling, stilt walking and unicycling. While you’re there, why not take a boat trip on the lift, too? Booking recommended for boat trips – call 01606 786777.

Marsden Cuckoo Festival, Yorkshire, 16 April

Street festival in the village of Marsden on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. With brass bands, morris dancing, street performers, homemade food stalls, face-painting, clowns and a wheelbarrow parade.

Easter egg trail at Standedge Tunnel, Yorkshire, 18-28 April

There are prizes to be won in the Easter egg hunt at Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. £1.

Children’s Activity Day at London Canal Museum, London, 19 April

A fun-filled day for children aged 6-12. Activities include a treasure trail, ice cream making, painting, model making, exploring the museum with Henrietta the horse, and a boat trip on the Regent’s Canal. £4.

Easter mystery wildlife trail at Rye Meads Nature Reserve, Hertfordshire, 22-25 April

Family fun exploring the reserve and its wildlife. Pick up an adventure trail sheet from the visitor centre and explore the reserve. Find clues as you go and try to solve the mystery. Free.

Easter boat gathering at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, 22-25 April

A colourful gathering of canal boats at the National Waterways Museum. There will be festivities and entertainment throughout the weekend, including crafts, stalls, demonstrations, boat movements and sea shanties. Adult £6, conc £5, child (5-16) £4, under 5s and Annual Pass holders free.

Woking Canal Festival, Surrey, 22-23 April

Boating and community festival on the Basingstoke Canal, with a decorated boat competition, craft and charity stalls, model boats and public boat trips. For more details, call 01252 370073.

St George and the dragon with the Horse Boating Society, Yorkshire, 23 April

The Horse Boating Society will ‘leg’ through the three-and-a-half-mile Standedge Tunnel, chased by the dragon, before St George arrives to save the day. Plus, activities in the Visitor Centre.

Easter at Stourport Canal Basins, Worcestershire, 24-25 April

There will be an Easter Town Trail at Stourport Canal Basins, plus a British Waterways historic working canal boat will be present. The Tontine Stable Heritage Room and Old Ticket Office, which provide information about the history of the town and the canal basins, will be open to the public. For more details, call 01299 822827.

Last updated: 04/04/2011

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