Five things to do with the kids this Easter Holiday in the Solent
Enjoy family filled fun with the kids on Easter trails, theme park rides, farm visits and more around the Solent.
Just off Exit 2 of the M27 is the little village of Ower, possessing an irresistible attraction for toddlers and their parents.
This is Pepper Pig World, where you can ride around the Grampy Rabbits Sailing Club, take a journey on The Queens Flying coach or visit Peppa’s own Big Balloon Ride. But that’s not all – quite apart from the delights of Pepper Pig World, the 40 acre Paultons Park contains over 70 rides including world class rollercoasters guaranteed to make you scream.
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There are themed areas such as the Lost Kingdom complete with animatronic dinosaurs and mini land with strange mixed up creatures. New this year is Tornado Springs, a1950’s American Midwest desert resort town complete with gyro swing ride, driving school and spinning coaster.
Complete your visit to Paultons Park with a visit to Little Africa in which animals like fennec foxes, Savannah monitor lizards and meerkats live. Time your visit to match l feeding times and learn more about the many animals and birds that live here. As a special treat this Easter, children can also meet Bobtail Bunny and his friends.
Take part in an Easter Egg hunt
How about an Easter Egg hunt? These are being held at locations throughout the Solent. The National Trust sites at Mottisfont, The Vyne and Hinton Ampner (9-24 April) are holding nature inspired trails around their gardens and parkland. Take part in a variety of activities such as discovering who lives in huge hedges, move like a bird, hunt for specific shades of green, find answers to questions and win a chocolate egg at the end.
Gilbert White’s Garden (2-24 April) is offering an opportunity to hunt for the ten eggs hidden around the garden. Solving the clues provides fascinating insights about native birds and their nesting habits. One bird is slightly different – find it and claim a chocolate egg. Stroll around Manor Farm, (9-24 April) meet the new born lambs, try wool crafts, listen to stories and hunt for the golden egg.
For a very different style of Easter egg hunt why not take to the water and go for a guided paddle in Canadian style canoes with New Forest Activities (8-18 April). Hunt for eggs along the riverside, and then paddle back to base at Baileys Hard, Beaulieu.
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Take in some history
If water and the maritime world attracts, then what better way to have a family day out at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard between 8-29 April.
There are lots of different family activities available including making finger puppets, Tudor treasure Hunts, creative play and storytelling events featuring some misbehaving corgis.
Go aboard some amazing ships like the Victorian iron hulled ship, HMS Warrior, dive deep on HMS Alliance and tread the boards of Nelson’s legendary flagship, HMS Victory or find out the stories behind the Tudor Mary Rose. Learn about the work of Dockyard Apprentices, and explore Naval warfare at the interactive Explosion museum.
Join a harbour tour and see the Historic Dockyard from the water as well as glimpsing modern frigates, destroyers and helicopter carriers in use by the Royal Navy and the fortifications built to protect Portsmouth. This is an area steeped in naval heritage, as it has been home to British naval forces for over 1,200 years, making it one of the longest continually used naval areas in the world.
Ride Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Countless children and adults have dreamed of taking rides in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of the most phantasmagorical flying cars ever devised.
Head over to Beaulieu for an opportunity to do so as a stunning Chitty Chitty Bang Bang reconstruction returns for the 2022 season offering rides around the grounds of Beaulieu. Watch countless other historic vehicles driving around the main area at the National Motor Museum or explore James Bond’s top secret creations in the new exhibition Bond in Motion – No Time to Die.
Try on Easter bonnets within Palace House and learn about life in the nineteenth century from costumed guides. The extensive grounds of Beaulieu are home to an Easter Activity trail, with a larger than life Easter bunny hopping around handing out wildflower seeds to take home.
Take part in a treetop adventure
Head for the treetops and discover a whole new world of adventure.
Based at Itchen Valley Country Park, Southampton GoApe offers challenges for all the family. New this year is an Axe Throwing workshop, or you can try the Treetop Challenge for the ultimate in physical fun with Tarzan Swings, tricky log balancing, and a 200 metre zip wire flight reaching speeds of up to 25 mph. For younger children, the Treetop Adventure course can be equally challenging to complete with wobbly bridges, crossings between trees that test your confidence and a zip wire back to ground level. Not far away are lots of other outdoor activities through the Country Park including a Play Trail of animal sculptures, Nature Detective Trail and Tree Trail.
