9 outdoor Easter activities for families

Spring has sprung and it’s a glorious time to explore outdoors with your kids. We’ve got plenty of ideas to make your Easter holidays memorable, so pull on your wellies, wear your bunny ears and hop to the woods for Easter scavenger hunts, picnics, egg hunts and more.

1. Enjoy an Easter walk in the woods

Take a stroll in the spring sunshine to discover the sights and sounds of the season. It’s a busy time in nature so there’s plenty for youngsters to get excited about. Look for scarlet ladybirds on fresh green leaves, spot vibrant wildflowers popping open, or listen for birds chirping as they gather food for their hungry chicks.

We care for more than 1,000 woods across the UK – wonderful places for family adventures in the fresh air. Find a wood near you and enjoy our Easter activities while you’re there.

2. Go on an Easter scavenger hunt

Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? They're great fun for all ages and encourage kids to really observe the natural world around them. They can get quite competitive too, especially if there’s a prize up for grabs!

Here are some items to find on your Easter adventure. Children can write or draw a tick list to take with them, or you can screenshot this list to check while you’re hunting. You can add your own ideas too. Can you find…

• something shaped like an egg
• something soft like rabbit fur
• yellow flowers
• fresh green leaves
• pretty blossom
• sweet birdsong
• a rabbit hopping about
• a lamb frolicking in a field
• an old nest high up in a tree?

3. Plan an Easter picnic

Keep your family fuelled on your outdoor adventure with an Easter-themed picnic in the woods. Choose a picturesque spot to spread out your blanket and tuck into hard-boiled eggs or tasty Scotch eggs. Swap sandwiches for hot cross buns filled with sliced cheese (a sweet and savoury delight!), or scoff carrot sticks just like a bunny. For dessert, follow our super simple recipe for chocolate nest cakes topped with mini eggs – it’s ideal for little ones who like to get involved in the kitchen.

When you've finished your picnic, please remember to pack up all your things and take any rubbish home to recycle.

4. Go on an egg hunt with a difference

In spring there’s a baby boom and birds are busy building nests, laying eggs and raising their chicks. Once the baby birds have hatched, the delicate eggshells are often booted out of the nest by the parents and can sometimes be found on the ground.

For an egg hunt with a difference, keep your eyes peeled for pieces of broken eggshell on the woodland floor. If you find fragments of shell, examine them up close and study their size, shape and colour. Check out our eggshell ID guide and you might even discover which bird they belong to!

5. Look for egg shapes in nature

Here’s another twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt – challenge youngsters to find egg shapes in nature. Can they spot oval leaves, petals and pebbles? Look up at the clouds in the sky and down at puddles on the ground. Old trees might even sport an egg-shaped hole or two in their trunks. How many different egg shapes can you spot?

6. Have an egg and spoon race

Continue the egg-themed fun with a classic egg and spoon race. Woods have plenty of natural obstacles you can use to set a challenging course for your competitors. Dodge big old trees, duck under low branches and step over stumps, all while carrying your egg safely to the finish line.

Top tip: hard-boil your eggs at home so they will survive if they roll off the spoons. You can personalise them too – why not get inspired by spring and paint flowers, leaves and animals on them?

Please take all eggs and spoons home with you after the race.

7. Build a twig nest

Get inspired by the birds you see on your walk and have a go at making a nest. Gather some fallen twigs from the forest floor and challenge your kids to weave them into a nest shape, just like a bird does. Can you build one strong enough to hold a clutch of pebbles (or mini chocolate eggs!)?

8. Spot spring flowers

A display of beautiful blooms is a highlight at Easter. Look for sunny daffodils, cheery tulips and scented hyacinths in gardens. Out in the woods, keep your eyes peeled for bluebells, wood anemones, violets and primroses brightening the forest floor.

Need help identifying your floral finds? Our wildflower swatch book is a handy, pocket-sized guide that features 30 woodland wildflowers. It has clear pictures to aid identification, so it’s ideal for both kids and adults.

9. Rainy ideas

April showers are inevitable during the Easter holidays, but don’t let them stop you getting outdoors. Grab your waterproofs and wellies and prepare for a wet weather adventure instead. Splosh in puddles, skip through streams and spot slugs and snails enjoying the soggy surroundings.

For more wet weather inspiration, check out our rainy day activities blog.