Five Things to do with Your Family This Easter Weekend

EVENT Egged On
It’s a big celebratory Easter, Oestre or Passover weekend – the perfect opportunity for family time. We have some ideas for celebrations (none of which are linked to any particular religion) here, and crafts here. Even though the actual event fell a month ago, these Ostara celebrations work well at this time of year too. Our favourite Easter activity is egg rolling. Every Easter Sunday, we go to the top of a big hill and roll our decorated eggs. We used to dye our eggs with onion skins, but this has been replaced with a tradition of rendering famous people who have died that year in ovoid form. Take a few packets of salt in our back pockets and feast on the remains of the eggs, but remember to crush every bit of eggshell so witches can’t use them as boats. We have some great natural egg-dying ideas here.

RECIPE Chocs Away
This weekend’s sweet-stuff blow-out means there may be a lot of leftover chocolate around after this weekend (well, maybe…). Why not use it up creatively? Jamie Oliver’s ideas sound delicious – we love his Vegan Chocolate Pots and chocolate tiramisu. Rocky Road is one of our favourite indulgences – this recipe is super-easy for kids, or try the easy-peasy chocolate fridge cake found on the same page. Or why not get arty, and make your own chocolate sculpture!

EVENT Sand Storm
The Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture Festival opens this weekend. Over 500,000 visitors have the enjoyed dramatic, incredibly detailed three dimensional works of art that have sprung up on the beach over the last twelve years. Think giant David Bowies, Big Bens made of countless millions of grains or intricately-realised scenes from well-loved children’s books. This year’s festival’s theme has been inspired by the current political climate – ‘What If?’ You might find depictions of buildings made of jelly, a Mexican Donald Trump or dinosaurs stalking modern-day earth, all created by 15 professional sculptures carving 5000 tons of sand. Ticketed.

MAKE Art by Nature
The sunny, warm weather forecast for this weekend make it an ideal time to collect material for nature crafts. Why not search for leaves, twigs and fallen blossom, to incorporate in art? It can be as simple as using petals and branches to represent trees and clouds (get inspired here) or theme your pieces using art prompts such as these bird templates . Add a twist to the concept by scanning in your finds, printing them out, and using these as a starting point for imaginative drawing.

EVENT Here Be Dragons
Partying on St George’s Day can be a minefield, but the festivities in Trafalgar Square on Saturday are celebratory and inclusive. This Saturday, find vintage rides, knights training and a dragon quest, as well as a dance and storytelling tent. Or head to Redbridge to meet the Goblin Queen and a smoke-breathing dragon! Next week, don’t miss the party at the V&A London Museum of Childhood. This year, the joyful folk traditions of England are blended with the diverse cultures of London’s wider community, there are performances from The London Music Hall Choir, Latvian folk dancers (you can learn their dances in a workshop too), Punch and Judy shows and a ceilidh (Saturday 27).