With the school’s Easter holidays fast approaching, you might be on childcare duty over the coming weeks. Whether you’re looking forward to time with the grandchildren or secretly worry about the extent of your childcare responsibilities, we have inspiration to help you pack the holidays with fun.
There’s more good news, too, as a recent report suggests that looking after grandchildren could be good for you.
Keep reading to find out more and for some Easter suggestions for local fun days out, whatever the weather.
A study finds that providing childcare as a grandparent can be good for your mental agility
A 2024 SunLife survey found that 43% of grandparents look after their grandchildren during school holidays, giving up an average of 18 hours a week to do so.
Now, after six years of research, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (reported by HuffPost) has found that providing childcare could help prevent cognitive decline. The survey asked detailed questions about the type and frequency of childcare provided, and included everything from a short babysitting stint to watching grandchildren overnight or longer stays involving leisure activities and helping with homework.
Of those surveyed, the grandparents who undertook some childcare duties – and it didn’t matter how regularly or for how long – scored higher on tests of memory and verbal fluency than those who didn’t provide care.
The study does admit, though, that voluntary caregiving within a supportive family group is likely to have a different effect on cognitive function than sudden or unexpected caregiving without support, so research continues.
In the meantime, if you have volunteered to provide support during the Easter holidays, here are just a few trips out you might put in the diary.
1. Easter Egg Hunt at Stowe Gardens
Many National Trust-owned properties will be running Easter events, and Stowe Gardens is among them. The Easter Egg Hunt will run from 28 March to 18 April. The kids will love running around the 250 acres of grassland and pathed walkways, wearing themselves out as they search for the 10 activities to discover and complete, involving art, music, and the chance for a selfie.
Once the Easter adventure is complete, they can collect their prize, and there’ll still be plenty left to explore. The 18th-century landscape garden features open grassland, monuments, and tree-lined walkways, while the 750 acres of parkland features secluded woodland walks and areas created by “Capability” Brown.
2. Discover Bucks Museum
Discover Bucks Museum is celebrating Easter by unveiling its new SAXONS exhibition. Beginning with a Family Opening Day on 28 March, daily Easter- and Saxon-themed activities will run until 10 April.
Activities include:
- Easter-themed moving pictures of hopping lambs and jumping rabbits
- Easter science workshops packed with egg-related science and experiments.
- Decorating a wooden Easter bunny or making a pop-up jack-in-a-box egg
- An Eggcellent Egg Hunters Easter egg hunt around one of the oldest buildings in Aylesbury
- Plenty of Saxon fun, including creating baskets, brooches, carvings, and clay tiles.
There’s plenty of non-Easter-related fun to be had, too, in the museum’s regular exhibitions and the interactive Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery.
The museum is huge fun for all the family and a great option if you’re worried about the Great British weather too.
3. Whipsnade Zoo
As the UK’s largest zoo, Whipsnade has plenty to offer all year round, but this Easter there’s the bonus of the Zoonormous Egg Hunt.
Suitable for the whole family, and included in the cost of entry, there are special eggs to find, clues to solve, and riddles to unravel. Each egg will help your grandchild to learn about one of the zoo’s incredible species, and there’s a sweet treat surprise at the end, too.
The 600-acre site features indoor and outdoor play areas, more than 11,000 animals, and – from 28 March to 12 April – Easter craft activities.
4. Cowper & Newton Museum
You won’t need to travel far to visit the Cowper & Newton Museum just off Olney High Street.
Expect children’s activities in the museum and gardens, including an educational trail, an Easter bunny hunt, and the chance to dress up in 18th-century costumes.
In the museum itself, there are nine history-packed rooms, with artefacts that belonged to William Cowper as well as exhibits about John Newton, the author of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’.
Easter fun runs from 31 March to 11 April.
5. Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park
Spring is always an exciting time on a farm, and this spring at Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park is no exception.
From 28 March to 12 April, why not take your grandchildren for an Easter day out complete with newborn lambs, recently hatched chicks, and even an appearance from the Easter Bunny? There’s the chance to get up close to these incredible animals, with bottle feeding, daily talks, and animal encounters.
Away from the Easter-themed fun, there’s plenty to keep kids of all ages entertained, with go-karts, playgrounds, and indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy.
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