There's always plenty to do at Easter in London so I've put together this list of the best for 2009. The Bank Holiday weekend for Easter 2009 is Friday 10 April to Monday 13 April but activities often take place over two weeks.
Easter is a Christian festival which gives the UK two bank holidays: Good Friday and Easter Monday. UK schoolchildren get two weeks off school so expect the major London attractions to be busier. Most people celebrate Easter by eating far too many chocolate Easter eggs but here are some other ways to enjoy this springtime holiday.
Easter is a Christian festival which gives the UK two bank holidays: Good Friday and Easter Monday. UK schoolchildren get two weeks off school so expect the major London attractions to be busier. Most people celebrate Easter by eating far too many chocolate Easter eggs but here are some other ways to enjoy this springtime holiday.
Church Services
© Laura Porter
Easter is technically a religious event, although it may be hard to see that these days. You could attend an Easter Service at one of the landmark places of worship such as Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, or St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Trafalgar Square which usually has live choral and orchestral music during holy week.
Chocolate Easter Eggs
© Hotel Chocolat
What do we want? Chocolate! When do we want it? Now! OK, you can't get away from the chocolate Easter eggs every year. Hotel Chocolat produces Extra Thick Chocolate Easter Eggs which are simply yummy. Free Chocolate alert! Spend £30 or more with Hotel Chocolat before April 13th and receive a 'Taste of Spring' chocolate box free as a thank you. Check out the new Easter Egg Sandwiches. What a fantastic idea!
If you miss traditional sweeties go to Hope and Greenwood in Covent Garden for all your old favorites.
If you miss traditional sweeties go to Hope and Greenwood in Covent Garden for all your old favorites.
Easter Egg Hunts
© RBG Kew
Kew Gardens are beautiful in spring. They have an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday (9.30-12.30) plus a whole host of family-friendly Easter activities including the free Miller's Ark Animals.
Kenwood House, an English Heritage property on the edge of Hampstead Heath, has an Easter Egg Trail, Friday 10- Monday 13 April 2009 (£1 per participant). It also has a lovely café where you can relax and watch the kids go crazy on the lawn.
The Foundling Museum has an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 11 April, 10am-5pm, with free entry for children and their accompanying adult. Follow the Easter trail to discover hidden secrets in the collection and get a free chocolate egg as a prize.
Kenwood House, an English Heritage property on the edge of Hampstead Heath, has an Easter Egg Trail, Friday 10- Monday 13 April 2009 (£1 per participant). It also has a lovely café where you can relax and watch the kids go crazy on the lawn.
The Foundling Museum has an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 11 April, 10am-5pm, with free entry for children and their accompanying adult. Follow the Easter trail to discover hidden secrets in the collection and get a free chocolate egg as a prize.
See more Easter Egg Hunts listed below...
Family Activities at London Attractions
© Laura Porter
All of London's major attractions have special events for children over the Easter holiday. Some may have egg hunts or decorating eggs which are fun pastimes. Try the V&A, National Gallery, Tate Modern, and the British Museum.
(There are more details on specific activities listed below.)
With The London Pass for can pack in loads of sightseeing without spending a fortune. Whether you are taking the whole family or plan to cram in loads of sights on your own The London Pass gives you the freedom to try hundreds of locations for a set price.
London Eye Enchanted Easter Garden
From 3 to 19 April 2009, The London Eye is bringing an Enchanted Easter Garden to life. This will be no ordinary garden of course; its plants and flowers will be laden with delicious sweets and chocolates, with rhymes and riddles that lead you along a mini treat trail through the garden.
Find out more including details of the competition to make London landmarks from sweets and chocolate!
Find out more including details of the competition to make London landmarks from sweets and chocolate!
All New Sea Life London Aquarium
© London Aquarium
Sea Life London Aquarium relaunches on 7 April 2009 after a multi-million pound refurbishment. It is one of Europe's largest displays of global aquatic life and includes one of the world's biggest collections of Cownose rays, a glass tunnel walkway encased in a gigantic blue whale skeleton and a Shark Walk finale.
Chocolate Masterclass at The Berkeley
© The Berkeley London
Book into The Berkeley in fashionable Knightsbridge and you can enjoy a lie-in while your creative little ones can join in a chocolate egg masterclass with the award winning Pastry Chef. Guestrooms are provided with plenty of chocolate treats plus a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory DVD. Families should also visit London's only roof-top pool which comes complete with retractable roof for sunny days. Easter packages start from £225.00 + VAT per night and the children's masterclass is £30 per child.
London Horse Harness Parade
The London Horse Harness Parade is an annual event that takes place every Easter Monday (so, Monday 13 April is the 2009 date). It is a wonderful opportunity to see working horses such as the Friesian horses from Harrods. The London Horse Harness Parade is actually held a short train ride south of London. Find out all the details on the London Horse Harness Parade Visitor Information .Saatchi Gallery Easter Promotion
© Laura Porter
The Saatchi Gallery is inviting parents and other child carers looking after children this Easter break to organize a group visit for their children to the gallery during the month of April. The gallery will provide a free tour of the exhibition for groups of over fifteen children and will present them with a goody bag.
