Easter is always a great break to look forward to and enjoy! With two weeks off school, spring weather (please 🙏), Easter egg hunts, a long weekend and plenty of chocolate!
If you want some inspiration to keep everyone entertained without spending a fortune every day, we’ve got some great ideas! For even more ideas of things to do at Easter in York, see our Easter School Holidays section here. Plus discover all the best places to visit in York, days out, events and activities over Easter here.
Enjoy celebrating York’s chocolate and confectionery heritage, with plenty for everyone to enjoy – especially chocolate lovers!
ℹ️ Find out more about York Chocolate Festival in our Guide here
💷 Free entry to the festival, with some ticketed events
📅 Wednesday 16 April – Sunday 20 April 2025
📍Parliament Street, York & various other locations
Whilst collecting Dragon Eggs to play Wizard Golf, the trainee sorcerer, Thalorin at The Hole in Wand cast a teleportation spell to transport the eggs directly to The Hole in Wand, York. Unfortunately, the spell went awry and the eggs have been scattered across 5 locations in the city. You are tasked with locating the eggs, each displaying a letter, and making up a secret word.
Speak the magic word to the wizards at The Hole in Wand and, if you are correct, you will be presented with an Easter chocolate treat for your help.
ℹ️ Find out more here.
💷 FREE
📅 5 – 20 April 2025
📍 Pick up your FREE map from Hole In Wand on Coppergate Walk or download it here!
Are you clever enough to crack Loki’s secret code? Grab your trail pack and set off on The Great Rune Hunt—a free, interactive adventure perfect for families, book lovers, and mythology enthusiasts alike!
This city-wide treasure hunt will have you exploring seven unique venues in York, searching for hidden runes. Each location holds a special rune letter. Collect them all to reveal a hidden word!
ℹ️ Find out more here.
💷 FREE
📅 7 – 21 April 2025
📍 Visit Jorvik Viking Centre to collect your FREE trail pack
We’ve highlighted a few Easter egg hunts and trails but there are LOADS more listed in our guide here!
ℹ️ Find out more in our Guide to Easter Egg Hunts, Trails & Parties in York here
💷 Various costs
📅 Various dates listed above
📍 Various locations in York listed above
Easingwold Community Library, MINECRAFT MAGIC (FREE): Wednesday 16th April, 10am – 12pm
Join renowned local art wizard CHRIS GEESON making models of Minecraft characters and blocks using arty-crafty stuff. For children aged 7+ accompanied by a parent/guardian. Prebooking is essential – call into the library or ring 01609 534584.
Flower Planting and Crafts at Dunnington Library: 8th April 2025, 2.15 – 3.30pm
FREE kids’ event: sowing easy-to-grow, bee-friendly flowers and crafting pollinators. A drop-in but, to ensure enough seeds/compost/craft materials/volunteers, indicate attendance in advance on the event on the Dunnington Green Initiatives Group Facebook page. Please bring one or two small empty pots for each child if you can. Dunnington Reading Rooms (Small Hall), 10 Church Street, YO19 5PW.
Foss Fairy Trail – Egg Painting Workshop: Easter Sunday 2025 (20th April 2025, 11am – 1pm)
An egg painting workshop on Easter Sunday – come along and decorate your own eggs at the picnic tables using real hardboiled eggs.
Free but donations are always welcome! No bookings are required, although eggs will be first come first served.
Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate – Easter activities: 19 and 20 April 2025, 11am to 4pm
Come and decorate an Easter bonnet to take home. Drop in any time between 11am and 4pm. Hats and decorations are provided (while stocks last). The suggested donation £3 per hat, but all contributions are welcome.
York Model Engineers – Easter Steaming and Family Fun Day: Sunday 20 April 2025, 10am – 5pm
Annual Easter Running Day! Free Train Rides 10am – 5pm. Food & Drink Available from Clubhouse. Plus many fun activities for kids. Located in Dringhouses, situated in nearly 5 acres of woodland grounds alongside the East Coast Main Line, with three different miniature railways.
We’ve listed loads of brilliant places in York that are offering great meal deals and offers, including lots of places where kids eat for FREE or only £1 if you also buy an adult meal!
Check out our Guide to all the places with great meal offers in York here, and enjoy a meal out with great savings for kids!
As well as seeing the Flying Scotsman up close, you can find out all about its history in the exhibition, which includes the 100 Years, 100 Voices film.
ℹ️ Find out more on the National Railway Musuem website here
💷 Free entry (charges apply for Wonderlab)
📅 Opening hours 10am – 5pm, Flying Scotsam from 5 – 23 April 2025
📍 Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
Children need to wear suitable sports clothing and avoid wearing jewellery. Full details on the website below.
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 All sessions are free
Our Mumbler Mythical Creature Quest takes you on a short but magical walk around York to seek out eight mythical creatures hiding in the city.
Collect your FREE map from Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street or download it here.
Once you find each creature you’ll need to unscramble the clues to uncover the magical Mumbler password!
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 Free, download your map here or collect from Visit York Infomation Centre, Parliament Street
📅 Anytime!
📍 York City Centre
Easter fun at Waterstones York! Treasure hunt in the children’s section all day every day, picture book storytime every day at 3pm. Plus craft activities including Minecraft swords, decorating paper Easter eggs and making our own paper Easter baskets!
ℹ️ Find out more on the Waterstones website here.
💷 Free
📅 5 – 19 April 2025
📍 15 Coney Street, York, YO1 9QL
We’ve compiled a handy A-Z list of all the best parks & play areas in York, so why not visit a park you don’t usually go to for a change? For the ultimate free day out don’t forget to pack a picnic!
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 Free
📅 Opening times vary, but generally all are open during daylight hours
📍 Various across York – see our handy map
There are always plenty of great (and often free) events going on at your local library.
There are plenty of FREE storytime sessions, crafting and LEGO clubs at many of the libraries.
For more information see the York Explore Events section
Cost? Free, unless otherwise stated
When? Various dates over the Easter holidays
Where? Various Explore Libraries
Lots going on at York Designer Outlet this Easter!
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 Free or cheap!
📅 9.30am – 8pm Good Friday, 9.30am – 8pm Easter Saturday, 10am – 6pm Easter Sunday, 9.30am – 8pm Easter Monday. All other dates follow the usual opening hours
📍York Designer Outlet, St Nicholas Ave, York, YO19 4TA
A lunch club providing meals for families in the community, as well as supporting families socially (adults as well as for their primary-aged children). Children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking via Eventbrite is helpful but not necessary (unless dietary requirements).
ℹ️ Find out more & reserve a place here
💷 Free or cheap!
📅 Tuesdays 8 and 15 April 2025, 11am – 1pm
📍York City Church, The Citadel, Gillygate, York, YO31 7EA
Thursday 10 April from 10.30am – 3.30-pm: Have a teddy picnic and watch an Easter film. Puzzles, crafts, snacks, drinks are included. Parents must stay throughout the event.
Wednesday 16 April from 9.30am – 1.30pm: Weather permitting an Easter Egg Hunt will be held in the garden. There will be Easter Crafts and Colouring Competition.Snack, drinks and lunch is included. Please note parents must stay throughout the session.
ℹ️ If you would like to book please email on [email protected] or Text 07989 193758 between 9am and 5pm week days. Find out more information on Facebook here.
💷 Free for children who receive free school meals (Haf) or attend our FoodShare. Donations for all other families.
📅 Thursday 10 and Wednesday 16 April 2025
📍16 The Village, Haxby, York YO32 3HT
Nothing beats getting out in the fresh air! We’ve got loads of walking ideas for you! We have over 50 walks in York City Centre and further afield. We also got some Circular Walks in York which are perfect with kids, as there is no opportunity to moan about walking back!
If you fancy treating everyone, how about a walk with a cafe nearby, enjoy a hot drink and cake and a walk! We’ve also highlighted some great Woodland Walks near York, perfect for adding in a few more activities to keep the kids entertained like den building or leaf collecting. Also if nature is your thing, how about visiting one of the Nature Reserves near York. We’ve also created some fab scavenger hunts for you to download, there’s one for each season.
Plus if you are struggling to get everyone out for a walk, but desperate to go yourself, we’ve got 10 ideas to make walking with kids more fun – yes really!
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 Free
📅 Anytime!
📍 Various locations in York
Here at York Mumbler, we aim to make parents’ lives as easy as possible so we’ve created an Easter Egg hunt for you to set up at home. All you need to do is buy a few treats, print off or write out our clues and hide them around the house!
Should keep everyone entertained for a while, while you sit back and eat some chocolate eggs! 😁
ℹ️ Download your FREE Mumbler clues here
💷 Free
📅 Anytime!
📍 At home
We’ve loads of fun Easter-themed ideas for you to do at home!
ℹ️ Download your FREE Mumbler Easter crafts & games here
💷 Free
📅 Anytime!
📍 At home
🐣We hope you have lots of free fun this Easter in York! For more ideas visit our Spring & Easter Section for Kids. 🐣
Last updated March 2025
