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 Easter ideas, check out our Things to do in spring page, plus find out all the best places to visit in York on our Easter School Holidays listings 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 on our blog here
💷 Free entry to the festival, with some ticketed events
📅 27 – 31 March
📍Parliament Street, York & various other locations
2. Find 21 Snooks hiding around York 🗺The York Snooks Trail from Make it York will be on for 8 weeks and is now launched and live!
Take part in our Snooks Competition to be in with the chance of winning a £100 York Bid Gift card. Simply complete any of our 3 Snooky activities and gain an entry into our competition for each part you complete!
Pick up a competition sheet in the library or download, print and complete it at home.
ℹ️ Find out more about the Snooks Trail here!
💷 FREE
📅 Until 25 April
📍Various locations around York
3. Local Easter Trails & Egg Hunts 🐣We’ve highlighted a few brilliant-sounding Easter egg hunts and trails but there are LOADS more listed on our blog here!
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 Free or cheap!
📅 Various dates listed above
📍 Various locations in York listed above
4. Local Easter Events 📍Little Paws Creative Club: 6th April 2024, 10:30am – 12pm at All Saints Church North Street
Let your children explore their artistic side in these fun monthly sessions! On the first Saturday of each month, join us for creative activities and the opportunity to explore our medieval church. Our April club will be all about Easter! For more details and booking please visit our Eventbrite page. £2 each.
📍 All Saints Church, North Street, York
Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate, Friday 29 March, 11.30am to 12.30pm and Sunday 31 March, 2pm to 3pm
Easter Bonnets and Mouse Trail. Decorate a hat for spring or Easter. £5 each – includes child sized bonnet and decorations. Drop in. No booking. Plus FREE mouse trail with chocolate, daily when church is open.
📍 70 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF
Flower Planting and Crafts at Dunnington Library, Tuesday 26th March 2024, 2.00 – 4.00pm
FREE event with Dunnington Green Initiatives Group – planting marigolds to grow at home – suitable for a pot, ground or a sunny spot indoors. We will also be crafting pollinators
Please bring a couple of 9cm plant pots or empty 300ml yoghurt/cream pots if you can.
📍 Dunnington Library, Church Street, YO19 5PW.
North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre – Ice Cream Interactive Concert Saturday 6th April 2024, 2.30pm
This interactive concert is designed for families to experience the joy of music together.
Admission is absolutely free, and your generous donations are greatly appreciated to keep the music alive. After the concert, indulge in some delicious ice cream and refreshing treats – a perfect ending to a perfect musical journey
📍St. Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, South Bank, York YO23 1EY
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 listing here, and enjoy a meal out with great savings for kids!
Visitors can use an accessible ramp to access the footplate and see inside the cab. Access to Flying Scotsman is included with your museum admission ticket.
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
📍 Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
Based in Sanderson Community House, The Place provides activities for children, young people and adults who live locally.
Activities over Easter include:
🏉 YORK RLFC rugby sessions 🏉
⚽️ City Kick About in the Park with York City Football Club ⚽️
🥳 Plus lots of other fun family activities! 🥳
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 Free
📅 Various times, Monday 25 – Thurs 28 March & Tues 2 – Fri 5 April
📍 All activities at Sanderson House, Bramham Road, Acomb, York, YO26 5AR unless stated otherwise above
8. Easter Family Fun at Bellfarm Social Hall, York 🐣Lots of fun activities for Easter are happening:
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 All sessions are free
📅 Anytime!
📍 Bellfarm Social Hall, Roche Avenue, York, YO31 9BB
9. Easter Activities at York Children’s Centres 🐣Looking for some free fun, play, crafts as well as family information – then drop into the Family Hubs! All families are welcome drop-in to the Children’s Centres (9am-12noon on days below).
Programme for 1st week of Easter:
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 All sessions are free
📅 Various times/days
📍 Hob Moor, Clifton & The Avenues
10. York RLFC Foundation free sessions 🏉The York RLFC Foundation is proud to announce another action-packed Easter Holiday programme for children across York with a planned 21 event schedule, visiting Acomb, Clifton, Heworth, Hull Road, Huntington, New Earswick, Strensall and Woodthorpe.
Join them for their free, turn up and play Easter holiday sessions which includes the popular mega inflatable arena as well as a selection of multi-sports sessions for children aged 5 and upwards.
The aim is not only to inspire the next generation of Knights & Valkyrie players, but also to play a vital role in helping to make the school holidays more enjoyable. All sessions are non-contact based.
The Easter holidays programme is made up of funded sessions thanks to the City of York Council HAF programme and Local Council Ward funding. Any child eligible for free school meals can book on to our sessions using the code they receive through school; however, please note that all our sessions are free open access to all. Fruit/snacks will be available to all who attend
ℹ️ Find out more here
💷 All sessions are free
📅 Various times/days
📍 Acomb, Clifton, Heworth, Hull Road, Huntington, New Earswick, Strensall and Woodthorpe
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
Sovereign Park Playground Acomb
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!
Make it even more of an adventure for the kids by getting the bus there! 🚌
Up to 3 children aged 5-16 can travel for free in York on our city services when they’re accompanied by a paying adult. Let someone else do the driving, whilst you prepare for the fun day ahead! Download the First Bus App to plan your journey and buy your city or Park & Ride tickets.
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. This Easter there are:
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
14. Easter fun at York Designer Outlet 🐣Lots going on at York Designer Outlet this Easter!
ℹ️ Find out more on Mumbler here
💷 Free or cheap!
📅 9.30am-8pm Monday- Saturday/ 10am-6pm on Sunday/ Easter hours are 9.30am-8pm Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday 10am-6pm and Easter Monday 9.30-8pm
📍 York Designer Outlet, St Nicholas Ave, York, YO19 4TA
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
16. Set up an Easter Egg hunt at home 🥚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, whilst you sit back and eat some chocolate eggs! 😁
ℹ️ Download your FREE Mumbler clues here
💷 Free
📅 Anytime!
📍 At home
17. Have fun making Easter crafts at home ✂️We’ve got 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 2024
