Embark on an eggs-traordinary Easter adventure with Hampshire Cultural Trust's family events this half term (Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April)! The museums, galleries and arts centres will spring into action for a hopping good time this Easter. From Bun and Ted's springtime adventure at Milestones Museum to gaming in the Dark Ages at 878 AD, pottery in Alton and dancing in Fareham, as well as a whole host of creativity and crafting from Aldershot to New Milton, there’s no ‘eggs-cuse’ not to get involved!
Dice and Destiny: Gaming in the Dark Age at 878 AD – Winchester SO23 8QY
Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April, 10am-4pm.
This Easter holiday, join us at 878 AD for a series of traditional Anglo-Saxon games and riddles! Learn the rules and then battle your friends and family or face off with our local resident Saxons for the chance to get your name on our leaderboard! For our Assassin's Creed fans, check out our behind-the-scenes area to enjoy our AC Board Game collection.
Included in admission. All ages welcome. Pre-booking advised.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/node/9448
Bun & Ted's Spring Challenge at Milestones Museum – Basingstoke RG22 6PG
Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April, 10am-4:45pm.
Join Bun, Ted, and their friends for a delightful Spring Challenge at Milestones. This themed trail will lead families around the museum streets, offering a playful adventure filled with clues, puzzles and a chance to collect a prize!
£3 in addition to admission. Pre-booking is advised.
https://www.milestonesmuseum.org.uk/event/bun-teds-spring-challenge
Egg-citing Easter at Aldershot Military Museum – Aldershot GU11 2LG
Make an Easter chick
Thursday 28, Friday 29, Saturday 30 March and Monday 1 April, 10am-4pm.
Join our free Easter craft activity to create adorable Easter chicks.
Included with admission. Suitable for ages 3+. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/make-easter-chic
Spring flowers hunt
Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April (closed Easter Sunday), 10am-4pm.
It's springtime and our gardens are starting to bloom with colourful flowers. Let's discover more about them! We've placed pictures of 8 spring-time flowers around the museum. Can you spot them all? Have fun hunting for the flowers, mark them off on your spotter sheet and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Suitable for ages 3+. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/spring-flowers-hunt-1
Make your own challenger battle tank
Tuesday 3 to Sunday 14 April, 10am-4pm.
Immerse yourself in military history and create your own paper challenger battle tank.
Suggested donation of £1. Suitable for ages 3+. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/make-paper-challenger-battle-tank
Muddy fingers kids' gardening club
Thursday 4 and Thursday 11 April, 10:30am-2:30pm, drop-in.
Get your hands dirty in our new children's junior gardening club. The first session in the Resilience Garden includes mud-filled fun.
Included with admission. Muddy fingers gardening notebook available for £1. Suitable for ages 3+. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/muddy-fingers-kids-gardening-club
2nd Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot, spring starts with a bang!
Sunday 14 April, 11am-3pm.
Witness the 2nd Queens Regiment of Foot in a winter Napoleonic-era drill, complete with musket firing. The drill starts at 11am, with muskets firing at 2pm (weather dependent).
Included with admission charge. Donations welcome. All ages welcome. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/winter-quarters-0
Springtime at Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age – Andover SP10 1DP
Make an Easter chick
Friday 29, Saturday 30 March and Monday 1 April, 10am-4pm.
Join our free Easter craft activity to create adorable Easter chicks.
Suitable for ages 3+. Admission to Andover Museum is free, no pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/make-easter-chic
Spring flowers hunt
Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April, 10am-4pm.
It's springtime and our gardens are starting to bloom with colourful flowers. Let's discover more about them! We've placed pictures of 8 spring-time flowers around the museum. Can you spot them all? Have fun hunting for the flowers, mark them off on your spotter sheet and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Suitable for ages 3+. Admission to Andover Museum is free, no pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/spring-flowers-hunt-0
Make your own Iron Age torc
Wednesday 3 to Sunday 14 April, 10am-4pm.
Step back in time and dress like you're from the Iron Age with our free Iron Age torc activity.
Included with admission to Museum of the Iron Age - donations welcome. Suitable for ages 3+. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/make-and-decorate-iron-age-torc
Wednesday craft club - spring plant pots
Wednesday 3 April, 10:30am-3pm.
Join our make-and-take craft session and create spring plant pots with seeds to plant at home.
£3 per child. Suitable for ages 5+. Admission to Andover Museum is free, and no pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/wednesday-craft-club
Wednesday craft club - nature mobile
Wednesday 11 April, 10:30am-3pm.
Let your creativity bloom! Join our make-and-take craft session to create nature mobiles and add a touch of spring to your home.
£3 per child. Suitable for ages 5+. Admission to Andover Museum is free, and no pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/wednesday-craft-club
Spring makers’ craft fair
Saturday 13 April, 10am-4pm.
Celebrate the season at our Springtime craft maker's fair. Discover unique gifts made by local artists and craftspeople.
The craft market is free to attend, but admission charges apply for visiting the Museum of the Iron Age. All ages welcome. No pre-booking is required. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/spring-makers-craft-fair
Easter trail and pottery make-and-take at the Allen Gallery – Alton GU34 2BW
Spring flowers hunt
Tuesday 26 March to Friday 19 April, 10:30am-4pm.
It's springtime and our gardens are starting to bloom with colourful flowers. Let's discover more about them! We've placed pictures of 8 spring-time flowers around the museum. Can you spot them all? Have fun hunting for the flowers, mark them off on your spotter sheet and take home a prize.
£2 per trail. Suitable for ages 3+.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/events?location=58
Make-and-take: Seasonal pottery sessions
Tuesday 2 April, Saturday 6 April and Tuesday 9 April, 10:30am-11:15am and 11:30am-12:15pm.
Join our popular holiday clay sessions at the Allen Gallery. Dive into creativity as you make-and-take home your own spring seasonal pottery project.
Sessions are priced at £5 each, providing a wonderful hands-on experience for all ages.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/events?location=58
Half term entertainment at Ashcroft Arts Centre – Fareham PO16 7DX
Easter street dance school
Wednesday 3 April - Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm Workshop. Friday 4 pm - parents showcase.
Over three days, we have an exciting way to learn street dance, create routines and work together to put on a show at the end of the day. This is a great way to create new friends, have fun and perform in front of friends and family.
£75 per child. Pre-booking advised.
https://www.ashcroft.org.uk/event/easter-street-dance-school
Easter themed block printing workshop
Thursday 4 April, 10am-4pm.
On this one-day workshop you will learn how to design an image and use cutting tools to carve your design into a wood or lino block. You will then ink and print your block onto a selection of papers, blank cards, and wrapping paper.
£65, £58.50 concession. Pre-booking advised.
https://www.ashcroft.org.uk/event/block-printing-easter
Easter musical theatre school – The Island that Rocks!
Monday 8 April to Friday 12 April, 9:15am-3:15pm. Friday show 5:30pm.
Our Easter musical theatre school gives young people aged 7- 16 years the opportunity to work together for a week, taking a show from the first read through to final performances.
£125 per child, show tickets £3 per person. Pre-booking advised.
https://www.ashcroft.org.uk/event/island-rocks
The BIG Easter Egg Hunt at Basing House – Basingstoke RG24 8AE
Friday 29 March and Saturday 30 March, 11am-1pm.
It's time to get eggscited as Basing House will re-open for the season with an Easter eggstravaganza - The BIG Basing House Easter Egg Hunt! 200 eggs will be hidden through our historic grounds and are waiting to be found by you! Grab your basket and come on over for the fun. Search high and low and discover eggs hidden across the site - It's sure to be a cracking good time for all the family! Every egg handed in will enter you into our prize draw, so the more eggs you find, the higher your chance of winning a very special Easter prize!
Included in admission. All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/big-basing-house-easter-egg-hunt-0
Spring flowers hunt at the Curtis Museum – Alton GU34 1BA
Tuesday 26 March - Friday 19 April, 10:30am-4pm.
It's springtime and our gardens are starting to bloom with colourful flowers. Let's discover more about them! We've placed pictures of 8 spring-time flowers around the museum. Can you spot them all? Have fun hunting for the flowers, mark them off on your spotter sheet and take home a prize.
Free entry to museum, trail may incur additional charge.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/spring-flowers-hunt
Cracking crafts at The Arc – Winchester SO23 8SB
Felt flower bookmarks
Tuesday 2 April and Tuesday 9 April, 2pm-3pm.
Work with our tutor to create your own felt flower bookmarks, perfect to hold the page in your favourite book or give as a gift.
£8. Suitable for ages 3-8. Pre-booking required.
https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/felt-flower-bookmarks
Make your own pom pom bird
Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 10 April, 10am-11:30am.
Using wool, felt and beads, you will follow along as we create fluffy pom-poms. We will then show you how to turn them into adorable baby birds that you can take home – perfect for Easter!
We will also chat through fun facts about birds such as the variety of species, how they live and what they like to eat.
£10 per child. Suitable for ages 5-10, children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/make-your-own-pom-pom-bird
Four Seasons Presented by Little Bulb Theatre
Tuesday 9 April, 1:30pm and 3:30pm
Four Seasons is a theatrical love letter to nature for children and their families. Join our intrepid team of magical gardeners as they tend to the marvellous menagerie of flora and fauna at every stage of nature’s miraculous journey. Four Seasons is a celebration of the wonder and weirdness of nature and our place within it, all set to an exciting score of seasonally inspired tracks including, of course, Vivaldi’s iconic piece.
£9 or £32 family ticket. Pre-booking required.
https://www.arcwinchester.org.uk/event/four-seasons-presented-little-bulb-theatre
Stories and Saxons at Winchester City Museum – Winchester, SO23 9ES
Storytelling with Dawn
Tuesday 9 April, 11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm.
Join professional storyteller and reenactor, Dawn Nelson this Easter at Winchester City Museum for tales of dragons, fairies and feasting. Discover how to get rid of a dragon that's causing a nuisance of itself, what to do if you're in the thrall of the fairies and how to make the perfect soup.
Storytelling sessions last approximately 20 minutes and are suitable for families with primary aged children. Included in admission. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/story-telling-dawn
Anglo-Saxon takeover
Saturday 6 April, during museum opening hours.
The Anglo-Saxons will be visiting the City Museum for their spring festival feast, with combat competitions and a variety of craft activities on display, such as weaving and herbalism!
Included in admission. All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/anglo-saxon-takeover-0
A day of Victorian picnicking
Wednesday 3 April, during museum opening hours.
We have a very special visit from our Victorian friend, who will talk and show all the perfect ways to have a Victorian picnic! From the setup to the most delicious recipes to have and even take a recipe card and try it at home for yourselves!
Included in admission. All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/day-victorian-picnicking
Easter weekend
Saturday 30 March, during museum opening hours.
Join us at the City Museum for a fun filled Easter celebration! We will have an exciting Easter hunt trail, leading to lots of crafts, like our Easter egg decorating and make your own mini easter baskets! With Spring arriving, we have plant pot making and planting seeds ready to grow for the lovely weather ahead this season.
Included in admission. All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/easter-weekend-city-museum
Romans at the Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery – Basingstoke RG21 7QD
Becoming Roman - Silchester a Town of change
Until Sunday 28 April, during museum opening hours.
50 years on from the start of an archaeological dig by the University of Reading to uncover the secrets of this major site, visitors to Becoming Roman – Silchester, a Town of Change, will be transported back 2000 years to discover what life was like for the Iron Age Atrebates and how this life changed after the Roman Conquest of Britain.
Free entry.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/becoming-roman-silchester-town-change
Roman classroom workshop
Wednesday 3 April, 2pm.
In the Roman world, boys went to school, whereas girls learnt at home (and avoided the cane!). In this workshop you will get to have a bit more fun than the average Roman child whilst still learning some Roman skills. Make a Vindolanda tablet to take away, play a maths game and learn to draw an Emperor.
All materials included. £5 per child. Adults go free but children must be accompanied at all times.
This workshop takes place upstairs, please enquire about access.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/roman-classroom-workshop
Make your own Roman house shrine
Thursday 4 April and Thursday 11 April, 10:30am-12:30pm.
Every good Roman household had their own shrine to the family’s gods and goddesses. Using a template and mod roc you can create your own shrine. All materials included.
£7 per child (includes materials for one shrine). Suitable for ages 5+. Children must be accompanied. Please note there are access issues with this workshop – please enquire for more information.
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/make-your-own-roman-house-shrine
Roman invasion
Saturday 6 April, drop-in.
The Butser IX Legion butserlegion.co.uk will be joining us for the day to demonstrate all things Roman (and Iron Age). Find out what was daily life was like for people living in Silchester in the Romano British period. Learn about: weaponry and armour, clothing, medicine, food and education Roman style!
Free Admission but donations are very welcome. Please note some of the activities will be on the 2nd Floor, there are access issues – please enquire for more information. https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/roman-invasion
Junk modelling at Forest Arts Centre – New Milton BH25 6DS
Friday 5 April, 10am-11am.
Creating new and exciting things from discarded items. Junk modelling not only provides hours of fun for your child, but also helps develop their imagination and creates abilities while challenging them to explore, investigate and problem solve as they bring their plans and ideas to life.
£5. Suitable for ages 7 to 13. Children must be accompanied. Pre-booking required.
https://www.forest-arts.co.uk/event/junk-modelling-0
For more information about any of the activities, events and venues above, please visit, https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/easter.