Spring Adventures

April

Fri 10 Apr Egg-cellent Easter Trail, Woodlands Farm Trust, Welling, DA16 3RP 10am-4pm. It’s time for the annual Easter Trail round the farmyard. Can you find all the Easter eggs hidden around the farm? If you can then you get a chocolate egg prize. Drop-in, charges apply. For more information visit www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org Fri 10 – Sat 11 Apr Super Fun for Mini Superheroes!, Broadway Shopping Centre, Bexleyheath, DA6 7JN 11am-3pm. Thanos, Batman, Spiderman, Starlord and Captain Marvel will be showing their special skills, and having photos taken. Children can take part in a fancy-dress parade at 12.30pm, and also a Superhero Quest and craft activities. For more details visit www. broadwayshoppingcentre.com Fri 10 - Mon 13 Apr Easter Fun in the Market, Greenwich Market, SE10 8QY There is a lot of fun and games to be had at the Market over Easter. Join in daily for different activities. Fri 10 – Easter chocolate painting workshop with Arty Party, Mon 13 – Blackheath Morris Men make their annual visit to the Market. For more details visit www.greenwichmarketlondon.com Sat 11 Apr Second Saturday Family Activities, Guildhall Art Gallery, EC2V 5AE (Also 9 May). 11am-4pm. Decorate eggs inspired by the ornate designs in The Enchanted Interior exhibition, and hunt for eggs amongst the artworks. Visit the story corner and dip into the book collection to discover the world of art, the Victorians, the Romans and London. For more details visit www. cityoflondon.gov.uk/artgalleryfamilies Sat 11 – Sun 12 Apr Easter Fair, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ 10.30am-4.30pm. Enjoy the Easter weekend with the family. Follow the Easter trail, create something crafty and dare to venture through the rabbit hole for a special storytelling performance. For more information visit www.horniman.ac.uk Sun 12 Apr Easter Fayre, Foal Farm Animal Rescue Centre, Biggin Hill, TN16 3AX 1.30-4.30pm. The afternoon includes an egg hunt, biscuit decorating, games, hot food, meet the animals and more. For more information visit www. foalfarm.org.uk

Sun 12 – Mon 13 Apr The Festival of Steam & Transport, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4TE Soak up the atmosphere, see magnificent engines fill the air with steam, watch the quirky street entertainers and enjoy traditional fairground rides. The Festival provides the perfect balance of nostalgia and entertainment. For more information visit https://thedockyard.co.uk Mon 13 Apr Blackheath Morris Men, Greenwich Market, SE10 8QY From 3pm. Blackheath Morris Men celebrate Easter with their Easter Chair Lift – ladies beware! For more information visit www. greenwichmarketlondon.com Tues 14 Apr Youngstars: Once Upon A Musical, Blackheath Halls, SE3 9RQ 10am-4pm. Led by industry professionals from the West End and beyond, enjoy five full days of singing, dancing, acting, theatre making, creating, devising and stage craft. A brand-new piece to be performed on the main stage for family and friends. For more details visit www. blackheathhalls.com Tues 14 – Thurs 16 Apr Lights, Camera, Action!, Cutty Sark, Greenwich, SE10 9HT 11.30am, 2pm. Bring history to life by filming your own documentary at the Cutty Sark. Explore the stories and themes the ship has to offer, selecting the most interesting and exciting sections to feature in a short film. First come basis. For more information visit www.rmg.co.uk Wed 15 Apr Busy Bees, Woodlands Farm Trust, Welling, DA16 3RP Discover the secret life of a busy bee. Watch them closely through the microscope or in their secured frame that the beekeeper will prepare specially for the event. You can also taste the farm honey (and buy some). Drop-in, charges apply. For more details visit www. thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org

Our listings are prepared a long time in advance. To make sure you have up to date details do contact the event nearer the time to make sure the information hasn’t changed. Thurs 16 Apr Permian Monsters Relaxed Opening, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ 9-10am. A relaxed, accessible opening for families unable to visit when the Horniman is busy, including children with autism spectrum conditions and neurodiverse families. Free, booking required. For more details or to book, contact communitylearning@ horniman.ac.uk or call 020 8291 8725. Sat 18 Apr Spring Bird Nests, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ 1.30-2.15pm, 2.45-3.30pm. Create a cosy nest and some little bird friends to live in it. Ages 3+. Charges apply, booking required. For more information and to book visit www. horniman.ac.uk Lambing Day, The Woodlands Farm Trust, Welling, DA16 3RP 11am-4pm. See the newborn lambs and enjoy the chance to buy quality local produce at reasonable prices, including home-made preserves, cakes and honey. Relax in the café, enjoy the treasure hunt or join in craft activities. Charges apply. For more details visit www. thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org Spring Bird Walk, Woodlands Farm Trust, Welling, DA16 3RP 9.30-11.30am. Do you love birds or want to find out more about them? Meet outside the barns in the farmyard for a 90-120 minute walk. Dress in warm clothes, wear suitable footwear and take along binoculars to enhance the experience. Charges apply. For more details visit www. thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org Thurs 23 Apr Meet the Collection, Charlton House, SE7 8RE 11am-1.30pm. Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust present a touring museum and archive pop-up programme showcasing the treasure and hidden gems of the borough. Join in for activities and object handling. For more information visit www. greenwichheritage.org Sat 25 Apr Low Tide Walk, Creekside Discovery Centre, Deptford, SE8 4SA (Also 17, 21 May). 10am-12noon. A guided adventure in Deptford Creek for adults and accompanied children ages 9+. Wade in a wild river and experience a different perspective of ” “ I saw your event in Primary Times.... Please mention you saw the event listed in Primary Times

London history and urban wildlife. Charges apply. Waders provided. For more details visit www. creeksidecentre.org.uk Sun 26 Apr 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, Various Locations The mass race starts at 10am from Blackheath and Greenwich Park, winding its way around London to the finish line at The Mall. Spectators help create the atmosphere, so pop down, cheer on the runners and watch out for fun costumes. For more details visit www. virginmoneylondonmarathon.com Thurs 30 Apr Park It in the Market, Greenwich Market, SE10 8QY See the gorgeous vintage cars and bikes under one roof. Quality street food and electric live music. For more information visit www. greenwichmarketlondon.com

May

Sat 2 May Spring Bird Nests, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ 1.30-2.15pm, 2.45-3.30pm. Create a cosy nest and some little bird friends to live in it. Ages 3+. Charges apply, booking required. For more information and to book visit www. horniman.ac.uk May Queen Crowning Ceremony, Chislehurst Ponds, nr BR7 6AH The Crowning of the 2020 May Queen will take place and traditional May Pole dances will be performed. For more information visit en-gb.facebook.com/ events/188967799088936/ Sun 3 May Mini Marathon, Royal Greenwich Park, SE10 1PQ 10am-12noon. Join thousands of local children at Royal Greenwich Park as they run their own 2.62 mile Mini Marathon to support Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice. With fancy dress, live music and plenty of activities it’s a great day out for all the family. For more details visit www.communityhospice. org.uk Fri 8 May West Wickham Village Day, Blake Park, BR4 0RA 10am-4pm. This year’s Village Day will be celebrating 75 years of VE Day, and you’re encouraged to go along in VE day costume. The event includes a dog show, Paladin Knights, live music and dance, sporting demos, stalls, bars and inflatable fun. For more information visit their Facebook page.

Spring Adventures Get Creative at Greenwich Market London’s favourite arts and crafts market is a great place to bring the family to get creative as well as have a good browse and a bite to eat. The Get Creative Festival shines a light on all the great cultural activity that takes place in local communities and encourages young and old alike to try out something new and creative. This huge annual celebration of creativity aims to give everyone the chance to get actively involved in a creative event locally. Don’t miss out on the family fun. There will be crayons, paper and glue at the ready for lots of fun at Greenwich Market. Activities include making a fan with The Fan Museum on 21 March, the Easter Bunny Trail Live from 4 to 10 April from 10am to 4pm, foot tapping fun with the Blackheath Morris Men on 13 April from 3 to 4pm. From 11 to 12 May, get creative and help colour in the giant Greenwich mural. For more information, visit www.greenwichmarket.london or www.getcreativeuk.com. Permian Monsters at the Horniman 252 million years ago, in a period called the Permian, life on Earth was dominated by extraordinary creatures. It was a time of fearsome sabre-toothed predators, giant insects and bizarre-looking sharks which ended with a mass extinction that destroyed 90% of all life, paving the way for the Earth’s next great rulers… the dinosaurs. Discover this mysterious time period in Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs, a fascinating, family-friendly exhibition travelling to the UK for the first time. Catch it at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill until 1 November. From Dictodons to Dimetrodons, Ennatosaurus to Eotitanosuchus, the exhibition vividly brings the inhabitants of the Permian period back to life through fossil skeletons, full-size models and animatronics. Visitors can also sift through interactive dig pits, get creative in an art area, and see a collection of artwork offering a glimpse back in time through the eyes of award-winning palaeoartist, Julius Csotonyi. The Horniman will be hosting special activities linked to the exhibition during half term. Adult tickets cost £9, child tickets cost £5, and family tickets, including 4 tickets with up to 2 adults, cost £20. See www.horniman.ac.uk for details. Photo credit: Gondwana Studios Spring Adventures Fun Days Out with the Family

Spring into Easter at

BUNNY CHOCOLATES TRAIL

FRIDAY 3 APRIL 6-10PM ! CAKES

+ MORE!

14 MARCH

Ruby’s of London

GMT

Greenwich Printmakers ARTS&CRAFTS MARKET

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Weekends

GorGonopsid

Family Friendly Urban Village Fete Urban Village Fete on Greenwich Peninsula is a free, one-day music and arts festival that features a range of unique pop-ups, walkabout entertainment and curated marketplaces. Go along to enjoy a village summer fete atmosphere in the city and eat from London’s best street food vendors, learn a new creative craft with workshops for all ages and dance in the park with live music and DJs. Round up the troops for another get-together on Greenwich Peninsula to kick off your summer. Urban Village Fete unites creatives from across the city to learn new skills, discover design-led products and dance the day away in Central Park, Greenwich Peninsula’s largest green space. Curated by Hemingway Design for Greenwich Peninsula, Urban Village Fete will feature a DJ set by Gilles Peterson and talks by BBC Radio London’s Robert Elms, attracting 35,000+ attendees this spring. Immerse yourselves in the sounds of live DJs, family-friendly workshops and activities, walkabout entertainment, gourmet street food and designer fashion and gifts. It’s the ultimate city festival for all the family. Stay tuned for the full line-up. Join in the fun on Sunday 17 May on Greenwich Peninsula. Take the bus or tube to North Greenwich. Find out more at www. hemingwaydesign.co.uk or www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk. Spring Adventures

Meet a Superhero Children visiting the Broadway Shopping Centre, Bexleyheath this Easter will be invited to try out their superhero skills. On Good Friday and Easter Saturday, five larger than life superheroes - Thanos, Batman, Spiderman, Starlord and Captain Marvel - will be in the Centre demonstrating their special skills at shows between 11.00am and 3.00pm on both days, and inviting children to take part in a fancy dress parade at 12.30pm. As well as being taught some of their powers, these Marvel-ous icons will get the children taking part in the Superhero Quest around the Centre looking for clues, and when they return to the entertainment zone, they will be given masks and cloaks. Then, it’s photo time with their favourite superhero. All photos will be beamed onto the Centre’s Facebook page, with great prizes to be won. There will also be free craft workshops where young superheroes can show off their creativity by making superhero pen pots. Rai Holdstock, Centre Manager of the Broadway Shopping Centre, told Primary Times, “With blockbuster films featuring superheroes and super villains, children are fascinated by people with superpowers and love to pretend that they too can emulate these icons of fiction. We hope our mini superheroes will enjoy meeting their icons and taking part in the Quest around the Centre.”

Hop into Easter Fun at Hever Castle Family fun at Hever Castle and Gardens throughout the Easter holidays promises to put a spring in your step. Hunt for the colourful carrots and the Hever bunny in their fun free Easter trail, or take part in an Easter egg hunt in the grounds. Each child will receive a chocolate for completing the trail and a mini chocolate egg for each Easter egg they find. Take part in an Easter themed trail in the Castle to learn about creatures that hatch and create an eggshaped decoration to hang on Hever’s Easter tree. Visitors aged 7 to 14 can explore the Tudor Towers adventure playground with its own moat, drawbridge and three turrets. It features three slides and two poles and lots of interactive elements including musical instruments, a maze and hidden boxes to find. Under 7s can enjoy the natural play area, Acorn Dell, with its two-metre-high living willow structure, a giant sandpit, a mound with tunnels to clamber in and a climbing frame. Challenge yourself in the Yew Maze and see how long it takes you to find the way out and try not to get wet in the Water Maze. Visitors can then round off the day with seasonal home cooked food and mouth-watering cakes in the restaurant. Easter activities will be running at Hever Castle from 2 to 19 April. For more information, visit www.hevercastle.co.uk. Photo credit: Hever Castle & Gardens

Easter at Cyclopark Cyclopark, located just 5 minutes from Bluewater shopping centre on the A2, is Europe’s largest purpose built activity and cycling facility providing activities to keep all the family entertained in a safe and secure environment. Cyclopark has facilities for all ages and abilities from the challenge of 6km of mountain bike trails to the new Cycloland

adventure play park for the under 5’s complete with mini roads, roundabouts and even a petrol station. For older children Cyclopark has a skate park which can be used by BMX bikes, skateboards and scooters along with a regular programme of entertainers, cycling sessions and activities. Check out the website www.cyclopark.com for all the latest exciting activities, adventures and attractions. Additional activities this Easter include BMX coached sessions, special kids’ events, children’s entertainers, animal/reptile shows and an electronic skateboard session. At Cyclopark they are really looking forward to accommodating you and your family this Easter. Visit www.cyclopark. com for more information about all the fabulous events and activities.

S u p e rh e r o D a y s S u p e rh e r o D a y s

Children Assemble!! Come and meet your favourite Superhero, craft your very own super pen pot and pose with a hero in a comic book scene. Take a Superhero Quest around the Centre, looking in stores for clues and receive a superhero mask and cloak. 10th & 11th April 11am - 3pm

SHOPPING CENTRE BEXLEYHEATH

broadwayshoppingcentre.com

FREE MASK & CLOAK!

Please visit facebook.com/broadwayshopping for more details.

# GET OUT THERE Activity and adventure for the whole family this Easter!

FAMILY BIKE HIRE JUST £35

£10 SINGLE BIKE HIRE JUST

One hour ride + 4 bikes One hour ride

Includes full access to the road circuit and mountain bike trails

To fi nd out more visit: cyclopark.com

JOIN US FOR AN ACTION PACKED EASTER AT CYCLOPARK

• BMX coached sessions • Kids holiday club • Children’s entertainer • Animal/Reptile shows • Electronic skateboard session

OUR ON SITE CAF É OPEN DAILY 9AM-4PM

Have some delicious cake and barista co ee - before you get back on the road! RELAX & REFUEL

An Easter Egg Hunt by Tube and Steam Train The Epping Ongar Railway has a special Easter Egg Hunt from 10 to 13 April. It stretches over 5 miles from Ongar to Coopersale with 10 eggs hidden in various places. Find them all and collect an Easter Egg prize from the shop. In addition to the hunt there will be other activities for the children including colouring sheets, a magician, face painting and, of course, the Easter Bunny. In addition, the Epping Ongar Railway is the only steam railway with a direct connection to the tube at Epping. A typical journey time from Stratford is 26 minutes and, as Epping is in Zone 6, for many the off-peak fare is just £1.50. From Epping, a traditional London Bus will pick you up from outside the station. This brilliant combination of egg hunt, fun onboard and the magic of travelling by a steam train and heritage bus must make this one of the places to take the family this Easter. You can also go and see Peppa Pig and her little brother George. Take a ride on the steam and diesel trains and see the cheeky little piggies at intervals on 25 May. Tickets cost £16 for adults, £10 for children and a family ticket costs £43. Epping Ongar Railway Family Railcards are valid. For more information, visit www.eorailway.co.uk. Spring Adventures

Easter at The Historic Dockyard Spring has officially arrived at The Historic Dockyard this Easter. The new season means warmer weather (fingers crossed!) and longer days, so break out your sunnies and let the kids release some of that stored up energy. Get outside and dive into a school holiday packed with maritime adventure. Back by popular demand, Doc.Yard returns with a new ‘spring’ extravaganza (between 4 and 11 April). Explore the science behind forces and mechanics through fun activities and live demonstrations that will keep the whole family entertained.

Look and listen for the signs of spring around the Dockyard on the Easter trail and enjoy hands-on craft activities in No.1 Smithery (between 14 and 19 April). Whether you’re stepping aboard HMS Gannet, awaking the crew by ringing HMS Cavalier’s bell, descending into the depths of HM Submarine Ocelot or being shown the ropes by the Master Ropemaker, signs of spring are bursting up throughout the historic site. Stroll around The Dockyard’s green spaces and see the daffodils blooming and hear the bees buzzing. The Commissioner’s Garden makes the perfect spot to sit quietly and watch nature come out to play. All activities are included in your entry ticket. To spring into action and book your experience, visit thedockyard.co.uk. And that’s not all - The Festival of Steam and Transport is back for Easter Sunday and Monday (12 and 13 April). Anything goes for this event. Whether you’re a steam fanatic, a classic car collector, a steampunk follower or you’re just looking for a fantastic family day out, this Festival has it all.

Easter Activities in the City of London There’re lots of ways to stay entertained this Easter in London. The Roman London Family Quest will take place on 8 April. Hunt down the parts of Roman London that can still be seen today. Discover London’s Roman Amphitheatre, pay your respects at the Temple of Mithras and relax at Billingsgate Roman House and Baths. Follow the fact-filled walking map and visit the three sites in any order you choose, completing fun activities at each location to complete the quest and claim your prize. On the Second Saturday of every month (11 April and 9 May), enjoy free family activities at Guildhall Art Gallery and London’s Roman Amphitheatre. In April, try your hand at decorating eggs inspired by the ornate designs in The Enchanted Interior exhibition. Under 12s get into the exhibition for free, and on the second Saturday, children can bring an adult in for free too. On the 17 April, check out the Fraud and Forgery activities at the City of London Police Museum. Could you spot fake money? Do you know how to spot a scam? Attend this masterclass to learn how to detect frauds and forgeries. All activities run from 11am to 4pm. For more information, visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.

Easter Family Fun

12 & 13 April

Media Partner

Live Music

Free Funfair

Steam Punks