From dead sharks to Harry Potter monsters!
- Entertainment
- 18 March 2012
- by Alex Zagalsky
The Easter holiday poses all sorts of problems for families with young children. Yes it's a great excuse to organise an egg hunt but the boredom threshold without school is very low - you need to keep your troops entertained everyday, or else there will be meltdowns that no amount of
Dairy Milk will placate. Here are a few ideas to keep you and your little ones amused, not all specifically aimed at ankle biters either!
Damien Hirst at the Tate Modern
Love him or hate him, Damien's art is always a spectacle and kids will love this retrospective if only to see his shark in formaldehyde! All his major pieces will be on show including his medicine cabinets, butterfly paintings and spot canvases. Children will revel in the colours and the eeriness of it all. From April 4th to September 9th. Tate Modern. www.tate.org.uk
Kensington Palace
After a £12 million transformation, Kensington Palace will finally open its doors to the public as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Girls will love the Diana exhibition which will showcase some of the Princess's exquisite dresses for the first time in the UK. History buffs should make a beeline to the permanent exhibition, Victoria Revealed, exploring Queen Victoria's life and reign through her own words. Opens March 26th. See the Kensington Palace website www.hrp.org.uk
The Making of Harry Potter
This is a must for all HP fans and it's huge too (150,000 square feet to be precise, located in the Warner Bros. Studios London, Watford). Visitors can walk through some of the famous sets including the Great Hall, Dumbledore's office and the Gryffindor common room and learn about how some of the spectacular special effects and animatronics were achieved thanks to the 'creature effects' workshop. You need to book in advance and we predict queues, but the kids will be putty in your hands when you tell them what you have in store! Opens March 31st. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
Lindt Easter Egg Hunt
Lindt's little gold covered chocolate bunnies are always a favourite treat, and kids will love this day out in Potters Fields park near London Bridge. Look for chocolate, enjoy craft sessions such as Easter bonnet making and get their faces painted. Saturday 7th April from 10am to 4pm. www.pottersfields.co.uk
Polka Theatre
This is a theatre completely dedicated to children and it also runs fun workshops for toddlers to teens. For small kiddies, we recommend the Easter Egg Detective workshops (April 4th and 5th), an hour-long storytelling and drama lesson for under 5s. Older children can learn the art of puppetry and book to see the Polka's latest production for 9 to 13 year-olds, Twist of Gold, an imaginative adventure written by the author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo. Until April 21. www.polkatheatre.com