Circus skills, medieval crime fighting, Peppa Pig, plasticine fun with Aardman Animations, have-a-go at graffiti art, penguins, lambs and getting slimed! Simon Parkin highlights great ways to keep the kids entertained indoors over the Easter holidays.
Castle CSI
Norwich Castle Museum, March 29-April 13 (not Sunday), 10.30am-3.30pm, included in normal admission, 01603 495897, museums.norfolk.gov.uk
Norwich Castle has become a crime scene and you are the investigator with a chance to explore crime and punishment from medieval to modern times. Follow the 'Crime Trail', feel the death mask bumps, sit in judgement with Judge Childers, and take a detour along the prisoners' secret tunnel while you visit the dungeons (additional charge applies). Activities vary daily.
Easter Children's Workshops
Norwich Puppet Theatre, March 29-April 13, 10.30am, £9.50 per workshop, 01603 629921, puppettheatre.co.uk
Norwich Puppet Theatre hosts a series of children's workshops throughout the Easter holidays. It starts with Tings with Wings (March 29). Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a dragonfly or a unicorn? Then Mythical Creatures (April 4), Monsters (April 7), Fairies and Trolls (April 11), and Gnaughty Gnomes (april 13). AT the end of each you'll have a puppet to take home.
White Rabbit Easter Trail
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway, March 29-April 15, £9.50 adult return, £7.50 child return, under-4s free, 07939 683322, wwlr.co.uk
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway will be transformed into Wonderland but can you help Alice find missing Easter eggs? Trains depart Wells-next-the-Sea station at 10.30am, 12pm, 2pm and 3.30pm. It will feature lots of Alice in Wonderland characters. Between Good Friday and Easter Monday, for an additional £1, every completed trail receives a boxed Easter egg.
Penguin Beach
Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary, from March 29, 10am-5pm, included in normal admission, 01485 533576, visitsealife.com/hunstanton
This Easter marjks the unveiling of the new enlarged Penguin enclosure at Hunstanton Sea Life. Learn how to waddle with the charming colony of Humboldt Penguins, walk through their enclosure and watch them glide underwater as you get really close to these amazing birds!
Braziliant Easter
Amazona Zoo, Cromer, 10am-5pm, £11.50 (£10 cons), £8.50 children, under-4s free, £35 family, 01263 510741, amazonazoo.co.uk
Amazona offers a unique Easter day out where families can explore and learn about a varied and fascinating selection of animals native to South America. Home to over 200 tropical animals, including birds of prey, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, monkeys, snakes, caimans, flamingos, tapirs and Tic-Tac the toucan, the zoo is committed to helping visitors discover nature and providing education on conservation issues. There are also indoor and outdoor play areas. On Easter Sunday each child will receive a free cream egg.
Easter Eggspress
Bure Valley Railway, March 30-April 2, £13.50 adult return, £6.50 child return, under-5s free, £35 family return, 01263 733858, bvrw.co.uk
Hop on board the Easter Eggspress at the Bure Valley Railway over the Easter weekend for an 'eggciting' day out for all the family. Every child receives a free Easter egg. Trains will be running from both Aylsham and Wroxham Stations.
Foolhardy Circus
Wroxham Barns, Hoveton, March 30-April 15, £6.50 per person, under-2s free, 01603 783762, wroxhambarns.co.uk
The Big Top returns with a brand new Foolhardy Circus show called Whoops! twice daily at 12pm and 2pm. Set in a psychedelic circus with stunning hand-painted scenery, an original music and lighting it is a celebration of 250 years of circus with a breath-taking finale to leave you on the edge of your seat. See the first-ever clown routine performed by Stone Age Man plus aerialist and rope dancer extraordinaire, Sue Fee, as well as juggling, hat manipulating and more and, of course, Cosmo - East Anglia's favourite clown.
Pirates Week!
Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre, Great Yarmouth, March 29-April 11, 10am-4pm, included in normal admission, 01493 330631, visitsealife.com/great-yarmouth
Become a Sea Life Pirate this Easter. With the Hippodrome hosting their Pirates Live! show there is more to do that more fun than walking the plank here. Follow the trail, find the hidden treasure, sword fight your way through the ocean and obey the pirate rules at pirate cove!
Easter Open Days
RAF Bircham Newton Heritage Museum, April 1-2, 10am-4pm, free entry, 01362 860139, rafbnmp.org.uk
The Heritage Centre at Bircham Newton has a unique collection of memorabilia from the former Royal Air Force station's past service, which spanned more than 44 years, including two world wars and the Cold War. On display are photographs and personal memories of servicemen who served there and other related items from its fascinating history. The centre is manned and run entirely by volunteers.
Ruffs, Cuffs and Crowns/ Requisition
Elizabethan House Museum, Great Yarmouth, April 2/9, 11am-4pm, normal entry prices, 01493 855746, nationaltrust.org.uk
Bank holiday fun on April 2 includes ake your own crown jewels and accessories fit for a queen. Meanwhile the Army Service Corps takes over the house on April 9 for a military exercise, supplying and training soldiers going off to the Western Front. Have a go at practice drills with the Sergeant and help set up stores in the kitchen.
Fair Fisher Folk/Olive & Friends/Washing Up!
Cromer Museum, April 3/April 5/April 10, 10am-3.30pm, included in museum admission, 01263 513543, museum.norfolk.gov.uk
Cromer has a long history of fishing and a nautical past. Meet the friendly fisherman in his cottage to learn about life on the sea. See if you have what it takes to be fair fisher folk? Then on April 5 join the day of crafting, inspired by Olive Edis and her sitters, while on April 10 discover what washing day was like for the Victorians and get stuck in. Make little peg souvenirs of your day to bring back from the past.
Circus Skills
Stage Two, Norwich Theatre Royal, April 4, 3.30pm/7.30pm, £6, 01603 630000, theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Roll up, roll up for a day of circus fun. Circus Tots aimed at children aged 3-5 (10.30am) is a play workshop with games, basic manipulation such as hula hoops and scarf juggling, and partner acrobatics. Then contemporary circus company, Lost in Translation run Circus Play (1pm) for ages 6-9 years to learn skills from plate spinning, balancing, basic tumbling, handstands and group acrobatics. Circus Skills (1pm) for ages 2-16 give the chqance to master basic tumbling, mini trampolining, group acrobatics, juggling and hula hooping.
Shoes! Family Day
Lynn Museum, King's Lynn, April 5, 10am-1pm, £4.50 (£4.25 cons), £3.80 children, £11.80 family, 01553 775001, museum.norfolk.gov.uk
Shoes can be status symbols. Shoes can be works of art. Shoes can be magical. Shoes can be good luck charms. To coisnide with the Shoes! exhibition (until June) which explores changes in footwear from the 13th century to the present day, this family event day offer the chance to join in with some fabulous activities, including object handling and crafts. There will also be a shoes themed trail available from April 3-8 for all visitors to take part in.
Make a Scene
Beccles Public Hall, April 5, 11am, 2pm and 4.15pm, £5, 01502 770060, becclespublichall.org.uk
Plasticine fun this Easter. The lovely Jim Parkyn from Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts, Chicken Run and Morph, returns to host some model-making activities. The session aimed at families will see Jim brings his 'Make a Scene with the Amazing Scene Machine'.
Graffiti Masterclass
The Forum, Norwich, April 6-7, free, 01603 727950, theforumnorwich.co.uk
As part of Makers' Month the Reprezent Project, based in Great Yarmouth, hosts masterclasses for anyone of any age to have a go at graffiti and learn about the evolution of graffit art. All sessions are delivered by professional graffiti artists who will answer questions about techniques and the history and culture of street art. This is your chance to decide on your graffiti name, develop a font, create a tag and shape your own design with colours, shadows and highlights. Workshops start every half hour from 10am to 3pm.
West End Experience
Open, Bank Plain, Norwich, April 9-13, 9.30am-4pm, full details at 01603 763111, open247.org.uk
The ultimate workshop for anyone who loves musical theatre. Each day of the five day course, a different show is studied, under the tuition of a professional from that show...to teach you the exact same choreography, scenes and harmonies that are being performed on the countries most famous stages. Then on April 13 (8pm) they will all take the stage to perform in a full two hour show. Ages 8-19.
West Runton Mammoth Tour
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, April 10, 11am-3pm, £5, 01362 869263, arttickets.org.uk
Before Woolly Mammoths roamed the plains of Ice Age Britain, there was an even bigger mammoth on the scene. At over 4m tall, the West Runton Mammoth stood taller than a double decker bus, and when alive weighed twice as much as a modern African Elephant. Here the experts from Norfolk Museums Service reveal the fascinating story of this extinct giant in its purpose-built research facility at the Norfolk Collections Centre.
Only in England: Easter Fair
Time & Tide Museum, Blackfriars Road, Great Yarmouth, April 11, 11am-4pm, included in normal museum admission, 01493 743930, yarmouth.museums@norfolk.gov.uk
Enjoy English eccentricity at its best with all your favourite Easter fair games and crafts including Easter bonnet and decorative egg making. Bring the family along and join in with some punny Easter games - great for all ages!
Medieval Life
Lynn Museum, King's Lynn, April 11-12, 10am-1pm, included in normal museum admission, 01553 775001, lynn.museum@norfolk.gov.uk
Follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims who came to Lynn during the medieval era. Handle real artefacts from the past and make your own clay tile to take home. There is also a medieval treasures trail with prizes to be won.
Slime Time!
Intu Chapelfield, Norwich, April 12, 10am-4pm, free, intu.co.uk/chapelfield
Easter offers the chance for kids to doodle on a giant slime colouring wall, capture and share photos in a slime photo booth and even customise their own slime at Chapelfield, as the shopping centre welcome kids brand (and slime experts) Nickelodeon. The free event will also see children who have already registered online, be slimed within a specially created 'Slimeulator'. Fun, free, and a very messy experience!
Peppa Pig & Spring Fair
North Norfolk Railway, April 14, 10am-4pm, 01263 820800, nnrailway.co.uk
The Poppy Line hosts a Spring Fair Fun Day. Take part in fun children's activities, meet Morgan the Railway Cat and his friends. The one and only Peppa Pig will also be appearing at intervals throughout the day. A fun day out with lots to see and do for the whole family. Advance train fares £14 (£13 cons), £10.50 children, £5 under05s, £48 family rover ticket.
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