Easter holidays 2023 Greater Manchester: things to do for families and children including Easter egg hunts

The countdown to the Easter holidays is very much on and that means many parents across Greater Manchester will be looking for things to do to keep their children entertained during the fortnight-long break from the classroom.

Fortunately they are spoilt for choice across the city-region as there is a whole host of different activities and events taking place. ManchesterWorld has taken a look at what is going on for youngsters during the Easter break and rounded up an array of fun family activities for parents to consider.

So whether it’s enjoying the delights of spring at a historical house, taking part in a masterclass with a bird’s eye view of the city centre or taking a walk on the wild side a short drive from Greater Manchester, here’s our selection of what to do during the Easter holidays.

Family fun at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

The home of Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell in Manchester is putting on a range of creative craft activities for youngsters to enjoy during the Easter holidays.

Children will be able to make a Victorian card or an Easter bonnet in the servants’ hall and follow the Cranford Cat trail around the house. If the weather is fine, children can also enjoy the family garden trail outdoors where QR codes located around the garden, vegetable patch and pergola teach youngsters about nature, climate change and more.

The Easter activities at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House will be taking place from 11am to 4.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 2 April to 16 April (excluding Easter Sunday). Entry is £7 for adults and free for children under 16 when accompanied by an adult, and all the family activities are included within the ticket price.

Find out more about what’s on at the Elizabeth Gaskell’s House website. You can also pre-book on Ticketsource.

Easter egg hunts and trails in Manchester’s parks

Manchester City Council is packing the parks with things to do for children and families this Easter, including egg hunts and trails which are taking part in a number of the city’s major green spaces.

Heaton Park’s flagship Big Easter Egg Hunt returns for the Easter weekend (8 and 9 April), with participants able to hand over £3 at the reception based in the tunnel at the stable block and follow the map to locate the clues needed to solve the mystery word puzzle. Anyone who brings the completed sheet back will get a prize. There will also be a Easter market taking place with local traders and independent businesses from across the city selling upcycled bird feeders, embroidery art, Manchester-made gin and more.

Fog Lane Park will also be running The Great Bunny Hunt from 1 April to 16 April. Youngsters will be able to search for the rabbits hidden all over the park if they visit the cafe to pick up an activity sheet, where prizes will also be handed out.

Old Moat Park, meanwhile, will be teaching youngsters about nature at a time of year associated with new life and renewal. Families will be able to explore the park and find 10 species of wildflower which will be on display. The sheets will be available from Withington Library from 10 April to 16 April.

Finally Cringle Park will stage its Easter event on 7 April from 11am to 4pm with an Easter egg treasure hunt around the green space, music, food, ice creams and a tabletop sale organised in partnership with Grounded MCR.

Other activities taking place in Manchester parks over the Easter holidays include a fair at Delamere Park from 10.30am to 1pm on 1 April with face painting, cake stalls and Easter trails and an Easter bonnet making workshop in the Lakeside Cafe at Boggart Hole Clough on 5 April from 11am until 2pm.

A children’s masterclass high above Manchester at 20 Stories

Manchester’s 20 Stories restaurant and bar boasts a panoramic, high-rise view of the city centre and the venue is opening its doors to families for a special craft masterclass over Easter.

Adults and their children will join the team at 20 Stories, led by head chef Dario Carvalho, to let their imaginations run wild in the spectacular 19th floor setting on Tuesday 11 April.

The youngsters will become chefs for the morning and be taught chocolate piping techniques before being let loose decorating their own Easter eggs. This will be followed by a three-course lunch and a soft drink at a table with a skyline view of the city from 12pm. Adults will also be able to order from the menu to dine alongside their children if they wish.

The Easter egg masterclass will be from 11am until 12pm and costs £35 per child, including the meal and drink. Book tickets or find out more at the 20 Stories website.

Hands-on holiday family fun at the People’s History Museum

The People’s History Museum is putting on a couple of hands-on workshops for families during the Easter holidays which will invite youngsters to roll up their sleeves and get creative with clay.

The venue is launching its Make Your Mark workshops which will run during school holidays, and for this break The Manchester Argonaut, the sculpture standing in the museum’s entrance, takes centre stage.

On Wednesday 5 April and Wednesday 12 April artist Pauline Wood will lead the workshop for anyone aged between five and 16 from 1pm to 3pm. Participants will create their own clay sculpture and will be able to take it home with them. To find out more or to book a place, visit the People’s History Museum website here.

Easter holiday club at Contact

Contact, the distinctive-looking arts hub on Oxford Road known as the ‘castle of curiosity’, is running a free Easter holiday club for young people aged between 11 and 16.

They will be able to enjoy a range of creative activities and workshops covering music, dance, drama,movement and podcasting, while also getting a hot meal courtesy of ARMR Store. The activities are being funded with help from Manchester City Council.

To sign up for a session you need to become an MCRactive member (this is free to do) and then choose the activity you fancy on the MCRactive website by searching for Contact under the list of providers and booking on for one or more days.

Meeting the ‘suffrage-eggs’ at the Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre, the former home of Emmeline Pankhurst and the birthplace of the suffragette movement for women’s right to vote, is putting on Easter activities themed around the idea of meeting the ‘suffrage-eggs’.

The Suffrage-egg Trail will take visitors around the house to find out more about the Pankhurst family and the other women involved in the suffragette movement. Along the way youngsters will be able to enjoy dressing up as a suffragette and decorating an egg for Easter in the suffragette colours of purple, green and white or any other colour scheme that takes your fancy.

The Manchester venue is open during Easter between 11am and 4pm on Sunday 2 April, Thursday 6 April, Sunday 9 April, Thursday 13 April and Sunday 16 April.

Entry to the Pankhurst Centre is free but visitors are asked to consider making a donation of £5 to support the work of the Pankhurst Trust. You can book your tickets for Easter at the Pankhurst Centre on Eventbrite and find out more at the Pankhurst Museum website.

Family fun at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

If you’re thinking of booking a weekend break in the city centre over Easter then the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has come up with a range of suitably themed activities to keep its littlest guests from getting bored.

Kids staying at the hotel will be able to enjoy the family fun area in The Vault from 7 April to 10 April for a social hour with popcorn served fresh from a cart and luxury ice cream which can be enjoyed while watching an Easter classic film, Peter Rabbit.

Youngsters staying over the Easter weekend will also get an Easter egg hunt and activity pack in their hotel room along with a colouring competition based around an Easter bouquet. The hotel is also offering a family Easter weekend package to try to take the load off parents’ wallets a little during the cost of living crisis. Find out more at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel website.

Search for Easter eggs at Inflata Nation

Inflata Nation, the inflatable attraction at Trafford Park, is putting on a couple of Easter-themed activities for families during the holidays. Children enjoying a bounce around the leisure venue can take part in an Easter egg hunt to find the sweet treats cunningly hidden around the giant inflatables.

Customers can also do their best bunny hop impression to be in with a chance of winning a free family pass. To help parents out in cash-strapped times, Inflata Nation is also knocking 15% off the entry price during the Easter break using the code EASTERMANC. Find out more at the Inflata Nation website.

Enjoy an all-American Breakfast with Bunny at the Hard Rock Cafe

The Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester is serving up a special event for little rockers during the Easter holidays combining an all-American breakfast with entertainment.

Families with children can head down to the venue on Sunday 2 April between 9am and 11am for a delicious breakfast from the other side of the pond, magical entertainment, face painting and a chance to meet the Bunny.

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Spots & Stripes Egg Hunt at Knowsley Safari

There are also special Easter activities for families wanting a truly wild day out during the holidays by making the short trip outside of Greater Manchester to see the animals at popular attraction Knowsley Safari.

Six giant Easter eggs, which will all be decorated with either spots or stripes, are being hidden around the Foot Safari section of the wildlife attraction for youngsters to find.

Egg hunters will receive a map and stickers upon arrival to guide them in their search and along the way will learn interesting facts about animals’ coats such as why tigers and giraffes have their distinctive markings.

Anyone who manages to match all six eggs to their corresponding animals will win a chocolate prize. The egg hunt runs from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April. Find out more on the Knowsley Safari website.