A bumper load of Easter fun in the National Forest

A whole host of Easter events are taking place across The National Forest. Visitors to Rosliston Forestry Centre can embark on an Easter Egg Hunt on Monday 24th March. There will then be a whole raft of activities to join in on later in April to coincide with Derbyshire schools’ holiday dates.

These include drop-in sessions between 2-4pm to try out the following activities:

Laser Clay on 7th and 14th April (£2.50 for 10 clays)
Crafty Creatures on 8th April (£2 per person)
Woodland Combat on 9th 11th and 16th April (£2.50 for 15 minutes)
Archery on 10th and 17th April (£2.50 for 10 arrows)
Pond dipping on 15th April to discover what lives beneath a pond’s surface.

And on 18th April, between 12 noon and 5pm, the centre will be hosting its popular ‘Five for a Fiver’ days where youngsters can choose up to five of the exciting activities including archery, laser combat and climbing wall for only £5.

Conkers will be celebrating new beginnings this Easter with a trail around Conkers Waterside to see the animals and their babies from 17th-19th March. On 20th and 21st youngsters can have fun with the rangers making an Easter Bunny hat. Then on the Easter weekend 22nd-24th March there will be an Easter Egg Treasure Hunt. Clues found around Conkers Discovery Centre will open a treasure chest for a surprise.

There are lots more activities taking place around Easter at this interactive visitor centre including arts and crafts, pond dipping and nature trails. For more information visit the website Visitconkers.com Based upon life in a British woodland and with more than one hundred indoor and outdoor activities themed around Forest life and the environment, families enjoy hours of fun at Conkers.

Easter is a fantastic time to visit Calke Abbey as it is Lambing Time. Visitors can see the young lambs with their mothers and meet the wardens as they care for the flock. There will also be an Easter Trail on 21st and 22nd March where the Jemima Puddleduck Trail will lead to an Easter prize. (11am–3.30pm £2 per child).

On 6th April (11am-4pm) will see Kite Flying Day at Calke where the Midland Kite Flyers will show off their skill and visitors can bring their own kites, buy one at the event or make one in a workshop. Then on 1st, 9th, 12th and 16th April (12.30pm–4pm) Calke ‘comes alive’ with the characters that lived in the house in 1940.

There will be an Easter Egg Hunt and other children's activities at the Coors Visitor Centre over the Easter weekend (21st -24th March).

Both Donington le Heath Manor House and Twycross Zoo will be hosting Easter Trails. The zoo’s Easter bunny will hand out cream eggs to each visitor who has completed the trail. And don’t forget to see the new kids on the block at Twycross Zoo - the triplet baby pygmy goats in Pets Corner.

Swadlincote Ski and Snowboard Centre has Kids Easter Fun Activity Days from 17th March-17th April (10am-4pm). These include skiing or snowboarding, tobogganing, Sno-Tubing, lunch, certificate and badge for just £24.50. People are advised to pre-book for these popular sessions. The centre will also be hosting ‘Swad Jam’ a free-style ramp and rail competition on 15th March. Entry is £5 and every entrant is guaranteed a prize. To book call Ryan Grewcock, Head of Ski School.

There will be an Easter Egg Hunt at Snibston Discovery Park in Coalville over the Easter weekend (21-24 March) and Easter activities for children on 19th and 26th March.

As well as these special Easter activities, The National Forest contains a wealth of things to do and see throughout the whole year. For more information on attractions, activities, events and places to stay in and around The National Forest, the 2008 visitor guides to the Forest and Beyond are bursting with great ideas. These are available from Tourist Information Centres or from the National Forest Company.

The National Forest spans more than 200 square miles across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire and one of England’s most ambitious environmental projects – to create a new Forest for the nation. Already more than seven million trees have been planted in The National Forest, which offers more than 700 miles of paths to explore in over 400 woodlands. The gentle undulating landscape is perfect for walking, cycling and horse-riding. And through the creation of new habitats, The National Forest is an ideal location for bird and wildlife watching.

For more information visit Nationalforest.org.