Balmoral GardensA fun egg hunt will have the added thrill of offering a chance to meet Dickens characters who will be strolling around Balmoral Gardens, BROADSTAIRS, on Good Friday from 10am to 3pm. Collect toy eggs and fluffy chicks for the chance to win a chocolate Easter egg. The cost per entrant is £2.
Visit www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk

Bewl Water
Join Bertie the Beaver and friends in his Easter adventure at Bewl Water Country Park, LAMBERHURST, from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Youngsters can enjoy fun and games with the entertainment team including meeting chickens, ducklings and lambs. Enjoy the free puppet show or take part in the Easter scavenger hunt. Children can also let off steam in the adventure playground which boasts a fort, giant slide, rope bridges and swings. Entry into Bewl is £8 per car and an annual family season ticket is £50. Bewl Water Country Park and the Woodpecker coffee bar and bistro are open daily from 9am to 4pm.Visit www.bewlwater.co.uk or call 01892 890000

Bluewater
Chocolate lovers can only dream about the tasty treats in store at BLUEWATER. There’s a gold bunny hunt and kids can follow the clues, winning Lindt chocolate treats along the way. And don’t miss meeting the Lindt Master Chocolatier who will demonstrate how he makes the Lindt gold bunny. There’s more Easter egg hunting fun with Cocoba. Follow the clues to find pictures of Cocoba’s giant egg in store windows for the chance to win one of their prizes. Another store, White Stuff will be stagging Easter fancy dress and drawing competitions with a £250 Hamley’s token as top prize. The Entertainer toy shop provides the ultimate package of activities for children, with great prizes for various competitions, including an Easter egg hunt. There’s also a chance to win a £100 gift card.For more details on Easter entertainment visit www.bluewater.co.uk

Brogdale
Tractor rides through the orchards, Easter egg hunts and a chance to pet cuddly baby animals make up part of the Easter goings on at Brogdale, FAVERSHAM. Home of the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale stages its Easter celebrations from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. The Brogdale Barn will be bursting with calves, lambs, goats, and chickens, and families can meet the animals and the farmers that care for them. The Kent Poultry Club will also be hatching chicks in an incubator, and the Easter bunny will be helping children hunt for Easter eggs. Visitors can bring a picnic or use the café in the Brogdale Marketplace. There’s also a play park and miniature railway. Admission £7.50 adult and £3.50 children aged two to 15 years. Open 9am to 5pm. Visit www.brogdalecollections.co.uk or call 01795 536250

Buckmore Park
Wannabe Lewis Hamiltons will be out in force at Buckmore Park, CHATHAM, bidding to smash the fastest lap of the day on the Buckmore simulator. The overall champ will get a medal, but even Sunday afternoon drivers who try their hand on the simulator will be rewarded with a tasty Easter egg. Buckmore is staging turn up and drive days throughout the Easter holidays, on Good Friday, Easter Monday, Wednesday, April 8, Tuesday, April 14 and Thursday, April 16, between 10am and 4pm. The circuit has also organised an Easter egg lucky dip for youngsters on these dates. The hugely popular family days catering for enthusiasts aged from four to 84 are being held at the park on Easter Monday and on Thursday, April 16. Buckmore has now also introduced a pre-bookable day – Friday Family Fun – on Friday, April 10. Another new draw this year are the Laser Warfare open sessions, set in an authentic warzone, with base camps, bunkers and sand bags, there’s a series of missions to complete. Booking is not necessary, anyone aged eight years or over can just tun up on Wednesday, April 8, or Monday, April 13. The cost is £7.50 per person.Visit www.buckmore4kids.co.uk or call 01634 661617

Chartwell
Families are invited to unleash their inner explorer and follow adventure trails to win a chocolate prize at Chartwell. Track wartime rabbits on an Easter egg trail through the grounds and woodland of the National Trust property at WESTERHAM, to find hidden clues and items the bunnies have lost on their way. There’s a longer trail for older children plus a shorter, buggy friendly trail for tiny tots, offering games and activities. Chartwell is open daily from Good Friday to Easter Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Admission to the house is £13 adult and £6.50 for children. The Easter trails cost £2 per person.Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell

Dover Castle
Travel back in time at DOVER Castle. The Easter festival from Good Friday to Easter Monday offers an opportunity to meet Victorian toymakers and make your own toy to take home plus plenty of other events. Can your little soldiers tackle the Second World War assault course or diffuse the bomb in time? Kids can also go medieval with a spot of training to be knights or get along and watch Peterkin the Jester’s fire eating show. Tickets £18 adult, £11.80 children five to 15. Visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/ or call 01304 211067

Down House
English Heritage is inviting families to sign up for a series of special Easter quests taking place at iconic sites across the country, including the former home of Charles Darwin, Down House, DOWNE. Children will be able to meet characters from the past including a king, a butler, Roman centurion or even a monk as they unravel the clues to a special Easter egg hunt. The event runs from Good Friday to Easter Monday from 11am to 5pm.Visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/downhouse

Drusillas Park
The world’s best loved pig Peppa and her brother George will be heading to Drusillas Park, ALFRISTON, East Sussex, on Wednesday, April 8, just one of a packed Easter programme of fun at the park. Television favourites Ben and Holly will be there on Wednesday, April 1 and it’s the turn of the Fat Controller from Thomas the Tank Engine to entertain on Good Friday. Children can have a photograph taken with Sir Topham Hatt at Tidmouth Halt. Meanwhile Hello Kitty will be charming visitors at the park on Easter Monday. Visit her in her beautiful themed house and have a souvenir photo taken. Drusillas Park is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Visit www.drusillas.co.uk or call 01323 874100

Emmetts Garden
Become a plant hunter at Emmetts Garden, the Edwardian estate at IDE HILL, SEVENOAKS, and find exotic plants from around the world and the rare birds native to those countries. Help find missing eggs and tackle a word jumble and other challenges along the way. Complete the trail to receive a Cadbury Egghead. Emmetts is open daily from Good Friday to Easter Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Entry is £7.50, children £3.50 and £18.75 for families. The Easter trails cost £2 per person. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/emmetts-garden or call 01732 868381

Groombridge Place
Don’t be late for a very important date with Alice in Wonderland at Groombridge Place, TUNBRIDGE WELLS. Visitors can enjoy a magical event and discover the characters from the famous novel by Lewis Carroll. As well as the likes of Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the Mad Hatter, visitors will be met by a magician and handed a map which will guide them to the magic keyhole for the start of their journey. Each character from the book will give the children clues to help them find various prizes and Easter eggs. Attractions include a Mad Hatters tea party, egg painting, face painting and croquet on the lawn plus three daily theatre performance by characters from the book. Bird of prey flying displays take place twice a day and the canal boat will run between the gardens and the Crusoe’s World in the enchanted forest. The Easter event runs from Thursday, April 2 to Sunday, April 19. Admission is £9.95 and £8.45 for children aged three to 12 years. A family ticket is £33.95.
Visit www.groombridgeplace.com or call 01892 86144

Gulbenkian Theatre
A heartbreaking story with the happiest ending will delight youngsters at the Gulbenkian Theatre, CANTERBURY. Hans Christian Andersen’s much-loved tale Ugly Duckling by the Thingumajig Theatre runs for one day only on Tuesday, April 7 at 2pm. It’s uitable for ages five plus. Tickets are £7.50, baby on lap aged up to 18 month £1.
Visit www.thegulbenkian.co.uk

Happy Endings Rescue
Meet the Easter bunnies and a whole host of feathered and furry friends at Happy Endings Rescue’s Easter fun day on Saturday, April 4, from 12.30pm. The charity, based in Well Lane, Hansletts Forstal, near FAVERSHAM, is holding an afternoon of family fun that includes an egg hunt, pets corner, face painting. Happy Endings mascot, Hero, will be joining in the fun. There is free parking on site. All money raised goes towards the care of the animals at the sanctuary.
Visit www.happyendingsrescue.org or call 01795 530371

Hever Castle
Hop into action this Easter and enjoy packed day out at HEVER Castle and gardens, near Edenbridge. There’s entertainment throughout the Easter holidays until Sunday, April 19. Visitors are invited to find the magic surrounding the Lindt gold bunny. Follow the clues and receive a tasty chocolate bunny at the end. Children can make an Easter bonnet at one of the daily craft workshops plus there’s an opportunity to parade their creations in a parade in front of the castle each day with chocolate treats for the winners. Inside the castle a quiz will reveal why chocolate is such a delicacy at Easter, more energetic families can venture out on the one hour-long Hever lake walks. Anyone with any stamina left can burn off the calories in the adventure playground or water maze. Admission to the castle and gardens is £16 adults, children five to 15 £9 or £42.50 for a family. Visit www.hevercastle.co.uk or call 01732 865224

Historic Dockyard Chatham
Experience all the fun of the fair with the two-day Festival of Steam on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday at the Historic Dockyard, CHATHAM. Attractions include a steam funfair, street entertainment, live music, walkabout acts and a busy programme of events to keep the family fully entertained. Steam trains will be in motion and hundreds of classic cars will line the streets, with working exhibits all weekend. Meet Andy The Farmer and the residents of Valley View Alpaca Farm in animal corner, or head over to the Steampunks with their unusual costumes and steam powered wacky gadgets. Early bird discounted tickets are available to buy online. Across the school holidays, fun science will be at the dockyard when the secrets of Doc’s Lab are revealed by his able assistant Bunsen. Bunsen has been left in charge of the lab and needs help from Dockyard Techsplorers of all ages to complete the challenges that Doc has set. These include when is a liquid not a liquid? How strong is water? How does plastic work? These hands-on 30 minute sessions are full of squidgy, fun experiments and visitors can take home some of things they make. They run from Tuesday, April 7 to Sunday, April 19 and are included in the normal dockyard admission price, adult £19.50 and children £11.50. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. The dockyard opens 10am to 6pm. Visit www.thedockyard.co.uk or call 01634 823800

Hop FarmBumper boats, a bird of prey centre, bouncy castle and funfair are some of the fun attractions on offer at the Hop Farm Park, PADDOCK WOOD. Visitors are welcome daily from 10am and entry is free.
Visit www.thehopfarm.co.uk or call 01622 872068

Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne ReserveVisitors to Howletts Wild Animal Park, CANTERBURY, and Port Lympne Reserve, HYTHE, have a feast of fun to enjoy this Easter holiday. Activities will be held every day from Thursday, April 2 to Sunday, April 19, and include free craft sessions, the Puzzle Feeder challenge and a competition to win a junior ranger or keeper academy experience day. On Easter Monday at Port Lympne you can watch the gorilla family taking part in their very own Easter egg hunt. Hopes are high at both attractions that there will be some exotic new baby arrivals during the school holidays. Tickets cost from £19.95 adult, £15.95 with online reductions.
Visit www.aspinallfoundation.org or call 0844 842 4647

Ightham Mote
Follow the trail the Easter bunny has left around the garden of Ightham Mote, near BOROUGH GREEN, and win a chocolate egghead on Saturday, April 4, from 11am to 3pm. Entry to the stunning National Trust property is £10.80 for adults and £5.40 for children. Easter trails cost £2.50 per person. Easter school holiday fun at the medieval manor house continues daily to Sunday, April 19, from 10am to 5pm. Children can enjoy spring activity packs, craft activities and go wild in the natural play area.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote

Kent and East Sussex RailwayIt’s full steam ahead in TENTERDEN with a packed programme of Easter events at the Kent and East Sussex Railway, from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Good Friday will see a celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of engine number 32678. A nostalgic Steam in Miniature event runs on Saturday, April 4 to Easter Monday when the railway’s steam locomotives will be joined by selection of beautiful miniature traction engines at Bodiam Station. The attraction is one of the country’s finest examples of a rural light railway. The line gently wends its way from Tenterden for more than 10 miles through the unspoilt countryside of the Rother Valley, to end in the shadow of the National Trust’s Bodiam Castle. Visitors are encouraged to start their day at Tenterden station and make use of the free car park. Tickets are £17 for adults, £11.50 children aged three to 15 years and £49.50 for families. Visitors who buy an all day Rover Ticket can travel as often as they like between Tenterden and Bodiam on the day of their visit.
Visit www.kesr.org.uk or call 01580 765155

Kent Life
Kent Life Heritage Farm Park, MAIDSTONE, will be packed with newborn lambs, piglets, chicks and calves during the Easter holidays, Children can try bottle feeding and cuddling the babies, enjoy a tractor ride around the grounds or paint a pot in the art studio. A face painter will also be on hand and there’s a chance to meet the blacksmith, follow a wooden egg trail or enjoy a fairground ride. Admission £7.60 adult and £6 children aged three to 15. Kent Life is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Visit www.kentlife.org.uk or call 01622 763936

Knole Park
The beautiful courtyards and medieval parkland of Knole House, SEVENOAKS, offer great scope for young eggsplorers taking part in a Cadbury Easter egg trail. Try and spot the difference between a surprising fact and a silly lie, or take on the role of super sleuth journalist exploring Knole’s magical parkland. There’s also a chance to win a chocolate prize for successful challenge winners. Easter fun takes place on Good Friday and Saturday, April 4 from 11am to 3pm. Entry to house and gardens is £10.80 adults, £5.40 children and £26.50 for families. The Easter trails cost £3 per person. Car parking costs £4.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knole or call 01732 462100

Leeds Castle
Jesters bring their juggling jollity to Leeds Castle, near MAIDSTONE, throughout the Easter weekend, when they show off their stilt walking and circus skills. An Easter egg hunt will keep youngster busy as they explore the woodland walk. Children can learn a variety of jester skills, have their faces painted or have a go at archery. Admission £24 adult, £16 for children four to 15 and free for the under fours. The castle is open 10.30am to 6pm. Visit www.leeds-castle.com or call 01622 765400

Lullingstone CastleEnjoy fun for all the family at Lullingstone Castle, near SWANLEY, with egg hunts on Saturday, April 4, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday from noon until 5pm. Aspiring plant hunters can scour the World Garden, searching through the different continents for Easter trail clues and then report their discoveries to claim an Easter prize. Children also have the chance to meet Easter characters along the way. Set within 120 acres of beautiful Kent countryside, Lullingstone Castle is one of England’s oldest family estates. An historic family mansion frequented by Henry VIII and Queen Anne, it is also home to the UK’s first World Garden of Plants, the vision of modern-day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke. Admission £8, £4 children and under five years go free.
Visit www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk or call 01322 862114

Lydd Twinning Association
There are plenty of prizes on offer for Lydd Twinning Association’s Easter egg hunt on the Rype in LYDD on Easter Sunday at 2pm. The event is for the under 12s who are being asked to come along in Easter fancy dress – there’s even a reward for the best outfit. Prizes will be given to all entrants and extra goodies will be handed to the first 10 children to solve the word puzzle. It’s the first time the association has organised the event and members are hoping for a big turnout. Each entrant will pay £1.

Mount Ephraim
The beautiful gardens of Mount Ephraim, HERNHILL, near Faversham, make the perfect venue for an Easter egg trail on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Search for giant hand-made wooden eggs hidden around the extensive grounds. All hunters completing the trail will be rewarded with an Easter treat. Families can enjoy Easter story walks on both afternoons at 12.30pm and 1.45pm, with a professional storyteller telling tales of nature, fun and fantasy. Children’s craft and activities will take place on Easter Monday. Entry is £3, and it’s half price for adult with full paying child. Child from four to 16 years pay £2.50 and it’s free for the under threes.
Visit www.mountephraimgardens.co.uk

Penshurst Place
Storytelling on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are part of a package of events at Penshurst Place, TONBRIDGE. The historic venue is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta and visitors can follow a trail to discover just how evil King John was and learn why the baron’s decided to revolt, collecting clues along the way to solve a puzzle. With a chocolate treat as a reward for all young barons, the trail provides a unique way to enjoy Easter while learning about this important moment in British history. There will also be medieval themed crafts in the Old Coach House. Admission to the grounds and gardens costs from £8.50 for adults and £6 children.Visit www.penshurstplace.com or call 01892 870307

Quebec House
Join in the fun at Quebec House, WESTERHAM, the home of legendary soldier, General James Wolfe. Search the garden for hidden soldiers and discover how the British battle after battle in North America. Young visitors can earn a soldier’s certificate and claim a chocolate egg as a medal of honour. Admision is £13 adult, £6.50 for children and £32.50 for families. The Easter trails are £2 per person. Quebec House is daily from Good Friday to Easter Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quebec-house or call 01732 868381

Quex House and Gardens
Relish retro vibes are at Quex House and Gardens, BIRCHINGTON this Easter, with a trip to the I Love Vintage Fair on Good Friday from 10am to 4pm. There will be a host of stalls selling clothes, household goods, jewellery, cards and gifts, and you can find refreshment at Mama Feelgoods vintage style cafe. Interactive games will be taking place throughout the Easter holidays or discover the ancient seed sowing African game, Mancala. An Easter trail through the grounds will take place on Saturday, April 3, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Open daily 10am to 5pm. Admission £8 adult and free for under fives.
Visit www.quexpark.co.uk or call 01843 841119

Rare Breeds Centre
Don’t miss the chance to get hands-on with lambs comes at the Rare Breeds Centre, WOODCHURCH, near Ashford, this Easter weekend. There will be plenty of four-legged newcomers at the attraction and children can cuddle and even feed the babies. Easter chicks and piglets are expected too. There’s also a chocolate bunny hunt and a special Easter puppet show for all ages over the Easter weekend. Other entertainment includes trailer rides and woodland walks. Entry £10.50 adult, £9 children and £32 for family tickets. The Rare Breeds Centre is open daily 10.30am to 5.30pm. Visit www.rarebreeds.org.uk or call 01233 861493

Scotney Castle
Staff at Scotney Castle, LAMBERHURST, have lost baskets brimming with Easter eggs and they want youngsters to help find them from Good Friday to Easter Monday. The activities run daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is £13 adult, £6.50 children and £32.50 for families family.Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle or call 01892 893820

Sissinghurst CastleToad, Mole, Ratty and friends can be found at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, CRANBROOK. Join the excitement of a Wind in the Willows themed Easter egg trail and follow the characters on an adventure around the wild woods. Children can enjoy giant games, wildlife bingo and lots more throughout the holidays. The National Trust property is open daily from Good Friday to Easter Monday from 11am to 4pm. Admission £11.70 adult and children £5.65, trails cost £2.50 per person.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Smallhythe PlaceThere’s a white rabbit to follow at the National Trust’s Smallhythe Place, TENTERDEN. Find all the clues and work out the secret code at the end of the Easter egg trail to claim a chocolate prize. The former home of renowned Victorian actress Ellen Terry is open daily from Good Friday to Easter Monday from 11am to 4pm. Admission £7.40 adults, £4.05 children and £17. 90 for families. The Easter trails cost £2.50 per person.
Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place or call 001580 762334

South Foreland Lighthouse
Help the keeper of South Foreland Lighthouse, DOVER, save a troubled ship in the bay by following a trail and solve the clues to be the hero of the hour, and the winner of a Cadbury Egghead Award. Open daily from Good Friday, April 3 to Sunday, April 19, 11am to 3pm. Entry £6 adult, £3 children and £15 for a family. The Easter trails cost £3 per person. A minibus service will be running between the White Cliffs visitor centre and South Foreland Lighthouse on these dates.Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/south-foreland-lighthouse

Turner Contemporary
Get creative at Turner Contemporary, MARGATE, and try something new in the seaside gallery this Easter with special drop in workshops for families living in the CT9 postcode area. Fill the school break with art-related activities, including group portrait sculptures on Wednesday, April 8 and Thursday, April 9. Lose yourself in labyrinth style mazes on Wednesday, April 15 and celebrate Turner on Thursday, April 16. There are also special workshops on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday.
Visit www.turnercontemporary.org

Westgate ParksChildren can have fun in the open air with the Westgate Parks' Easter trail in CANTERBURY, on Easter Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Follow a self-led Easter trail around beautiful Westgate Parks. Solve clues to complete the challenge and receive a small prize. Pick up your trail sheet from the information stand at Toddler’s Cove where there is a super, new children’s playground. £1 per person. No need to book, just turn up on the day. Call Anna Bell on 07850715596 or email westgate.parks@kent.gov.uk