Today marks the start of the easter break. Two whole weeks of rest, relaxation and pampering, for the teachers ! Parents, on the other hand, have two weeks to fill with wholesome activities and easter fun. Alternatively there is a Spongebob Squarepants marathon every day on The Cartoon Network, you choose.

Being a fairly  uptight  organised person I have our easter break pretty much planned out. I try to achieve a balance of fun activities with plenty of downtime. If your stuck for ideas , look no further, here are my top five ideas for the easter break.

1. Easter crafts. My children love colouring, painting sticking and glueing (especially all at the same time) add in some glitter and they are in their element. For easter some ideas are: Easter bonnet making, egg blowing (and decorating), sock bunnies (and subsequent sock bunny puppet shows),and easter basket decorating (ready for the hunt). Think eggs and bunnies and let your imagination go wild.

photo courtesy of Maggie Smith.

2. The cinema. This week the new Aardman feature “The Pirates!” was released and it looks like a great family film. I will be taking the whole family. Also don’t forget most of the big chains have kids am showings where you can take the children to the cinema for around £1 , bargain.

3.Baking. I love baking, and eating cake. Over the easter break I shall be baking with the children. Think hot cross buns, simnel cake and easter biscuits. If your feeling adventurous you could buy some egg moulds and make your own custom easter eggs.

4.Walks. Spring is my favourite time of year for family walks. Life is bursting everywhere and there is lots to look at. Take along a camera and let the children capture nature at its best.

5. Charity shop shopping. My kids (like most other children) don’t like shopping. However give them a couple of quid and take them on a trawl of the charity shops and they love it. They can buy themselves new toys and books for virtually nothing and then when they get bored of them, take them back to the charity shop.

So there you have it my top five easter holiday activities. Have a lovely break and be sure to leave a comment with your easter holiday ideas. Then we will all have even more things to try.