The sun is out, the sky is blue, and the flowers are in bloom — spring is on the way! With extra days off from school and work, this is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy all that nature has to offer, while enjoying quality time with friends and family.
So, how can you make the most of this lovely season? If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve got five fun ways to spend more time outdoors as a family this Easter, from invigorating nature walks and creative crafting to embarking on a thrilling PGL Easter adventure!
Why should we spend time outside?
First off, let’s talk about the overall benefits of spending time outside. Many agree it has a positive impact on our wellbeing, with 85% of adults saying nature boosts their happiness, according to the People and Nature Survey for England. The fresh air, natural light, and green spaces help reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, lowering cortisol levels and encouraging a calmer mindset, especially after long periods indoors.
Being in nature is also a great excuse to move our bodies. All that walking, running, climbing and cycling helps to improve our cardiovascular fitness and stamina, supporting healthy bone and muscle development as well as our coordination, strength and agility. This is particularly important for children who need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day for healthy growth.
Furthermore, outdoor play often involves shared experiences with siblings, friends, and family. Classic games like tag or hide-and-seek, or alongside team sports such as football and netball, or even simply imaginative play, teach us how to communicate, cooperate and resolve problems together. Over time, these real-world interactions lead to greater confidence and resilience.
To summarise, the great outdoors offers both kids and adults a whole host of advantages. At Easter, the warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and seasonal activities naturally motivate us to slow down, be mindful, and reconnect with nature, with each other, and ourselves.
How to spend more time outdoors this Easter
Easter is the ideal opportunity to ditch the screens for a healthy dose of sunshine. But how can you fit in more outdoor time with the kids? We’ve compiled five fantastic ways to get the whole family outside and create new memories that will last a lifetime.
1. Take a walk in the woods
After the long winter months, nature is beginning to wake up again — flowers are blooming, butterflies are emerging from their cocoons, and birdsong fills the air. Easter is a busy time, with plenty of sights, sounds, and sensations to discover during the school holidays.
Luckily, there are many accessible woodland walks and trails across the UK for families, whether it’s a nature reserve, a local park, or a heritage site. You don’t need to plan a long hike either, as even a short 10-15 minute walk is refreshing enough to help kids relax and recharge.
To keep kids engaged, why not turn the woodland walk into a mini scavenger hunt? Give them a checklist of things to spot: insects, bluebells, birds’ nests, or lambs in nearby fields. Whoever finds them all first wins! This simple Easter activity is also a wonderful chance to talk, laugh, and be mindful of the world around you.
Bonus tips: Don’t forget to prepare for your outing! Pack a bag with essentials such as water, snacks, and an umbrella for unexpected rain, and be sure to wear appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear (like trainers or walking boots).
2. Organise an Easter egg hunt
Of course, you can’t go wrong with a traditional Easter egg hunt! Ideal for all ages, it combines outdoor exploration and problem-solving, encouraging children to be curious and use their observational skills to find colourful eggs scattered around. The best part? It can be done in your own garden or at the park.
You can keep things simple by hiding the eggs in plain sight, such as behind a flower pot or beside a tree trunk. To make it more adventurous, incorporate cryptic clues to lead children from one spot to the next, or a map of the space with “X” marking the spots.
If you want to avoid melted chocolate, consider using reusable plastic or wooden eggs filled with small toys, stickers, or tokens that can be “traded in” for a final prize at the end — perfect for keeping everyone happy and healthy!
Bonus tips: Safety is key! Before the hunt, make sure to set clear boundaries and rules like “no eating eggs” until they’ve all been collected. Always do a quick sweep of the area beforehand to check for potential hazards.
3. Get into gardening
One of the best ways to spend more time outdoors is to do a bit of gardening. Easter is a time for renewal and fresh starts, making it the peak season for tasks like planting seeds or bulbs together, as well as essential chores such as clearing away dead leaves, branches, and pulling weeds.
For kids, gardening helps them to understand where our food comes from, while gently teaching valuable life lessons about growth, patience, and environmental responsibility. It also gives children a chance to use their fine motor skills and engage their senses, as they dig and feel the different textures, weights, and smells of soil and plants.
You don’t need a large garden to get started. Pots, planters, or even windowsill containers work just as well. Kids can sow sunflowers, strawberries, herbs (e.g., rosemary, sage) or a mix of hardy, fast-growing vegetables such as lettuce, peas and radishes — a brilliant incentive to eat their greens.
Bonus tips: To add a sprinkle of creativity, children can decorate plant labels, paint their own pots, or keep a simple growth diary to track progress and see how plants grow and change over time.
4. Build a bug hotel or bird feeder
Spring is a very active period for all creatures, both big and small. To help, families can provide shelter and food by building a bug hotel or a bird feeder. These wildlife projects are excellent because they nurture a real appreciation for nature, starting right outside your home!
A bug hotel can be created using everyday materials such as cardboard tubes, twigs, dry leaves, and small stones, stacked inside a box or sturdy frame like a wooden pallet. All that’s left to do is watch the insects, such as ladybirds and beetles, move into their new home.
Bird feeders are just as easy to make. Cover a large pinecone with a spreadable ingredient like peanut butter, lard, or honey. Roll the coated pinecone in birdseed and then hang it from a sturdy branch using twine or string.
Bonus tips: Location is everything! Place your bug hotel in a damp, sheltered, or shady corner where they won’t be disturbed by wind or direct sunlight. With bird feeders, hang them at least 2 metres high to keep out of reach of cats, and somewhere you can see them from a window.
5. Sign up for an Easter holiday camp
Finally, your child can enjoy the great outdoors, taking part in a range of outdoor adventure activities on an Easter holiday camp! Our kids’ adventure camps allow kids to unlock their potential, build confidence and make new friends.
From team-based challenges like abseiling and orienteering to individual interests like climbing and archery, Easter camps offer a mix of age-appropriate fun and physical activities designed to get kids moving and enjoying the outdoors.
For parents, kids’ camps also provide added peace of mind. Knowing their children are supervised by trained staff and staying active can make the easter break much more manageable.
At PGL, we have strong safety policies in place, Ofsted-registered centres, and flexible booking options or special offers to make holiday planning easier and more affordable.
Make this Easter an outdoor adventure!
Ready to experience an Easter adventure that combines outdoor fun and learning? PGL’s residential kids camps offer children aged 8-16 years old a blend of action, adventure, and endless fun, with hands-on activities and opportunities to build new skills and forge new friendships.
Our activity centres are spread throughout the UK, so you can be sure there’s an Easter camp near you, with shorter or longer stays available. Take a look at the 4 centres opening their doors this Easter below:
North Yorkshire, Newby Wiske Hall
Book now for an unforgettable Easter school break packed with adventure! Or, get in touch with our friendly team for more details on our exciting holiday offerings!
