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The best things to do in Leeds this Easter
26th March 2025
With Easter and the springtime holidays right around the corner, it’s a great time to get outside, discover something new and have fun!
Over the next few weeks Leeds will come to life with family fun activities for all ages. Here we’ve rounded up the top things to do this Easter which are guaranteed to put a spring in your step.
Get inspired by film
Need to keep your little ones entertained over Easter? Leeds Young Film Festival has you covered. Running from the 6th to 21st of April, the festival sees popular movies screened every day in venues across the city, including Hyde Park Picture House and the Leeds Industrial Museum. So grab your popcorn and get comfy to watch a variety of movies including The Wild Robot, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Hugo! Films will be suitable for all ages.
For little ones, they can meet the stars of the small screen Bluey and Bingo at the Merrion Centre on the 9th April for free storytime!
Have a cracking time at Leeds’ historic houses and estates
Hop on down to Temple Newsam, this stunning Georgian property and grounds are transformed into an Easter paradise this year where you can enjoy a delicious day out. A visit to Temple Newsam isn’t complete without a trip to their on-site farm and all the new Springtime babies! Just make sure to keep an eye for the missing sheep inside the house with the Where’s Woolly? Trail.
Harewood House has the plenty of Easter activities this April including their Great Easter Egg Hunt and their brand new Adventure Playground, featuring climbing towers, bridges, slides, hideouts, swings and a zipwire, offering a mixture of physical and sensory play for all ages of children.
And at the magnificent Lotherton Hall, you must go on a quest for not just any eggs… but dragon eggs! Help Dragonologist Professor Pendragon Search For The Lost Eggs and complete your Easter adventure with marshmallow toasting and crafts in the Basecamp village. Other animal adventures include penguin, capybara and new for 2025 wallaby experiences!
Talking of animals, don’t forget to go meet Tropical World’s Crackle the Crocodile to snap up some Easter fun.
An eggcellent Easter at Leeds’ museums
The array of magnificent museums in Leeds are great places to entertain kids during the holidays whilst also discovering something new. And in most cases entry is free, so you can experience fascinating culture, easily!
There’s tonnes of Easter fun happening in museums across the Leeds Museums and Galleries with the Leeds Industrial Museum putting on challenges with the LEGO® Build the Change: Rewild our Museum! event, and the home of the Museum’s collections The Discovery Centre will be open for tours and workshops throughout. The Miffy Exhibition at the City Museum continues with crafts and workshops and pop out the city to Kirkstall Abbey and Abbey House Museum for some more Easter trails.
All aboard to Thackray Museum of Medicine where you can learn all about your Taste Buds! with live science shows, workshops and more foodie fun.
Step back in time to the medieval ages at the Royal Armouries, the UK’s leading museum of arms and armour. Their Easter programme this year is inspired by the lives of Medieval Knights, with archery, sword fighting and extra special warrior showcases all on offer. Plus, over the Bank Holiday weekend there’ll be a special International Jousting Tournament, with teams from UK, Germany and the USA battling it out in an exciting competition over four days to see who will reign supreme! Entry to the museum is totally free, but prices for the jousting tournament start from £5.
Easter shows to be egg-cited for
The Leeds Playhouse will be home to an interactive adventure where children can become the hero of their own story with The Story Forge, or younger children can enjoy the beloved story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar transformed from page to stage using a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets and charming music.
The Smartest Giant will be at the Carriageworks during the holidays, as well as interactive shows like Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure and Teach Rex LIVE.
Brace yourself for Rude Science, the naughtiest, funniest, most revolting science show in the world down at the Leeds Playhouse.
On the 9th April, make your way to the Merrion Centre to meet Bluey and Bingo for Storytime!
Free and low cost activities
This Easter holidays, the Kirkgate Market team have put on a a fun-filled calendar stacked with free things to do like Lego & Duplo playtime, crafts and colouring in and short films as part of the Leeds Young Film Festival.
Leeds Libraries are putting on plenty of free activities with the Rabbit Rumble taking over. Activities include Lego, coding, colouring in and more! They’ll also be putting on table top adventures for National Board Games Day.
Find out more with the Child Friendly Leeds guide here and Breeze Leeds (for older children) here.
Travelling into Leeds
Did you know that when you choose Park & Ride that the parking is free AND with every fare-paying adult, three kids (under 19) travel for free!
Then it’s only 10-15 minutes into the city centre to enjoy your Easter adventures!
Find out more about Leeds Park & Ride here.
*This blog was originally posted in 2023 and has been updated for 2025