Looking for a cracking event to entertain the kids in the Cotswolds this Easter? Well look no further to find all the egg hunts and Easter events this holiday period.Easter at Snowshill Manor - egg trail, face painting and design your own eggheadEaster at Sudeley Castle - Follow the trail of clues around the grounds of this historical site to find your Easter treatEaster at Westbury Court Gardens - Join in the quiz, hunt for clues and face paintingEaster at Westonbirt Arboretum - A day out for the kids between Monday 5th and Friday 9th April - can they find all the creatures that lay eggs and solve the Easter riddle?Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham - Watch the family favourite The Fox and Child on the big screen on Monday 12th April after some Easter treats.Click here for details of all our Cotswold Cottages

Easter weekend is the first real long weekend of the year, an excellent time to enjoy a holiday in the UK and visit the Cotswolds. As well as the usual sights and sounds, Easter brings many special activities and events, making for an action-packed weekend amongst some of the most beautiful countryside in England. Spending Easter in the Cotswolds is the ideal way to kick-off the spring and summer travel season, and you certainly wont be short of things to do, as our guide shows!

Easter in the Cotswolds

Easter at Westonbirt Arboretum It promises to be a busy Easter Sunday at Westonbirt Arboretum with a number of exciting activities taking place in this beautiful spot. As part of its special line up of Easter in the Cotswolds events, Westonbirt will be home to the Light Between The Trees exhibition featuring some wonderful paintings of the arboretum as well as other local countryside pieces. Meanwhile, the hot air balloon flights around the park and nearby countryside, which are a firm favourite will return once again on the Saturday. The spring foliage will be in full bloom too, so therell be plenty of colour in the gardens. Remember to bring a picnic and enjoy! Big screen blockbusters at The Roses, Tewkesbury Its not always possible to gauge the Cotswolds weather, especially during the Easter break, so its always worth having a back-up plan in case your outdoor plans become less appealing under heavy rain. The Roses is an excellent theatre with a number of different events planned, and whilst there are no live performances over the Easter weekend, you can take in some of the years biggest blockbusters so far with Beauty and the Beast, Kong: Skull Island and A Cure for Wellness playing throughout the weekend. Easter at Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral is the perfect setting to enjoy Easter celebrations, and a wonderful time to explore this majestic location if youve never been before. There are a number of Holy Week services including a Palm Sunday Eucharist, Festal Evensong and an Easter Day procession, as well as a performance of the Passion of Christ performed by Gloucester Cathedral Choir and the Corelli ensemble on Good Friday. Children will love the Eggcellent Easter Adventure on Easter Sunday, whilst there are also three art exhibitions being held at the Cathedral too. Easter Egg Hunt at Puzzlewood A visit to Puzzlewood offers many things to see and do and is an enchanting location offering adventure for both children and adults amongst its beautiful surroundings. Known for being a filming location for a number of TV programmes and films, it's also rumoured to be the inspiration for the forests of Middle Earth from Lord Of The Rings. From the 10th of April there will be a special Easter egg hunt taking participants all around the forest, with some special prizes to be won if you find them all. Easter at Go Ape, Forest of Dean Swing from the trees and enjoy a forest Segway for an action-packed Easter in the Cotswolds at Go Ape. Adults and children will love spending time on the zip wires and Tarzan swings, whilst theres sure to be some special prizes in store when you book a visit over Easter too. Dogs are welcome too so they dont have to miss out on the fun! Easter Weekend at Berkeley Castle Berkeley Castle reopens for April with some special celebrations in store over the Easter weekend. Enjoy the chance to explore the historical grounds and keep an eye out for the dragon puppeteers who will be making their way through the gardens. There will be baby dragons and Chinese dragon processions as well as a number of craft workshops that will be sure to keep the family busy. The Easter Eggspress at Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway On Easter Monday, board the Easter Eggspress and enjoy a ride on the GWSR, a grand steam train which runs from Cheltenham to Toddington for a fun day out. Therell be a number of activities taking place, and Easter bonnets are encouraged! An enjoyable activity whatever the weather, a ride on this amazing steam train will be fun for all the family. The April Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse One for the grown ups! Get some friends together and enjoy Easter in the Cotswolds with one of two exciting weekday races at Cheltenham Racecourse. The 19th and 20th of April sees the April Meeting taking place, an ideal event to enjoy as the race season begins to wind down. Its a fun day out and there are hospitality packages available if you have something to celebrate or would like to make it an extra special occasion. Picnic at some of the best spots in the UK Sometimes the best days out are the ones where you dont do much at all, and a picnic in a Cotswolds beauty spot is an excellent idea. There are a number of places to choose from, and some Jigsaw favourites include along the River Windrush in Bourton-on-the-Water and up on Leckhampton Hill which has some amazing views over the countryside. Egg Hunting at Newark Park The Cotswolds is packed with beautiful National Trust properties and Newark Park is one of the most striking. A gorgeous location abounding with history, coupled with spectacular gardens which are full of wild garlic at this time of year, its a lovely place to pay a visit at Easter. Throughout the Easter weekend there will be egg hunting, lawn games and more to ensure a wonderful day for all the family. Its an excellent spot to enjoy views of the Cotswolds too, although make sure you bring your lunch with you as there are no cafes or restaurants at the site. Bank Holiday bargains at Bicester Village Easter weekend is an excellent time to visit Bicester Village and indulge in some designer shopping. Not only does there promise to be some excellent bank holiday sales but you will also find childrens entertainment, including performances from Creation Theatre, who will be performing excerpts from their Alice in Wonderland show. There will even be baking classes which can be booked in advance if youd like to guarantee a space. Laughs aplenty at the Bath Comedy Festival The Bath Comedy Festival takes place between the 1st and 19th of April, with many laugh-out-loud events scheduled over the Easter Weekend. Theres comedy for children during the day, including competitions and the Funtime Silly Disco. Adults can indulge their humorous side in the evenings offerings, which will feature some of the best UK comedians currently on the circuit. Events are selling out quickly so be sure to book your tickets in advance. Easter celebrations at Daylesford Organic Farm Whether youre interested in a bit of shopping or picking up some new cookery skills, Daylesford Organic Farm makes for an excellent day out with a number of activities to entertain people of all ages. Events taking place over the Easter holidays include cookery courses for children, special courses and events for adults and a number of Easter treats to sample. Set in a lovely location with a top caf on site, a visit to Daylesford at Easter is a must. Play in Two Days at the Chipping Norton Theatre Theatre takes on a special twist this Easter at the Chipping Norton Theatre with a number of exciting activities planned for The Play in Two Days. This interactive theatre experience for children is designed to bring their creativity to life by helping them to put on their own play and make some new friends too. Their exploits will be on display for parents and friends in a special performance held at the end of the two day course. Its a fun and lively experience, and a great place to take the kids during the day so that you can explore nearby Chipping Norton in peace. Walk on the wild side at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens offers a great day out for people of all ages, and therell be a wonderful atmosphere over the Easter holidays. Some of the activities you can expect to enjoy this Easter in the Cotswolds include the penguin and lemur feeding sessions, and the 'big cat' experience. Open all over the Easter break, the park is the ideal place to visit come rain or shine. We hope our guide has thrown up a number of tempting ideas for you and your party. Whatever you decide to go for, you can be sure that any one of these exciting events will ensure a memorable Easter in the Cotswolds. For those with young families, we've put together another great article on Easter activities for children to help you plan your weekend.

Enjoy Easter at your home from home with Jigsaw

Whatever you decide to do during your stay, you can look forward to spending Easter in the Cotswolds in one of our warm and welcoming Jigsaw Holidays properties. All our cottages feature everything you need to make your stay special, with fully equipped kitchens for Easter dining, as well as comfy beds and cosy fireplaces for the evenings. Located near many of the locations listed above, as well as many other popular Cotswold locations, you are guaranteed to find the ideal place to spend the break with your family and friends. Spend some time browsing through our different cottage categories, including romantic cottages, dog-friendly cottages and large cottages, to find the one that is right for you. Happy Easter from all of us here at Jigsaw, we hope you enjoy your stay. If there is anything we can do to help you at any point throughout your stay, or to book, you can contact us directly.