Tag: Easter

Fore Play Crazy Golf’s cracking good Easter Egg Hunt

SUPPORTING LOCAL WITH PRIZES HIDDEN AROUND EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW

Fore Play Crazy Golf are sending fans in Edinburgh and Glasgow on an Easter Egg Hunt with a twist this spring, with a range of egg-citing prizes worth a total of over £1000 on offer, hidden at iconic landmarks in both cities from today.

Plus, Fore Play’s venues have had a playful spring clean makeover; launching brand new cocktails and floral displays fit for the ‘gram. 

Rewarding six lucky winners, Fore Play’s Easter Egg hunt will feature prize packages including £100 Scotland Loves Local gift cards, as Fore Play aims to support fellow local independent businesses this Easter.

Winners will also take home a supercharged birdie package worth over £70 offering a round of golf, welcome prosecco, 2 cocktails and a delicious meal from Luxford Burgers in Edinburgh or Loaded street food specialists in Glasgow, PLUS a luxury Easter egg from local chocolatiers Bare Bones Chocolate.

Fore Play Crazy Golf take inspiration for their fun-loving courses from their city’s landmarks, from Glasgow’s famous Duke of Wellington cone to Edinburgh’s own Greyfriars Bobby, and this is where fans can expect to come across some egg-cellent prizes this Easter…

Fans should be on the lookout for Fore Play’s bright pink flags and branded envelopes at key locations throughout the cities, with a prize per day up for grabs in each city. Launching today – Tuesday 12th April – and running until Thursday 14th April, fans can secure the goods in time for the Easter weekend …if their detective skills are up to par! Stay tuned for clues dropping each day on Fore Play’s Instagram. 

And if that wasn’t enough this Easter, the crazy golf venues in both Glasgow and Edinburgh have enjoyed a real good spring clean – dusting off everything from a new cocktail menu, floral garlands fit for the ‘gram and even upgrading Fore Play’s golf carts with a special floral installation, sure to add a spring to your step as you crush the course.

Fore Play’s floral explosion continues in their photo booths with floral frames and flower crown props setting the spring scene.  

Just in time for those spring summer evenings, Fore Play have launched new cocktails with garnishes as good as their golf game, including the Match-Play Margarita – a delightfully fruity frozen blend of Tequila, Marshmallow Unicorn gin, strawberry pure and lime juice, all topped off with Haribo lovehearts.

The Glasgow venue have also introduced a perfect pick-me-up cocktail with the Lat-Tee Break – a Kraken Rum concoction with caramel syrup, coffee mix and milk, served with chocolate drizzle, whipped cream and cocoa powder.

In the capital, fans can enjoy the Sherputt Sour, made with Pickering’s Grapefruit Gin, melon liqueur, sweet and sour mix and lemonade, served with flying saucer sweets. 

Fore Play is the ultimate night out combining tasty street food and fun-loving cocktails with crazy golf. Whether you’re looking for some playful competition between friends or want to brush up on your putting skills, Fore Play Crazy Golf’s friendly environment makes for the perfect night out and the venue’s Easter makeover will see it transformed into a spring wonderland. 

For full competition Ts&Cs visit www.foreplaycrazygolf.co.uk

Book now at www.foreplaycrazygolf.co.uk

Eggs-pert advice on how to have a dog-friendly Easter

With the bank holiday Easter weekend fast approaching, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, is reminding dog owners to keep chocolate out of reach of our four-legged friends.

As Easter eggs and other tasty cocoa treats find their way into homes, the charity hopes to raise awareness of the continued risk that the consumption of chocolate poses to our canine companions. Dogs Trust is providing top tips and advice for owners on how to have a dog-friendly Easter. 

Josie Cocks, Dogs Trust Veterinary Surgeon, explains the importance of not allowing dogs to eat human chocolate: “Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, so owners should ensure they keep it out of reach of their four-legged friends. Whilst some chocolate is more toxic than others, any amount is potentially harmful to your dog.

“If you suspect your dog has eaten chocolate, we advise owners to contact their vets immediately. Chocolate poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling, seizures and potentially kidney and heart failure.”

The charity advises:

  • Never give your pooch any human chocolate as a treat. Ensure that children and visitors understand why and adhere to this rule too.
  • Make sure that bins are dog-proof to prevent them scavenging through rubbish.
  • Never leave any chocolate unsupervised, such as cakes cooling on worktop surfaces.
  • Teach your dog to move away from something when you ask them to ‘leave it’. This valuable life skill will come in handy if your dog reaches for something they shouldn’t have.
  • Keep a close eye on your dog whilst out walking, to avoid them scoffing discarded food that is potentially harmful.

Although our canine companions won’t be eating human chocolate, there are plenty of other ways for them to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Charlotte Huggins, Canine Behaviour Officer at Dogs Trust, offers some suggestions: “There are plenty of exciting things we can do with our pets over the holiday weekend.

“Taking them on their own Easter hunt around the house or garden, that includes dog-friendly treats instead of chocolate is a great way of bonding and giving our dogs lots of stimulation. 

“You could also use the front of Easter egg boxes to teach your dog to do the snoot challenge or use the boxes to hide their toys or treats in for them to sniff out. If you want to have a go at something a little bit different, get a couple of boxes set a little distance apart and holding your dog’s treats or favourite toy in one hand, slowly start to guide them in a figure of eight around the two boxes. Then reward your dog!

“Dog owners could also build them their own Easter bunny burrow, or ‘Doggy Den’ so your furry friend has a cosy, comfortable place to sleep undisturbed in the house.”

For more information and advice visit https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/advice 

Stay safe in the water this Easter

With the clocks having gone forward and the lighter evenings now in store, national charity and leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding training across the UK and Ireland, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), is urging people to brush up on their water safety skills and knowledge.  

With over 400 people dying each year in the UK and Ireland from accidental drowning, it’s clear that it’s a topic that needs more attention. With the hope of warmer days and evenings round the corner, and the Easter holidays upon us, now is a vital time to ensure you and your family know how to stay safe in and around water. 

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said: “It is vitally important that everyone has an understanding of water safety, especially now we have the lighter evenings where we will start to see more people out and about in, on and around the water.

“We have seen a rise in the number of drownings over the last few years, with peaks during the summer. In July 2021, there were 49 accidental drowning fatalities in the space of just two weeks in the UK, and we know that with the right water safety knowledge, accidental drownings are avoidable.  

“We want to ensure that everyone can enjoy their Easter and summer breaks and enjoying the water but be safe in the knowledge that they, and their children, have the skills and understanding about water safety, which could potentially save a life.  Every life is worth saving.” 

Drowning is not just an issue that needs attention for those who take part in water-based activities either, evidence shows that one in two people who accidentally drown never intended to enter the water and in 2020 evidence from the National Water Safety Forum showed that 45% of accidental drownings took place when people were taking part in everyday activities. 

RLSS UK has a range of free educational resources available on their website for children, young people and parents and are holding their annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign in June. The campaign will take place between 18th-25th June and aims to equip everyone across the UK and Ireland with the skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about water safety.  

Lee continued: “This year for Drowning Prevention Week we are aiming to educate more young people than ever about water safety and give children the skills to enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water.  

“We have a range of free educational resources available on the RLSS UK website, including lesson plans for schools and resources for parents.  

“In a recent survey, over 55% of parents said they would not be confident their child would know what to do if they fell into open water; this is something we want to change.  

“Drowning Prevention Week brings the focus of water safety to people’s minds, giving everyone the opportunity to be equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge to be summer ready when it comes to being safe in and around water when the warmer weather is here.” 

Creative fun at Collective: Easter Holiday Family Events

Collective is now open from Tuesday – Sunday, 10am—5pm

Visit Collective this Easter break to experience a range of creative workshops suitable for children of all ages – from workshops celebrating rainwater in partnership with Edinburgh Science Festival, to drop-in creative sessions exploring our PLAY programme, and a final weekend of activities inspired by our current exhibition H-E-L-L-O by artist Cauleen Smith.

Edinburgh Science Festival: Rain Harvest

9–10 April
11am—12.30pm & 2—3.30pm
£5 | Book in advance

Join in with the 2022 Edinburgh Science Festival and explore the beauty and vitality of rainwater in this hands-on, sensory workshop that blends art, science and play.

> Book Here

Collective PLAY: Drop-in Sessions

11–22 April
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am—4pm
Free | No booking needed

Throughout the Easter holidays, families are warmly invited to drop in to Collective and join us at our Play Shelter and Hillside spaces to take part in a range of art activities related to our year-round Collective Play programme.

Collective PLAY Weekend: Vibrations

23–24 April, 11am—4pm
Free | No booking needed

Join us for a final Easter holiday weekend of free outdoor play and creative activities for children and families, inspired by our current exhibition H-E-L-L-O by Cauleen Smith.

A limited number of quiet slots are available on 23 April for families and children with autism or sensory learning disabilities.

> Find out more

Creative expert reveals five fun crafts to do this Easter with your Kids  

With Easter approaching, craft experts from Crafty.net reveal five fun crafts that families can do at home on a budget this Easter.  

You don’t have to be an expert in crafting to create something fun with your kids this Easter, but sometimes it can be overwhelming figuring out where to start when creating something from scratch. To help find inspiration, think about the season and what colours or animals you associate with it; this can be a great way to put you in the right frame of mind.   

If the ideas don’t flow easily, you can find that extra boost of inspiration in many different places. Whether you’re searching the internet on sites like Pinterest or YouTube, the ideas for Easter DIYs will begin to flow.

Start by seeing which supplies you have to hand already, or see what you may be able to re-purpose. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on crafts to produce something incredible; here are a few ideas to get you started:    

  • Easter crafts with lolly sticks  

This craft is a fun way to entice your kids to recycle after their sweet treats; if you don’t have any lolly sticks in your home, you can find some at your local craft store. Be as creative as you desire, whether that’s creating bunny or chick faces, bunny bookmarks or lolly stick baskets.

Some fun extras alongside your lolly sticks and PVA glue could include some paints of your choice, pipe cleaners and pom-poms; using embellishments is where the creativity flows.   

  • Easter crafts with construction paper  

Construction paper is a fun way to create your Easter crafts on a budget. A fun keepsake such as ‘paper handprint bunnies’ involves taking a piece of paper and tracing your kids’ hands, cutting around the outline and folding the pinky finger and thumb to the centre. Next cut to the base of the middle finger giving the shape of bunny ears and paws. From here, you can have fun with what extras you add to embellish your bunnies with pens or goggle-eyes.   

Alternatively, create some Easter decorations by tracing an outline of bunnies on pieces of construction paper with different prints and placing a white pom-pom as the bunny tail. You could put these on a piece of yarn you have lying around to create some colourful bunting.   

  • Easter crafts with paper plates  

For chick paper plate craft, start by painting a paper plate yellow and add some goggle-eyes for fun, along with a piece of orange paper that can be used for the beak and chicks’ legs. This craft can be easily created for bunnies or other spring animals you have in mind.   

As an alternative craft, you can make an Easter Wreath by cutting out the middle section of your paper plate to achieve your wreath shape. Now it’s time to add your creative flair; adding ribbon wrapped around the wreath adds fun texture and colour, or egg-shaped coloured paper is a great way to personalise your easter wreaths. Whether it’s decorative or a fun craft for your kids, there are many options with paper plates, so have fun.   

  • Easter crafts with egg cartons  

Using egg cartons is another excellent way to encourage recycling for your little ones. Using the egg cups, you can paint them to add some colour, and use pens to decorate the cups as a face. Why not make this craft extra fun by adding some easter treats inside the cup, such as chocolate mini eggs.   

You can create flowers by cutting your egg carton into a quad, adding colour paint of your choice to the container, and yellow to the middle of the carton or add a fluffy pom-pom for the pollen along with a green popsicle stick for the stem of the flower. These can be displayed in many ways, either a spare jar or a floral foam brick – then you have a lovely bouquet of recycled flowers.   

  • Easter crafts plastic eggs   

This craft offers a great option to get creative, finding colourful plastic eggs at your local craft shop and pipe cleaners; you can make bunny ears; alternatively, on an orange egg, you could add green pipe cleaners to make a carrot for this Easter season.

Another great craft you can do at home is to open the plastic egg up and glue the larger flat base to the pointed top, creating a fun plant pot where you could incorporate some of your favourite flowers.   

Musical instruments are always a win; how about crafting some simple maracas by filling up your plastic eggs with household objects such as rice. Next, take two plastic spoons, hold them against the plastic egg securing with a piece of tape, then you have your musical instrument.   

Crafty is a Premium Craft Membership designed to deliver quality SVG Cut Files and Designs for one low monthly price.  

Thousands of families can receive help towards Easter childcare costs

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents in Scotland to not miss out on the opportunity to get up to £2,000 a year to pay for regulated childcare, including holiday clubs and other out-of-school activities, during the Easter holidays. 

Tax-Free Childcare provides thousands of eligible working families with up to £500 every three months (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.

For every £8 deposited into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families will receive an additional £2 in government top-up, and it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability.

More than 19,800 working families used the scheme in December 2021, in Scotland. Overall, HMRC paid out more than £34 million in top-up payments, which was shared between nearly 328,000 families across the UK.

With recent research estimating that around 1.3 million families could be taking up this government support, parents and carers can check their eligibility and register for Tax-Free Childcare via GOV.UK. 

This scheme can help working families including the self-employed and is one of many ways the UK Government is supporting households to reduce their costs and keep more of what they earn to help pay for other bills. 

Helen Whately, HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “There are lots of brilliant holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the Easter holidays, and Tax-Free Childcare is a great offer that can help cut the childcare bills. 

“I urge families across the UK to take advantage of this support and put extra pounds in their pocket – sign up now and save on your childcare costs.” 

By depositing money into their accounts, families can benefit from the 20% top-up and use the money to pay for childcare costs when they need it. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away.

For example, if parents and carers have school-aged children and use holiday clubs during school holidays, they could deposit money into their accounts throughout the year. This means they could spread the cost of childcare while also benefitting from the 20% government top-up. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.

Tax-Free Childcare is also available for pre-school aged children attending nurseries, childminders, or other childcare providers. Families with younger children will often have higher childcare costs than families with older children, so the tax-free savings can really make a difference.

Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account via GOV.UK to receive payments from parents and carers via the scheme.

Peter Rabbit™ Breakfast at Dobbies 

This Easter, Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, partners with The World of Peter Rabbit™ to celebrate the iconic bunny’s 120th birthday with an exclusive Peter Rabbit™ Easter Breakfast.

Tickets are now on sale for this exciting, themed celebratory breakfast in Edinburgh between 14-18 April, bringing friends and family together to explore gardening fun. Attendees will take part in a wide range of family-friendly gardening activities plus receive a Peter Rabbit gift to take home.

In addition, there will be a great range of breakfast options, including a traditional cooked breakfast or a vegetarian cooked breakfast. For an alternative option, children can enjoy a portion of cheesy beans on toast.

Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager Sarah Murray said: “We’re excited to be the official garden centre partner for The World of Peter Rabbit this year. Peter is synonymous with gardening and outdoor adventures and so he is the perfect fit for our family audience at Dobbies.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Peter Rabbit fans to our themed breakfast to learn more about his story and gardening during this celebratory year.”

Izzy Richardson, Global Brand Director, Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “We’re delighted to have launched this partnership with Dobbies Garden Centres during Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday year.

“Dobbies are a perfect partner to help us celebrate Peter’s connection to nature. At the same time, the breadth of locations of Dobbies Garden Centres, helps us continue to make The World of Peter Rabbit accessible and enjoyable to a wider, and more diverse audience of families and communities across the country. The themed Easter breakfast is a wonderful way to bring friends and families together to celebrate with Peter, and learn more about gardening and spending time in nature too.”

Children can enjoy A Peter Rabbit™ Easter Breakfast for £9.99, and adult tickets start from £6.99. The series of events will be taking place between 14-18 April across 66 selected Dobbies’ stores including Edinburgh. To find out how to get involved and book your slot, visit dobbies.com/events

Dobbies offers Book with Confidence with each purchased slot, for more info visit https://www.dobbies.com/book-with-confidence.

Attendees are invited to get involved in the conversation by tagging @DobbiesGardenCentres and @OfficialPeterRabbit, as well as using the hashtag #PeterRabbit120.

In addition to this children’s event, Peter Rabbit will continue his work with Dobbies as a Little Seedlings Ambassador. There will be updates on what Peter has been up to with the Little Seedlings Club on the dedicated Ambassadors blog at dobbies.com

Conifox Announce Easter Festival with Scotland’s First Easter Bunny Grotto

  • Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto opens at new Easter Festival 
  • Cracking Easter Egg-stravaganza from Conifox Adventure Park 

‘Family run, for family fun’ Conifox Adventure Park, near Edinburgh celebrates spring with the launch of its new Easter Festival, an inclusive fun, family event introducing Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto. 

The Easter egg-stravaganza features a whole host of characters and activities including the Bunny Grotto – a fully immersive, theatrical sensory experience for kids from three years upwards. 

In line with the Park’s ethos of providing fun events suitable for all, visitors with Additional Support Needs (ASN) will have access to exclusive sessions adapted to allow them to enjoy the exciting spectacle in a more relaxed atmosphere. 

The Easter Festival runs from April 2nd to 24th with a cast of characters including Baxter Bunny, The Easter Bunny, the Big Bad Wolf, Professor Eggbert and friends. 

The visitor journey starts at the Magic Shed, the gateway to Hoppity Hollow, home of the Easter Bunny. Then it’s on to the Spring Garden to meet Hoppy, learn about the Big Bad Wolf, the trouble he’s causing and how to help save Easter.  

Visit Professor Eggbert in the Easter Egg Factory, where he’ll be busy making egg-straordinary creations with his Easter Egg Machine. But the sneaky Big Bad Wolf has mixed up the special ingredients and the professor needs visitors’ help to get production back on track.

Then meet the Easter Bunny himself in his Bunny Bedroom where the Big Bad Wolf has sabotaged his alarm clock. It can only be powered by singing the Easter Bunny Song which visitors will learn, thanks to Easter Bunny’s helper Fluffy.  

Families will then have the chance to have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny before taking on the challenge to name all the famous rabbits in the Rabbit Hall of Fame.  

There is even more fun in store with: the Egg-mazing Trail in the Magical Maze where solving the puzzle earns a Cadbury’s chocolate egg and look out for rare golden eggs to win a special jumbo Easter egg – if the Bad Wolf hasn’t found them first; Easter-lympics, when children can challenge each other and the big kids to the egg and spoon and sack races, tug-of-war and more; an Easter Disco throughout the day when everyone can dance along to family favourites with Baxter Bunny; Easter Footgolf when Easter Eggs replace footballs and so much more! 

During the exclusive Additional Support Needs Day on April 13th the festival will run with reduced capacity to provide plenty of open space, music and light displays will be muted and children will be able to interact with lots of sensory activities. These special sessions are exclusive only to families with ASN. Group bookings are available on request.  

Deborah Gammell, Conifox Adventure Park’s Business Development Manager, says: “Springtime and Easter are magical times and we want everyone to be able to join in the fun with us and our amazing Easter characters.

“Promoting inclusivity is part of our business values and we’re delighted to offer group discounts and are looking forward to welcoming families and groups with ASN. If anyone has specific needs, we’d love to hear from them and will do as much as possible to help with their visit.” 

All Easter tickets include access to Conifox’s Outdoor Adventure Park, at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Tickets for the Indoor Activity Centre must be purchased separately. 

To find out more and to book tickets visit: https://www.conifox.co.uk/ 

It’s officially time for the annual Conifox egg hunt — let’s hop to it!

Family run, for family fun; Conifox Adventure Park are egg-cited to confirm their annual Easter egg hunt is set to take place between 2nd -18th April at their park situated 20 minutes from Edinburgh city centre.   

To mark the activity, there will be the chance to complete a fun activity sheet to hunt for clues around the entire adventure park, hand it over to our team in the ticket office and collect a yummy 130g filled Cadbury Egg.

There are also a few golden eggs hidden throughout… and children are invited to find them to win a 200g filled Cadbury Egg!  

New for 2021, kids will also be able to visit Baxter Bunny in his spacious Easter Garden, where he will be having sack races and egg & spoon races every 10 mins (under 12s only).

There are more egg-cellent prizes available for race winners and even the opportunity to have a socially distanced photo with Baxter himself in his very large Garden!  

James Gammell, Director of Conifox Adventure Park comments, “We are asking that everyone follows the government guidance in regard to travel from outside your local authority area.  

Numbers of visitors and time slots will be restricted each day to ensure we can maintain numbers for social distancing guidelines, so that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable day.   

“We will have 2 sessions per day: 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. The park will close each day between 1pm-2pm for cleaning and additional equipment clean down will take place at 11am and 3pm.”  

There are also plenty more activities to be enjoyed around Conifox Adventure Park, including a 9-hole Footgolf course, Pedal Go-Karts, Off-Road Pedal Tractors, Kid’s Pedal Tractor Farm, Springers, Giant Jump Pillow, Trampolines, Swings, Balance Beams, Rope Bridge and so much more!  

While the Bistro will remain closed until further notice, our BBQ cabin will be serving breakfast rolls from 10am-11.30am and delicious food takeaway from 12pm. Under government guidelines there will be no indoor seating areas available, but there are plenty of picnic benches around the adventure park and outdoor spaces.  

All tickets purchased are non-transferable. Due to the limit on numbers and time slot allocations per day, the only exception will be if we are put into another Covid-19 lockdown. Any refunds given will be minus the booking fee.  

Tickets can be purchased for £13 per child at www.conifox.co.uk and include park entry, the egg hunt and Easter Garden access with activities! T&Cs apply: One golden egg per child.  

There is also the possibility to purchase tickets for access to the park without including any of the Easter activities.   

To find out more visit the Conifox Adventure Park Facebook page @conifoxadventurepark or www.conifox.co.uk.