Things to do in Sheffield and South Yorkshire over Easter

If it has felt like winter in the steel city has dragged on forever, then why not celebrate that Spring has sprung at last? Keep your whole family entertained over the Easter bank holiday with a host of special events in Sheffield. And remember, Easter's not just for kids; there are lots of Easter treats for grown-ups in too.
Jack Tankard from Graves Park Farm is pictured with a couple of young chicks who are among many baby animals at the farm this easter.Jack Tankard from Graves Park Farm is pictured with a couple of young chicks who are among many baby animals at the farm this easter.
Jack Tankard from Graves Park Farm is pictured with a couple of young chicks who are among many baby animals at the farm this easter.

Meet the animals including the Easter Bunny

Graves Park Animal Farm is always a popular attraction for families in Sheffield, but at this time of year they have even more to offer. With a special appearance from the Easter Bunny, the main event will have your little bunnies hopping around the field in search of 1,000 shiny chocolate eggs and 10 special prize eggs – with Easter egg hunts on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Meet the animals sessions, colouring, quizzes and more are taking place throughout each day until Sunday, April 3.

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At £1 per child, the Easter egg hunts are the only charged for activity with each child guaranteed to collect at least a chocolate egg or two and the chance of picking up one of 10 special prize eggs.

The farm is now home to goats, pigs, sheep, cows and bulls, llamas, deer, donkeys, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs.

For more information contact Graves Park Animal Farm on 0114 2582452.

Go wild with a treetop adventure

Go Ape is a thrilling high ropes course through the heart of the Peak District National Park and is perfect for an Easter adventure.

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Children as young as six can monkey around on Tree Top Junior, while older children can fly through the sky on a zip wire, race through the forest on a Segway or swing through the trees like Tarzan. The nearest Go Ape to Sheffield is close to Buxton in Derbyshire and is within walking distance of the historic Spa town. Children must be over 10 years old and over 1.4m tall for the high rope course. Go Ape is open daily and you can book online at www.goape.co.uk

Go quackers at the Endcliffe Park duck race

Get in a flap as thousands of plastic ducks take to the water at Endcliffe Park for the annual duck race.

The popular event, organised by volunteers from the Friends of Porter Valley, will attract thousands to the park on Easter Monday.

More than 2,000 yellow ducks will be launched to run downstream. The first one to the finishing line at the park’s stepping stones is the winner.

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To take part you can buy a duck for £1 or a family of six ducks for £5.

The race starts at 2pm but other activities such as cake and book stalls, a tombola, a climbing tower, dog show and Easter bonnet competition will be open from 10am.

The event is raising money for the restoration of Forge Dam.

Treat yourself on a shopping trip

Shoppers visiting the Lakeside Village shopping centre in Doncaster on Good Friday and Easter Saturday are in for a real treat at a choctastic event between 11am and 4pm.

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Take part in a chocolate workshop, grab a free hot chocolate and keep a look out for Willie Wonka, who will be visiting along with Violet Beauregarde and two Oompa-Loompas.

The outlet shopping village will also be running a Golden Ticket Easter Hunt for the little ones with a free chocolate treat at the end. There will be a petting zoo on site between 12pm and 4pm.

Have fun at the fair

Take part in traditional Easter activities at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary Farm in Ravenfield, Rotherham – all for a good cause.

Have a go at an Easter egg hunt, raffle and tombola and enjoy the food and drinks stalls as well as face painting and an Easter bonnet competition.

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All money raised will go to the sanctuary, which finds new homes for hundreds of unwanted and abandoned pets every year.

The event runs from 10am - 2pm on Monday, March 28.

Welcome spring at Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House, garden and farm yard has opened its doors to the public for a new season of events. Visitors are welcome to hop on down to meet the Easter bunny, who will be in the garden and farm yard during the Easter bank holiday weekend. Take the Easter egg trail in the house and hunt for golden eggs in the garden. There will be children’s face painting at Flora’s temple and they can get creative with Easter crafts.

All events are free with the price of admission.

Splash around at Clifton Park

The water play area at Clifton Park, Rotherham opens for the new season tomorrow.

Set within an acre of the park, the area includes fountains, a paddling area and a stream.

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The water play area is free and changing rooms and toilet facilities are provided. It is open seven days a week until the end of the school summer holidays from 11am to 5pm.

Take a step back in time

Travel back to the 1920s at the Abbeydale Picture House, which is opening for a very special film showing of silent comedy Safety Last.

The film will be shown at the cinema on Saturday March 26, accompanied by a live pianist.

Safety Last is director Harold Lloyd’s most-famous film and features him as a sales clerk in a department store, who finds himself hanging desperately from the hands of a collapsing clock on the side of a skyscraper, high above the streets of downtown Los Angeles.

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Ticket holders will also be able enjoy old fashioned cocktails in historic surroundings.

Tickets are £9 and can be bought online from.sivtickets.com/event/safetylast

Be a superhero for the day

To celebrate the release of Batman v Superman in cinemas across the UK, Valley Centertainment is going superhero mad.

Located outside Cineworld, kids can come dressed up as their favourite character and get creative making their own superhero masks and fun door hangers for their bedrooms.

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Face painters will also be on hand to transform them into their inner superhero.

Staff will be dressing up in superhero costumes and offering a variety of discounts and prizes for visitors to enjoy.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf will be offering a prize to the best dressed boy and girl who come to have a game, kids can eat for free all day at Frankie & Benny’s and Harvester will be offering free ice cream to all kids dressed up for the occasion. The activities will take place on Sunday from 12–4pm.

See newborn lambs

With spring finally here, what better way to celebrate than by visiting Whirlow Hall Farm to see their newborn lambs, baby calves and piglets?

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More than 60 lambs have been delivered and another 180 are expected before the end of April.

Easter Lambing Open Days at the farm will be held on March 30 and 31. The farm will also be open on the bank holiday weekend. Visitors can take part in pony riding, an Easter egg hunt, face painting and free children’s crafts activities plus the chance to meet all the other animals who live on the farm.

Entry is £3.50 for adults and £4 for children.