In Derby have put together some exciting activities for families this Easter. The Easter Egg Hunt Trail is back at Markeaton Park, and we have plenty to do in line with current restrictions.
While our leisure centres and libraries plan for re-opening, we’ve got some great ideas for you to enjoy at our parks and make the most of being outdoors, and some online entertainment to keep all ages happy.
In these egg-ceptional times we would urge you to follow the latest Government restrictions when out and about, enjoying the fun with just your household or support bubble, and making sure you follow social distancing at all times.
Once you’ve finished admiring your Easter Eggs, celebrate the day with an Easter Egg Hunt Trail at Markeaton Park. This year, to help you follow the latest Government restrictions and maintain social distancing, you can download your Markeaton Park Easter Egg Hunt Trail map at home from the In Derby website and follow it at a time to suit you. The map will help you find six Easter Eggs hidden around the park. Write in all the animals you have found on the Easter Egg Hunt on the online form and submit your entry. You can do this from Saturday 3 April to Sunday 18 April 2021 and all correct entries will be entered into a prize draw to win Mundy Play Centre vouchers!
The Beat the Street game is set to launch in Derby on Wednesday 31 March! Beat the Street is a free, interactive challenge that encourages people of all ages to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives by turning the city into a six-week game. Explore your local area by walking, cycling, running, wheeling or scooting with your family or support bubble. Hover your free card or fob over ‘Beat Box’ sensors on lampposts to clock up the points, with prizes for the teams who score the most points. We are working alongside Derby's public health advisors to ensure the game can be launched safely.
You can also add a new dimension to your walk around Markeaton or Alvaston Park by downloading the Love Exploring Virtual App, and then choosing the park as your destination. You’ll discover some great virtual trails to follow as part of your daily exercise – and the children can search for Easter bunnies, dinosaurs and fairies too!
Golf facilities including Mini Golf at the Mundy Play Centre, Pitch and Putt, Foot Golf and Disk Golf are all set to re-open from Friday 2 April – Sunday 18 April at Markeaton Park. They will be open every day from 10.30am.
Play areas are also open across all parks for the kids to enjoy during the Easter Holidays and takeaways are available from cafes, but please check the Derby Parks website for more details about what facilities are available before setting out and always follow social distancing rules.
Derby’s St George’s Day Celebrations are going online this year and you can be part of them by getting creative at home! Make a dragon, video it in action, and send it to us to include in our virtual procession which is being filmed especially for St George’s Day. Follow FOLK3D’s online video tutorial to find out how to make your dragon from things you have lying around at home, and get the whole family to join in.
Traditionally, The Lost Boys re-enact the legend of St George and the Dragon in the Market Place, but this year they are performing it as a silent movie in our online celebrations! You can join in the performance by having a go at your own Mummers’ Play and sending video footage of it to include in the main video. FOLK3D have produced a Mummer’s Play instruction pack to tell you everything you need to know about this ancient form of street theatre, and get you started with costume and character ideas.
If you want to join in you’ll have to be quick, as the last day to submit your videos is Wednesday 7 April. Find out more on the Derby Live website.
Make a date to enjoy the St George’s Day Celebrations at Home by booking your FREE tickets online. Follow FOLK3D’s traditional clog dancer and dragon as they lead the procession through the streets of Derby to the Market Place. Be on the edge of your seat as the epic battle that has remained a legend for centuries is played out by The Lost Boys, and much more. It will be available to watch from Friday 23 until Thursday 29 April.
Derby Libraries have plenty to keep all ages entertained at home this Easter. Rhymetimes, the popular nursery rhyme sessions for pre-school children and their parents and carers are back as a series of online videos, created by Derby Theatre, to watch and follow at home. From Wind the Bobbin Up to A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea, and Twinkle Twinkle to Old Macdonald, babies and toddlers will love joining in with infectious rhymes, fun sounds and lively actions, performed by Ivan Stott and April Nerissa Hudson. They can be viewed on the Rhymetimes page on the Derby Libraries website, and on the In Derby YouTube channel.
Unleash your creativity with online activities and workshops for children. Seven well-known children’s authors have come together to make videos for children from the very young, to early teens. They can get rapping, drawing, and making their own poems with Authors Abroad who are an organisation of well-respected children’s authors, illustrators and poets! The videos are free to watch on the In Derby YouTube channel until Saturday 17 April.
Keep reading with Derby Libraries this holiday with our free online eLibrary service. Members can choose from our range of eBooks, eMagazines and eAudiobooks to escape into fantasy worlds, learn about topics that interest you and keep yourself entertained this Easter.
It’s quick and easy to join Derby Libraries and you can do this online by filling a form on our website.
We hope you all have fun this Easter holiday, and stay safe and well.