Baskets of family fun for Easter

Booth Museum, Brighton

The Booth Museum of natural history contains more than half a million specimens dating back three centuries. It also has hundreds of British birds on display as well as butterflies, skeletons, a whale and dinosaur bones.

On Wednesday April 4 between 2pm and 4pm there is an unusual collection of rare and ordinary eggs and the curator will be on hand to answer all your questions about them. It is for all ages and entry is free.

On Good Friday you can hunt around the Booth for answers to a questionnaire about real birds and eggs. There are Easter egg prizes at the end of the egg hunt which takes place at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm.

Cost is £3, book in advance. Call 01273 292777 or visit www.booth.virtualmuseum.info.

Brighton and Hove Children's Festival, Various venues, Brighton

There is loads of entertainment on offer during Brighton and Hove's annual Children's Festival. The festival, which runs during the Easter break from April 10 to 14, features storytelling, films, artists' workshops, a fun treasure trail and a myriad of other activities across the city free of charge.

There will also be children's films at the Duke of York's Cinema, free-running workshops at the King Alfred and an Institute of Unnecessary Research arts and science day.

The Children's Festival brochure with details of all events is available at all city libraries, community centres, Brighton Town Hall, Hove Town Hall and all primary schools.

Information is available online at www.brightonandhoveartscommission.org.uk/childrensfestival.

Children's Parade, Western Street, Brighton

A colourful bonnet parade takes place on Easter Sunday at 3pm.

The road will be closed from the bottom of Norfolk Square to Embassy Court and the competition will be judged by the mayor and mayoress of Brighton, Councillor David Smith and Mrs Pat Smith.

Easter egg hunt, Devils Dyke, Dyke Road, Brighton

The National Trust is holding a special Easter egg hunt around Devils Dyke on Saturday, Sunday and Easter Monday. Families can come along at any time between 11am and 3pm to collect a quiz sheet and map then hunt around the Dyke to find the eggs and solve the clues.

The hunt is an easy walk of about one and a half miles and prizes will be handed out at the end.

Cost £1.50, £1 for National Trust members. Call 01273 8577712 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Goodwood, near Chichester

Goodwood house and estate has long been famous for its natural beauty and legendary hospitality.

Home to the Dukes of Richmond for more than 300 years it contains one of the finest collections of English paintings and French porcelain in the country.

An Easter egg hunt will be taking place at the house on Easter Sunday between 1pm and 4pm and there will be an antiques collectors fair on Easter Monday at the racecourse.

Entry to house: adults £8, young people (12 to 18) £4, children under 12 free, family ticket (two adults and up to four children) £15. Call 01243 755000 or visitwww.goodwood.co.uk.

Huxley's Birds of Prey Centre, Horsham

The conservation of birds of prey is one of the centre's main aims and visitors can enjoy viewing everything from hawks and falcons to buzzards and owls. During the Easter weekend the team is hoping to be able to show all the falcons and hold a number of displays, depending on the weather.

The centre is open daily from 11am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4.30pm. Adults £4.95, children £3.95, family ticket (two adults and two children) £14. Call 01403 273458 or visit www.flyingfalcons.co.uk.

Italian Market, Horsham

A special Italian produce market will be visiting Horsham on Good Friday and Saturday.

A parade of Sussex-owned Ferraris will also enter the town from the north just before 2pm on both days.

Free parking. Call 01403 215386 or visit www.horsham.gov.uk.

Petworth House, Petworth

Renowned for its magnificent country house set in a landscaped deer park and international art collection, Petworth House is a wonderful place to view the works of Turner among others.

During Easter children can enjoy the Alice in Wonderland Experience where they can catch up with the White Rabbit, take afternoon tea with the Mad Hatter and enjoy flamingo croquet on a fun-packed trail adventure. The event runs from 12 to 4pm from Saturday to Easter Monday.

Costs £4 for children for the puzzle trail and chocolate prize. Normal admission charges apply. Call 01798 342207 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth.

Preston Manor, Brighton

Dating from 1600, Preston Manor evokes the atmosphere of an Edwardian gentry house both upstairs and downstairs.

On Saturday there is an Edwardian Easter day where visitors can learn how to morris dance and enjoy other traditional activities such as egg rolling, parlour games, egg hunts and dressing up.

The event runs from 12.30pm to 5pm. Cost £10 per person, including admission. Book in advance. Call 01273 292770 or visit www.prestonmanor.virtualmuseum.info.

RSPB Pulborough Brooks, Pulborough

Set in the sheltered Arun Valley, Pulborough Brooks offers visitors a superb nature reserve, birdwatching trail and bird hides.

The reserve is offering family Easter trails every day over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Children follow a trail with their families helping to find clues.

Adult £3.50, children £1, family ticket £7. Open 9.30am to 5pm. Call 01798 875851 or visit www.rspb.org.uk.

Shoreham Airport, Shoreham

The airport will be celebrating 40 years of the British-designed and built Beagle Pup.The first flight of the Beagle B121 Pup-100 prototype G-AVDF took place in April 1967. The Beagle Pup and Bulldog Club, together with SkySport and the SkyHawks formation team, will converge upon Shoreham Airport for a fly-in and birthday celebration for the Beagle Pup on Easter Sunday. People can view the planes from the public viewing area for free.

Call 01273 467373 or visit www.shorehamairport.co.uk.

South Downs Planetarium, Chichester

The planetarium is a wonderful way of studying the sky and discovering the wonders of the stars.

There are a whole host of shows running over the Easter holidays. On Good Friday there will be a show on Planet Venus: The Earth's Ugly Sister. Suitable for children aged six years and up. Starts 7.30pm, adults £6, children £4.

On Easter Monday a show called 50 Years of the Sky at Night will be showing. Starts 3.30pm.

Book in advance for both. Shows also run on other days of the Easter holidays. Check the website for further details.

Call 01243 774400 or visit www.southdowns.org.uk.

Standen House, East Grinstead

Standen House is a Victorian showpiece of the arts and crafts movement with beautiful William Morris wallpapers and textiles.

Children can take part in craft activities on Wednesday April 4 from 11am to 4pm and enjoy an Easter trail from April 11 to April 15, also from 11am to 4pm. The craft activities cost the normal admission plus £1 per child and the Easter trail is an additional £2.

National Trust members are free, non-members adults house and garden £7.50, child £3.75 family £18.75.

The Lavender Line, Uckfield

The Lavender Line is part of the former Lewes to Uckfield Railway opened in 1858.

In its heyday it was heavily used by local services but was closed in 1969. Since the Nineties it has been preserved and restored for people to enjoy.

On Easter Sunday the line is holding an Easter Bunny hunt. All children taking part will receive an Easter egg.

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, near Chichester

Easter activities at the museum begin on Good Friday with a day of traditional crafts and pastimes, including candle rolling, egg painting, face painting, charcoal portraits, lino printing and other activities.

Events step up a gear on Saturday with a bustling Easter market featuring quality fare for visitors to sample and buy.

Sunday is feast day with a lamb roast and other seasonal treats, including authentic Tudor feast food. There will also be traditional games such as quoits, a coconut shy and pin the tail on the donkey. The weekend is finished off with a Grand Easter bonnet parade on Monday at 4pm.

Open 10.30am to 6pm. Adults £8.25, children five to 15 £4.40, under-fives free, family ticket (Two adults and up to three children) £22.65. Call 01243 811363 or visit www.wealddown.co.uk.

Wey and Arun Canal

Take a special Easter cruise on the historic Wey and Arun Canal, which was once part of the network of waterways around England and Wales.

The 45-minute cruises leave hourly from behind the Onslow Arms, on the B2133 in Loxwood. There are chocolate eggs and gifts for children and refreshments for adults.

Cruises leave hourly from 11am to 4pm over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Tickets £7. Call 01403 752403 or visit www.weyandarun.co.uk.

Yesterday's World, Battle

During the Easter holidays children can take part in an adventure hunt on the indoor Easter trail for a chocolate prize. There is also the chance to win a nostalgic goodie bag.

On Easter Monday there will be a Make 'n' Do workshop where children of all ages can make Easter bonnets, design masks and baskets and decorate bookmarks and magnets. A face painter will also be on hand.

Open 9.30am to 5.30pm. Adults £7, children £4. Call 01424 893938 or visit www.yesterdaysworld.co.uk

Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park

There is something magical about seeing an original steam train puffing along the track. At the Bluebell Railway, not only can visitors delight in seeing the historical working trains but on Good Friday and Easter Monday there is a children's craft room open. Children can make Easter bonnets, cards, face masks and little chicks.

The first train is at 11am, then hourly until about 5pm.

A third class all-line return ticket is £9.80 for adults, £4.90 for children and a family ticket (two adults, up to three children) is £28. Entry to Sheffield Park Station only is £2 adults, £1 children. Call 01825 720800 or visit www.bluebell-railway.co.uk.

Borde Hill, Balcombe Road, Haywards Heath

An octet of Easter bunnies have hidden themselves around a heritage garden, and any youngsters who can find them all could earn a chocolate treat.

Borde Hill Garden has set up an Easter crossword trail based around the eight rabbits, where under-12s can get their hands on one of 3,000 chocolate eggs by finding all the words they have hidden with them.

Borde Hill's activity centre is also open for creative egg painting between noon and 4pm and there will be tractor and trailer rides between 2pm and 4pm. Each activity costs £1 per person.

Adults can enjoy seeing the gardens' extensive collection of camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias in bloom, or relax at the new Cafe Elvira.

Gardens and Pirate Adventure Playground open 10am to 6pm, tickets cost £6.50, £5.50 concessions and £3.50 children.

Call 01444 450326 or visit the website at www.bordehill.co.uk.