Easter Holidays in Edinburgh Without Breaking the Bank – 2026
The Easter holidays are about to start here in Edinburgh, so I’m back with my annual round up of free and low-cost activities to do with kids that won’t break the bank. Plus some of our other favourite indoor and outdoor places we like to frequent when we want to get out the house, as well a couple of day trip recommendations, to give you my ultimate guide for your Easter holidays in Edinburgh!
Please note: The information is to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing, but please double check details with the venues directly before travelling! Also, if you know of any other great free events in Edinburgh during the Easter Holidays, just leave a comment or send me a message and I’ll add them in.
EASTER EVENTS
I’ve given these their own category, as I know lots of people are looking specifically for Easter themed things to do. I’ve listed these in chronological order by date, though do double check as some of them take place over multiple dates.
Easter Trail in Dalmeny Village
Thurs 2 to Tues 7 April; free, drop-in
Glowing Egg-venture
Fri 3 & Sat 4 April, Fri 11 & Sat 11 April, Fri 17 & Sat 18 April, 10am – 4pm; Free (£1 suggested donation), drop-in
Easter Outdoor Fun at Lauriston Castle
Fri 3, Sat 4 & Mon 6 April, 11am – 3pm; Free, drop-in (includes Easter trail and egg hunt quiz) – Sun 5 cancelled due to forecast of high winds
Easter Craft at Ocean Terminal
Fri 3 to Mon 6 April, 11am – 3pm; £1 suggested donation, drop-in
Botanics Easter Trail
Fri 3 to Sun 12 April, 10am – 4pm; £3 per booklet/ child (includes small edible prize), drop-in
Easter Bunny Flower Trail at IKEA Edinburgh
Fri 3 to Mon 20 April during store opening hours; Free, drop-in
Easter Eggs Hunt at Ocean Terminal
Fri 3 to Mon 20 April, all day; Free, drop-in
(Easter Weekend Bonus: Fri 3 to Mon 6 April, 11am – 3pm, receive a chocolate treat kindly donated by Tesco)
Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’ – Easter crafts, egg rolling and more! at Ps & Gs Church
Sat 4 April, 12:30pm – 2pm; Free, booking required
Lego Make & Take: Build Your Own Easter Egg across at The Entertainer shops
Sat 4 April all while stocks last; Free, drop-in (first come, first served)
Easter Egg Hunt at Waterstones West End
Sat 4 & Sun 5 April, 10am – 2pm; Free, drop-in
Kids Easter Crafternoon at The Pitt
Sat 4 & Sun 5 April from 10:30am; Ticketed (pay what you can)
Easter Egg Hunt at McLarens on the Corner
Sun 5 April, 10am – 2pm; Free, drop-in (sweet treat included)
Easter Crafts at Kirkliston Library (age 5-12)
Tues 7 April, 11am – 12pm; Free, drop-in
Easter Egg Decorating at Stockbridge Library
Weds 8 April at 3pm; Free, drop-in
Egg Decorating at Ratho Library
Thurs 9 April at 3pm; Free, drop-in
Rabbit Craft at Stockbridge Library
Thurs 9 April at 3pm; Free, drop-in
MUSEUMS
National Museum of Scotland
Open daily, 10am – 5pm. The museum hs several hands-on galleries aimed at families (Imagine, Level 1 / Explore, Level 1/ Adventure Planet, Level 5) plus lots of interactive elements throughout other galleries, and free family trails. Check out the online Family Hub for more details. During the Easter holidays, the National Museum of Scotland is one of the main hosts for the Edinburgh Science Festival, with many free activities taking place.
Special Events:
Hands-On DNA: From Barley to Daffodils (all ages)
Sat 4 April, 10am – 5pm; Free, drop-in
Science Under the Lens (all ages)
Sat 4 to Sun 19 April, 10am – 5pm; Free, drop-in
The Quantum Zone (all ages)
Sun 5 to Sat 11 April, 10am – 5pm; Free, drop-in
Makkin it! (all ages)
Mon 6 to Sun 19 April, 10am – 12 noon & 1pm – 3pm; Free, drop-in
Tackling Food Security: One Potato at a time (all ages)
Weds 8 April, 10am – 5pm; Free, drop-in
Tech Decoded (all ages)
Mon 13 to Sun 19 April, 10am – 5pm; Free, drop-in
Relaxed Morning (all ages)
Thurs 16 April, 10am – 12 noon; Freee, drop-in
(Full Disclosure: I work for National Museums Scotland)
National Galleries of Scotland
Open daily, 10am – 5pm. Free family trails, art trolley and sensory bags at the National; Free family trails, sensory walks and ‘Art Space 2’ activity room at the Modern; Free family trail and art trolley at the Portrait. Find out more on the Galleries website or read our Art Space 2 review and The National with Kids review.
Special Events at the Modern:
Art Stomps at Modern Two (age 2-5)
Sat 4 April, 11am – 12:30pm; Free, drop-in
Dream, Mix, Make: Surreal Art Play (all ages)
Mon 6 to Fri 10 April, 2pm – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Museum on the Mound
Open 10-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, and 1-5pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays.
What’s On? Learn about the (hi)story of banking and money, with lots of hands-on activities scattered throughout the galleries. Indoor family trails, sensory bags, and sensory garden trail available, just ask at reception. Find out more on the Museum on the Mound website or read our Museum on the Mound review.
Special Events:
Spring Holiday Activities
Tues 7 to Sat 19 April, 2pm – 4pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays); Free, drop-in
Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
Open Tues to Sat, 10am – 4pm; Closed Sundays & Mondays It tells the story of Scottish firefighting from its inception to the present day. Very family friendly, with interactive displays, dressing up, reading nook, and ‘search and explore’ bags to borrow. Find out more in our Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage review.
Special Events:
Glowing Egg-venture
Fri 3 & Sat 4 April, Fri 11 & Sat 11 April, Fri 17 & Sat 18 April, 10am – 4pm; Free (£1 suggested donation), drop-in
Helmet Heroes: Easter Craft Sessions
Tues 7 & Tues 14 April, 10am – 12pm; Free (£2 suggested donation), drop-in; While supplies last
Historical Helmets Handling
Thurs 2, Thurs 9 & Thurs 16 April, 10am – 4pm; Free (donations welcome); drop-in
Trinity House Maritime Museum
Another little gem of a museum, usually only open on Fridays from April to September, with access by guided tour only. But several times throughout the year they host open days, with family friendly activities, including on in the Easter holidays. We went to one of these in a previous year and had a brilliant time (in fact, I’ve just spotted by boy in the promo photo!). Find out more in our review of Trinity House.
Special Events
Easter at Trinity House
Weds 15 April, 11am – pm; Free, drop-in
City Art Centre
Open daily, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm). Family ArtSpace available daily, packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the relevant exhibitions, and they now also have two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the City Art Centre website or read our City Art Centre review.
Museum of Edinburgh
Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm); closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Free family activity area packed full of art materials and worksheets relating to the galleries, as well as a reading corner and some replica objects you can explore. They now also have a new Sensory Room, and two sensory backpacks that families can borrow. Find out more on the Museum of Edinburgh website or read our Museum of Edinburgh review.
Museum of Childhood
Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:30pm); closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids busy, including games, dressing up and a story corner. They now also have two sensory backpacks which families can borrow for free. Can be combined with a visit to the Scottish Storytelling Centre across from it, which has a nice cafe including an interactive story wall with lots of cubby holes to open and explore. Find out more on the Museum of Childhood website.
Physician’s Gallery
Open Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 4:30pm (closed on Fri 20 February). This is one we haven’t been to yet, as it only opened fairly recently, but we are planning a trip here over the half term! The Physician’s Gallery at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh includes the Joyce Grainger Learning Centre – a permanent exhibition exploring our relationship with health, medicine and our bodies. Over 50 objects, illustrations and books are on display, sharing stories from medieval medicine to modern day treatments, with some family-friendly activities.
Special Events
Wee, Poo, Snot! interactive show (all ages welcome)
Tues 7 April, 6pm – 7:30pm; Free, booking required
Drop-in Activity: Make a plague mask (all ages welcome)
Thurs 9 April, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in
Drop-in Activity: Navigate Neurons (all ages welcome)
Tues 14 April, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in
Drop-in Activity: HeART Lab (all ages welcome)
Weds 15 April, 11am – 2pm; Free, drop-in
Dynamic Earth
Access to Dynamic Earth’s main exhibition is by paid admission, but there are various free activities taking place during the Easter holidays as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.
Free Activities
University of Edinburgh: 7 Days, 100 Scientists (all ages)
Tues 7 to Mon 13 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
British Geological Survey: Planet Power (all ages)
Weds 15 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Meet the Marine Scientists (all ages)
Thurs 16 & Fri 17 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Meet the Scientists: Heriot Watt University & Edinburgh Napier University (all ages)
Fri 17 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Alphabet Hunt at any museum or gallery
All day, any day! (during museum/ gallery opening hours)
We have this at both the National Museum of Scotland and the National Gallery of Scotland, though would work at most museums or galleries.The idea is simple – find something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. All you need is paper and something to write with and keep track of what you find. Optionally you can take photos if the museum/ gallery allows. A small clipboard is also useful but optional.
It’s a great way to see a place you’ve visited many times before through new eyes, and to get the kids to engage more with what they are seeing. Find out more about our Alphabet Hunt in my previous posts, where you can also download a free printable Alphabet Hunt activity sheet.
>> Museum Alphabet Hunt Blog Post (info, photos + free printable)
>> National Gallery Alphabet Hunt Facebook Album (photos only)
St Cecilia’s Hall & Music Museum
PLEASE NOTE: Due to essential building works, St Cecilia’s Hall will be closed until June 2026.
(including this here because we’ve always recommended it in our previous holiday guides)
LIBRARIES
Opening times vary by library, mostly Mondays to Saturdays. All libraries closed Fri 3 & Mon 6 April.
The Central Library has a dedicated Children’s Library with reading rooms and an art room. Most of the other Edinburgh City Libraries also have children’s sections, as well as regular family events and activities. Find out more about each library on the Edinburgh Libraries map or on their Facebook pages via the links below:
Balerno Library | Balgreen Library | Blackhall Library (currently closed) | Central Children’s Library (part of Edinburgh Central Library on Facebook) | Colinton Library | Corstorphine Library | Craigmillar Library | Currie Library | Drumbrae Library Hub | Fountainbridge Library | Gilmerton Library | Granton Library | Kirkliston Library | Leith Library | McDonald Road Library | Moredun Library | Morningside Library | Muirhouse Library | Newington Library | Oxgangs Library | Piershill Library | Portobello Library | Ratho Library | Sighthill Library | South Queensferry Library | Stockbridge Library | Wester Hailes Library
Special Events
There are too many regular events (Bookbug, crafternoons, Lego clubs, book groups etc) across the various libraries to list them all. Here are a few special events happening over the Easter holidays that I picked out, but do check your nearest library for their full holiday offering. And many of the libraries advertise their activities at short notice, so do keep checking back.
Spring Break at Ratho Library – daily crafts or STEM activities
Sat 4 to Mon 20 April (closed Sundays and Mon 6 April), various times; Free, drop-in (booking required for slime making on 20 April)
Spring Break at Sighthill Library – daily crafts of STEM activities
Sat 4 to Mon 20 April (closed Thursdays, Sundays and Mon 6 April), various times; Free, drop-in (booking required for slime making on 10 April)
Easter Break at Drumbrae Library – daily activities for families
Tues 7 to Sat 18 April (closed Sundays), various times; Free, drop-in (except for CBeebies Read and Rave – see below)
Easter Crafts at Kirkliston Library (age 5-12)
Tues 7 April, 11am – 12pm; Free, drop-in
Easter breakfast Club at Muirhouse Library
Tues 7 to Mon 20 April (closed Sundays), 10:15am – 12:15pm; Free, drop-in
‘A Spring in Your Step’ English Workshop at Newington Library (age 4-9)
Weds 8 April at 11am; Free, booking required
Edinburgh Zoo: Red Pandas Workshop at Drumbrae Library Hub
Weds 8 April at 2pm; Free, drop-in
Easter Egg Decorating at Stockbridge Library
Weds 8 April at 3pm; Free, drop-in
Rabbit Craft at Stockbridge Library
Thurs 9 April at 3pm; Free, drop-in
CBeebies Read and Rave Screening at Drumbrae Library Hub
Fri 10 & Fri 17 April at 10:30am; Free, booking required
Playstation Gaming Tournament at Leith Library (age 8+)
Mon 13 April, 3pm – 7pm; Free, drop-in
Explore Learning Fun with Phonics at Kirkliston Library (age 4-6)
Tues 14 April, 11am – 12pm; Free, booking required
Slime Making Workshop at Wester Hailes Library
Tues 14 April, 3:30pm – 4:30pm; Free, booking required
Junior Pool Table Tournament at Drumbrae Library Hub (age 8+)
Tues 14 April from 6pm; Free, drop-in
OTHER INDOOR VENUES & EVENTS
Water of Leith Visitor Centre
Open daily, 10am – 4pm (temporary closure from 26th Jan – 7th Feb). Cafe and interactive exhibition about nature and waterways, with including water play activities. Find out more on the Water of Leith Conservation Trust website or read our Water of Leith Visitor Centre review.
Special Events
Mesmerising Mechanisms Exhibition
Sat 4 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
The Wee Hub
Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 11am to 3pm. The Wee Hub is a community centre in Leith’s Ocean Terminal, run by The Living Memory Association charity in partnership with Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre. As well as the general play area, they also offer regular free drop-in events including arts and crafts classes, and a Lego club. (Full disclosure: This is one we haven’t been to ourselves yet as it’s on the other side of town from us, but we’ve been following them on Facebook for a while and it looks like a great place).
Special Events:
Ukraine Kids Club (open to all)
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 4pm – 6pm; Free, drop-in
Arts & Crafts Activities for Kids
Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays, 12pm – 1pm; Free, drop-in
Ken’s Lego Club
Sat 4 & Sat 18 April, 1:30pm – 2:30pm; Free, drop-in
Squidz: The Rubbish Puppet Show (age 3-7)
Sun 19 April, 1:30pm – 3pm; Free (donations welcome), drop-in
The Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament might not be the first place to spring to mind, to visit with kids, but we had quite a fun filled afternoon there (and that was before the introduced their regular craft sessions). Find out more about it in our review of visiting the Scottish Parliament with Kids. Opening hours vary, depending on whether Parliament is in recess or not. Current opening times are 10am to 5pm (last entry 4:30pm) on on Mondays to Saturdays, though please note the Debating Chamber is closed until 9 May, if you were keen to see that.
Special Events
Crafternoons at the Scottish Parliament
Mondays to Fridays, 2pm – 4pm & Saturdays, 11am – 4pm from Sat 28 March to Weds 8 April; Free, drop-in
Pets at Home February Half-Term Workshops
Fri 3 to Sun 19 April (NOT Sun 5 April), 2pm – 2:45pm; Free, booking required
“Join the Pet Pals in-store this Easter holiday for our free workshops all about pet personalities and behaviour.(…) By the end of the workshop, they’ll understand how the right environment supports an animal’s wellbeing, building their confidence and encouraging responsible pet ownership.”
Available in Edinburgh at the Corstorphine, Craigleith and Fort Kinnaird Stores. Also available at Pentland Store, Weds 1 to Sun 12 April (excluding Sun 5 April).
>> Book your free place via the Pets at Home website (for aged 4 – 10 yrs)
Visit an Independent Bookshop
Independent bookshops we love to visit, that have children’s sections and reading nooks, include The Edinburgh Bookshop (Bruntsfield), Till’s Bookshop (Newington), Lighthouse Bookshop (Newington), Golden Hare Books (Stockbridge), Ginger and Pickles (Stockbridge), Topping & Company Booksellers (New Town), Argonaut Books (Leith) and Portobello Bookshop (Portobello). While it’s not free, going together to browse a bookshop and pick out a new book together for the holidays is still a relatively low cost activity compared to other visitor attractions and event with big price tags.
Find our more about all these bookshops in my previous post >> Our Top Indie Bookshops in Edinburgh to Visit with Kids
Special Events
Under 5s Storytime at The Edinburgh Bookshop
Thursdays & Fridays, 9:30am – 10am; Free, drop-in
IKEA Edinburgh Events
Various free events happening at IKEA Edinburgh over the half term holiday week, including:
Easter Bunny Flower Trail
Fri 3 to Mon 20 April during store opening hours; Free, drop-in
Free Face Painting
Fri 3, Sun 5 & Mon 6 April, 12 noon – 3pm; Free, drop-in
Make Mess Matter
Tues 7 April & Mon 20 April, 11am – 12 noon; Free, drop-in
Board Game Fika
Tues 7, Thurs 9 & Mon 20 April, 2pm – 5pm; Free, drop-in
Family Fun Easter Holiday Crafts
Weds 8 April, 10am – 11:30am & 1pm – 2:30pm; Free, drop-in
Details of all events can be found on the Ikea Edinburgh website.
Miscellaneous Indoor Events
Owl Magic: Easter Display of Owls at Gyle Shopping Centre
Sat 4 & Sun 5 April, 11am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
AI for All: Designing Responsibly 2026 at the Futures Institute (all ages)
Fri 10 April, 10am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Family Craft Rock Art at Hub@531 Community Space (age 5+)
Fri 10 April, 2:30pm – 4pm; Free, booking required
Holiday Club at Chalmers Church in Morningside (P1 – P7)
Weds 15 to Fri 17 April, 10am – 12:30pm; Free, booking required
Think Circus at Bridgend Farmhouse (all ages)
Sun 19 April, 12 noon – 2pm; Free, drop-in
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
As they say in Scotland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. While that might not actually be true, and there are plenty of days with storm warnings or lashings of horizontal rain where it’s better to stay indoors even with the best of clothing, here are some suggestions of places to head for some fresh air over the holidays.
Murder Mystery Trails around the Hermitage & the Meadows
All day, any day!
I wrote these trails for my sons, but you can download free copies for personal use, along with answer sheets, maps and certificates. I offer them for free as I want them to be accessible to all, but you are welcome to make a small donation if you are able.
>> Download Hermitage of Braid Trail
>> Download The Meadows Trail
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
We love the ‘Botanics’ in all seasons. Open daily 10am – 5pm during April. Cafe available. Keep your eye on their website and social media channels for additional closures due to severe weather warnings.
Special Events
Botanics Easter Trail (age 3+)
Fri 3 to Sun 12 April, 10am – 4pm; £3 per booklet/ child (includes small edible prize), drop-in
Plant Passport (age 5+)
Sat 18 & Sun 19 April, 12 noon – 4pm; Free, drop-in
World of Wonder (age 3+)
Sat 18 & Sun 19 April, 12pm – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Lauriston Castle Grounds
The grounds are open to the public between 8am-4.30pm daily, and are a popular spot for walks. Keep your eye on the Lauriston Castle Facebook page for closures to the grounds due to severe weather warnings.
Mimi’s Bakehouse, located on site, is open Monday – Sunday 10am – 4pm. Check Mimi’s Bakehouse Facebook page for further details. Toilets are also open 10am-4pm.
Special Events
Easter Outdoor Fun
Fri 3, Sat 4 & Mon 6 April, 11am – 3pm; Free, drop-in (includes Easter trail and egg hunt quiz) – Sun 5 cancelled due to forecast of high winds
Japan Sakura at Lauriston Castle
Sat 18 & Sun 19 April (also Sat 25 & Sun 26 April), 11am – 4pm; Free, drop-in
Collective on Calton Hill
Calton Hill is an exciting place to explore with kids. The Collective Play Shelter provides an outdoor covered space for picnic lunches, and there’s a choice of three self-led family trails to guide you round the hillside. More info on the Collective website.
Edinburgh Parks & Playgrounds
Edinburgh has no shortage of parks and playgrounds across the city, for when you want to go out with the kids to burn off some energy over the holidays. Tip: Bring a towel to wipe down any wet play equipment!
Check out our A to Z map of playgrounds in Edinburgh for inspiration on which ones to visit next. Our favourites include East Meadows Playpark, Saughton Park, Leith Links Playpark, Victoria Park, Seven Acre Park, and the (fairly) newly refurbished Princes Street Gardens.
Or grab a bag of bird seed and visit one of the many spots across the city where you can feed ducks, swans and other birds. Our favourite spots include Blackford Pond, Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, Inverleith Park, and Duddingston Loch & St Margaret’s Loch in Holyrood Park.
Family Walks
We like to get out for a good family walk over the holidays, even in Winter. Some of our favourite walks are:
Some other walks I haven’t written up yet, that we enjoy doing, include:
- going up Arthur’s Seat (via Dunsapie Loch);
- walking along the Innocent Railway to Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston;
- the circular route up and around Easter Craiglockhart Nature Reserve, starting from the duck pond at Lockharton Crescent.
Spring Time Beach Trip
We love a good trip to the beach, at any time of year. While Spring may not give us the weather for sunbathing and paddling, there’s always time for a good beach walk with stone skimming and shell collecting – why not download our Beach Scavenger Hunt to take along!
We love our local Cramond and Portobello beaches, which you can visit by bus within Edinburgh, and there’s also plenty other beaches within reach that you get to within 30 – 45 minutes by train. Our favourites include Dunbar, North Berwick and Longniddry in East Lothian; and Aberdour and Kinghorn in Fife. And with Kids for a Quid, up to four children can travel for just £1 return each with an adult on Scotrail train journeys.
Junior Parkrun
Head out in to the fresh air and get some exercise in the process, by joining a Junior Parkrun – a free, fun, and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors (4 to 14 year olds). Junior Parkruns in Edinburgh Include:
- Pilrig Park Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
- Inverleith Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
- The Meadows Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
- Hailes Quarry Junior Parkrun, Sundays at 9:30am
Miscellaneous Outdoor Events
MycoKids: Fungi Fun for Kids at Granton Castle Walled Garden
Fri 3 April, 2pm – 3pm; by donation (minimum £1), booking required
Family Festival Sprung Party at Craigmillar Castle Park
Sat 11 April, 1pm – 3pm; Free, drop-in
Holyrood Family Adventure
Weds 15 April, 1pm – 3pm; Free, booking required
LOW COST DAY TRIPS
If you want to venture a bit further afield for a little adventure during the holidays, there are some options available without breaking the bank. We don’t have a car, but have travelled to lots of places within 1.5 hours of Edinburgh by train. Here are some reviews of a few of our favourite low cost trips (please check with venues for opening hours before travelling):
- Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Coatbridge (free entry) | Summerlee Review | Summerlee Website
- Callendar House & Park, Falkirk (free entry) | Callendar House Review | Callendar House Website
- Riverside Museum, Glasgow (free entry) | Riverside Review | Riverside Website
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (free entry) | Kelvingrove Review | Kelvingrove Website
- Weehailes Adventure Playpark, East Lothian (£5 for kids age 3+, £1 per adult) | Weehailes Review | Weehailes Website
Don’t forget to claim your Kids for a Quid rail ticket, to keep travel costs down too. Only available from station ticket counters (or on the train if no ticket counter available).
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