The Easter holidays have begun, which can often lead to extra spending for parents as they try to find ways to keep children entertained.
There’s a host of great days out, experiences, offers and activities that you can enjoy for cheap and sometimes for free this Easter half term.
These events can range from egg hunts at National Trust properties to inner-city chocolate festivals.
If you're spending the day making your own fun at home, there are also food offers from cafes and restaurants where kids can eat for cheap and even free.
Mirror Money has compiled together a few events taking place across the country over the Easter Break which you may want to check out as well as offers for meals out at supermarkets and restaurants.
Eating out
Restaurants
Bella Italia
Kids eat for just £1 when an adult purchases a main meal between 4pm-6pm at Bella Italia.
The offer gives your child three courses and they can choose between the smaller or larger portion size.
Bill’s
Up to two kids can eat free all day at Bill’s from Monday, April 3 to Friday, April 14 if one adult orders any main dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
However, this excluded the bank holiday weekend of April 8 and 9.
Yo Sushi
If your child is under the age of 10 years, they’ll be able to eat for free on selected dates at YO Sushi. The chain is offering youngsters a free meal when an adult spends £10 or more between April 3 and April 14.
TGI Friday's
The restaurant offers holiday treats on the house for their new and existing Rewards Members. Adults must order a main meal first for kids to receive the free meal.
The offer will start on 28 March and end on 16 April.
Beefeater, Brewer’s Fayre and Table Table
Children can enjoy a free breakfast at Beefeater, Table Table and Brewers Fayre restaurants. For every adult buying a breakfast, two children under 16 get to eat for free.
Breakfast is served daily until 10.30am midweek and 11am at weekends.
Supermarkets
Morrisons
Kids eat for free at Morrisons cafe when an adult spends £4.50 or more on a meal this Easter. This is an ongoing offer.
The supermarket chain is also offering free breakfast when you ask for “Kellogg’s breakfast” before 11am from April 3.
M&S
From Monday, April 3 until April 14, M&S will be giving children a free Kid’s Munch Meal, usually worth £4, when you spend £5 or more in a single transaction on non-kids food or drink.
The Kids’ Munch Meal includes a hot or cold main, a snack, and a drink.
Asda
Asda has extended its "Kids Eat for £1" cafe meal deal over the Easter Holidays in all of its 205 cafe stores.
When purchasing a £1 hot meal, children will also get a free piece of fruit such as an apple, pear or banana.
Days out
Easter Events with the National Trust - Nationwide
National Trust properties throughout England and Wales have some days out planned for Easter, including some of the most exciting Easter egg trails.
Tickets for most National Trust Easter egg trails cost £3 per person.
If you're a National Trust Member, then you do not have to pay for your admission to the site, however, if you are not a member tickets can cost around £10 and sometimes more for a person.
You are allowed to bring your own food and drinks to the National Trust site which means you can save money on food and drinks whilst you are there.
You can find more information on the dates and activities of the National Trusts' Easter Egg hunts here.
Easter Bunny breakfast at Dobbies Garden Centre - Nationwide
Visitors can head and enjoy a breakfast at a Debbies Garden Centre venue across Easter followed by a scavenger hunt with the Easter Bunny.
Children will also get the chance to plant miniature carrots with a resident horticultural expert, before taking home their mini veg and some chocolate.
The events will be taking place between April 6 and April 10, excluding Easter Sunday in English stores.
The tickets need to be booked in advance and will cost adults £7.45 and children £9.99. These prices include breakfast and activities too.
Chocolate Festival - York
If you're based in the North East, you may want to head on down to the York's chocolate festival over the Easter break.
The festival runs from Wednesday, April 5 until Sunday, April 9 on Parliament Street in York from 10am to 5pm.
The festival market will showcase a selection of chocolatiers, confectioners, and everything in between from independent traders local to the area.
There is free entry to the festival and market, with some ticketed activities which include chocolate lollipop making, tastings, and hands on cookery workshops.
You can find out more about the Chocolate festival here.
Spring craft and create - Merseyside
If you are based in Liverpool, you can head on down to the Lady Lever Art Gallery and make some spring-themed crafts with the family.
The craft days take place at the Gallery each Tuesday and Wednesday of the Easter holidays with events happening on April, 4, 5, 11, and 12 from 1pm to 4pm.
The event is completely free and it does operate on a "drop in" basis so you may be asked to come back later if it's a little busy.
However, you can check out the rest of the gallery if the craft event is busy as admission to the Lady Lever Art Gallery is free.
Giant egg trail - Shropshire
Twelve monster-sized eggs, each standing 1.5m high, will be installed around the historic market town of Shrewsbury over Easter as part of a walking trail.
Collect the clues assigned to each egg and solve the riddle to win a chocolate treat and if you find them all and solve the Easter Riddle you could be in with the chance of winning one of five £100 vouchers for a Shrewsbury business of your choice.
The event will run from Tuesday, April 4 until Sunday, April 9 and it is completely free to join in.
You can find out more information about the event here.
Shropshire isn't the only place hosting Easter Egg hunts over the break, Belfast and Southampton both have city-wide hunts which are free to join in too.
Deer safari day out - Cornwall
Boconnoc Estate in Lostwithiel is inviting visitors to become deer rangers for the day on April 7.
Visitors will enjoy a guided tour and a ride around the estate's deer park on a tractor-trailer and after this you will take a pit stop to get stuck into craft activities.
The estate encourages visitors to bring their own packed lunch which will again help save a bit of cash but refreshments will be available.
A family ticket, two adults and two children costs £45, adult tickets are £15, and tickets for children aged between six to 16 are £7.50 - but those under fives can get in for free.
The Big Borough Market Easter Egg Hunt - London
Borough Market in Southwark is famous for its food and this year it is hosting an egg hunt from April 4 until April 8 from 11am until 3pm.
The event will require you to find all of the answers for the quiz sheet and the answers are written on eight eggs that have been hidden around the Market.
Fill in the answers and return the sheet to the Store – the first 50 correct entries handed in each day win a chocolate treat from So Chocolicious.
There will also be colouring and face painting activities aswell.
This event is completely free to enter.
