Image source: Neal. 

Remember when you looked forward to the school holidays, counting down the days until you could play all day and not think about times tables for two whole weeks?

Then you became a parent. Now, as the Easter holidays loom, all you can think about is how much it’s going to cost to fund two weeks of entertainment and additional child care – not to mention all that chocolate.

George Osborne may tell us that things are looking up, but most of us are still feeling the same pinch of austerity that we’ve been enduring for the last five years.

So, if yours is not one of the “average families” for whom Osborne’s 2015 budget should save £900 a year, here are a few free things to do with the kids that don’t scrimp on fun.

Pack up a picnic lunch and head to your nearest park. With crocuses, daffs and tulips blooming in huge swathes, spring is the best time to have a run around, soak up the sunshine and inhale vast quantities of fresh air.

There are 14 playgrounds in London’s eight royal parks, so there’s plenty of opportunity for the little ones to find a friend and let you be for a couple of hours.

It will be mobbed, but the Diana Memorial Playground at Kensington Gardens is always a hit with the kids. 750,000 children a year can’t be wrong!

Inspired by Peter Pan, there’s a pirate galleon, mermaid fountain, wigwam camp and treehouse.

If your children like getting their hands dirty, head to Camley Street Natural Park on the banks of Regent’s Canal. It was created from an old coal yard as part of the Kings Cross regeneration and is now London Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserve.

As well as pond dipping, Kingfisher spotting and nature-watching, this Easter there’s a wildlife Easter egg trail where you can design and hunt for eggs.

You can’t always rely on the weather and the Horniman Museum is a banker to have up your sleeve on a wet day.

If the sun breaks through, there are 16 acres of gardens to explore, but inside there’s enough to keep your whole family entertained for hours. The main gallery is dominated by a peculiar, over-stuffed walrus plus there’s a state-of-the-art aquarium and more than 1,600 musical instruments to explore.

Current exhibitions include everything you ever wanted to know about plants and a marvellous space celebrating the art of taxidermy in all its bizarre, artistic glory.

Easter craft activities, including making your own bunny or hen and creating a bee head-dress.

Who can resist a lamb at Easter time? Head down to one of London’s city farms to get some hands-on cuddling with lambs, chicks, ducklings and, of course, bunnies. Vauxhall City Farm is a favourite thanks to its central location. It has a huge variety of animals from goats and horses to turkeys and ferrets and offers a jam packed range of events throughout the year. But there’s bound to be a city farm near you! Try Hackney, Kentish Town and Spitalfields – they’ll also all deliver on the Easter ahh-factor.

Author: Adam Davies