The biggest things for your little ones
1 The Noise Next Door’s Really, Really Good Afternoon Show
Improv impresarios The Noise Next Door bring their Really, Really Good Afternoon Show to Cambridge Junction on 8 April, promising to serve up a taste of their laugh-a-minute, off-the-cuff antics. The sell-out sensation, who create spontaneous songs, perfect punchlines and outlandish characters – all on the hop – was described by The Daily Telegraph as “hilarious… a superior kind of chaos”. Catch them in action at 3pm, tickets are £6 per child and £10 per adult.
2 Robin Hood
Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men pay a visit to the city this month for a special Easter panto on 11 April starring Gareth Gates. The show comes our way courtesy of Anton Benson Productions, who’ll be bringing the fun and frolics of Sherwood Forest to Cambridge in an all-singing, all-dancing rollercoaster ride through pantoland. Can the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham be outwitted? Can Robin win the hand of the fair Maid Marion?
Find out at the Corn Exchange, tickets are available from £15.25.
cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/cornex
3 Easter Baking
If your little ones love chocolate, they’ll adore Cambridge Cookery School’s duo of classes with master chocolatier Gloria Dominguez Martinez, aka Mama Bombon. Taking place on 11 and 12 April, from 10am to 12pm, these hands-on sessions begin with an introduction to the magic cocoa bean, covering the history of chocolate and why tempering is so important when working with chocolate. Then, kids will get a chance to make their own chocolatey Easter treats, using fresh herbs, cream and fruits for delicious fillings. They’ll each get a beautiful box to arrange their creations in, as well as enjoying a very special cup of hot
chocolate at the end of the class (£50 per child).
There’s also an Easter Baking class on 13 April, which is suitable for children aged seven to 12 years. Taking place from 10am until 12.30pm, the session covers the joys of bread making, from the basics through to creating spiced buns, tasty saffron plaits and cute little pink beetroot rolls
(£55 per child).
4 Wimpole at Easter
There’s a busy schedule of family-friendly events this Easter over at Wimpole, including the return of the popular Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt. Always a hit with little people, this runs until 17 April and offers a chance to explore the beautiful grounds of this historic estate, solve clues and snaffle up plenty of choccie treats!
Then, from 18 April, it’s lambing season at Wimpole’s Home Farm, where you can watch the arrival of teeny lambs into the world, take a lambing quiz and more. Other spring fun includes egg and spoon races, Easter card making in the activity barn, contemporary art in the park and ‘Wellies and Wool’ tours. The gardens are gloriously flourishing at this time of year too, with a carpet of daffodils and other spring blooms, making it the perfect time for a stroll around.
nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate
5 Family fun at Cambridge Leisure
With a cinema, bowling alley, and a variety of family-friendly places to eat, Cambridge Leisure Park is ideal for entertaining little people (and grown-ups!) over the Easter holidays. Catch a film, get stuck into the games and amusements at Tenpin Bowling and then choose between eateries including Frankie & Benny’s, Nando’s, Five Guys and Chiquitos.
6 Easter fun day at Wandlebury
Head over to Wandlebury on 15 April for an Easter Fun Day which includes both indoor and outdoor fun. The sessions, taking place from 11am to 1pm or 2pm to 4pm, are aimed at kids aged five years and up and include a craft session using natural materials, plus outdoor trails and chocolate prizes. Tickets are £8 per child.
cambridgeppf.org/places/wandlebury
7 Sports camps at Chesterton Sports Centre
If you’ve got a little footie fan on your hands, ship them off to Chesterton Sports Centre over the Easter Holidays for their Soccer Schools, which are open to boys and girls of all abilities aged four to 12. Run by our local team, Cambridge United FC, these schools are fun and inspiring for the kids, as well as being an ideal solution for any working parent during the school holidays.
The centre also runs weekly swimming ‘crash courses’ during the holiday breaks and half terms. Ranging from splash about sessions for the teeniest ‘ducklings’ to more advanced pool-based activities such as water polo, rookie lifeguard and diving. Check out the website for all the info.
8 Wow! Said the owl
Presented by Little Angel Theatre, this adorable theatre show features a curious little owl who is determined to stay awake and see what daylight might bring. Blending storytelling, puppetry and music, it’s based on the children’s book by Tim Hopgood, and invites audience members to marvel at the colours of the world, from the pink glow of dawn to a dazzling rainbow. It’s suitable for children aged two to five and shows take place at 11.30am and 2.30pm on 9 April. Tickets are £6 per child and £10 per adult and there will be a free arts and crafts session in the Junction’s foyer before the shows.
9 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom
This month, step into a colourful, magical land where everyone is tiny and music, fun and games await around every corner. From the makers of Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom tells the story of fairy princess Holly and her best friend Ben, an elf. Featuring helpful ladybirds, floods of jelly, Nanny Plum the tooth fairy and lots of laughs, their adventures are sure to delight the whole family. Join the fun at the Corn Exchange on 19 and 20 April, tickets from £15.75.
10 Getting Dressed
Dive into a world of colour, texture and movement at Cambridge Junction this month, when Second Hand Dance present Getting Dressed on 6 April.
An energetic, engaging dance show, the production takes the process of putting clothes on as its inspiration, encouraging us all to be creative and join in the fun, climbing through mountains of clothes, plunging into piles of pants and swinging in swathes of skirts.
Getting dressed will never be the same again! Shows take place at 11.30am and 2.30pm and tickets are £6 per child and £10 per adult. There will be a free arts and crafts session in the Junction’s foyer before the shows.
