Top 10 Family-Friendly Easter Activities in Bude, North Cornwall

As Easter approaches, families are dreaming of a well-deserved break, and what better way to celebrate than visiting the natural beauty and rich culture of Bude in North Cornwall?

With its stunning coastline, charming villages, and host of attractions, North Cornwall and Bude offer many activities to keep the whole family entertained during the holiday season. And, of course, we would love you to choose one of Woodlands Manor Farm 7 gorgeous cottages or 2 luxury yurts as your base during your stay.

Let’s look at the top 10 exciting options for Easter 2024!

1. Easter Egg Hunts

What would Easter be without an egg hunt? Many attractions and National Trust properties across North Cornwall host egg hunts during the Easter weekend, providing a fantastic opportunity for children to explore the grounds while hunting for chocolate treasures.

Here are a few Easter egg hunts local to Bude:

• RainForest Chocolate Trail at Eden – Get excited for Springfest at the Eden Project this Easter. Celebrate the joys of spring with plenty of family-friendly games, crafts and activities for all ages.
• Easter Egg Hunt at Hartlands – Easter Fun and Spring Flowers – Sunday 31st March and Monday 1st April 2024.
• Easter Grotto at Milky Way – From Thursday 28th March to Sunday 7th April there’s a feast of chocolatey Easter fun laid on for you! Journey down the rabbit hole to the unique Easter Grotto to collect your chocolatey treat from the Easter Bunny.
• Trethrone Leisure Park – Hunt down eggs to win prizes, have your face painted or get creative with some Easter crafting.

2. Beach Adventures

North Cornwall is renowned for its picturesque beaches, and Easter provides the perfect opportunity to soak up the sun (weather permitting!) and indulge in some classic seaside fun. Build sandcastles, paddle in the shallows, or try your hand at rock pooling to discover an array of fascinating marine life. Bude boasts many beautiful beaches from the wild beach of Duckpool to the wide expense of Widemouth bay and the town beach of Summerleaze, you are totally spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches.

• Duckpool Beach – A remote beach with rock pools overlooked by cliffs often carpeted with wild flowers.
• Summerleaze Beach Bude – Summerleaze has a unique appeal, its right in the middle of town and has the amazing Sea Pool sand dunes and Bude Canal.
• Sandymouth – A popular but unspoilt beach of pebbles and sand backed by incredible twisted cliffs.
• Widemouth Bay Bude – Widemouth Bay is a wild and wide sandy bay stretching for nearly 2 miles. Exposed to the full fury of the Atlantic with large rocky outcrops at either end, it’s a favourite surf spot and a Blue Flag beach.

3. Watersports

Bude has some of the best water sports activities in the UK. From coasteering, to paddle boarding, wild swimming and surfing there is an activity for every member of the family and every level of ability. With a wide range of talented teams that will support your every step you will have the best adventure. Here a few of our favourite companies to check out and for more information on Bude surf schools and watersports read our blog here.

• Saltwater Safari – Great for beginners and experienced surfers alike, Saltwater Safari can cater to individuals, couples and small groups with their fantastic lessons that focus on teaching you new skills and equipping you with valuable knowledge about surfing and the sea itself.
• Big Blue Surf School – With over 20 years of experience in teaching people to surf on Summerleaze Beach, you can rest assured that you will be in good hands with Big Blue Surf School. Great for groups of friends and family, they can also cater for disabled and neurodiverse surfers.
• MLH Surfing – Run by professional surfer Miles Lee-Hargreaves, MLH Surf Coaching specialises in one to one and private group lessons. Miles has a passion for developing younger surfers and runs the Elite Junior Development Squad, but thanks to his expert experience Miles is fantastic with surfers of all levels of ability.

4. Coastal and Local Walks

For families who enjoy the great outdoors, North Cornwall boasts an extensive network of coastal paths offering breathtaking scenery and plenty of fresh sea air. Take a leisurely stroll along the South West Coast Path, which meanders along rugged cliffs and past secluded coves. We have some great starting points near the farm that will lead you to the coast path near Sandymouth and Duckpool.

If you fancy some historical walks don’t miss the Bude WWII Heritage Trail, that is a guide around the town to some of the places used by the American Troops who came to Bude to train for the D-Day landing in 1944.

Here are some of our favourite local walks:

• The Morwenstow Circular Walk – Explore the most northerly area of Cornwall in a parish made famous by the eccentric Reverend R S Hawker of Morwenstow. This is a walk of contrasts with dramatic, towering cliffs, sheltered wooded valleys, wildlife-friendly organic farmland and the opportunity to visit one of the smallest buildings in the National Trust’s care.
• Bude Coast and Canal – The walk takes in the Coast Path with lovely sea views, before turning inland across farmland to join the canal towpath back to Bude. An excellent walk for children
• Bude Heritage WWII Walk – This Bude WWII Heritage Trail is a guide around the town to some of the places used by the American troops who came here to train for the D-Day landings in 1944. When you come to each blue plaque you’ll find a QR code – scan these to hear stories of local people and narratives come to life!

5. Visit to Tintagel Castle

Immerse yourself in history with a visit to Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of King Arthur. Explore the ancient ruins perched dramatically on the cliffs, uncovering tales of knights and dragons as you go. With interactive exhibits and stunning coastal views, Tintagel Castle offers a fascinating day out for the whole family.

6. Wildlife Encounters

North Cornwall is teeming with wildlife, and Easter presents an ideal opportunity to spot some of its most iconic inhabitants. You can go rock pooling at the local beaches, visit the seal sanctuary or head off to Paradise Wildlife Park or Newquay Zoo.

Of course if you are staying on the farm you can join us on our free feed the animals tour and meet our wonderful alpacas, goats, rabbits, ponies, pigs, sheep and chickens.

• Paradise Park – Your family will love a day in Paradise on your Cornwall holiday. You’ll meet amazing wildlife, including stunningly colourful birds including many rare and beautiful parrots, Humboldt’s penguins.
• The Cornish Seal Sanctuary – The Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary is a charity that rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups from around the Cornish coastline. The Sanctuary also provides a permanent home to animals that need special care from their team of marine animal experts. When visiting the Sanctuary, you can experience wonderful marine animals up close and personal and learn all about their individual stories.
• Woolley Animal Farm – A lovely family farm that offers alpaca walking and lots of animals to enjoy, including pigs, goats, sheep, miniature mediterranean donkeys, miniature shetland ponies, pygmy goats, small animals for cuddling, usually guinea pigs and sometimes lambs.

7. Family-Friendly Attractions

From theme parks to farm parks, North Cornwall is home to a variety of family-friendly attractions sure to delight visitors of all ages. As Woodlands Manor Farm is on the North Cornwall/Devon Border we can benefit from a wonderful variety of attractions, here are just a few of our family favourites.

• Trethorne Leisure Park – Family-friendly fun like bumper cars, a climbing wall & bowling, plus a farm area with pony rides.
• The Milky Way Adventure Park – This award-winning adventure park offers an all-weather day out, family attractions and is absolutely one of the best things to do in North Devon, just 5 miles from Cornwall!
• The Big Sheep – The Big Sheep offers thrilling rides, delightful farm animals, and great animal shows.

8. Creative Workshops

Get creative with a variety of workshops and activities hosted by local artists and artisans. From wood turning to pottery painting, there are plenty of opportunities for adults and children to unleash their artistic talents and create unique mementos of their Easter holiday in North Cornwall.

• The Kitchen Front – A unique experience in Bude,Cornwall! Creative workshops, 1940’s tea room and more.
• Submerge Art – Local artist Hannah Blowes creates handmade designs from my studio near Bude in Cornwall. Hannah also runs workshops in print and design.
• Welcombe Pottery – Welcombe Pottery, handmade ceramics and glass, by David Westcott and Alice Gare Earthenware, stoneware and porcelain pottery, Throughout the year the artusit run workshops where people can relax, switch off stress, and play with clay, making and throwing pots, drinking tea, eating cake, pottery chat and laughter.
• Hide Studio – Green Wood Turning – Fancy something totally unique? The fabulous Hide Studio is offering courses in turning “Green” wood. You’ll be taught at your own pace by Rich Inight, who has been a woodworker for 30+ years. Half and full-day courses available. For more information email info@thehidestudiocornwall.co.uk or call 07743 389320.

9. Traditional Cornish Treats

No visit to Cornwall would be complete without sampling some of its delicious culinary delights. Indulge in traditional Cornish pasties, local gin and rum, cornish fudge and freshly caught seafood.

• Roly’s Fudge – Roly’s Fudge Pantry Bude is owned by Ben. Ben has been passionate about fudge for six years and has worked alongside his parents Matt and Shelley who have four other pantries.
• Tasty Pasties – In our view the tastiest Cornish Pasties in the area, located right at the heart of Bude.
• The Cornish Bakery – Eat-in or take-out bakery with Cornish roots. Award-winning pasties, buttery viennoiserie, cakes, bakes and tortillas – all ethically sourced.
• Tarquins Gin – With an ever expanding range of products, tastings opportunities and new gin schools, a visit to Tarquins is a must for any gin fan!

10. Food

Bude has an amazing range of restaurants and pubs for you to enjoy. You can read about some of our favourite local places to eat in our restaurant blog here.

• Bude Food Festival – During Easter dont miss the Bude Food Festival, which combines local artisanal foods with delicious street food.

Visit North Cornwall This Easter

With its stunning scenery, rich history, and wealth of family-friendly activities, North Cornwall and of course Woodlands Manor Farm, offers the perfect destination for an unforgettable Easter break.

Whether you’re exploring ancient castles, enjoying a walk on one of the stunning sandy beaches, or indulging in delicious local cuisine, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in our captivating corner of England.