Walk on the wild side this Easter

8:27am Monday 10th March 2008

Easter is coming early this year, and as usual there is lots going on all around the county.

Whether the weather's glorious or grim, it's always a good idea to have something planned to keep the children busy over the Easter holidays.

Here is our selection of the best of what the district has to offer - and many of them are free. So wherever you live you are bound to find something exciting happening not too far away.

In the heart of the city centre, the National Media Museum will educate and inspire. The NMM has lots of great activities and events for families every weekend, bank holiday and school holiday. Pick up a family activities bag at the museum shop, which is packed with activities and ideas that will help you make the most out of a trip to the museum.

From earthquakes, volcanoes, and severe storms in Forces of Nature to Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure in 3D, Lions 3D: Roar of the Kalahari, and Dinosaurs Alive! 3D, there are plenty of films showing at the IMAX that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Hunt down the dinosaurs at Eureka! over the Easter holiday with Dinosaur Dig which will give you and your family an opportunity to find out more about your favourite primeval monsters.

The Eureka! Park in Halifax will be transformed into a dig where children can become palaeontologists for the day, looking for relics, meeting the experts to learn about how and when dinosaurs lived, getting creative with fossil-rubbings, or curling up in a giant ribcage for dino-saur story tales.

Designed especially for children up to 11 years old, the museum has more than 400 must-touch exhibits and a full programme of events and activities.

With costumed demonstrations, authentic re-enactments, entertaining films and interactive technology, the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds allows you to experience the excitement of reliving some of the most important moments in our history from early history to the present day, giving you a true sense of how it felt to be involved.

From March 20 to April 6 you can join the Knight Skool and train to be a Knight of the Royal Armouries, with children's activities every day. Experience authentic medieval jousting at the international tournament over Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.

Children will be captivated by the various opportunities there are to get up-close and personal with a variety of flora and fauna in the area.

Kilnsey Park, north of Grassington, offers a chance to enjoy fun fishing, feeding the giant trout, following the trail and seeing the red squirrels in the conservation programme. Watch out wherever you go for the ducks, geese and guinea fowl that wander freely about the park. There are always fun trails to follow where you can spot the hidden animals or other clues, or seek out the answers to a fun quiz and release lots of energy in the adventure playground and on the mini-diggers!

More animals are on show at St Leonard's Farm Park in Esholt. From spring lambs to baby chicks, there are lots of different farm animals, some of which you can feed. There are plenty of play areas including a straw playbarn with tunnels and swing ropes, a small animal enclosure, tractor and trailer rides, and pony rides on certain days throughout the school holidays.

Finally, if the weather is bad, Tropical World in Leeds is guaranteed to warm you up! Reopening on March 21, leave Yorkshire's climate behind and enter the hot houses for an unforgettable, fun adventure then, aften the heat of the tropics and the desert, escape to the cool of the night in the nocturnal house. Discover the creatures of the steamy waters of the Amazon and warm tropical oceans. Watch out for the red-tailed catfish and piranhas - but keep your distance, they will eat almost anything!

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