Family Fun for Easter at Wakefield Museums & Castles

Did you know that there are so many amazing colours that can be created from plants? Join a workshop investigating natural dyes, inks and stains at Pontefract Castle.

Investigate how natural stains and food colours from plants can be used to create patterns on eggs and paper.

This STEM workshop is funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

📍 Pontefract Castle Activity Zone
📅 Monday 7 April
⏰ 10am – 12pm (SEND session) and 1pm – 3pm
🧒 Ages 6+
💰 £2.50 per child, accompanying adults free.
🔗 Book Colour Chemistry from Nature’s Rainbow.

Spring has sprung at Castleford Museum!

Go on a trail around the displays to spot the signs of spring. Make a flapping paper bird. Decorate your own plant pot and take part in the sunflower growing competition!

📍 Castleford Museum
📅 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 17 April
⏰ 10:30am – 12:30pm and 1pm – 3pm
🧒 Families
💰 Free, no booking required

Discover the stories of some of pantomime’s best loved characters. Get creative and make a marvellous mask to take home and wear!

9 April: Animals and creatures:  Are you a golden goose or a pantomime horse? Make a bright mask to bring your animal to life!

16 April: Heroes and Villains: Boo and cheer for your favourite character. Do you want to be a hero or a baddie?

📍 Pontefract Museum
📅 Wednesday 9 and Wednesday 16 April
⏰ 10:30am – 12pm and 12:30pm – 3pm
🧒 Families
💰 Free, no booking required

People have made paper for hundreds of years. Now it’s your turn! Meet like-minded young people in this hands-on workshop. Discover incredible paper collections from the past. Learn how to recycle old paper into new paper for your own journals or cards.

This is part of Heritage for Youth programme of activities for 12–16-year-olds. Accompanying adults are welcome but not essential.

📍 Pontefract Castle Activity Zone
📅 Thursday 10 April
⏰ 10:30am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 3pm
🧒 Ages 12 – 16 years
💰 £2.50 per child, accompanying adults free.
🔗 Book Paper Making.

Get stuck into some squishy squashy fun! Play with different doughs to mash, make, squash and shape. Join in with a story and rhymes. Make a special model to take home.

Tick off #5 Rough and Smooth on your 50 Things To Do Before You’re 5!

📍 Wakefield Museum Learning Zone (inside Wakefield Library)
📅 Thursday 10 April
⏰ 10:30am – 11:30am, and relaxed session at 1pm – 2pm
🧒 Ages 2 – 5 years
💰 £2.50 per child, accompanying adults free.
🔗 Book Squash and Shape

From mud to mugs, clay is incredible!

People have been using this super material for thousands of years. See some special clay objects on display at the museum. Find out how they were made and decorated, and who might have used them.

Play with clay and practice some different techniques. Make your own clay figure or cup to take home.

📍 Wakefield Museum Learning Zone (inside Wakefield Library)
📅 Friday 11 April
⏰ 10:30am – 11:45am and 1pm - 2:15pm
🧒 Ages 6 – 11 years
💰 £2.50 per child, accompanying adults free.
🔗 Book Play with Clay.

The Easter Dragon Egg Hunt at Pontefract Castle is back for another year, and better than ever!

Help Ilbert the Dragon find all his eggs on a special trail.

📍 Pontefract Castle, collect your trail from the gift shop
📅 12 – 21 April
⏰ 10am – 4pm
🧒 Families
💰 Free, no booking required

Enjoy bookable and drop-in crafts come rain or shine throughout Dragon Egg Week!

Join in with different dragon activities throughout the week, including craft activities, storytelling and games. There’s lots to keep your little dragons busy.

The Pontefract Castle team will also be running SEND* sessions during the week for those families who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere with restricted numbers.

📍 Pontefract Castle
📅 12 – 21 April
⏰ 10am – 3pm
🧒 Families
💰 Most sessions are free. * Booking applies for SEND sessions.
🔗 Find out more and book tickets.

From the ancients to the Victorians, plaster has decorated buildings for centuries.

Discover the history of plaster and fresco painting. Give this historic skill a go and paint your own plaster plaque.

This is part of Heritage for Youth programme of activities for 12–16-year-olds. Accompanying adults are welcome but not essential.

📍 Pontefract Castle Activity Zone
📅 Wednesday 16 April
⏰ 11am – 2pm
🧒 Ages 12 – 16 years
💰 £2.50 per child, accompanying adults free.
🔗 Book Plaster Plaques.

Join a tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeons – with bonus tours for the Easter holidays.

Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space. Discover the history of the dungeon. See where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.

Please note: The tour involves going underground via steep steps with low light levels, uneven ground and damp conditions. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended.

📍 Meet at Pontefract Castle gift shop.
📅 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 April.
⏰ 10:45am – 11:30am
🧒 Ages 6+
💰 £4.40 adults, £2.55 children. *Not suitable for under 5s, visually impaired visitors or wheelchair users due to 44 steep historic steps)
🔗 Book Dungeon Tour tickets.

All In years gone by, Pontefract Castle was one of Britain’s most important castles. It was known as the Key to the North!

Discover who built and lived in the Castle and the stories it holds. Find out how it has changed over time.

This tour is accessible for wheelchair users and visitors with pushchairs.

📍 Meet at Pontefract Castle gift shop.
📅 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 April.
⏰ 2pm – 2:45pm
🧒 Families
💰 £4.40 adults, £2.55 children, Under 5s free.
🔗 Book Explorer Tour tickets.