Spring has sprung, and the days are finally getting longer, making it the perfect time to get out and about during the Easter holidays. If you’re looking for inspiration to keep the kids entertained, then check out our top 5 things to do with children in Guernsey this Easter.
1. Take part in an Easter egg hunt
Kids of all ages thoroughly enjoy a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt and there are a number to choose from this Easter.
Good Friday 7th April
- 10am, St Stephen’s Players Easter Egg Hunt, Les Maingys Activity Centre, £5 per child MORE INFO
Sat 8th April
- 11am to 2pm, St Saviour’s Easter Egg Hunt, St Saviour’s Community Centre, £5 per child MORE INFO
- 11am to 3pm Oaty & Joey’s Easter Egg Hunt, Oaty & Joey’s Playbarn, normal entry applies MORE INFO
Easter Sunday 9th April
- 11am to 3pm Oaty & Joey’s Easter Egg Hunt, Oaty & Joey’s Playbarn, normal entry applies MORE INFO
- 11am to 4pm, Dizzy Donkey Fundraisers Easter Egg Hunt, Delancey Park, £5 per child MORE INFO
- 11am Herm Easter Egg Hunt, Herm Island MORE INFO
- 12pm to 3:30pm Easter Lunch & Egg Hunt, Le Pommier Hotel, £5 for the egg donated )money donated to the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation) MORE INFO
For details of all the events taking place during the Easter holidays, visit our What’s On Calendar HERE.
2. Take a trip up Victoria Tower
Victoria Tower is a well-kept secret in St Peter Port and a great adventure for kids, thanks to the fact you have to pick up the large old-fashioned key to the tower, find the tower and then climb the 99 steps inside, to be rewarded with a panoramic view of Guernsey’s capital at the top. And best of all, this unique Guernsey experience is FREE!
Victoria Tower is a monument in the heart of St Peter Port, erected in honour of a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the island in 1846. The tower still stands today and is open to the public, however, the tower remains locked and can only be accessed by picking up the key from nearby Guernsey Museum, which is located in Candie Gardens. It is free to borrow the key for 30 minutes, you just need to leave your name and phone number and there is the option to buy a leaflet for £1 which gives lots of info about the tower. You do not have to be a member of Candie Gardens to borrow the key, it’s available to everyone.
Once you have the key, it is a short walk from Candie Gardens to Victoria Tower, with the entrance through a large black door at the front. Off the entrance hall is a narrow spiral staircase which takes you to the top of the tower, which is 100 feet high! Your climb is rewarded by spectacular panoramic views over St Peter Port from the viewing platform that circles the top section of the tower and due to the barriers it feels completely safe, though you might not think so if you are afraid of heights!
Don’t forget that what goes up must come down, and I always think the steps feel a lot steeper on the way down! After your visit, you need to lock the tower and return the key to the Guernsey Museum at Candie. 30 minutes hire of the key doesn’t sound long, but it’s all the time you need as it doesn’t take long to walk up the steps, and it still gives you plenty of time to take in the view.
For more information about Victoria Tower CLICK HERE.
3. Visit Fort Hommet and the Shrine of the Sacred Heart
Fort Hommet is a Victorian fortification on Vazon Bay headland consisting of a Martello tower and bunkers and casemates constructed by German forces during World War II. The fort is a great place to explore, my kids love to have a run around whilst I take in the amazing views. It is recorded that in 1680 there was a fortification with one gun on this site. By 1795 however the fort had been strengthened and additional gun positions constructed. In 1801 6 guns were recorded on the headland with the Martello tower added in 1804. In 1856 a barrack block was constructed and this housed part of the Regular Army garrison until the First World War but it was later destroyed. The fort was added to in 1942 by the occupying German forces which can be seen today.
There is lots to explore on the ground level from the existing fort and the German additions and no matter what side of the fort you are on, the views are stunning! It is possible to walk around the fort but the ground is very uneven at the back of the fort so care needs to be taken. At the far side of the fort is a set of steps that lead to the upper level. As you get to the top of the steps on the right it is possible to stand on top of the German fortification, but there are no safety rails so be careful. From the upper level you can get close to the Martello Tower, see the gun turrets and admire the fantastic 360 degree views.
Shrine of the Sacred Heart
Fort Hommet is home to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Second World War bunker transformed by Hubert Le Galloudec from a place of war into a place of peace and beauty using local seashells. The shrine is open every Saturday from 2pm to 4pm and is a fascinating place to pop into with children. My girls enjoy doing the shrine eye spy – on the back wall there are pics of sections of the shrine and it is fun trying to spot them within the design.
For more information about Fort Hommet and the Shrine of the Sacred Heart CLICK HERE.
4. Walk from Portelet Harbour to the Fairy Ring
This walk has it all, a beach, German bunker, a fort with cannons, trees to climb, a meeting place for fairies and the most stunning scenery in all directions! With plenty of benches to take in the view and ample places to have a picnic, it’s a family must in Guernsey.
The walk starts at Portelet, which is located in the parish of Torteval, in the south-west of the island. Follow the tarmacked road that runs behind Portelet Beach, it’s not a path as you’d find on a cliff walk, it’s a proper wide, tarmacked road (with no cars). Incredibly easy to walk on and great if you’re pushing a pram. As you walk along the road, look out for an old German WW2 bunker on the left-hand side in the undergrowth. It is possible to go inside the bunker, but it’s pitch black and my girls find it very scary!
Further along the path and you’ll spot Fort Pezeries, a coastal defence fort dating back to 1680. Fort Pezeries is fun to explore and three 18 pounder canons remain at the fort, which are a magnet for kids to climb on. The 360 degree views from here are stunning, with Les Hanois Lighthouse in the distance.
At the end of the road there are a number of taller stone pillars and these lead to a kid-favourite, La Table Des Pions, known as The Fairy Ring by locals. Research suggests that La Table Des Pions was used until 1837 as a picnic table for servants who took part in the late 18th Century tradition called La Chevauchee, a formal procession of officials and servants, which ensured the roads and boundaries were in good order. Local folklore suggests the site is linked with fairies, witches, and elves, hence its name ‘the Fairy Ring’.
From here you can either turn back and follow the road back to Portelet or you can continue and climb up the hill to Pleinmont Observation Tower (used by German forces between 1942 and 1945).
For more information about the walk from Portelet to the Fairy Ring CLICK HERE.
5. See Gandeys Glitterati 2023!
End the Easter holidays in style with a trip to the circus! If ever a word summed up Gandeys new show, it’s GLITTERATI “fashionable people” “show business” “glamour”. The new show has it all…30 artistes, new special effects, new productions, even a new Big Top!
Highlights include…
- Headlining from Cuba, the sensational Panther troupe with their incredible springboard skills.
- The award winning Ukrainian arial skills of Duo Parshyn, making their first UK appearance
- High wire stars the Gerlings from Colombia.
- Crazy Clowns Bobylev duo from Germany.
- Plus, of course, the motorcycles in the Thunderdome.
For more information and to book tickets CLICK HERE.
