THE Easter holiday is a time when everyone will be wanting to get out of the house and (hopefully) enjoy the better weather. Here are five of the best family days out this Easter:

* Highclere Castle – or, as many know it, Downton Abbey – will host an Easter Sunday feast of Crawley family fun just a 45-minute drive from Farnham on April 21.

An Easter egg hunt will take place between 11am and 3pm in aid of the Murray Parish Trust, which supports children’s emergency services across the south of England.

There will also be an Easter parade, including many popular children’s characters and prizes for the best bonnets, at 1pm, as well as a bouncy castle and other lawn games.

Children’s entry is free but visitors are requested to book tickets online at www.highclerecastle.co.uk to ensure there is enough eggs for everyone. The stunning Highclere Castle will be open as usual – adult garden tickets cost £7 per person.

* From April 1-28, the National Trust will host a cracking 260 Cadbury’s Easter egg hunts at properties across England and Wales. Locally, these include Hinton Ampner, Uppark House, The Vyne, Winchester City Mill, Polesden Lacey, Claremont Landscape Garden, Hatchlings Park, Dapdune Wharf, Runnymede, the Devils Punchbowl, and Winkworth Arboretum.

Take your children along to search through historical landmarks, woodlands and lush countryside. Most locations will be offering games and craft activities in addition to the Easter egg hunts. See nationaltrust.org.uk.

* For those willing to travel slightly further afield, the stunning Arundel Castle will showcase two spectacular displays of medieval strength and bravery over Easter.

The first is Combat at the Castle on April 6-7. This will demonstrate how the Norman Earl of Arundel trained his soldiers in preparations for what was to be the first siege of the castle in 1102.

From April 20-22 is A Call to Arms. This follows Richard the Lionheart in his preparations for the Third Crusade.

Both weekends include dozens of people in traditional and historically accurate armour and dress.

Displays of the combat, archery and falconry will be shown throughout the day. Talk to craftsmen about making chainmail armour, working leather, scribing and cooking. Details at arundelcastle.org.

* Royal Armouries Fort Nelson, near Portsmouth, will be holding enough Easter events to sink a frigate. Starting on April 6 and running all the way until April 21, Fort Nelson will be showing what life was like during the Napoleonic Wars.

Let your children learn military drill under the strict gaze of the drill sergeant. The young recruits can test their skill firing flintlock muskets and cannon in the firing range.

For something a little more relaxing you can have a go at traditional games of the early 19th Century. There will also be guided tours, demonstrations from a battlefield surgeon and weapon demonstrations ­– and best of all it’s all completely free. See royalarmouries.org.

* Winchester Science Centre. Those looking for something a little less historical can visit the Winchester Science Centre and experience a ‘pick ‘n’ mix’ of brilliant hands-on science and fiery live science shows at Science of Sweets this Easter, running daily from April 5-23 from 10am-5pm.

Think an icing sugar flame thrower, exploding sweets and colder-than-ice snow cones, as the science centre’s talented team of inspirers and curiosity officers will be encouraging children to get stuck in and make their own Willy Wonka-inspired sweet machines.

The live shows and themed activities are free with general admission – £13.20 on the door, 25 per cent off if booked three days in advance online at winchestersciencecentre.org – which includes two floors of inter-active exhibits, as well as a large outdoor picnic and play area with trim trail and water exhibit.

That is our Five of the Best but there are many more events over the Easter holidays. RHS Wisley is having Rhyming Rabbit Fun, Squire’s Garden Centres in Badshot Lea, Frensham and Milford will host Create and Grow Easter holiday events in which you can plant containers and also hunt for Easter eggs, and Farnham Maltings will be giving Easter biscuit decorating lessons on Wednesday, April 17.

There will be an edible theme to the Bloomin’ Kids free gardening workshops, run by Farnham Town Council, on April 9 and April 11. And finally Alice Holt Forest have set out Easter Trails from which run until April 14.