Safe and Fun Easter 2022 in Falkirk

• ROOTS in Bonnybridge has lots of fun plans in store, and are looking for donations of Easter eggs to share as many as possible with children in local communities. Donations can be dropped off at ROOTS’ premises (Unit 6, Foundry Road, Bonnybridge, FK4 2AP), or at one of their drop-off points in Bonnybridge Toll Pharmacy or Scotmid High Street, Bonnybridge.
• Bo’ness Food Pantry is looking for donations of Easter eggs and treats for kids (and big kids!) along with their regular foodbank needs, plus driver volunteers to help deliver parcels on Monday afternoons – donations can be handed into Bo’ness Old Kirk on Mondays, 1pm – 3pm.
• Home-Start Falkirk’s Group Workers are planning to make mosaics with the families they work with after Easter, and are looking for donations of:
  • nippers (mosaic clippers)
  • safety goggles
  • rubber gloves
  • wood cut-outs
  • mosaic glue adhesive
  • grout (non-sanded)
  • curved tweezers
  • palette knife

If you’d like to donate something from this list, arrange a pick up or drop off with the Home-Start Falkirk team by email: info@hsfalkirk.org.uk

Many groups and organisations who support families with food and other essentials are collecting donations of Easter eggs that they will give out to local children to enjoy.

If you would like to donate some Easter treats, or request some for your own family, you can find the contact details of the group in your area who provide food and other services to their local community on the CVS Falkirk website.

We recommend that you check in to your local group’s social media platforms in the run up to Easter as well so you can be sure to find the most up to date information about their Easter plans! If you don’t already, you can also follow CVS Falkirk on Facebook as we will share and highlight specific opportunities or requests for local help there too.

• Tamfourhill Community Hub kicked off their Easter programme with a family fun day and community litter pick – they’re also running water day activities (spaces limited, so book quick!) and John Muir Award activities.
  • Check out the fun day pictures on their Facebook posts!
• Kersiebank Community Project in Grangemouth is holding their breakfast club throughout the Easter break again this year, run by one of their volunteers. Children will receive cereal, milk, sandwiches and fresh fruit. There is no referral required – anyone looking to attend should simply drop in daily, 10am – 12pm.
• OneBanks Hub is holding a Rock Walk over the holiday weekend – they’ll be hiding rocks all around Denny, and if your little treasure hunters can find them all, they can claim a prize!  Deadline for registrations is Friday 8^th April at 5pm. To find out more and how to register, visit the Denny OneBanks kiosk.
• The LAB Training Academy is holding an Easter Fayre this Sunday 10^th April, 12pm – 2pm at their premises in La Porte Precinct, Grangemouth, sponsoring the Scott Martin Foundation. There will be different stalls and activities, plus the chance to meet the Easter Bunny.
• Falkirk Football Community Foundation’s Easter Holiday Camps are back, with their Week 2 camps (full week and individual days, running Monday 11^th April – Friday 15^th April), Mini Bairns and Goalkeeper Only camps still available to book.
• Falkirk Junior Bike Club SCIO is running their “Rock Up and Ride” Free Bikes Programme, Monday 11^th April – Friday 14^th April at the Larbert Cycle Track in Stenhousemuir, 1pm – 2:30pm each day. Children must be in receipt of the School Uniform Grant, in Primary 6 or 7, and able to attend all sessions. At the end of these 4 sessions, they’ll receive a new bike and safety equipment!
• Under the Trees CIC has lots of fun for kids planned this holiday, including an Easter Inclusive Play session for kids with additional support needs, and their friends, and a self-guided family adventure in Defeat the Dragon with the Wallace Monument.
  • Their Facebook is also full of fun, crafty activities using nature – like these nature Easter eggs!
• Strathcarron Hospice is holding an online Good Friday Raffle, with the chance to win £1,000! Tickets are £2 and entries close at 11:45pm on Wednesday 13^th April; the prize money has been gifted by the husband of a recent patient in his wife’s memory, and money raised will help Strathcarron provide their specialist end of life care and support to local people and their families.
• Forth Valley Sensory Centre has spaces for Afternoon Tea on Thursday 14^th April, 1pm – 3pm; just reserve your place at reception. Tickets are £15 each. They also have an Easter basket and Chick Welcome Desk draw going on; pick a number, pay £1 and once all the numbers have been picked, the Centre’s team will draw a winner!
• Westfield Park Community Centre is hosting Easter Painting for kids 10am – 11am on Thursday 14^th April; booking is essential.
• This year, the Falkirk Wheel is holding an Easter Egg Hunt over the holiday weekend, running Friday 15^th April – Monday 18^th April (10:30am – 3:30pm each day). Families are invited to pick up a map at the Visitor Centre to discover where the Easter Bunny has hidden his eggs; entry is a £1 donation per child.
• Friends of Inchyra Park in Grangemouth is also holding a free Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday 17^th April from 1pm – this year, the event is being organised by 2 young members of the group, and they’re looking for Easter egg donations to make the event as fun as possible!
  • Donations can be dropped off at the NU2U Furniture and Food Project shop in La Porte Precinct, Grangemouth.
  • Check out the Falkirk Herald article on the event too!
• The Scottish Deer Centre (just outside Cupar) has created Scotland’s first ever Easter grotto, running every day until Easter Sunday 17^th April, 10am – 4pm. Tickets are £6.95 per child, and kids can meet the Easter Bunny himself, plus his baby bunny friends, and receive an exclusive Scottish Deer Centre egg. There is also an egg hunt, where they can win prizes.
• Falkirk’s Leisure and Culture Department have planned a full programme of egg painting, park trails, spring themed arts and crafts, and activities from their Active Schools and Sports Development teams taking place over the Easter break, designed for all ages and abilities.
  • To book your place, or for further information, visit their Easter 2022 page.
• NU2U Furniture and Food Project in Grangemouth has a range of new Easter stock available, and as a social enterprise, all the money raised goes back into supporting their community.
  • They’re also a drop-off point for any Easter egg donations to the Friends of Inchyra Park’s Easter Egg Hunt.
• Falkirk Delivers has a whole programme of events set over two weekends, as as Falkirk Town Centre turns into Wonderland! There’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party craft events next to The Steeple, photo booths, petting zoos, and more!
• Tryst Community Sports Club is hosting a number of activities over the school holidays – check out their Facebook for the full list!
• If you’re looking to shop ethically this holiday, the Fairtrade Foundation has published its list of the 10 best ethical Easter eggs for 2022, with options including eggs from Aldi, Lidl and the Co-op.
• Throughout April, Historic Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are opening even more of their sites which were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Kinneil House in Bo’ness reopens on Sunday 24^th April, but the grounds are available to explore now!
  • HES has also produced a booklet about all the prehistoric rock art in Scotland, tying in nicely with our national Year of Stories.
• Last year, Forth Environment Link shared some excellent recipes to help families enjoy a zero-waste Easter and get creative with your leftovers – view their videos on how to make Hot Cross Bun Fruit Crumble, or to knock up a Leftover Easter Egg Fridge Cake via Facebook!
• National Trust for Scotland has lots of things to do over the break, including Easter Eggs Trails over the holiday weekend (including at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre and Battle Experience and Alloa Tower), some simple Easter crafting ideas and a recipe for delicious Egg-cellent Easter Cupcakes for you to try!
• Poundstretcher has created, and made available for anyone to print from their website, a set of fun clues for your very own Easter Egg hunt!
• Parent Club has a list of very creative ideas to keep busy over the Spring holiday, including making a mini golf course, and pizza parties, and pitching a tent in your own living room or back garden!
• The NHS Inform website has lots of tips and information on staying well during the holidays, especially when health surgeries and pharmacists are closed for longer than usual over the Easter weekend.