Crafty moves

Make your own fun at Watford Museum with free family arts and crafts activities and an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 7, 11am-4pm.

Watford Museum, Lower High Street, Watford. Details: 01923 232297, www.watfordmuseum.org.uk

Put it on paper

Frogmore Paper Mill in Apsley is offering creative types drop-in sessions running daily from April 2-5 on the theme of Easter cards and bonnets. From Easter Bank Holiday Monday, April 9-Friday, April 13, there are a variety of Spring arts and craft activities and during the Easter holidays, any family booking a mill tour will be able to join the crafting activities for free. All sessions run 11am-1pm and 1.30pm-3.30pm and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Details: 01442 234600, www.thepapertrail.org.uk

Egg I-spy Over at The Harlequin Shopping Centre, join Special Agents H and Q for the Egg-cites Kids for Easter with eight days of free, fun-filled kids club super-sleuthing activities, running from April 2-5 and 10-13 between 11am-4pm on the lower mall. In the first week, children can hunt for chocolate eggs, try out some bubble blowing skills and making finger puppets or masks to create the perfect disguise. The following week they're let loose with face painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling.

Details: www.harlequinsecretagents.com

Furry tales

Join the Watersmeet Film Society for a caterwauling caper as Puss In Boots comes to town. This movie gives the back-story of events leading up to the meeting of our fierce feline hero, the sword-fighting cat with Shrek and his friends. The screening is on Thursday, April 12 at 2pm at The Watersmeet Theatre, High Street, Rickmansworth.

Details: 01923 711063, fowfilmsociety@talktalk.net

Coat of many colours

Start spring in spectacular fashion with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Watford Colosseum. This colourful family show retells the biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colours and stars Keith Jack in the title role. The show, which runs from April 10-14, includes memorable songs such as Close Every Door, Those Canaan Days and Any Dream Will Do. Performances are at Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford on Tue-Thu 7.30pm, Wed-Thu 2.30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm and 8pm and Sat 2pm.

Details: 0845 075 3993, www.watfordcolosseum.co.uk

Dramatic moments

At Watford Palace Theatre, Hertfordshire County Youth Theatre is tackling the absurdities of modern conflict head on with performances of Tom Basden's National Theatre play There is a War. The Blues and the Greys have been fighting for longer than anyone can remember. The propaganda machine is out of control, the military command has lost control and the casualties are mounting up. Can Anne, a young medic parachuted into the heart of the mayhem, find the solution to this meaningless carnage? Watford Palace Theatre, Clarendon Road, Watford on March 30-31. Evening performances are at 7.45pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Details: 01923 225671, www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Lights, camera, action!

The thrills of the silver screen arrive at Hemel Hempstead’s Old Town Hall, as the theatre launches its new film programme on Saturday, March 31 at 11am. Opening the season is Rio (U) about the adventures of a rare blue McCaw on the wing from Minnesota to Rio de Janeiro. Other screenings include Despicable Me (U) on Saturday April 14 at 11am and Yogi Bear (U) on Saturday, May 26, 11am. Old Town Hall, High Street, Hemel Hempstead.

Details: 01442 228091, www.oldtownhall.co.uk

Let it snow

Snow Play, a wintry show presented by Lyngo Theatre, which comes to Trestle Arts Base on April 1 at 2.30pm. Join Patrick Lynch from Cbeebies and Carlo Rossi to make a giant snowman, have a snowball fight and bring back the sun. Trestle Arts Base, Russet Drive, St Albans.

Details: 01727 850950 or visit www.allaboutstalbans.com

All a flutter

Spring has arrived at Butterfly World in Chiswell Green and visitors can learn all about the life-cycle of these beautiful insects and take part in daily activities running from April 1-15. Highlights include Feltmaking Workshops on Tuesday, April 3, Herts Inclusive Theatre’s Become a Butterfly workshop on Thursday, April 5 (book on 01923 499310 or e-mail: ertsinclusivetheatre@live.co.uk). There are two Junior Photography Workshops on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 14 (book: 01727 869203). On Easter Monday, April 9, there will be a series of 20-minute Animal Encounters handling sessions throughout the day.

Details: www.butterflyworldproject.com

Tea for the terrible twos

Egg hunts, nature trails and games in Mr Rabbit’s garden are on offer at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Busy Bees Nursery on Wednesday, April 4. The Easter celebrations run from 2.30pm-5pm at Glenalmond, King Harry Lane, St Albans.

Details: 01727 854499, glenalmond.nursery@busybees.com

So Egg-citing

Down on the farm you’ll find the Easter Bunny has organised lots of holiday fun. Have a go at the Bunny Hop and take part in the Easter Egg Hunt. Children can also pet animals and see the fluffy new chicks. Easter Eggstravaganza at Willows Farm Village London Colney is open daily from March 31-April 15 from 10am-5.30pm.

Details: 0870 129 9718, www.willowsfarmvillage.com

Mad Hatter’s tea party and Joust A Minute...

At Knebworth House meet Alice in Wonderland for an Easter Tea Party on April 6-7. Alice and friends will entertain guests with a variety of song and dance, plus have a go at circus skills, decorating tea cups or making a Mad Hatter’s hat. On 8 and 9 Medieval knights in full costume will gallop into Knebworth with spectacular action, stunts and fierce battles for a two-day jousting tournament. The audience can enjoy all the romance, excitement and pageantry of former times with a line-up of equestrian skills and hand-to-hand combat. There are two jousts in the course of each day starting at approximately 12.30am and 2.30pm.

Details: 01438 812661, www.knebworthhouse.com

Making a song and dance

On April 5, from 10am-2pm, at the University of Hertfordshire, Gomito Theatre will be hosting a trio of workshops in storytelling, junk puppetry and play making, where children will have the opportunity to create their own mini-production. Young people might also like to return to the campus on April 14-15 for Living the Dream at 7.30pm, featuring two nights of dance, singing, performance, musical theatre and comedy.

Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield. Details: 01707 281127

Edwardian drama

Also, for older children, Townsend Productions is staging The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists at the Espinosa Centre in Berkhamsted on Saturday, March 31. This fast-paced adaptation of Robert Tressell’s classic book traces the hardships of a group of painters and decorators in a complacent and stagnating Edwardian England.

Details: 01442 818283 www.espinosacentre.com, www.townsendproductions.co.uk

Musical adventures

Sailing away on Titanic Back by popular demand at the Hawthorne Theatre in Welwyn, Pluck – the world’s funniest string trio – present A Century On – Getting The Pluck Off The Titanic! On Sunday, April 15, on the very centenary of that dark event, the plucky band entertain guests on board the doomed vessel but as events unfold the piece descends into a night of comedic musical mayhem, with just a touch of pathos. Campus West, The Campus, Welwyn Garden City.

Details: 01707 357117, www.hawthornetheatre.co.uk