Hayley Matthews: Easter not just about chocolate, there are robots too

And it’s even harder if they’re sugared up! Today I’ll be on BBC Radio Scotland talking about too much chocolate at Easter time. It really is just too much sugar for wee tummies to handle. The last two years I’ve given my son some of his Easter eggs and then hidden the rest for later because of the sugar highs and lows.

This year I’m really trying to arrange loads of activities to fill our time, so we don’t end up staying in lunching on chocolate eggs. Saying that however, we are indulging slightly by going for a Hard Rock Easter Breakfast on Sunday because the actual Easter Bunny will be there, along with Tricky Ricky and lots of exciting craft activities. Well, you are allowed to spoil yourself a wee bit over Easter, aren’t you? It does look very popular.

We’re very lucky being in the city centre as there are some really good things going on over the next two weeks. A firm favourite is always the free Royal Botanical Garden Easter bunny hunt which we did last year.

There’s also the Easter Eggstravaganza at the Scottish Association for Mental Health’s Redhall Walled Garden open day tomorrow and I’m hoping that the weather holds up as the gardens are just stunning. I filmed with SAMH in the gardens a few years back and was blown away with the place. I just love seeing the benefits of people being around the gardens.

It’s amazing how a little horticulture can help with mental health, stress and anxiety. It’s such a wonderful use of space and this weekend they’re offering an Easter quiz & trail, egg & spoon races, plants for sale and cream teas. See you there! Us parents have two weeks of activities to fill though, so if you’re all spent on ideas after the weekend remember there’s the epic Edinburgh International Science Festival running until Sunday, 15 April, and it’s not just for kids! There are so many interesting exhibitions on this year like the 42 ways to see a tumour, the Pianodrome tree tour, and not to forget all the kids workshops too.

You easily need two days to experience the Science Festival in all its glory and it’s always well worth it. A personal highlight will be seeing Marty, a walking, dancing robot. The kids can learn how robots work and get up close to this amazing little creature. Children can also teach a robot how to interact with the world around it. Now if I can just get them to teach Marty how to clean my house!

And one for the dinosaur lovers … on hearing that the jaw-dropping, life-size animatronic, dinosaur tour is returning to Scotland, I got a little excited!

It’s out at Laurieston Castle where the dinosaurs cover three key areas including the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous period. I hear there‘s even a 16-metre long diplodocus. It’s on until 15 April so plenty time to get yourself and the kids down to see what roamed the Earth 65 million years ago. They look a bit how we all will after the Easter holidays!

Have a great Easter break whatever you’re doing, and I’ll see you in the wine aisle mid-April!