Christchurch Mansion was packed with children this week as they crafted elegant Easter paperweights from clay during the latest of their Easter workshops.

The youngsters took inspiration from art and displays around the iconic mansion to create the paperweights and fridge magnets.

Melanie Hollis, collections and learning curator for the museum service, which organised the event alongside Ipswich Borough Council, said: “Clay is a fantastic medium for children to work with as they not only get to mould their ideas into reality, but they can do so without fear of mistake as it can be reshaped and reworked over and over again.

“Freedom to express ourselves is something we rarely allow ourselves time for, but it’s vital for our wellbeing and it’s very simple to do.

“Encouraging visitors of all ages and abilities to respond creatively to the collections is a great way of making sure museums stay relevant to their communities.”

The programme of Easter events continues from Tuesday next week with Egyptian-themed crafts. Visit ipswich.gov.uk for full details of the holiday events.