Easter is right around the corner and it's time to plan an egg hunt that's memorable and tasty. Here are 10 creative ways to make finding those chocolate eggs or Easter baskets a bit more fun (and challenging) this year.
1. Follow That Bunny!
Create a bunny trail from that leads kids on a path from their bedroom door to an Easter basket. You can use a trail of candy, plastic eggs, or cut-out bunny footprints.
Tip: Wrapped candies work best to keep floors neat and clean. Place unwrapped treats in small bags or cupcake liners and beware of hungry pets who might want a snack.
2. The Egg-cellent Scavenger Hunt
Give each family member a list of several different types of items to hunt down: three pink eggs, a white chocolate bunny, a marshmallow chick, an egg filled with nickels, etc. When the list is completed, give a final clue that leads them to their Easter baskets. (Photo at right courtesy Flickr/nate steiner)
Tips: Hide everything that is on the list as well as a few extras in case some are too hard to find. For kids who can't read yet, use photos or drawings instead of a written list.
3. Dressing in Your Easter Best
Hide party hats, plastic bracelets, silly bunny noses, tutus, and capes along with a few treats like ring pops and candy necklaces. As kids find the items, they must put on the clothes and accessories. Photograph the absurd outfits on each family member (Fido, included) and then do an Easter costume parade around the house or backyard. (Photo courtesy of Istock/dosecreative)
Tips: Hang a sheet or tablecloth on a clothesline as a backdrop for your pictures. Everyone can take turns snapping photos of people standing in their funny costumes in front of the backdrop, like in a photo booth.
4. Personalized Eggs
Older kids often grab all the treats because they are faster at finding eggs and small prizes. In this hunt, each person has to look for a specific color egg or a prize with their initial on it. Letter stickers from a crafts store are easy to stick on and make each egg unique. Not only does this equal out the distribution of candy and gifts but it allows you to give specific treats to kids based on their interests.
Tips: Have fun with what you put in the eggs. Small games, fortunes, pennies, photographs, and special notes are all great alternatives to jelly beans.
5. String Fling!
Use yarn, twine, or string to create a huge web throughout the house or in a specific room. Kids must follow the string from the starting point all the way to the end as it wraps around furniture, through doorways, and ultimately to the Easter basket.
Tips: Make sure you still have access to places like the kitchen and bathroom as it may take some time to get to the end of the string depending on how long you make it. It is best to construct the web the night before so it is ready to go in the morning, as it does take a fair amount of time to create.
6. The Bunny Treasure Map
In this hunt, the Easter Bunny has left a map to the prizes but the kids will have to put together all of the pieces to find the hiding spot. Draw a map or write a clue on colored card stock or a pre-cut blank puzzle. One side should be brightly colored and the map should be drawn on the back. Cut the map in pieces and hide it around the house. When all the pieces are found, kids must try to assemble the map that will lead them to their Easter basket treat.
Tips: Count how many pieces you have so you'll know when it is time for the kids to start assembling the puzzle. You can also number each piece so kids know how many pieces they are trying to find.
7. Alphabet Eggs
Let the egg hunters work together to find alphabet eggs. Create a designated area where the alphabet lettered-eggs will be gathered and when all 26 letters are found, kids must line up the letters in the order of the alphabet to redeem their Easter baskets. This is a great hunt for kids learning the alphabet and fun for older siblings, too.
Tips: Use a permanent marker to write on plastic eggs or purchase alphabet stickers. Write fun alphabet phrases on the eggs like "B is for Bunny."
8. The Classic Easter Egg Hunt
If spring has sprung in your area, hosting a good, old-fashioned Easter egg hunt outside keeps all the mess out of your home. Plastic eggs and packaged treats can hide in bushes, fences, trees, and even on low roof lines.
Tips: Hide the eggs before the kids wake up and not the night before as animals may try to eat the treats (including the family dog). Put some prizes in unexpected places that require a ladder to keep little ones in awe of the hopping powers of the Easter Bunny. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/visit hillsborough)
9. Cookie Chase
The hunt is on for cookies of all shapes and sizes. Decorate Easter-themed cookies in advance and place each in a cellophane bag and tie with ribbon. If baking isn't your thing, buy store-bought treats, package them individually, and hide them around the house. When the kids find all their cookies, bring out the milk and enjoy a new tradition: An annual cookie breakfast.
Tips: Starting this cookie tradition can be a great solution for kids with food allergies because you can control the ingredients in the cookies you make. You can also hide undecorated cookies and then have a cookie decorating party as a special breakfast.
10. The Bunny Left Clues!
Let clues from the Easter Bunny lead kids from one egg to the next. Each clue will get them closer to the hiding place where the bunny left their basket. Simply cut strips of paper, write clues, and put one in each egg.
Tip: Make clues age appropriate so they aren't too difficult to figure out. Number the clues or eggs to keep kids on track, as they may want to open clues out of order. (All photos courtesy of Alexis Givens unless otherwise noted)
