The Easter egg hunt shines in most children’s memories all year long, and is awaited with much anticipation and excitement above other easter activities. The sense of wonder, surprise, and of course the treats they find, make this the crowning activity of the season. Not only is it lots of fun, but it also encourages curiosity, teaches patience and persistence, and problem-solving.
To give this tradition the special attention it deserves, here are some ideas for Easter egg hunts for kids, with something that will appeal to every family: from an exciting twist on the original hunt, to general tips on making the original even more exciting and child-friendly, these ideas will separate your Easter Egg hunt from just being another Easter activity, and take it to another level.
The treasure
First, it’s important to think about what you want your treasure to be - that is, what you’re happy with your children finding (and probably eating!). It might be useful to keep in mind what sort of treats they’ll be getting from the Easter Bunny; if they’re getting edible treats such as chocolate eggs or bunnies already, the Easter egg hunt could be for non-edible decorated eggs or vice versa.
Here are some treasure ideas to get you thinking:
- classic chocolate (or chocolate alternative) eggs/bunnies
- colourful boiled eggs (find out how to make them here)
- plastic or wooden eggs
- soft, wooden, or knitted toy bunnies/eggs
The Easter egg hunt
For very small children, use bright, colourful eggs and place them in plain view in the garden or house - they’ll still take a while to find, but they’ll be super proud when they find them on their own! For a classic egg hunt, hide the treasure in plant pots, behind trees, under outdoor benches or seats, and then let the children find them in their own time, giving ‘warm’ or ‘cold' clues if necessary. Tip: remember to count them so that you’ll be sure they’re all found!
Give each child a basket to carry for collecting their treasure, and if there are many children of different ages at the Easter egg hunt, ask the children to bring their baskets back to the adults for the treasures to be divided out fairly among the children.
Easter egg scavenger hunt/treasure hunt
For older children, turning the egg hunt into a scavenger-style hunt will give it an exciting twist and take longer for them to finish, drawing out the Easter fun. Make up an A4 piece of paper or card with 12 separate clues corresponding with the hiding places. Using simple rhyming clues is a fun way for kids to practice critical thinking and problem solving, but make sure they’re achievable for the age-group you’ll be playing with. Riddles can be too difficult, so try something like this instead:
Go to the place where carrots can be found.
Hint: it's inside, not in the ground!
Number each clue clearly, and get the children to begin with number one, and make their way to number 12 where a bigger surprise can be found. To get younger kids involved, try making the clues drawings of the hiding places!
For a treasure-hunt style, find 11 hiding spots, then write 11 clues to these spots that lead from one clue to the next (eg. clue 2 leads to the hiding place for clue 3, and so on), eventually leading to the final treasure. The first clue you give to the children at the beginning, as it points to the first hiding place. You can include a treasure with each clue, or just leave it for the surprise at the end!
Surprise ideas
Clues leading to a final prize builds anticipation and increases excitement, and makes a wonderful finale to this special Easter tradition. Depending on your preferences, you could make a large hamper filled with some of the ideas listed above, and include things like:
- Easter books
- Little Easter party bags with items such as chocolate coins, stickers, crayons
- Easter crowns (find out how to make amazing Easter hats and crowns here)
Your child will love whatever you plan, so simply pick the Easter Egg hunt ideas that work for you and your family, and have fun with it too!
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