Easter is a beautiful time of the year – complete with blooming flowers, bright colors and sweet traditions – like annual “Easter egg hunts” held by families and organizations all over.
However, this year might be a little different. Let’s be real: The price of eggs these days and their limited availability are forcing parents to rethink their usual Easter plans. If you can’t fathom spending so much money on eggs for a single event or the aisles of your local store are already wiped out, no reason to scramble (pun intended) to keep Easter fun for the young (and young at heart).
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday without the classic Easter egg hunt that will make this holiday just as magical for your kids. You just need to think outside of the box a little – or basket, in this case. Here are a few ideas you can use:
1. Hold a Treasure Hunt
Channel your inner Willy Wonka and set up a treasure hunt using clues hidden around the house or yard. Instead of searching for eggs, have your kids search for “golden tickets” or puzzle pieces that eventually lead to a surprise. The end reward could be a coveted new toy, a family movie night box or even a big chocolate rabbit.
- Write rhyming clues leading from one location to the next. Don’t make them too hard – because the real fun is watching the kids race around.
- Include challenges at various stopping points – like drawing a rabbit or hopping like a bunny from one location to the next – to make the game even more entertaining.
- Hide a final “golden ticket” (redeemable for their new toy) or the big prize at the very end and let the kids celebrate their victory.
This type of hunt adds a sense of adventure and storytelling that’s perfect for families who enjoy puzzles and problem-solving. It’s also a good way to limit the amount of candy involved in your kids’ Easter baskets, which is also nice.
2. Create a “Bunny Bingo” Game
Turn the hunt into a full-blown game night with Easter-themed Bingo. Create cards (or use a downloadable version that you get online) featuring springtime and Easter items like flowers, carrots, baby chicks, butterflies and more.
You can either do a traditional bingo “call” by pulling slips and letting the kids mark off their cards until someone wins – or you can turn it into a scavenger hunt of sorts and have them mark off what they can find in the backyard or on a walk. This is a great option for both indoor and outdoor fun, which can be useful if the weather happens to be foul on Easter.
3. Arrange a Color Challenge
Forget the eggs and focus on the colors with a different kind of scavenger hunt. Give each kid a basket and have them hunt for something specific in every color of the rainbow, such as:
- Something red: a crayon or flower
- Something orange: a fruit or toy
- Something yellow: a book cover or dandelion
…and so on. This activity is perfect for younger children and doubles as a fun way to reinforce color recognition and creativity – and it’s low-pressure. In the end, every kid will get a treat or a toy after filling their basket!
4. Make Easter Obstacle Course
If you love the silly side of kids and want to help them burn off some excess energy, consider creating an Easter-themed obstacle course that the kids have to cross to get to their surprises. Have the kids:
- Hop like a bunny across the yard or room to get to the first challenge
- Traverse the game space while balancing a plastic egg on a spoon
- Crawl through makeshift “bunny burrows” made from boxes and blankets
Ultimately, make sure that you treat every kid like a winner, whether they make it through the obstacle course first or last. For added fun, require all the kids to dress up in bunny ears or silly hats, just to get everybody laughing – and don’t forget to have your camera on hand!
5. Focus on Crafts and Creativity
If you kind of miss dyeing Easter eggs for the holiday, you can swap another craft in its place very easily. Wooden eggs are readily available (and really cheap) at craft stores, and those can be decorated with acrylics or markers with all kinds of creative designs.
If you don’t want to do eggs at all, you could have the kids paint small flowerpots and plant seeds that can be nurtured over the next few weeks, make spring-themed cards that celebrate the holiday or season or even make bunny masks. Combine these ideas with one of the scavenger hunts listed above and you have a full day of Easter events happening!
6. Have a Glow-in-the-Dark Night Hunt (with a Twist)
Still kind of want that “Easter egg hunt” vibe? No rule says you can’t hold the hunt in the dark with plastic eggs and glow sticks to make it different. Plastic eggs come in all sizes, and you can wrap them with little battery-operated tea lights, glow bracelets or something similar to create a scene that looks absolutely magical.
While putting some candy inside the eggs is always cool, you can also fill the eggs with coins or small amounts of cash, jokes, small toys or “dares” like “Do the Chicken Dance to Win a Prize.” Let your creativity go wild – because the kids will catch your energy and enthusiasm!
Still want that hunt vibe but with a unique spin on it? Try a nighttime version using glow sticks, flashlights, or glowing plastic eggs. You can even DIY glowing eggs with mini glow bracelets tucked inside. This approach keeps the fun of the hunt while encouraging interaction and silliness over sugar.
Wrapping It Up: More Meaning, Less Mess
You don’t need hard boiled eggs, tons of overpriced candy or Pinterest-perfect baskets to make Easter unforgettable. What really counts is the joyful time you spend with the kids, the bonding experiences that come from the shared activity and the laughter. When you’re done with your home celebration, consider taking the kids out to eat for a nice Easter Brunch somewhere in the city – and let the good times continue.
This year, instead of stressing over how to outdo last year’s hunt, overspending at the grocery store and wasting eggs, consider ditching the whole thing for something a little more creative – and a whole lot more personal ─for your whole family.
bill.ingram@talktotucker.combrad.layton@talktotucker.comeditors-pickerina.pribyshchuk@talktotucker.comfeaturedlloyd.zimmerman@talktotucker.commark.callahan@talktotucker.commary.layton@talktotucker.compriscila.hale@talktotucker.comterri.mcgraw@talktotucker.com
