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Easter egg hunts are a great way to provide entertainment and fun for children and adults during the Easter holiday. If you are thinking about hosting a gathering this year, this page offers some ideas and suggestions on how to set up an Easter egg hunt.
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Featured
Arranging an Easter egg hunt can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. This video explains how to plan the hunt, what you'll need and how to hide both real and plastic eggs. Make sure to establish rules and boundaries for the Easter egg hunt in advance and don't forget to buy and hide a golden egg filled with a great prize!
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Introduction
- Easter egg hunts are a favorite activity for the Easter holiday and are anticipated by many children and adults. Standard hunts are great fun, but don't limit your imagination. There are a number of different variations of the hunt that you can try. Add a little planning and you are on your way to a fun event.
Step 1: Choose the Time and Location
- Easter egg hunts normally take place outside in parks, yards or open fields. Choose an area that is safe and has limited traffic. Weather can be a major factor on the day of the scheduled hunt, so prepare a alternative "rain date" for large gatherings. For a smaller group, when inclement weather arrives, just move the hunt inside and hide malted milk ball eggs, jelly beans or foil wrapped chocolate eggs.
Plan for hunt for a time that is convenient for you and the intended guests. Many family hunts take place early on Easter morning, or following church services or the Easter meal in the afternoon. For an Easter party hunt, they can be scheduled for the weekend or day before the holiday.
Step 2: Plan The Hunt
- Some examples of Easter egg hunt themes:
- Hunt for numbers: Fill plastic eggs with numbers and candy. Have each child find a determined number of eggs. When the hunt is over, count the numbers in the eggs to decide a winner. The winning gift could be a giant chocolate easter bunny or egg or a stuffed bunny.
- Scavenger hunt: Leave a clue in a readily accessible place and write a cryptic note on it that leads to the next clue. Continue with this pattern until the hidden easter basket or gift is found. For a small number of older children, you can make this an individual hunt, or for larger groups, have them join together in deciphering the clues and have a gift for each participant at the final hiding place. This is also a much anticipated tradition for my family each Christmas morning.
- The Midas hunt: Fill plastic eggs with pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars. Have the children search for the eggs and let them keep the money that they find. Award a prize to the child who finds the lowest amount of money.
- Once you have chosen your theme, you will need to purchase the plastic eggs, candy, coins etc.
- Invite your guests by phone, e-mail or written invitation.
Step 3: Some Suggestions
- To provide safety and fun, some considerations and tips are:
- Provide an Easter basket or bag for each child to use while they gather the goodies.
- Set and communicate a boundry for the hunt. Let the children know that they will not find any eggs outside a given area.
- Have an adult help each small child.
- Hide the eggs on a lower level so the children do not try to climb to reach the egg.
- Keep the eggs away from dangerous areas such as weeds, which may contain poison ivy, electrical outlets, wet or muddy areas or in holes of any type.
- Keep a list of the hiding places so that you will be able to retrieve the eggs that are left behind.
