Easter is a great chance to bond with your child and introduce the celebration to other youngsters. From the traditional egg hunt to collaborative collage projects, spending the Easter holiday with your little one can be great way to get outdoors or learn together.
Depending on how old your child is, an Easter Egg hunt can either be great fun or a little overwhelming. If your little one is up to it, do an internet search or consult your local newspaper to find events in your area. You can also talk with other parents and try to organize your own amongst friends.
Attempting your own hunt can be a great way to teach your little one fun skills. If you have the time and the hunt is going to be a small affair, painting real eggs can be a blast. While dying eggs can be fun, it can also be difficult and messy. It’s fine to use crayons, markers or felt tip pens to decorate the eggs. You can also find Easter stickers in craft stores. If you’re short on time or don’t want to deal with the mess, it’s fine to use plastic eggs. Just remember to collect them all so you can reuse them next year!
The real fun is the hunt itself. Make sure to draw a fun and stimulating map - either on your own or with your little one’s help. What should represent the eggs? Ask your child to draw an egg in each marked spot on the map. The pictures can look like actual eggs or your child can unleash its inner Picasso and go for something more abstract.
Find a large, clean and secure location to plant the eggs (this could be inside your home!). Avoid areas near water or roads. If you get the go ahead, it can be fun to decorate the area itself. Make sure an adult is keeping an eye on wandering toddlers.
Once the hunt has begun, you’ll have to decide how to determine a winner. It can be the hunter with the most eggs or you can assign importance to certain eggs. For instance you can count only every fourth egg – ones specially marked or filled with chocolate. This way shyer or less inclined children can win without feeling overwhelmed by the competition. Use your imagination.
Decide on a prize for the winner. It can be a special Easter crown or bunny themed shirts. Heck, it can even be a bunny (but make sue you talk to other parents first!).
Not everyone will want to take part in the hunt. You can keep these children occupied by setting up some arts and crafts stations. Older children will love being tasked with counting the eggs.
After the hunt is finished clean everything up and provide the children with something to take their bounty home in. Make sure everyone gets a chocolate but keep those giant chocolate bunnies for you and the other parents. Time to relax and engorge!