Easter egg hunts are one of the quintessential spring holiday activities for many families. If you’re thinking about hosting the hunt in your own backyard this year, here are some tips to make the entire experience go smoothly.
Consider kids’ skill levels. If you’ve got a mixed group, consider breaking things up into two age groups: little ones and older kids. Smaller children can pick eggs up off the ground while older ones can search for eggs hidden in tricky places.
Avoid dangerous hiding spots. Watch out for ant beds, wasp nests, holes in the ground, and other potential hazards.
Mix it up. Older children will enjoy searching for “prize eggs” containing cash or other big prizes. If you don’t have enough real eggs for everyone in your group, go half and half with plastic eggs filled with candy.
Count before you hide. Keep up with the exact number of how many eggs you’ve hidden. You may even note how many are in which parts of the yard. You should especially keep tabs on the location of prize eggs!
Have clear boundaries. It can be frustrating for kids to spend several minutes searching a part of the yard where no eggs are hidden. Make sure everyone knows where the eggs begin and end before you start.
Buy extra baskets. Some kids may forget to bring their own, or a handle may break off in the middle of the hunt. Having extra baskets on hand can prevent meltdowns.
Hide early. Hide the eggs before the kids arrive (or wake up). This way you don’t have any wandering eyes peering outside while you’re hiding them and getting the scoop on where you’ve put some eggs.
Consider a treasure map. Younger kids can benefit from having hints as to where the eggs are hidden. Make a treasure map with clues they can follow to find a prize egg.
Make it a contest. This is a fun activity for older kids. Have prizes for the person who finds the most eggs. Set rules beforehand, like no stealing from others’ baskets!
Keep it fair. If at all possible, make sure that every child gets at least a few eggs. You can do this by having them start at different sides of the yard, so that all the eggs don’t get scooped up before someone makes it over to them.
The most important part of egg hunts is to have fun but remember that the most important part of Easter is the meaning. Jesus Christ rose and we use this time to celebrate the great gift he gave us when he did so.
