How to Plan the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt
If you'd like to organise a fun-filled Easter egg hunt for your bouncing bunnies this year, this guide will help you make it unforgettable
While Easter is often all about the chocolate eggs these days, the tradition of hiding and hunting brightly coloured hard-boiled eggs is back in vogue in certain circles. If you’d like to provide your little ones with an added sense of wonder and whimsy this year, why not set up an Easter egg hunt in your very own backyard? With a few well-planned details and some seasonal decorations, you can create childhood memories that your children will cherish forever.
STEP 2: Pick a palette for decorations
Tie your decorations together with a theme or a common colour scheme. Whether you choose to go with pretty pastels, garden-party chic or all-out bunny-themed madness, a cohesive aesthetic will give the hunt the feel of a properly planned event.
For this hunt, we went with a simple pastel colour scheme to work with the idea of a little girls’ garden party.
Tips for outdoor party planning
Tie your decorations together with a theme or a common colour scheme. Whether you choose to go with pretty pastels, garden-party chic or all-out bunny-themed madness, a cohesive aesthetic will give the hunt the feel of a properly planned event.
For this hunt, we went with a simple pastel colour scheme to work with the idea of a little girls’ garden party.
Tips for outdoor party planning
STEP 3: Use brightly coloured eggs to add interest
While chocolate eggs may be everyone’s favourite at Easter, there’s something special about using hard-boiled eggs hand-dyed in bright colours for your hunt. You can even get all of the family in on the process of dyeing the eggs the night before, to amp up the sense of anticipation before the big day.
Our eggs were dyed using non-toxic food colouring, making the process safe for kids to do, and making the eggs safe to eat once the hunt is over. You may also want to consider colour-coding the eggs if you have a number of children getting in on the action, to make sure everyone has the chance to find their share.
While chocolate eggs may be everyone’s favourite at Easter, there’s something special about using hard-boiled eggs hand-dyed in bright colours for your hunt. You can even get all of the family in on the process of dyeing the eggs the night before, to amp up the sense of anticipation before the big day.
Our eggs were dyed using non-toxic food colouring, making the process safe for kids to do, and making the eggs safe to eat once the hunt is over. You may also want to consider colour-coding the eggs if you have a number of children getting in on the action, to make sure everyone has the chance to find their share.
STEP 4: Add some fun clues
What fun is an Easter hunt without a bit of magic and some tracks to show that the Easter Bunny himself was part of the proceedings? Placed on a patio, pavers or even straight on the grass, a trail of big bunny footprints will delight little hunters, showing them they’re on the right track.
These prints were created with a simple template and a dusting of talcum powder. Easy, fun and – best of all – simple to wipe away once the day is done.
What fun is an Easter hunt without a bit of magic and some tracks to show that the Easter Bunny himself was part of the proceedings? Placed on a patio, pavers or even straight on the grass, a trail of big bunny footprints will delight little hunters, showing them they’re on the right track.
These prints were created with a simple template and a dusting of talcum powder. Easy, fun and – best of all – simple to wipe away once the day is done.
STEP 5: Provide pretty baskets for egg collection
Tiny hands can only hold so much, so unless you want each child to only be able to carry two eggs, get some pretty Easter baskets for them to carry on their hunting trail.
Wicker baskets decorated with ribbons are a classic choice, and can easily be bought from craft shops in the lead-up to the Easter weekend. Or, get some plain baskets and get your little ones to add the decorations themselves for a more personal touch.
Here, our egg hunters – four-year-old Ava and her two-year-old cousin (and best friend) Zelda – pick up their specially decorated Easter baskets and get ready to hop along. Both girls were given fluffy bunny costumes to help them gear up for the day, complete with little cotton tails for added cuteness.
Tiny hands can only hold so much, so unless you want each child to only be able to carry two eggs, get some pretty Easter baskets for them to carry on their hunting trail.
Wicker baskets decorated with ribbons are a classic choice, and can easily be bought from craft shops in the lead-up to the Easter weekend. Or, get some plain baskets and get your little ones to add the decorations themselves for a more personal touch.
Here, our egg hunters – four-year-old Ava and her two-year-old cousin (and best friend) Zelda – pick up their specially decorated Easter baskets and get ready to hop along. Both girls were given fluffy bunny costumes to help them gear up for the day, complete with little cotton tails for added cuteness.
STEP 6: Let the hunt begin!
Send your egg hunters off into the wilderness in their search for brightly coloured booty. Just be sure to keep an eye on little ones, both to keep them motivated and on the right path.
Thankfully, the gorgeous garden Ava and Zelda hunted in is owned by their grandparents, Pat and Bill, and so is already a very child-friendly zone because of their regular visits. If the garden you’re using doesn’t often host little ones, be sure to keep an extra sharp eye on them, just in case.
Send your egg hunters off into the wilderness in their search for brightly coloured booty. Just be sure to keep an eye on little ones, both to keep them motivated and on the right path.
Thankfully, the gorgeous garden Ava and Zelda hunted in is owned by their grandparents, Pat and Bill, and so is already a very child-friendly zone because of their regular visits. If the garden you’re using doesn’t often host little ones, be sure to keep an extra sharp eye on them, just in case.
STEP 7: Make sure the eggs are easy enough to find
When you’re hiding the eggs, be sure you choose hiding places that take the age of your egg hunters (and their size) into consideration. It’s so much more fun for the little ones when they can find the eggs themselves.
For our egg hunt, we used low-hanging pot plants, flower beds, garden benches and planter boxes as some of our hiding places, so that our little hunters would be sure not to miss out.
Creative ways to hide Easter eggs
When you’re hiding the eggs, be sure you choose hiding places that take the age of your egg hunters (and their size) into consideration. It’s so much more fun for the little ones when they can find the eggs themselves.
For our egg hunt, we used low-hanging pot plants, flower beds, garden benches and planter boxes as some of our hiding places, so that our little hunters would be sure not to miss out.
Creative ways to hide Easter eggs
STEP 8: Embrace whimsy
The Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who can add some magic to Easter celebrations. Gardens and fairies go hand in hand you know …
The Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who can add some magic to Easter celebrations. Gardens and fairies go hand in hand you know …
… so why not get some winged friends in on the action!
This garden fairy was more than happy to lend a hand – and her lap – to help make our hunt extra special.
Ideas to let imaginations run wild
This garden fairy was more than happy to lend a hand – and her lap – to help make our hunt extra special.
Ideas to let imaginations run wild
STEP 9: Celebrate every find
To help encourage kids on their search, and to keep their spirits high so the whole event is more enjoyable for everyone, be sure to celebrate with them every time they find an egg.
High fives and fist pumps seemed to be a popular choice for both Ava …
To help encourage kids on their search, and to keep their spirits high so the whole event is more enjoyable for everyone, be sure to celebrate with them every time they find an egg.
High fives and fist pumps seemed to be a popular choice for both Ava …
… and for Zelda.
STEP 10: Create a craft corner
Once the hunt is over, a fun activity that everyone can get involved in is painting the eggs with even more colour!
Here, a selection of Easter representatives hold the craft corner in place while everyone’s getting ready for a solid morning of painting.
How to make a kid-friendly garden look good
Once the hunt is over, a fun activity that everyone can get involved in is painting the eggs with even more colour!
Here, a selection of Easter representatives hold the craft corner in place while everyone’s getting ready for a solid morning of painting.
How to make a kid-friendly garden look good
Zelda was particularly enamoured of the bunnies in residence, and chose pink as her paint colour for the day, to tie in with her favourite bunny’s pretty pink skirt.
STEP 11: Keep it covered
Lay out a sheet of craft paper to protect the table you’re using from paint that doesn’t quite make it onto the eggs – it happens to the best of us, after all – and pour some non-toxic paints into little pots that are easy for children to use.
Using kid-safe paints is a must, particularly when little ones decide there’s enough paint on their eggs and decide to start painting one another instead.
Lay out a sheet of craft paper to protect the table you’re using from paint that doesn’t quite make it onto the eggs – it happens to the best of us, after all – and pour some non-toxic paints into little pots that are easy for children to use.
Using kid-safe paints is a must, particularly when little ones decide there’s enough paint on their eggs and decide to start painting one another instead.
STEP 12: Don’t forget the chocolate!
Even if you choose to use hard-boiled eggs for your Easter hunt, it’s a good idea to have one or two chocolate eggs on hand for the hunters, as a reward for a job well done.
Both Ava and Zelda were delighted with all the eggs they found, but they were even more delighted with their Kinder Surprises.
Even if you choose to use hard-boiled eggs for your Easter hunt, it’s a good idea to have one or two chocolate eggs on hand for the hunters, as a reward for a job well done.
Both Ava and Zelda were delighted with all the eggs they found, but they were even more delighted with their Kinder Surprises.
TELL US
Have you ever set up your own Easter egg hunt at home? Tell us all about it and share photos in the Comments below.
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Have you ever set up your own Easter egg hunt at home? Tell us all about it and share photos in the Comments below.
MORE
Let’s Bring Home the Easter Bunny
Sweet Ideas for Your Easter Table
Bring the Easter Long Weekend to Life for Your Kids
To help set the mood for the day, a few well-chosen details – such as a hand-painted sign pointing the way to the hunt starting place – will create a celebratory atmosphere, and get little legs geared up for their race around the garden.
This sign was crafted from two pieces of a recycled fence paling, nailed to small pine struts on the back and hung with a pale purple ribbon. The words were hand painted, then the whole thing was coated in decking oil to make it weather resistant.