Planning an Easter Egg Hunt
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Hosting an Easter egg hunt needn't be stressful or worrisome. A bit of preparation and the help of a few friends or family members can make the day's special event a joy for all concerned, including you. You can hold an Easter egg hunt for one child or 100 children, with the same stress-free tips below. 1.) Guess Whose Coming to Easter - The first step is to determine how many children are going to attend the event. This is essential so that you know how many eggs to have available, how much candy to purchase, and what other sorts of goodies and activities would be appropriate The next thing to consider is the age of the egg hunters. A mixed or wide-ranged age group may require a bit more work, but can be handled with as much ease as children all close in age. If the event is for a large group of children, such as a church or school group, you'll want to make sure that the invitations or notices concerning the event are sent home at least 3 to 4 weeks prior to the egg hunt, to allow parents time to plan. For smaller, more private egg hunts, such as family or neighborhood events, invitations should be sent no later than 2 weeks before, as Easter, like Christmas, can be a busy time of year for some. 2.) Eggs, eggs and more eggs - The most important part of an Easter egg hunt is, of course, the eggs. You'll want to ensure that you have an adequate number of eggs per child. There's no hard and fast rule here. It really depends on how you reward the children for finding the eggs. Foil wrapped candy eggs or candy-filled plastic eggs are prizes unto themselves. "Prize" eggs that contain a number inside for a toy or other prize are only fun for the ones who find them. A combination of the two might ensure that all hunters go home with at least something in their basket to be happy about. Hard-boiled eggs might be fun to dye or decorate, but should be kept in the fridge to be used as decoration. They become unsafe to eat after being out of the refrigerator for a while, and the lost or forgotten ones can turn to stink bombs in a week. It's a good idea to hide the eggs in separate areas for individual age groups or age ranges. Preschoolers should have their own area, away from the older children. Of course, it's only natural to hide their eggs where they can be easily found. The older children can take their time searching for the egg cleverly hidden in the downspout or under the lilac bush. It's a good idea to know how many eggs are hidden in any one area, and where they are hidden. One helpful idea is to create a map or enlarged photo of the yard or garden where the eggs will be hidden. This can then be marked with little x's or dots to show the location of the hidden eggs. Alternatively, a high tech solution of this is to use a digital camera to photograph the eggs after they've been hidden. Either way, this is to ensure that all the eggs are found by someone. 3.) Things to Do - Don't just stop at an Easter egg hunt. Plan an Easter party. There are two practical reasons for this. The first is that unless there is a way to hide all the eggs out of the children's sight before the hunt begins, the adults will need something to occupy the children while the egg hiding is taking place. The other is so that you have things on hand for the children to do in case the hunt must be postponed, moved indoors or cancelled due to bad weather. Spring is an unpredictable time of year, after all, and there's nothing more disappointing than an Easter egg hunt that isn't. Planning games, such as pin the tail on the rabbit, having activities like Easter bonnet decorating or egg dyeing, and reading or telling an Easter -related story will keep little people from getting restless and bored. The party can have a religious theme or a secular one, depending on the host. Most Easter decorations can be easily made or purchased. Pastels are the color of the season, and lambs, bunnies, chicks and crosses abound at Eastertide. If giving away prizes, be sure that they are age-appropriate, and that there is at least one prize per age group. One good way to award prizes is to hide numbers or colored stars inside the eggs. The lucky child then gets the prize with the matching number or star. 4.) Food and drink - Easter egg hunting can be hot, thirsty work, as well as a great way to work up an appetite. When planning your Easter egg hunt menu, keep in mind the time of day of the hunt, the ages of the hunters and your other planned activities. An early morning hunt could offer muffins, Danish, sweet rolls, fruit, yogurt cups, juices for the children and hot tea and coffee for the adults. Afternoon egg hunters might enjoy finger sandwiches, or more traditional party and snack foods and drinks. Check with local pizza shops. One might offer egg shaped pies in honor of the holiday. Food could be part of the party fun, too. The children could decorate their own Easter-themed sugar cookies, such as eggs, ducks or baskets. Edible lambs can be fashioned from marshmallows and coconut. Candy is synonymous with Easter, from jelly beans to chocolate rabbits. You can't go wrong offering some sort of sweet treat in addition to the candy hidden in the eggs. Make sure there are plenty of finger foods, especially for the younger crowd. Also, be sure to have allergy-safe, sugar-free or other special foods available to meet the needs of all the guests. (A space on RSVP cards could be provide to ensure that all in attendance can enjoy the fare.) Whether your Easter egg hunt is for a large crowd of church school children, or a small intimate family group, it doesn't have to be a hassled, harried affair. With a little planning and a little creativity, a lot of fun can be enjoyed by all!
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