Whenever Easter rolls into view on the calendar, I relive the fond memories of Easter egg hunts of years past. Ah, the suspense of the search, the thrill of the find, the sobs of those who did not get the golden egg, or who were elbowed out of the way by older, bigger kids (or even by parents determined to help little Johnny get his share). Now that I have kids of my own, I’ve collected a few tips to make sure everyone leaves the happy hunting grounds with a smile.
- In a mixed-age group, take it in shifts. At our house, under-fives hunt first. Older kids hide eggs for the youngsters, then help guide the littles to the treasure
- Or you can turn them all loose at once, but color-code the eggs by age to make sure that everyone gets their share.
- Those old enough to read can enjoy creative egg-fillers. Add to the fun quotient by including secret messages, silly directions (“hop backwards to the next egg”), or Scrabble tiles: the longer the word they make, the bigger the prize they can redeem it for.
- Bunny Money. If you find your Easter giving style cramped by the egg-size limitation, just tuck a Bunny Buck or two inside each egg and open the Bunny Shop, which accepts Bunny Money, at the end of the hunt.
- Golden eggs for all. A single golden egg works great for large groups that don’t know each other, but when it’s a house hunt complete with lunch, the losers could be stuck with the winner and his special toy for hours. When we include golden eggs in the hunt, we make sure there’s one for each kid.
- Lastly, two bonus tips, from my trove of personal experience to you: Unless you want to find your sock drawer ransacked by some enterprising soul, announce the boundaries before the hunt begins … and if you absolutely must use real eggs (Not criticizing!), keep a record of where you hid them—or they will tell you where they are in a few weeks’ time
Looking to stock your Easter Bunny Shop or fill an Easter Basket? Check out our slide show on great Easter gifts for kids.
