How To Host The Perfect Easter Egg Hunt
Easter just isn’t Easter without an egg hunt, so Little Harvard wants to help you host the perfect Easter Egg Hunt for your Family!
When To Do
Set the date based on weather conditions, if possible. A good timeframe would be Easter weekend—or the week before, of course. If you’re planning on hosting outdoors, have a backup rainy day plan.
Where To Do
Pick a location that allows you to make a backup plan. Whether the hunt is taking place in your front yard or in a larger area, make sure the location works for your group. Pick an area that’s large enough for your hunters, but not too large that it’s impossible to find the eggs. You’ll also want a spot where you can clearly define the boundaries, has plenty of grass, and is set far enough away from a road or pond. If you’re hosting inside, try and make sure the adventure takes place on one floor, so there are no stairs or other hazards. If you only have little ones, hold your hunt in a small, safe space, so your little ones won’t get lost or overwhelmed.
Stock Up on Eggs
Quite possibly the most important part. While some hosts prefer real eggs, it’s often best to use plastic eggs if there are a lot of little kids invited to your hunt. And the more eggs the merrier. If you’re not sure about how many to have on-hand, we’d suggest about 10 eggs per child, depending on the age group.
Baskets & Buckets
It would be great if everyone arrived with baskets, but play it safe and assume that no one will show up with his or her own egg-loading gear. Plan to have at least one for every guest invited to the hunt, as an Easter egg hunt can’t happen without baskets! It can also be a fun craft project for you and your toddler in the run up to the hunt: try making baskets from cereal boxes or decorate wicker baskets with tissue paper, ribbons, etc.
Keep it Fair
If your hunt will include more than one child, aim to avoid the tears by colour coding the eggs and ask each tot to search for only a particular colour. Just make sure you count each colour correctly before hiding them.
Hide the Eggs
Before you start hiding anything, count the eggs. Choose hiding spots that make sense for the ages of the kids invited. You’ll want some eggs in more obvious locations, and others eggs hidden in more challenging spots. Opt for visual clues, rather than written ones, to help your tot out with his hunt. You can cut out large coloured arrows to direct him the right way or up the excitement level with a very basic treasure map. Alternatively, if your hunt is indoors, you can use a trail of jelly beans or raisins to help show your toddler find the way. Just follow him to make sure he keeps his attention on the task.
Count the Eggs
When you’re certain that all the eggs have been found, it’s time to count. Sometimes even the egg hiders forget about those clever hiding spots. If you choose to reward the all-star gatherers, now’s the time to give out festive Easter prizes.
