Are you looking for ways to keep children entertained over the Easter school holiday? Look no further, as here you can find seven excellent projects and activities designed to create memories and have fun with your children or grandchildren this spring.
- Bake some Easter-themed treats together
After 40 days of Lent, Easter is often associated with indulging and enjoying a sweet treat. So, why not whip up some cakes or other treats in the kitchen with your children and grandchildren?
For young children, Shredded Wheat nests are an excellent choice. They’re simple enough for everyone to get involved and they don’t require any baking. With just three ingredients, the items are easy to add to your shopping list. If your children or grandchildren are older, you could try baking a carrot cake or a chocolate dessert covered in Easter eggs.
- Plan a traditional Easter egg hunt
A traditional egg hunt has become a staple part of the Easter weekend for many families.
There may be events at local parks or venues offering a fun-filled Easter egg hunt, but it’s an activity that’s simple to do at home.
For a basic egg hunt, all you need to do is hide some chocolate eggs or other Easter gifts around your home or garden. You may want to buy or make a basket for each child to store what they find.
There are lots of ways you can make an Easter egg hunt more interesting and engaging too. Encouraging children to solve Easter-themed problems or riddles that will lead to the hiding places of the eggs can provide an afternoon of entertainment.
Combine a craft project with a game with this Easter-themed bowling activity.
You’ll need to find some small, plain bowling pins in a craft store or online to get started. The first task is to decorate your pins to give them an Easter twist. You could use a range of craft supplies, from marker pens and paint to glitter and tissue paper. The example uses the shape of the pins to create cute bunnies, but you could get creative to make chicks or vibrant patterns.
Once the pins have dried, it’s time to bowl. You can have great fun knocking down the pins and setting up a friendly competition.
While you may not traditionally decorate your home for Easter weekend, craft projects can help keep children entertained and mean they can proudly display their artwork. This Easter wreath project is simple enough for children of all ages, and you can make more challenging designs with older children.
For a basic Easter wreath, all you need is some colourful paper and pens. However, it’s a great opportunity to dig out different art supplies and get creative too.
- Decorate eggs
Painting eggs is a traditional Easter craft. Many schools still ask children to bring in their masterpieces to show off or to roll down a hill to see which egg can go furthest without breaking.
To start, you’ll need to hard boil some eggs that’ll act as your canvas. Once they’ve cooled, get out any paint and art supplies you have and let your, and your children’s, imagination turn them into works of art.
If you need some inspiration for your decorated eggs there are hundreds of ideas available online, from traditional designs to those that use witty puns.
- Use your egg box to create mini bunnies
Don’t throw away your egg boxes from the above activity – this video shows how you can turn them into cute Easter bunnies.
This simple art project is suitable for young children to follow and could provide ideas for other ways you can turn empty egg boxes into something new. Once you’ve finished and the paint has dried, you can fill them up with sweets and mini eggs to display or use as part of your Easter egg hunt.
- Plan an Easter movie night
A cosy evening watching films can be the perfect way to enjoy time as a family. While you can put on any family favourite film, some options have an Easter twist.
Coming-of-age story Hop follows the Easter bunny’s son who would rather drum in a band than follow in his father’s footsteps.
Other great options include Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, and Rise of the Guardians. Or, for a slightly less traditional Easter film, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is an action-packed adventure as the titular characters search for a mysterious creature.