The yearly Easter egg hunt is a tradition that many families or neighborhoods take seriously.  Whether you plan to have the Easter Bunny (your tortured husband) make an appearance or have an elaborate plan for hiding your small treasures, guests will love to attend this event.  Plan to serve a spring-filled menu that all guests, regardless of their age, will enjoy.  To give the adults some time to mingle, provide some kid-friendly entertainment – an Easter basket decorating contest.

Menu:

Hostess Tools:

Planning this kid-friendly entertainment will be a breeze.  All you need is a table set up for the kid’s workstation and an assortment of items that will allow the children to use their creativity.  First, pick up some plain woven handled baskets of assorted sizes from a craft store such as Jo-Ann’s or Hobby Lobby.  Usually, you can find them for a few dollars a piece (make sure to pick up a few extras for any mini-party crashers).  Also, pick up some ribbon (either paper and/or cloth will work) of a variety of colors and prints, some magic markers (the washable ones!), stickers, and if you’re really brave—some watercolors.  Provide assorted colors of Easter grass.  Also, you’ll need to set out a couple of pairs of safety scissors.  After the children have eaten, inform them of the contest and that in 1 hour, there will be a judging.  Besides having one big gift for the winner, it’s best to have small gifts for all participants as well.  Let them know that after the contest, the egg hunt will begin and they can use their new baskets to collect their findings.

Hostess Tips:  

Here are a few tips to make your Easter egg hunt a success.

  • Have plenty of Easter eggs – you’ll probably want decorative ones for decorating your serving table or around the house and plenty for the actual hunt.  It’s good to have roughly 6-8 per child.
  • Have a prize egg that contains a small amount of money or a little treasure.
  • Have your yard (or the area you are using for the hunt) divided into 2 areas.  Have the older kids stick with the area where you hid the eggs a little more strategically.  Let the smaller children loose in the other area, where the eggs aren’t hidden quite so well.
  • Make sure your yard is in tip-top shape if that’s what you’re using for the hunt.  Freshly trimmed grass, within the last couple of days, is preferred.  Make sure to turn off your sprinklers so that the grass isn’t wet for the hunt.
  • If you have outdoor pets, canvas the yard for any areas that might require some pooper-scooper work.  Also, you might consider putting your pets in the basement or somewhere out of the way for the duration of the event.  You don’t want them to find any chocolate eggs that will send them to the vet during your afternoon and not all children are comfortable around pets.
  • Provide a spring flower arrangement for the food serving table.  Tulips, daisies, or lilies make a lovely spring bouquet.