7 Creative Easter egg hunt ideas for the whole family

What’s more delightful than stowing away our winter coats and seeing tulips and crocuses appear in the garden each spring? For those who celebrate, an enthusiastic and expertly executed Easter egg hunt is perhaps the only springtime tradition that can rival those first beautiful buds. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. 

When it comes to planning the perfect egg hunt, it goes without saying that you’ll need some hollowed out “eggs” and plenty of prizes and candy. For some, though, the question remains: how do you plan an egg hunt as delightful and surprising as the spring season itself? 

To start with, you’ll need some egg-ceptional Easter egg hunt ideas—along with plenty of marvelous Easter party plans to engage in once the hunt concludes. Luckily, we’ve got all the tips you’ll need. 

 

Image by Eren Li; “Egg Vine” by Paperless Post.

 

Planning the perfect egg hunt for Easter

Between bright spring flowers, singing birds, and adorable baby bunnies, the Easter holiday coincides with many delights of the season. That includes the glee and excitement on kids’ faces as they hunt for their eggs (and the prizes within). But before you can pull off a fantastic egg hunt, you’ve got to figure out the most important element: Where to hide the eggs.

If the sun’s shining and you’re ready to embrace the fresh spring air, the yard is a perfect hiding place with plenty of built-in camouflage. Wake up on Easter morning, dust off those colorful plastic Easter eggs you’ve had in storage, and try the following outdoor hiding spots for your egg hunt:

— In flower beds (only those that can handle a bit of child’s play)

— Behind rocks

— In the mailbox

— Beneath the porch steps

— Tucked between (reachable) tree branches

— In taller patches of grass

— Under bushes

 

But what if those April showers decide to rain on your parade? We have you covered. Try these egg hiding ideas for indoor egg hunt fun, whatever the weather:

— In drawers and cabinets

— Under sofa cushions

— In shoes and coat pockets

— Beneath indoor plants

— Under chairs and couches

— Behind curtains

— Beneath stuffed animals and toys

— Inside coffee cups

 

If hosting at home isn’t an option, no problem. Your church or a local community center, coffee shop, or library may also have spaces available to hold your Easter party. If you rent such a space, check beforehand to see what hiding spots might be available. If needed, you can bring additional props to supply some extra hiding places. 

Don’t forget to make a map of where you stashed the eggs! That way you can ensure no little treasure is left behind. 

 

“Bunny Feeling” by Paperless Post; Image by Eugenia Visochina.

7 Fresh ideas for an exciting Easter egg hunt 

Nothing says “Happy Easter” like a traditional Easter egg hunt, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shake things up. Who knows—you may even start a brand-new tradition of your own. 

Try these ideas to give your egg hunt a special twist:

1. Use creative clues for an egg scavenger hunt – If you have older children or just want to make the hunt even more thrilling, turn your egg hunt into a scavenger hunt. Give kids clues about the eggs’ hiding spots by hiding slips of paper within some of the eggs themselves. You can also get the game going by placing sticky notes with clues around the hunt area.

2. Fill eggs with silly prompts – Instead of candy, fill some eggs with funny prompts on pieces of paper. Each prompt should give directions to follow, like “hop on one leg and count to ten” or “sing the alphabet backward.” Once the egg hunter finishes the prompt, they can collect their prize from the host.

3. Plant a jelly bean trail – Want a sweet way to lead the little ones toward the eggs? Drop trails of jelly beans leading toward your’ hiding spots. Just be sure to put any pets away beforehand to avoid them scarfing down any of the candy. When the hunt is over, offer an extra egg (or clean beans!) to any children who help you clean up the “trail.”

4. Have an egg scramble – To turn your hunt into a fun learning exercise for youngsters, write numbers or letters on the outside of the eggs in permanent marker and make multiple sets of each. Instruct the kids to arrange their eggs in order before they can open them up. 

5. Color-code the eggs – To add an extra challenge to the search (and keep the super-skilled egg hunters from overfilling their baskets), assign each child an egg color. As they search, they can only keep eggs of that color—even if they find others.

6. Hand out treasure maps – If your hunt will take place in an unfamiliar area, like inside a church or community building, egg hunt treasure maps can help the kids find their way around. Instead of pointing to exactly where the eggs are, draw symbols to show vaguely where the eggs might be hiding.

7. End the hunt with a special candy prize – Any fantastic event needs a grand finale. To finish off your egg hunt with a burst of excitement, hand out special candy prizes for different awards, such as “most helpful egg hunter” or “most eggs found.” You can even print out special certificates for each egg hunter. 

 

Image by Brie Passano for Better Homes & Gardens; “Colorblocked Stripes“ by kate spade new york for Paperless Post.

 

Set up Easter crafts for after the hunt

While your egg hunt may be one of the most thrilling kids’ events you plan this spring, it’s not the only way to keep little ones entertained during your Easter party. Keep the fun going after the hunt is over by setting up a table or two filled with creative Easter crafts. 

Here are some ideas to spark inspiration:

— Egg decorating: Prepare hard-boiled eggs (or acquire wooden crafting eggs) in advance and set up an egg decorating station with various supplies. For older kids, we love this egg marbling idea. For younger ones (or if you just want a mess-free craft), supply crayons, stickers, googly eyes, and stick-on gems for easy egg decorating fun.

— Bunny banners: These adorable easter egg door hangers are a fabulous Easter activity for crafty kids (and adults!). Plus, they make a great take-home decoration or gift that’ll last for many Easter seasons to come. 

— Coffee filter flowers: These cute and colorful “flowers” are a perfect way to add a spring flourish to your Easter party. Have kids use eye droppers to drop food coloring onto coffee filters and watch them ooh and ahh as colors blend together. Let the filters dry, then layer several on top of one another to form a flower. Finally, poke a green pipe cleaner through the center to make the stem.

 

“Catch Me If You Can” by Paperless Post; Water Balloon Spoon Race featured on Kara’s Party Ideas.

 

Plan delightful Easter-themed games and activities

If the kids are still buzzing like bees once the egg hunt is over, get some of that excess energy out with an enjoyable Easter game or two. Try these ideas to put an Easter spin on some classic kids’ party games and activities:

— Easter egg-and-spoon race 

— Jelly bean flavor guessing game 

— Bunny hop sack race

— Water balloon “egg” toss

— Easter bunny bingo

— Easter-themed face painting station

— Easter photo booth with props (and invite an in-costume Easter Bunny for a photo op)

While the kids may get the most enjoyment out of these Easter-themed games, don’t be afraid to invite adults to join in, too. Youngsters will get extra kicks from watching their parents compete in the egg-and-spoon race, leading to even more Easter party fun.

 

Easter party ideas to entertain the grown-ups

The adults at your Easter party may already be overjoyed by watching the little ones participate in all the festivities (and perhaps even joining in themselves). But why not give them some Easter excitement of their own? The following ideas will give the grown-ups an Easter experience to remember:

— Plan a grown-up egg hunt: Who says adults don’t like finding prizes, too? Once the kids are done and occupied with other activities, plant extra eggs for the grown-ups to discover. Everyone loves candy, but you can also include special items like gift certificates, tiny bottles of spirits, scratch tickets, and small cash prizes. For some bonus fun, have the kids help hide them.

— Set up a DIY flower planting station: Flower planting is a perfect way to celebrate the Easter season. Set up a station with small flower pots and supplies for decorating them. Then, provide the adult partygoers with potting soil and a variety of seeds or sprouts.  After planting and decorating, families can take home and grow their own flowers.

— Offer Easter cocktails: Want to sip on Easter mimosas, prosecco punch, or cottontail margaritas while the egg hunt is underway? Delish has plenty of Easter cocktail recipes to give the grown-ups a splash of yummy fun.

 

Moscato Lemonade by Delish; “Angelica Garla“ by Liberty Fabrics for Paperless Post.

 

Prepare an Easter feast

Whether you’re inviting church members to join you after Easter Vigil or hosting a whole flock of family and friends, all that Easter fun is likely to have some bellies rumbling—and sadly, Easter candy can only hold guests over for so long.

If you plan to serve food-food, you’ll first want to decide whether to make it yourself, hire a caterer, or ask guests to contribute. You’ll also need to decide what type of food you’ll be serving. Are are some of our favorite Easter meal themes:  

— Easter egg hunt brunch 

— DIY pancake or waffle bar

— Potluck picnic 

— Pastries and coffee

— Easter dessert bar 

Whatever shape your Easter feast takes, be sure to let guests know on their invitations—and remind kids to bring baskets for all their take-home treats.

 

Pen your Easter egg hunt invitations

As you plan your Easter party, you’ll want to excite your party guests with the first thing they see: beautiful Easter invitations to suit your party’s particular theme.

Not sure how to craft the perfect Easter message for your invitations? Use these examples for inspiration:

Option 1:

Join us for an 

Easter egg hunt extravaganza

Sunday, April 17

Following Easter service at 10:30 a.m.

The Trinity Church Auditorium

[address]

 

Option 2:

We’re having an egg hunt!

A lucky one will find a golden egg.

Hop on over to an Easter celebration.

Saturday, April 16

2 p.m.

At the Anderson Home

[Address]

Please bring an Easter treat to share!

 

Option 3:

You’re invited to an egg hunt

& Easter brunch

with the Wilsons

April 17 at 11 a.m. 

[Address]

We’ll supply the eggs, but please BYOB (bring your own Easter basket)!

Whatever assortment of treats and activities you plan to delight your guests, well-worded invitations a charming Easter design are sure to inspire more than a little egg hunt enthusiasm.

 

“Hop Hop Hooray” Flyer by Paperless Post.

 

End the hunt for Easter invitations with Paperless Post

For kids and grown-ups alike, hunting for treat-filled eggs at an Easter party can inspire loads of fun and memories. But spending all your time and effort hunting for the perfect invitations for your Easter event? Not so much.

Save the scavenger hunt for the Easter eggs and look to Paperless Post for all the fun and imaginative online Easter invitations you could dream of. From bunnies and painted eggs to more religious themes, you’ll find convenient, ad-free invitations—complete with RSVP tracking and easy guest messaging—to suit any kind of Easter party. 

And if your event is a little more casual? Try an animated Easter Flyer invite you can send guests via text message or SMS. With Paperless Post, hosting a party is as joyful as spring itself.

 

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