11 party ideas for Easter that will have the whole family hopping for joy
From colorful eggs, rich chocolate, fresh flowers, and savory ham, the history and traditions of Easter make this holiday much more than a simple spring get-together. Whether you spend Easter in church or at a backyard BBQ—or both!—we’ve got a basketful of Easter party ideas for you. Make party planning easy with matching Easter party invitations, Easter party food ideas, and décor suggestions for each theme below.
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11 party ideas for Easter
Combine a classic Easter celebration with a twist—an Easter egg escape room, anyone? The Easter party ideas below can be dressed up or down as much as you’d like, so feel free to include a dress code anywhere between “Sunday Best” and “Sunday Pajamas.”
When it comes to the rest of the party, we’ve got all the details you need. We’ve paired each theme with Easter party decoration ideas from Paperless Post Party Shop and fabulous refreshments from deviled eggs to Easter margaritas to keep guests happy.
1. Easter egg hunt
If Easter egg hunts are the best part of your holiday, use an egg hunt Easter party idea to highlight your favorite activity.
- Invitation: Let guests know about the plans for the afternoon with the “Hopper” invitation by Paperless Post.
- Refreshments: Why mess with success? Serve classic and colorful Easter deviled eggs by The Spruce Eats.
- Décor: Include festive Easter stickers and temporary tattoos inside the Easter eggs.
- Activities: Hide candy-filled plastic eggs around your backyard or in a local park for children (or fun-loving adults) to find. For added fun, add cash to specific eggs for lucky players to discover. If Easter falls on a rainy day this year, consider moving the egg hunt inside, where guests can easily access the refreshment table on egg-hunt breaks.
2. Easter luncheon
An Easter banquet is the star of the show when you host a holiday luncheon. This time-honored tradition brings the flavors of spring together with good company and midday formality.
- Invitation: Send “Windflower” by Oscar de la Renta or “Eritrea” by Lisa Corti to add a floral accent to your Easter luncheon.
- Refreshments: Serve a sweet-and-savory strawberry burrata salad from Food & Wine for a fresh taste of spring. And if a casual lunch is more your scene, put the honey-glazed ham away and serve pigs in a blanket instead.
- Décor: Set up your luncheon around a centerpiece of flowers or a bowl of Easter eggs, and string up an Easter-themed garland over the table.
- Activities: Host your luncheon at your home or in a cozy restaurant and put out table settings for a formal touch. Unless a spring storm is overhead, consider hosting your Easter luncheon in a garden or outdoor space and host a bouquet-making activity for a unique twist.
3. Easter dinner party
If you and your guests are busy visiting relatives and supervising egg hunts all day, invite them over for a sophisticated Easter dinner party in the evening.
- Invitation: Send “Fantaisie” by Ladurée or “Spring Lilies” by Paperless Post to set the vibe, whether it’s more formal or casual.
- Refreshments: An Easter dinner party is a great time to share your first spring harvest. Serve delicious spring dishes with vegetables straight from the garden, or ask guests to bring their favorites to share in a potluck. Make meal prep easy with Delish’s incredible sheet-pan Easter dinner recipe.
- Décor: Set out pastel-colored dinner plates to highlight the beauty of your dinner bounty.
- Activities: Play a round of “two truths and a lie” to get to know your friends and family around the dinner table.
From bunny brunch to egg hunts, find invitations that make planning a hop in the park.
4. Easter picnic
Take your Easter party outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather and spring blossoms. Picnic parties bring the splendor of the season together with delicious food—especially if you host in a garden or flower-filled park nearby.
- Invitation: Invite guests to your Easter picnic with the cute “Candy Critter” invitation by Paperless Post or the lovely “Felda” invitation by Liberty Fabrics.
- Refreshments: It’s not an Easter picnic without egg salad. Check out this scrumptious picnic egg salad recipe by Southern Living.
- Décor: Easter party hats and flower crowns are the perfect way to bring the party to your picnic.
- Activities: If you and your guests love being outside, consider packing an Easter picnic to enjoy after the first hike of the season. It doesn’t get much better than enjoying good food and company on a mountaintop.
5. After-church Easter brunch
For many celebrants, Easter Sunday is tied to religious traditions and imagery. If you’re planning an after-church get-together, try bringing Easter symbolization to the table.
- Invitation: Send the “Draped Cross” or “Fleurs Sauvages” invitations by Paperless Post for an after-church Easter brunch.
- Refreshments: Bring the white chocolate croissant bread pudding by The Pioneer Woman for a surefire Easter Sunday hit.
- Décor: Decorate your party space with pretty hanging decorations in Easter colors.
- Activities: Host your celebration at your place of worship or at your home. It can feature egg hunts, brunch foods, and Easter baskets. Consider including prayer sessions or moments of meditation for a more reverent Easter Sunday.
6. Easter egg decorating party
Let guests embrace their inner artist with an Easter egg decorating party. With a variety of decorating kits—or natural dyeing recipes—your party can become a gallery of pastels, bright colors, and springtime stickers.
- Invitation: Use “Bunny Brushstrokes” by Rifle Paper Co. or “Happy Nest” by Paperless Post to let guests know they’re in for a creative celebration.
- Refreshments: Reflect the bright colors of your Easter eggs with an Easter egg fruit pizza by Cookin and Kickin.
- Décor: Use beautiful Easter cups for both dyeing eggs and enjoying a fruity punch.
- Activities: Once you’ve taken pictures of the eggs, consider serving them up as deviled eggs or egg salad with an Easter brunch. The dye is non-toxic and adds a festive touch to your table.
7. Easter tea party
For a touch of springtime refinement, opt for an Easter tea party. From chamomile to finger sandwiches, tea parties are a lovely way to combine spring delicacies with Easter traditions.
- Invitation: Send tea party guests the “Hidden Egg” invitation by Paperless Post or the “Pelagorium” invitation by John Derian for a sweet preview of your Easter party.
- Refreshments: No tea party is complete without cucumber sandwiches—and this Easter cucumber sandwich recipe by Cherished Bliss turns your refreshments into rabbits.
- Décor: Set out lovely Easter napkins for a delicate tea party setting.
- Activities: Have guests bring their favorite teas and serve them in vintage teapots. Or, if spring is a hot time of year in your region, consider hosting an “iced tea party” where guests sip cool iced beverages instead of hot tea.
8. Easter escape room
If egg hunts are kid stuff for your crowd, up the stakes with an Easter escape room. Use a premade game setup like The Great Egg Escape, or create your own system of clues—hidden inside your Easter eggs, of course.
- Invitation: Choose a puzzle-themed invitation for your Easter escape room, such as “Hare and There” or “Not Like the Others” by Paperless Post.
- Refreshments: Finish an unconventional Easter party with traditional ham and cheese sliders by Delish.
- Décor: Light spring-colored candles in the party space to set a mysterious—and pretty—ambiance.
- Activities: As guests find eggs, they uncover clues and work together to solve the puzzle. The winners can get the Easter candy—or first crack at the delicious Easter sliders waiting for them!
9. Easter costume party
Delightful for kids and adults alike, an Easter costume party brings out everyone’s inner Easter bunny.
For Easter party game ideas that involve costumes, consider hosting a fashion show or costume contest. Invite guests to have their faces painted like Easter eggs—or to paint each other’s faces!
- Invitation: Introduce the costume theme early with the “Easter Egg Chick” invitation by Paperless Post or “Duck Bunny” by Coral & Tusk.
- Refreshments: You won’t find a more adorable—or delicious—Easter appetizer than chicken salad in baskets by Taste of Home.
- Décor: Hand out Easter crackers for guests to enjoy during the party or as favors afterward.
- Activities: Encourage guests to dress up as bunnies, chicks, lambs, or other spring animals for the cutest group picture ever.
10. Easter fiesta
Sure, Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner—but no one says you can only have one fiesta per season. Spend your Easter building tacos and sampling guacamole at an epic Easter fiesta.
- Invitation: Use the “Easter Gathering” invitation by Crate & Barrel or the “Rai Rai” invitation by Marimekko for your Easter celebration.
- Refreshments: Make this Easter margarita recipe by Sugar and Cloth the guest of honor at your Easter fiesta. And if you don’t want to prepare a whole taco bar yourself, host at a Mexican restaurant or hire a taco truck to cater your Easter party.
- Décor: Swap out Easter pastels for bright spring colors and patterns.
- Activities: Hide Easter candy inside a fun piñata for a true combination of party activities.
11. Easter parade
You don’t need to be Judy Garland to be the star of an Easter parade. Don your finest Easter bonnet and organize a community parade on Easter Sunday.
Although an Easter parade with lots of participants is lots of fun, you don’t need a big crowd for yours. Start with your family and friends and invite others to join you for a peaceful spring walk through your neighborhood.
- Invitation: Send out the cute “The Rabbit or the Egg” invitation by Rifle Paper Co. or “Peter and Pals” by Peter Rabbit for your Easter parade.
- Refreshments: Have these adorable bunny sugar cookies by Country Living waiting for parade participants when they finish their route down the street.
- Décor: Have a supply of Easter hats ready for those who don’t have their own festive parade wear.
- Activities: Have kids hand out decorative Easter flowers or Easter eggs to neighbors and well-wishers as they parade down the street.
Find egg-citing Easter party ideas at Paperless Post
Whether your family always sends Easter greeting cards or you go all out with an Easter party and egg hunt, Paperless Post has everything you need. Find unique Easter card messages, or customize our Easter invitations to your liking. You can send and share cards and invitations your way—text, email, or link— and track opens and RSVPs instantly. Guests can indicate whether they’re bringing extra partygoers with our adult vs. kid headcount, so you know how to plan accordingly.
Looking to host a seasonal party rather than an Easter-themed event? Explore our spring party ideas for fresh ways to celebrate new life, warm afternoons, and the start of another beautiful season.
