Scoop up your plastic eggs and get a fantastic Easter egg hunt organized for your church, family, neighborhood or community this year. Use these 30 tips and ideas to plan a great hunt that is sure to become an Easter tradition.
Organizing Your Hunt
- Designate the Hunting Area - Get permission if you are using a community space. Keep in mind that if you are using a public space for a private egg hunt, you might have unsuspecting children there as well. Either plan to include them or plan a more private location.
- Have a Backup Plan - Check the weather and depending on the forecast, consider reserving an alternate venue such as a school or church gym. Put out some "obstacles" such as folding chairs or gym toys for hiding eggs.
- Provide Healthy Snacks - Before the hunt, stave off candy gorging by asking volunteers to bring a snack to share, such as a fresh fruit tray, pretzels, cheese blocks with crackers or other filling treat. Genius Tip: Create an online sign up to avoid duplicates.
- Estimate Attendance - The worst thing is not to have enough eggs for all the kids who show up. If it's a smaller event, ask each family to donate a dozen eggs filled with treats and designate a drop off point with a deadline for the day before the hunt. If it's a larger community or church event, publicize the event ahead of time but plan for at least a couple of hundred kids, to be safe. At worst, you can donate extra eggs to a good cause. Plan on about eight to 10 eggs per guest.
- Remember Food Allergies - Rope off a section for kiddos with allergies and hide dairy and nut-free candy (there are many online lists to use as a guide) so no one feels left out. You can also include some eggs with small toys for those whose diets are even stricter.
- Recycle Eggs - Most parents don't need to bring home a dozen plastic eggs, so if you plan to recycle them, provide a goodie bag for each child so they can stash their haul. One fun idea is having a box decorated to look like a bunny with an open mouth and have participants try to toss the empty eggs inside — making collecting easy and fun! Do rabbits eat eggs? This Easter they do!
