This year will be my 5th year hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at my home for friends, family, and/or neighbors. This year I will be hosting for our entire neighborhood. I have learned the ins and outs of hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and here are the tips I have:
1. Have Plenty of Eggs Packed with Candy for the Kids.
I pack the eggs with candy at least several days in advance, as this process can take longer than you think. Some eggs just don’t close that easily and it can be frustrating if you are trying to get a bunch of eggs done under a time constraint. Pack an average of 10-12 eggs per child attending. That way the kids aren’t fighting over a few eggs. There should be plenty for everyone.
2. Pack Some Eggs with Slips of Paper that say Prize.
Have a pile of prizes ready to go with the egg hunt. You should have enough prizes to match the slips of paper you put into random eggs. People can collect their prizes after the Easter Egg hunt after they open all their eggs. A great place to get prizes is the Dollar Tree or the Dollar section at Target. You can even do a #1 prize in addition to these assorted prizes. This #1 prize is typically a basket filled with candy, small toys, and 1 larger stuffed animal (such as a Bunny).
3. Divide up the Yard into Age Categories.
You don’t want just the big kids to get all the eggs, so section up your yard up and assign age categories. Big poster signage works. You can mark the grass by sprinkling flour down to create lines in the yard. The nice thing about using flour is that it easily washes away. We used yard/maintenance spray paint before and it lasted longer than I would have liked. We have also used rope and stakes, but that was time consuming. Flour is quick and easy.
4. Have the Kids Line Up Before the Hunt and Count Down to Let the Kids Collect the Eggs.
You need to make the rules clear. The kids shouldn’t be allowed to collect eggs until everyone is there and you do the count down. The egg hunt itself is over in minutes, so make sure you don’t have some guests off playing or they will be very sad to have missed the egg hunt.
5. Plan some Arts and Crafts.
The egg hunt only takes a few minutes, so you should have some other activities planned. Most kids love to color or do some sort of art and craft activities. It could be something as simple as downloading a coloring sheet from the Internet and making copies. Michaels always has lots of craft projects that are sold for use among larger groups. I have also found craft supplies for my Easter events and Target and the Dollar Tree.
6. Plan for Space and Ways for the Kids to Play Physically.
Kids like to play, so plan that they will want to run, jump, and climb. If you have a playset in your backyard-great! We did not at our home in FL, so we purchased a small bounce house to use for events such as play dates, Birthday parties, and Easter Egg hunts. We purchased it almost 5 years ago and we are still using it on a regular basis! Here is the one we purchased on Amazon- http://amzn.to/2oO2EOk
I also bring out our ride on toys and a variety of other sturdy toys out for our friends to use. I found a small blow up pool works great for little ones who don’t walk. Don’t fill it with water, instead fill it with age appropriate baby toys. Put padding or a blanket around it in case you have little ones who try to climb out.
7. Have Refreshments for Your Guests.
I try to have an assortment of food for kids and adults. Some fruit, goldfish crackers, other basic snacks kids will eat, and of course the sweets. It’s a special occasion, so sweets are ok every now and again! Mini bottles of water and juice boxes are also good to have. Put them in a cooler for guests to easily help themselves.
8. Make Goody Bags to Go.
This isn’t necessary, but it always makes your guests feel special if you have goody bags for them. One year I found coloring books that told the true story of Easter and I included those in the bags.
9. Have the Easter Bunny Make an Appearance.
My Moms of Multiples group wanted to hire the Easter Bunny for our annual Easter Egg hunt last year. We found it was actually cheaper for us to buy then rent, so that’s what we did. We spent roughly $110. Here is the exact costume I purchased on behalf of the club last year: http://amzn.to/2oQqXec