Top Easter activities for kids
Easter is a lot of fun for children – the winter weather is usually easing off which means a little outdoor play is possible, the school holidays are long and, of course, there is lots of chocolate! All excitement means we need to do a little planning to keep the kids occupied; in my opinion, this is the absolute perfect time of year for creative crafts and baking.
There is so much scope for trying new things that I’d urge you to let your and your children’s imaginations run wild – but, just to get you started, I’ve listed some fantastic ideas for fun Easter activities below. Hopefully, these will give you a little inspiration for the holidays.
1) Easter baskets
Easter baskets are a fantastic thing to make at this time of year, as not only do they give your child the chance to be creative, but they can then put what they’ve made to use on an Easter egg hunt! Plus, once you know how to make them, you can adapt the design for other holidays, like Halloween and Christmas.
All you really need is paper, card, scissors and glue. The basket will need to be sturdy, so use card as your base; the paper is for decoration, if you are not using patterned card. Your child can either create their own pattern on the paper or select a design they like – I always think origami paper is a good choice, since it comes in pretty patterns and is also sturdy (Djeco sells a great selection).
Once you have a large rectangle of card/paper, fold in all the edges to get the size of your basket’s base – you can fold them in more or less to adjust the size, as long as you make sure they’re equal on all sides. Fold these back out and cut in from the outside down to the fold line that marks the base on each side. When you fold in again, the sides of the basket will overlap neatly, allowing you to secure the sides in place with glue. You can then add a handle made of card – and there’s your basket!
2) Masks – bunnies and chicks
Another fun and creative activity is making Easter masks, which you can do easily with some paper plates, card, felt tip pens and elastic – as well as a healthy dose of imagination! If possible, select paper plates in your required colour (yellow for chicks for example); if not, your child can simply colour the plate in.
Start by helping your little one to cut out eye holes, then use card to create things like ears and a nose, which you can stick on with glue. Felt tips or paints can be used to create the face and, when it’s all finished, string some elastic through the sides so your child can wear it.
3) Delicious Easter treats!
Of course, Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies are part and parcel of celebrations at this time of year – and you could argue that these are treats enough for any family. However, I always think it’s fun to get together and do some baking – especially since there are lots of simple recipes that can capture kids’ imaginations, while also helping to teach them about food and cooking.
One of my personal favourites is Easter egg nests – a real seasonal classic that involves no actual baking. To make, simply select a cereal – cornflakes, puffed rice cereals and shredded wheat are all good options – and stir this into a mixture of melted chocolate and a little melted butter.
Then, ask your children to help you make small ‘nest’ shapes on a baking tray and leave to dry. Once set, you can place sugar-coated eggs in the centre.
