Swim & Lifestyle

Easy & Fun Easter Activities for Kids

Written by Lizzie Shipton | Apr 5, 2023 12:34:27 PM

Hard to believe Easter is already here! If you're anything like us, you're still cleaning up after your kids' fall activities and wondering where the time has gone! The good news is, Easter means spring has officially sprung, which means it's time to get outside and start enjoying the beautiful spring weather!

What better way to do that than with some fun games, crafts, and other Easter activities for kids? From hiding Easter eggs to making Easter baskets, to Easter recipes to scavenger hunts, Easter is a great time to bust out the kid and toddler approved activities and make some memories.

The best part is, Easter activities for kids don't have to be time-consuming or difficult! We've put together this list full of simple Easter activities for the whole family - older kids and little hands alike - to enjoy.

Let's dive in!

 

Easter Crafts

Crafts make some of the best kids' Easter activities because there are so many adorable craft ideas that you can give an Easter twist. Anything from bunnies, Easter eggs, chicks and flowers are fun for kids to make and easy to throw together on a crafty morning.

 

Painted Easter Eggs

This is one of those classic children's Easter activities that never gets old. Whether you're using plastic easter eggs or real eggs, painting or dipping Easter eggs will keep a busy toddler engaged for hours. The best part? Once they're painted, you can hide the eggs for a fun Easter game!

If you're using real eggs, make sure to hard boil them first to avoid breakage. Fifteen minutes should suffice, plus time to cool. Pro tip: boil the eggs a day ahead and keep them in egg cartons in the fridge overnight.

For plastic eggs, you may want to rough up the surface a little with something abrasive so that the paint will have something to stick to.

You can use acrylic paint and brushes, glitter and glue, or fill bowls full of water and food coloring and dip the eggs in using a spoon. Get older kids involved by having them help set up the painting station.

 

Easter Egg Sun Catchers

Easter egg sun catchers are an easy craft idea, and because there's no glue involved, they're pretty mess-free. For the sun catcher designs shown above, check out this Etsy shop!

All you need to get started is some contact paper, tissue paper, ribbon, sticky tape, and scissors. Tear the tissue paper into strips (jagged edges are fine, in fact, they're even preferred!) Cut the contact paper into rectangles.

Lay the strips on one sheet of the contact paper. There's no right or wrong way to do it - you can leave gaps, overlap, or do whatever your heart desires! Next, lay a second rectangle of contact paper over the top to secure the strips. Cut the sandwiched rectangles into an egg shape and tape a small piece of ribbon to the top to hang it.

That's it! When hung in the sun, the tissue paper lights up beautifully.

 

Paper Plate Easter Bunny

A paper plate Easter bunny is another easy craft that is relatively mess-free. All you need is some paper plates, construction paper, cotton balls or pom poms, and pipe cleaners. Googly eyes are a fun addition too!

Cut the ears out of construction paper and glue them to the top of the plate. Then let your kid go wild adding googly eyes, a puff-ball nose, and pipe cleaner whiskers. Having a few different colors is a good idea so each kid can make their own colored bunny.

 

Easter Bunny Out of Toilet Paper Rolls or Tin Cans

A toilet paper roll bunny is one step up from the paper plate bunny - a little more complicated and maybe better for slightly older kids. And if you opt for tin cans instead of toilet paper rolls, double-check the cans for any sharp edges. But again, it's easy peasy in terms of art supplies needed, setup, and mess.

You'll need empty toilet paper rolls (or tin cans), thick card stock, pipe cleaners, pom poms, and strong glue. Use the card stock to cut out ears and feet (make sure the feet are sturdy, as they'll need to keep the bunny upright!)

Glue the feet to one end of the roll, and the ears to the other. The toilet paper roll should stand up on the end with the feet. Next, add the eyes, whiskers, a cotton-ball tail, and any other decorations you like.

 

Peek-a-Boo Clothespin Easter Chicks

These little clothespin eggs with chicks hiding inside are absolutely adorable, and kids will have fun both making them and playing with them afterward.

To make them, you'll need some wooden clothespins, craft foam, glitter, construction paper, tape, scissors, and colored pens.

Cut out two egg halves from the craft foam. Together, the halves should make an egg about the size of a large serving spoon. Next, cut out the top half of a chick from some yellow construction paper, and tape or glue it to the back of the bottom egg half, so the face peeks out over the top.

Secure each egg half to one side of the clothespin, making sure that the chick is hidden behind the top half of the egg when the pin is closed. When you squeeze the pin, the egg opens, and the chick appears!

 

Easter Games

If arts and crafts aren't your thing, you may prefer to celebrate Easter with some fun things to do outside. There are plenty of Easter activities for kids that get you up and about without breaking the bank or requiring too much setup.

 

Easter Egg Hunt

No list of Easter ideas would be complete without an Easter egg hunt. Whether your kids are looking for plastic eggs, candy eggs full of jelly beans, or the Easter egg crafts they made previously, they'll have a blast searching and burn plenty of energy from that sugar high!

Big kids might have fun being involved in the hiding stage, so enlist the help of your older children to help you set up the hunt the day before. Just make sure no one secretly scarfs the candy eggs before the search begins!

 

Easter Sensory Bins

An Easter sensory bin is a great activity for toddlers and small children, and can keep them occupied while big kids are hunting eggs. Fill a basket with toddler approved touchable play items that little hands will find intriguing.

Some great things to put in a sensory bin are Ziploc baggies full of liquid, glitter, and brightly colored holiday-themed items like eggs, bunnies, or flowers. Colored beans, plastic eggs and flowers, and rainbow rice dyed with food coloring are also excellent options that kids love.

 

Ten Pin Bunny Bowling

If your kids had a great time making their toilet paper roll bunnies, why not put those crafts to good use? Ten toilet paper roll bunnies and a soft ball like a tennis ball makes a quick and easy game of ten pin bowling!

Set up your ten paper roll bunnies at the end of a long stretch (an indoor hallway works great, or a driveway) and have kids take turns rolling the tennis ball at them to see how many they can knock down.

 

Tips for Running Easter Activities Smoothly

As with any holiday, whether its Christmas or Labor Day, Easter can be overwhelming for kids - especially when candy is involved! To keep things running smoothly, consider the following tips before you start:

  • Set up as much as you can the night before (get big kids to help too!)
  • Keep Easter crafts confined to a specific area of the house, like a single table or room
  • Make sure to buy enough Easter eggs so that every kid ends up with at least two or three
  • Opt for real or plastic Easter egg options over candy wherever possible
  • Do Easter crafts before everyone gets hopped up on sugar!

 

Summing It Up

Easter activities for kids are so much fun and don't require a ton of work or money to set up. With just a few art supplies and a little imagination, you can create Easter crafts and games that will keep kids happy for hours.

Do you have a favorite Easter activity that we didn't mention? We'd love to hear it!