10 Fun and Easy Ways to Celebrate Easter with Toddlers
Easter is one of those holidays that’s perfect to celebrate with toddlers because it’s full of bright colors and baskets with eggs. And of course the bunnies are always a hit with little ones!
It doesn’t take much effort to make this springtime holiday memorable for your children. Consider starting any of these family fun traditions that you can bring back every year.
In this blog post I outline ten Easter activities that any parent can easily put together. You’ll find the classics such as egg dying and an Easter egg hunt, but also a few new ones that you probably haven’t heard of.
Our Favorite Toddler-Approved Easter Traditions
Easter Dresses & Outfits
The perfect way to start planning this holiday is by selecting pastel themed outfits for everyone in the family. This colorful springtime holiday is the perfect excuse to dress up your babies and toddlers in adorable outfits.
My favorite place to shop for holiday occasions is Etsy because they have the most adorable and trendy options. Everything from formal dressy clothes to cute and casual Easter tees and accessories, you’ll find it on Etsy.
Easter Egg Hunt
Of course this is one of the most classic Easter activities and it still stands the test of time. Growing up we used to have really big Easter egg hunts at my grandparents’ ranch and it was always the highlight of the holiday. You can continue this tradition well into elementary school until your teenager decides they’re too cool to hunt for eggs anymore.
The best way to execute an Easter egg hunt is to have a mixed combination of both plastic Easter eggs and hard boiled Easter eggs. You can fill the plastic eggs with favorite Easter candies such as jelly beans and mini chocolate eggs. Also small toys and even dollar bills.
Dye Easter Eggs
But of course before you hide the eggs, you must cook and add a pop of color. These days there are so many colors and designs for dying eggs, the stores are filled with options.
One really fun and simple to add some pizzaz to your eggs is to first wrap them in scotch tape, leaving some areas of the eggshell exposed. When you put it into the dye, it will give you a tie-dye effect. You can also do the same thing with bubblewrap to make mosaic designed eggs (see the images of my orange and lime green mosaic eggs).
If you have a mix of older kids and toddlers, egg dying can really be fun for the older children because they can really get creative with colors and designs. They can also pair up and assist the younger kids.
Golden Egg Hunt
You can kick the egg-hunting excitement into high gear by adding a special “golden egg” into the mix of eggs to hide. Whomever finds the golden egg gets a special prize, adding another element of fun. Make sure it’s a prize your kiddos really want!
Easter Cookies
We all know about decorating sugar cookies for Christmas, but you can totally do it for Easter too! One of my favorited Etsy shops makes the best Easter themed cookie cutters in the shapes of bunnies, Easter eggs, carrots and Peeps.
Easter Basket & Easter Bunny Footprints
Growing up in my home, Easter morning was extra special because we got to hunt for our hidden Easter baskets. They would be strategically placed somewhere around the house and we’d have a list of clues and hints on how to find them. And of course they’d be filled with gifts and treats when we did find them!
For small toddlers who aren’t able to decipher clues yet, you can use my printable “Easter Bunny Footprints” and make a trail for them to follow to find their Easter basket. Just print and cut out the rabbit footprints and tape them on the floor in a line leading up to the basket’s hiding spot.
Toddler-Friendly Easter Brunch
Before I became a parent, brunch consisted of fancy glassware and sophisticated eats. Nowadays hosting a kid-friendly breakfast spread sounds just as fun! Create a menu full of easy finger foods and favorite child eats. Think along the lines of pancakes, eggs, sliced fruit, cheese cubes and juice. Make sure your dinning area is prepped for spills because eating with toddlers can get messy!
Shaker Easter Eggs Craft Project
When we started taking Scout to the library’s story time, her favorite part was playing with the noise-making shaker eggs. It’s really simple to make them at home with plastic Easter eggs. Put some dried beans inside and wrap it with tape. Shake along to your favorite songs!
Blowing Bubbles
We tend to spend lots of time outdoors during Easter celebrations, which makes it a great time to blow some bubbles. Individual sized bubble bottles make for great Easter basket treats and most kiddos love any excuse to chase and pop fun bubbles!
Pictures with the Easter Bunny
Pretty much all parents love a good photo-opportunity. Adorable photos with the Easter bunny will make great keepsakes (and possibly good teenage embarrassment opportunities too!).
Many local malls, churches or farms will have either a mascot bunny or real life rabbits for an Easter-themed photography photo shoots. If you Google the phrase “pictures with the easter bunny near me” you can possibly find some great options in your own city.
Bunny Books and Songs
At this age reading and singing are very important for the development of your child’s growing mind. You can make reading fun by reading classic Easter themed books such as The Velveteen Rabbit and Beatrix Potter’s Petter Rabbit.
Easter Themed Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are an excellent way to play and engage with a small crowd of kids. This activity can complement an Easter egg hunt because once all the eggs are collected you can still extend the fun outdoors and give away more prizes.
Hosting an Easter-themed scavenger hunt starts with a cute and fun checklist or set of prompt cards. You can find all kinds of Easter scavenger hunt games on Etsy.
