Bet you didn't think that you'd be spending another Easter at home. And you're not alone. Even though the world is rapidly changing and becoming healthier, we're not there yet. But there's some good news about celebrating Easter inside or close to home. Since April weather is generally gorgeous, it's a great time to explore the outdoors with your family.
If you really think about it, many Easter traditions happen inside anyway. There are only two big things that may make this year seem a bit different. One, it'll be a little harder to go out for family brunch together. Second, going to church is a bit difficult, if that's part of your Easter Sunday.
But both of these have workarounds. And if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we can all be a bit flexible. Here are 10 ways to make your at-home Easter a lot of fun.
1. Plan Your Own Easter Egg Hunt
Go ahead and hide some eggs! You can get your whole neighborhood in on it as well, if your neighbors have a lot of kids. If kids don't hunt for eggs too closely and keep a distance, it's a safe activity for them to enjoy.
If you want to avoid candy, you can always put special Easter messages in each plastic egg. That, or fun Easter riddles and puns. If you do open up the hunt to multiple homes, it's also a way to make sure that everyone can participate regardless of diets or allergies.
2. Find Creative Ways To Cook Eggs Throughout the Day
Dyeing Easter eggs is fun, but — then what? Get your kids together to think of some fun and clever egg recipes to use throughout the week. Make egg salad and deviled eggs, marinate them in soy sauce, or toss up a Cobb salad. The ideas are endless, and the family time together will serve as a wonderful memory. It's also a great idea if your kids are interested in cooking and food preparation.
3. Plant a Garden With Your Family
Easter is all about renewal and birth — hence, why eggs are such a big deal. Why not take the time to plant a small flower garden with your children? Even if you take on this task solo, you'll be happy you did — especially if it's a sunny day. Planting a garden is the gift you'll give yourself all season long. And it's a great way to bring some color and happiness outside.
4. Create an Easter Time Capsule
This time next year, surely the world will be a much safer place. These past two years may have seemed a bit nontraditional, but now's the time to reflect on who you are and how you hope to celebrate next year. Every family member can be included. Hide these reflections in a plastic egg that you bury in the garden, or keep the time capsule somewhere inside where you won't forget about it. Next year, your kids will look forward to seeing what they wrote. You can make it more personal by asking them to write down their favorite movie and song. See how much things change by next year.
5. Plan a Big Family Zoom
And try to make it fun. Ask everyone to wear pastel colors or something bunny-oriented. You can even create a contest. The relative with the best Easter joke will win a bunch of candy in the mail.
If a Zoom session seems like too much, you could record a small Easter greeting that you text to the rest of your family. Inspire them to do the same. Not only will some relatives get creative, but it'll make you feel like you're all together.
6. Run an Egg Race
If you have a few kids, or a large family in general, you can easily pull off an egg race. You might remember participating in one or two yourself as a child. Every player gets a spoon and a hard-boiled egg. Whoever crosses the finish line without dropping their egg wins.
7. Treat the Easter Bunny to a Snack
The night before Easter, it makes sense to leave the Easter Bunny a carrot and some water right where you'll place your Easter baskets. If you have young kids, they'll be so thrilled that the Easter Bunny visited their home at night that they'll forget about going out and participating in big events. Easter can be really special if you create fun little traditions like this. (Plus, it's an excuse to buy carrots, which are nutritionally quite beneficial.)
8. Make an Indoor Easter Brunch
Brunch is big on Easter. In fact, many families often go to church for a service and follow it up with a nice brunch out. While some restaurants may have outdoor options, it's also very easy — and a lot of fun — to make brunch at home. You can serve fancy French toast and put out a bowl of mixed berries and fruits to enjoy. Or you can eat outside on your deck or patio to feel more in tune with the season.
9. Watch an Easter Movie Together
There are more Easter-themed titles than you might think. Kids might be excited to watch Rise of the Guardians or Peter Rabbit. There's also Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade on Disney+. If you're watching with older relatives, they may enjoy Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. If you can't think up a movie to watch, why not write one as a family? Challenge your kids to create their own Easter movie. You can even film and edit it at home and make it part of your family's Easter tradition.
10. Try Egg Rolling
Egg rolling is quite a simple activity. All you need are a couple of hard-boiled eggs and a hill. The game actually has some religious origins behind it, if you want to use it as a teaching moment for your children. But no matter what, the act of rolling the eggs will be a lot of fun. Who doesn't love a little bit of healthy competition?
