Easter Crafts and Activities for Kids

Easter brings bunnies, chicks, eggs and the first real signs of spring, which gives you plenty of material for crafts and games. These ideas cover egg decorating, simple crafts, egg hunts and learning activities, for ages 2 to 10. Most need very little preparation.

Egg decorating

Choose the method that suits your child's age:

• Hard-boiled eggs with crayons. Draw on a warm hard-boiled egg with a white crayon, then dip it in dye. The wax pattern stays white. (Grown-ups handle the hot eggs.)
• Food-coloring dye. Mix half a cup of hot water, a teaspoon of vinegar and about 20 drops of food coloring in a cup. Dip eggs for a few minutes and dry on a rack.
• Stickers and markers. The easiest option for toddlers, with no dye mess.
• Paper eggs. Color Easter egg pages with patterns, cut them out and hang them up. Perfect when you don't want to boil eggs.
• Plastic eggs. Decorate with washi tape and stickers, then reuse them every year.

Safety tip: if you plan to eat decorated eggs, keep them in the fridge and use food-safe dyes.

Easter crafts

1. Paper plate bunny. Paint a paper plate white or pink, add long paper ears, a pom-pom nose and whiskers.
2. Cotton-wool bunny tail. Draw a bunny from behind and glue on a fluffy cotton-wool tail.
3. Handprint chicks. Paint a hand yellow, press it on paper and add an orange beak and eyes.
4. Egg carton chicks. Cut cups from an egg carton, paint them yellow and add paper beaks and feet.
5. Bunny ears headband. Cut ears from card and staple them to a paper headband.
6. Easter basket. Decorate a paper bag or a small box and add a paper handle for the egg hunt.
7. Easter cards. Color a greeting card for family.
8. Spring flower garland. Color and cut out flowers from nature pages.

Egg hunts

An egg hunt can be as simple or as fancy as you like:

• For toddlers: keep eggs in plain sight, at their height, in a small area.
• For preschoolers: hide eggs in easy places and give each child a color to find so everyone gets the same number.
• For older kids: use clue cards or riddles, or hide letters inside eggs that spell a word when put together.
• Indoor hunt: perfect for rainy days. Hide paper eggs around the house.
• Counting hunt: put a number inside each egg; children add up their total.

Easter learning activities

• Egg counting: count eggs into baskets and make a picture graph.
• Patterns: decorate eggs with repeating patterns of stripes, dots and zigzags.
• Easter I Spy: count bunnies, chicks and eggs on an I Spy page.
• Seasonal math: solve spring and Easter math and color the pictures.
• Life cycle of a chicken: egg, chick, chicken. Draw each stage.
• Egg drop challenge: older kids design a container to protect a raw egg dropped from a height.

Spring nature activities

Easter is a great time to look for signs of spring: buds, blossoms, baby birds and lambs. Plant seeds, go on a spring walk and color spring flowers. See spring crafts and activities for more.

Ideas by age

Ages 2–3: sticker eggs, handprint chicks, simple egg hunts in plain sight and cotton-wool bunnies.

Ages 4–6: paper plate bunnies, egg carton chicks, dyeing eggs with help and counting hunts.

Ages 7–10: wax-resist eggs, clue hunts, egg drop challenges and designing their own Easter cards.

Easter traditions around the world

• In some European countries, families decorate trees with painted eggs.
• In Greece, eggs are traditionally dyed red.
• Egg rolling, where eggs are rolled down a hill, is a tradition in parts of the UK and the USA.

Talking about traditions is a great way to learn about other cultures.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Hiding eggs too well. Children get frustrated. Keep a list of where they are.
• Too much chocolate at once. Spread treats over a few days, or swap some for small toys or books.
• Hot eggs for little hands. Let boiled eggs cool before decorating.

Frequently asked questions

When is Easter?

Easter falls on a Sunday in March or April. The date changes every year.

How do I dye eggs without a kit?

Mix hot water, a teaspoon of vinegar and food coloring in a cup, then dip hard-boiled eggs for a few minutes.

What can I put in plastic eggs instead of chocolate?

Stickers, small toys, puzzle pieces, coins, notes with jokes or activity ideas.

An Easter week plan

• Monday: spring walk to look for signs of spring.
• Tuesday: paper plate bunnies and handprint chicks.
• Wednesday: decorate eggs.
• Thursday: Easter cards and egg carton chicks.
• Friday: plant cress or beans.
• Weekend: egg hunt and Easter I Spy.

Can we do an egg hunt without chocolate?

Yes. Fill plastic eggs with stickers, small toys, puzzle pieces or activity slips like "Have a dance party."