So, here we are. Well into March, schools are back, spring is in the air, and we’re all ready for a little bit of a celebration. Easter is a time of family fun, and with indoor gatherings still off the cards, an Easter egg hunt could be the way to go. So, what do you need to do to prepare for some cracking outdoor Easter fun?

Five Tips for Planning an Eggcellent Easter Egg hunt

Go colour coded

If you’re catering for more than one child, Easter egg hunts are always perilous. You get the big kids searching with serious intent. The littlies treasuring every find, or being distracted by other things along the way. The result is always a blend of triumph and tears. By making (get the kids to lend a hand) or purchasing your own colour-coded eggs, you make sure that things stay fair. Let one child look for red eggs, another blue, a third green, then allocate prizes accordingly. That way, you can also purchase age-appropriate and individual-appropriate treats.

Stock up on treats

OK, so everyone knows that Easter is associated with chocolate eggs. But not everyone likes chocolate. And no one wants their kids to over-indulge. So, it’s a really good idea to choose a selection of goodies for your Easter hunt gifts. Sure, add in some chocolate eggs for tradition’s sake, but also consider some alternatives. A Swizzels Sweet Shop Favourites tub, for instance, has a mix of everyone’s favourites so there is something for everyone.  It can also be easily divided up, allowing for portion-control or rationing later.  And don’t forget the seasonal treat of Easter Squashies Drumchicks – orange & pineapple chick-shaped Squashies… MMMmmm!  Non-edible gifts can be a good idea too. Small colouring pencils, a packet of seeds and some gardening bits are always great at this time of year.

Think about your hiding places

As any parents of younger children will know, little kids aren’t very good at looking for things. If you’ve ever put up the Christmas tree as a surprise when your littlies were out of the house… then waited three days for them to notice, you’ll understand what we mean!  So, think about where you’re going to hide your tokens or gifts in advance. For the under fours, you might even want to just dot them around the lawn. With older children, you can be a bit more inventive.

Number your eggs

And following on from that, it can be a good idea to number your clues (and make a list of hiding places for yourself), so that you’re not left with unclaimed prizes and eggs being uncovered around the house or garden for weeks to come.

Consider a ‘golden egg’

The best thing about having an Easter hunt is finding lots of little things. But while the little things are fun, bigger things are usually better in the eyes of a child. Finding a ‘golden egg’ (use glitter glue, eco glitter, or metallic paint to create the desired effect) is really exciting, and that can represent the grand prize, and every Easter hunt should have one of those! Be that a chocolate egg, a Swizzels sweets hamper, a bumper box of Swizzels chocolate Drumsticks – oh, that scrummy raspberry and milk centre! – or a book. 

After the challenging year that we’ve all had, this Easter is the chance for a small celebration. So, we can’t have a big get-together yet, with all our friends and family, but we can meet our loved ones outside. And we can do something special to make the day memorable. Because Covid-19 has been hard for kids too. So, let’s all try to have a bit of fun this Easter.