How to Host an Easter Egg Hunt From Start to Finish.

Transcription

1 How to Host an Easter Egg Hunt From Start to Finish Hospitality opens the door to true community. Spring is finally here. The snow is melting and birds are singing. Springtime brings new life and new opportunities for budding friendships. Hosting a special event at home is the perfect way to serve kids and families in your neighborhood! Hospitality opens the door to true community. Everyone loves a good, old-fashioned Easter egg hunt. It is simple and just plain fun! Things to do right away To prepare for your egg hunt: 1. Determine the location. Where will it be? (Will it be the front yard? Back Yard? Indoors?) Pay attention to the weather. What will you do in case of rain? Snow? Will you invite families to simply dress for the weather? 2. Write out a guest list. 3. Create invitations. Be sure to include: event info (date and time), what to bring (bags or baskets

2 for collecting eggs), what to wear (dress for the weather), indicate if food will be served, and your RSVP contact information. 4. Enlist Help. If you have older children, ask them to help with this event. Decide to work together as a family. You may also want to ask a friend to help you host the event. Assign roles (Greet at door, hide eggs, bake muffins, serve food or beverages). 2 weeks before the event 1. Send invitations 2 weeks prior to your egg hunt. 2. If you will be serving food, plan your menu now. You can keep it simple and serve only beverages and simple snacks. Or, do a little more with a basket of muffins, a pot of coffee for adults and orange juice or water for kids. Or, you can go all out and invite neighbors to stay for brunch. 3. Plan your décor. What can you do to make your home look festive? Colored tablecloth? Balloons? 4. Walk around the egg hunt area. Double check that the area is safe (not too close to the street, etc). 5. Fill Plastic Easter Eggs with candy- provide at least 10 eggs per child. You may also wish to include a few eggs that contain a golden ticket which corresponds to a fun prize that will not fit inside a plastic egg (bubbles, jumbo chalk, outdoor toys, etc). 1 week before the event * Purchase groceries, paper products and decorations.

3 3 days before the event * Contact your event helpers and verify the time that they will arrive for the egg hunt set-up. 1 day before the event * Decorate. The day of the event 1. Hide filled eggs a couple of hours before guests arrive. For younger children, hide eggs in open, obvious areas. For older kids, make it a challenge. 2. Greet guests. 3. Lead children and parents to the egg hunt area. Explain the rules- egg hunt area limits, the number of eggs that children can find (app 10), etc. Give preschool-aged children a head start and allow parents to help them if necessary. 4. Have the children line up at the starting area, say Go! and let the fun begin!! 5. After the egg hunt, serve beverages and food. Take this opportunity to slow down and really connect with your friends. This is part of the beauty of sharing your home and life with others. Enjoy the time together. -Time is what we all have, now, that which we never need to merely find enough of, but rather the gift we are given to make something of. Ann Voskamp Bonus Tips and Ideas: *To add a little extra pizzazz, consider providing face paints, or coloring sheets/ crosswords for kids (printable downloads can be found at and fun background music.

4 *You can also provide a couple easy games such as: Guess How Many Jelly Beans - Fill a large glass jar with jelly beans and have the children guess how many jelly beans there are in the jar. The closest guess wins! Give a chocolate Bunny to the winner. Egg-on-a-Spoon Race Using the plastic Easter eggs, have the kids run a relay race balancing an egg on a spoon. Creative Hunt Ideas: *For older kids, consider hosting an egg hunt in the dark. This can be done indoors or outside. Give kids a glow-in-the-dark necklace and a flashlight. Turn of the lights and say Go! For an evening party like this, order pizza! *Snow Bunnies- Egg hunts in the snow can actually be a LOT of fun. Just check the yard to make sure it s safe and that the snow is not too deep for smaller children. Tell children to dress warmly. Hide the eggs only an hour or so before kids arrive. If the snow is fluffy, the eggs will sink and will add an extra challenge and excitement to your party. Making Memories: *Take lots of pictures and a Thanks for coming to the egg hunt! greeting to your guests using It s easy, free and thoughtful.

5 Easter Egg Hunt Menu Planning Guide # of guests= Types of food that will be served: Ingredients needed: Beverages: Paper products check which items need to be purchased: Plates Napkins Plastic Utensils Cups Nest photo credit- Renate Kalloch sxc