Simple and Enchanting Ideas for an Easter Egg Hunt

For us, Easter conjures memories of pockets stashed with chocolate, the sound of a butter knife scraped across hot cross buns, tables piled with cardboard and glitter, and (of course) the highly anticipated Easter egg hunt…

Below are some of our favourite tips and suggestions for planning a memorable one.

Start with a story

On the eve of the hunt, kindle their imaginations with a tale of the legendary Easter Bunny who comes and goes in the night, secreting treasures throughout the house.  

Having set the scene, leave a few carrots or pieces of lettuce out as a small offering for your chocolate-bearing visitor.

Master the art of a well-hidden egg

Well-hidden eggs are integral to Easter fun. If it’s too easy, the hunt will be over in a few minutes; too hard, and defeat and frustration will take over.

We suggest varying the difficulty so some eggs are hidden in plain sight while others are in unexpected places.

If you have a garden, look for hollowed out logs or patches of long grass. Snuggle the egg in a gardening glove or nestle it among leaves. Our miniature foiled eggs catch the light in just the right places when tucked in plant pots or perched on branches.

For hunts set to take place indoors - try pockets, shoes, bookshelves. You might even use hiding places tailored to the interests and personalities of the hunters (placing them near a favourite toy or inside a puzzle or board game they like to play).

Choose the evening to hide the eggs, once everyone has gone to sleep.

Use accessories

A charming addition is small bunny footprints.

These don’t need to be perfect; they can be created by dabbing a small sponge in flour or baking powder to create a set of staggered prints. Another option is to buy ready-made stencils. Or lay a vibrant trail of orange carrot nibbles towards the places eggs are concealed.

The Easter basket is a famed accessory to an egg-hunt, perfect for carrying found treasures. Yet it never has to be a classic woven one. Eggs can be collected in all sorts of items you’re likely to have lying about the house. Like glass jars, shoe boxes, tote bags, cardboard egg boxes. These can be decorated with markers or painted as part of a pre-hunt ceremony, adding a personal touch.

For children who are a bit older, written or verbal clues and riddles can add an extra layer of intrigue and serve as a helping hand (“you’re getting warmer, so don’t be slow, check out the place where you put your toe…”).

Set boundaries

More of a tip than an idea; to ensure nobody wanders off and spends hours looking in the wrong room, make it clear what spaces the eggs are hidden. If you’re doing it in a large open space outdoors, add markers that serve as boundary points.

And while there’s nothing wrong with coming across delicious chocolate weeks later, you might want to also keep a note of what is where.

Colour-code the egg hunt

If somebody has a talent for finding all the eggs, consider assigning an egg-colour to each child. For example, they can pick either blue, pink or green before the hunt begins and those eggs will be theirs to find.

Include a grand mystery prize

Perhaps the Easter Bunny has hidden an extra special surprise. Like majestic Croissant 62% Dark Chocolate Easter Egg.

Incorporating a prize element is a great way of building excitement and adding a competitive edge to the hunt. (It might be that the first person to find all their eggs receives the prize, or that it goes to the person who finds their eggs under a set time).

If you foresee a tearful scene by gifting a prize, there’s plenty to go around.

Invite friends to run around with

Inviting friends over will certainly add an element of competitiveness and teamwork for the egg-hunters.

While everyone is racing about the house or garden, tuck into a freshly baked hot cross bun.

When do Easter egg hunts take place?

There is no hard or fast rule, but traditionally the hunt takes place on Easter morning.

Once the easter egg hunt is over…

You might go for a walk somewhere green, watch an Easter movie, have an Easter feast, and devour your Easter treats.

You could also set-up some Easter-themed crafts; why not use the brightly coloured foil from our eggs to make a collage. All you’ll need is aluminium foil from the Easter egg wrappers, glue, and paper or cardboard as a base (tag us @pumpstreetchocolate, we would love to see any creations).