20 Ways to Have the Best-Ever Easter Egg Hunt
Updated: Mar. 04, 2024
If you're planning an Easter egg hunt, start here. These epic Easter egg hunt ideas take the holiday tradition to a whole new level.
Who doesn’t love an Easter egg hunt? Before the search begins, you get to spend time artfully decorating eggs, and when it’s all done you get to enjoy delicious candies. It doesn’t get better than that—unless you incorporate some of these fun egg hunt ideas!
Stuff Your Eggs with More than Candy
Whether you have kids with allergies or want to avoid an all-day sugar high, this Easter idea will work wonders. You can stuff some eggs with Easter candies, while some of them can be stuffed with non-edible items. Think small toys, dollar bills, bouncy balls and other fun trinkets.
Dip Dye Eggs the Old-Fashioned Way
Half the fun of an Easter egg hunt is dyeing eggs. You don’t even need a kit to do this! Hot water, vinegar and a few drops of food coloring are all you need. And, yes, these eggs are 100% safe to eat after coloring with this technique. If you don’t want the mess that comes with this method, this EggMazing Egg Decorater kit is for you.
Include a Few Clues
How do you make an easter egg hunt more fun? Ensure it’s accessible for everyone. If you have really young kiddos participating, consider “egging” them along on their search. Small signs and arrows can help little ones narrow in on where to look.
Hide a Golden Egg
Challenge your hunters by hiding a golden egg. (Or, place a golden ticket inside of a regular egg). Tuck the trophy in a tricky spot, and reward the finder with a large prize, such as a plush bunny or king-size candy bar.
Create a Master Map
Make sure you keep track of your eggs’ hiding spots—especially if you’re using the real deal! Create a master map that lists the hiding spot of each egg, and do a spot-check after the hunt to make sure all of the prizes were found.
Dye Eggs a New Way
If you’re tired of dip-dyeing eggs, you can try a whole new technique with an unexpected medium: shaving cream! Fill a bowl full of basic foam shaving cream and swirl in drops of food color—such an easy Easter idea for kids! Roll the eggs in the cream to create a marbled effect, then let dry. Once dry, wipe the cream away to reveal the pretty abstract design.
We love this technique for the littlest egg hunters. There’s no worrying about splashing egg dye all over the place. Though if you do, these are our Test Kitchen’s favorite stain remover sprays to help you clean up.
Dig Deep
Skip the lawn and take your eggs underground! If you have a sandbox, bury your eggs for a creative twist on the traditional hunt. We suggest keeping prizes (especially edible ones) separate, though. Reward finders with their goodies after all of the eggs have been found.
Get Outside
We know that Easter is a busy day for hosts. To keep kiddos from getting underfoot as you prep the Easter ham and other Easter brunch ideas, set up the hunt outside. If that’s not an option, let your littlest guests know what rooms are in- and out-of-bounds for the egg hunt.
Have a Backup Plan
Spring weather can be hard to predict. If your outdoor egg hunt gets rained out, have fun indoor activities planned as a backup. Try our free Easter bingo printable or have a handful of board games and card games on hand.
Designate Colors for Different Age Groups
If you have kids from different age groups competing, designate a specific color for each age. This will help ensure that the little ones can find just as many eggs as the big kids.
Use Leftover Egg Cartons
Egg hunts mean lots of extra cardboard egg cartons. Instead of tossing them in the recycling bin, transform these containers into fun crafts for the kiddos. Cut the cartons into sections of four and use paints and markers to add color. Finish by gluing the flowers onto straw stems.
Add a Challenge
In addition to prizes, add slips of paper with silly challenges to each egg. Fun prompts can include “waddle like a duck for 15 seconds,” or “hop like the Easter bunny 10 times.”
Try an Egg-citing New Decorating Technique
We’ve all seen the different egg decorating kits at the store. Most of these use a packet of dye and some extras. But if you want to try something totally new, go for the Eggmazing Egg Decorator. We tried this funky gadget, which spins eggs on their axis so all you have to do is drag a marker across the surface. It’s a fun technique for egg decorators of all ages.
Hide a Few Eggs for the Adults
Adults want in on the fun, too! Stuff some eggs with gourmet chocolates, mini liquor bottles or cash. Just make sure you hide these eggs so they’re out of reach of the kids.
Try our yummiest homemade Easter egg fillers, too.
Opt for a Scavenger Hunt
No plastic? No problem. If you’re looking for something to use instead of Easter eggs, nature has everything you need for a different type of hunt. Fill out a list of common finds—like dandelions, pine cones or acorns—then send the kids out hunting. The first person back with all of the items wins a prize.
Bust out the Stamps
Rubber stamps aren’t just for paper crafts. Dip small stamps into food coloring (use paper towel as a blotter) and stamp across the surface of your eggs. The smaller the stamp, the better for this egg decorating method.
Get Glowin’
While most egg hunts happen during the day, there’s something egg-stra exciting about a nighttime search. Hide glow-in-the-dark eggs and pass out the glow sticks for a gathering kids of all ages will enjoy. End the night with a bonfire and s’mores.
Get Creative with Packaging
Don’t send little ones home with all your plastic eggs. Instead, have paper gift bags or cardboard egg crates available to hold all their goodies.
If you want to extend the fun, have the kids customize their bags or crates before the hunt starts. Have stickers, washi tape and washable markers on hand for easy, less-messy decorations.
Make Use of the Eggs
If you use real hard-boiled eggs for your Easter egg hunt, you may find yourself asking what to do with them all. After the hunt, have all the bunnies come inside to make some recipes with hard-boiled eggs. This braided Easter bread is a great way to show off your favorite dyed eggs. And you can use up those eggs in classic Easter recipes like deviled eggs!
Stock Up on Supplies
If an Easter egg hunt is a yearly tradition for your family, stock up on goodies for next year when this year’s supplies go on sale. Snag plastic eggs, toys and other trinkets for up to 75% off! Avoid any candy or edible items, though—those won’t last an entire year. (And it’s more fun to go with homemade Easter candy anyway!)
Originally Published: April 14, 2022
