Life
They’ll Make Your Tot Ridiculously Happy
Easter egg hunts are a childhood rite of passage for most kids, but sometimes the littlest ones need a bit of help with the activity. For the just-walking set, likely when your child is around 2, the easy Easter egg hunt ideas for toddlers are sure to be a hit. They can enjoy the thrill of the hunt without getting super frustrated by having to navigate around complicated terrains and obstacle courses and seek out advanced-level hiding spots.
When you hide Easter eggs for your toddler to find, your family is participating in an old tradition. Although its exact origins are unknown, Easter egg hunts have likely been around for hundreds of years in some cultures. In 1800s Scotland, for instance, it was believed to be a tradition for children to venture out early on Easter morning to collect the eggs of wild birds for breakfast. Although you probably won't put your toddler in charge of breakfast duty on Easter morning, it's still fun to keep such an old tradition alive.
With that in mind, you can put your own spin on the egg hunt according to your toddler’s individual interests and abilities. Maybe all the eggs have a Bluey theme, or they're all filled with a favorite snack. Whatever the case, feel free to put your own, modern spin on this springtime tradition and make your toddler’s Easter egg hunt more fun than frustrating with these practical tips.
1Hide the eggs in obvious spots
Older kids can enjoy the thrill of finding out-of-the-way eggs all over your home and lawn. But for the younger set, obvious hiding spots for Easter eggs are the way to go. Place Easter egg hunt eggs for toddlers in the mailbox (you can leave the lid open), on a dining room chair, under a napkin, or straight up in the middle of the lawn. Poorly hidden eggs can be pretty hilarious, too, so have fun with it. Crouch down and consider your home from the kid's point of view and tuck away the eggs accordingly. If older kids are in the mix, ask them to stick to avoid certain zones, or create a separate, advanced egg hunt for them altogether.
2Incorporate music
Freeze Dance, but make it Easter-themed. Hide the eggs around the house or yard, and only let the toddlers hunt for the eggs when the music is playing. When the music pauses, they all must freeze where they are until the music picks up again.
3Fill their eggs with gifts, not just candy
Knowing that the eggs awaiting to be discovered are filled with real gifts or candy may just boost their egg-hunting incentive, not that they’ll likely need it. You can either buy a collection of stickers or tattoos (cut them down and slip them into each plastic egg), or buy Easter eggs for kids that are prefilled with a toy already. It’s a fun surprise that gives your kid a break from the constant jelly beans and chocolate. And if you are using candy, you don’t need to fill them — just one treat or two in each egg is plenty.
If you want to pack one or two toys with a bigger gift, like a stuffy, just grab bigger eggs.
4Decorate the eggs with your toddler’s favorite characters
Striped and spotted eggs are nice and festive, but a Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol egg will really get toddlers excited to hunt for more Easter eggs. You don’t have to be a skilled artist to pull this off — simply putting a sticker on an otherwise undecorated egg would do just fine.
5Stick with plastic eggs
Sure, hard-boiled, hand-dyed eggs are beautiful, but there's almost no chance of them surviving the clasp of an excited toddler. It's totally cool to stick with plastic eggs for the toddler set. It's just easier, smarter, and creates far less of a potential mess. Your kid can graduate to the real thing in a few years, and if they’re the fillable kind, there are lots of adorable treats and gifts you can fill them with.
6Tie balloons to the eggs
OK, this idea is pretty brilliant. To give your toddlers a hint, tie a balloon to each egg. Your young child will catch on in no time, and a yard festooned with balloons will make your egg-hunting party stand out.
7Give them a checklist
Whether you’re 2 or 72, we all love to check things off a list. Give them a list of all the eggs they are tasked to find (a red one, a striped one, etc), and send them off on a mini egg hunt scavenger hunt.
8Get noisy eggs
Fill plastic eggs with dried beans, bells, or anything else that can make a noise when rattled. (Just make sure your baby doesn't try to swallow the little noisemakers, or you can even glue them shut to make them extra safe). Or, if you want to go the extra mile, throw a plastic egg shaker or two into your kid's Easter loot. If your child struggles to find any of these eggs, just give them a shake.
9Use squishy eggs
Put a modern spin on the egg hunt with some squishy Easter eggs. These foam eggs aren't going to crack, and your toddler will have a blast squeezing them. They double as a sensory or therapeutic toy, too.
10Scatter them in the open
If your toddler is a bit too young for the whole egg hunting business, there are loads of other ways to interact with eggs on this day. For the easiest option, just scatter the eggs across one spot of your lawn or living room. Your kid will still have a blast "finding" and playing with the eggs.
11Serve snacks in plastic eggs
Are you concerned about your toddler's candy intake on Easter Sunday? It's cool. Give hollow plastic eggs a quick wash, fill them with simple, kid-friendly snacks (like raisins, crackers, and pretzels), and serve them in an actual egg carton. They’ll love it and it’s a nice way to break up the schedule.
You can make a successful Easter egg hunt for toddlers as simple or extravagant as you want. But remember, at this age, it really doesn’t take much to really impress 2- and 3-year-olds. They’ll love whatever you (or the Easter Bunny) have set up for them.
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