How to Throw a Hoppin' Easter Party!

Back 1  2 3 4 Next

Easter is the perfect opportunity for families to welcome the much-awaited return of spring. The holiday is just around the corner, so hop into the spirit of the season by throwing a child-friendly, fun-filled Easter party.

Here comes Peter Cottontail, ready to usher in Easter and spring with dyed eggs, colorful jelly beans, milk chocolate bunnies, sugary-sweet marshmallow peeps, and the ever popular Easter egg hunt. A sacred holiday for Christians throughout the world, Easter is also the perfect opportunity for families to welcome the much-awaited return of spring.

Easter Sunday celebrations are usually family affairs, so you may want to plan a party for your children's friends and classmates during the week before or after Easter. With some simple preparation, you can host an egg-cellent spring party for your kids by incorporating the following suggestions or by coming up with your own creative ideas revolving around eggs, bunnies, and chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate!

Creative Crafts

Since your young guests will need a container for the grand finale egg hunt, have children decorate their very own baskets or bags. Keep it as simple or as elaborate as you wish depending on the children's ages, time allotted, or your amount of patience. Older children may want to weave colorful ribbons through inexpensive baskets, while little ones may enjoy using crayons, paints, markers, glitter, pom-poms, and bunny or chick stickers to personalize bags. Fill each bag or basket with a small amount of Easter grass to cushion the eggs. Even the youngest party-goers will be able to participate in this easy craft. Do this activity as soon as guests arrive so there's time for the paint and glue to dry before the much–anticipated egg hunt begins.

Your guests can also decorate cooled hardboiled eggs. Use the standard egg dye kits with the color tablets, or bring out the glue, glitter, paints, and yarn. Here are some suggestions for making eggs fun and fancy:

• Attach stickers or glue an assortment of decorative gems, including sequins or tiny beads, to create a one-of-a-kind egg.
  
  
• Allow the kids to draw designs on their eggs with wax crayons; once the egg is dipped, the dye won't soak through the wax, leaving your child's artwork on the shell.
  
  
• This simple tie-dye technique gives eggs a whole new look. To start, dip the egg in a pale dye. Once the dye has dried, secure a thick rubber band or two around the egg and dip it in darker dye. Once the egg has dried again, remove the rubber bands.
  
  
• It's easy to "marbleize" your eggs. Simply add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the cup of dye you want to use. Dip your egg as directed on the package, and when you remove the egg from the dye it will have a marbleized look.