These days, it’s the perfect excuse to get outside for some springtime air and watch kids young and old search for hidden treasure. Whether you’re stepping up to host the annual Easter hunt extravaganza for the first time, or you’re plotting a small-but-spirited at-home hunt for the little ones in your immediate family—just follow these easy steps for pulling off a classic Easter egg hunt like a pro.
1. Set the Date for Your Egg Hunt
Of course it’s traditional to have an Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday, but it’s certainly not required. In fact, you may be attending a few in your neighborhood, in addition to hosting your own, so realistically not all egg hunts can happen on the same day. An ideal timeframe would be Easter weekend, or even the weekend before. If you’re planning to host outdoors, have a back-up location (or a backup date) in case of rain or chilly weather.
2. Pick a Location
Whether the hunt is taking place in your front yard or the grounds of the community center, make sure the location works for your group. Pick an area that’s large enough for your hunters, but not too large that it’s impossible to find the eggs. You’ll also want a spot where you can clearly define the boundaries, you have plenty of hiding options, and it’s set far away from roads, bodies of water, and other hazards. If you’re hosting inside, try to limit the adventures to one floor so there are no stairs in the mix.
3. Stock Up on Eggs
Quite possibly the most important part of an Easter egg hunt. While some hosts prefer to hide real eggs, it’s often safest to use plastic eggs, especially if there are a lot of little kids invited to your hunt. (Bonus: You can fill each plastic egg with candy, tiny treats, and even coins, if you’re feeling generous!) You’re also welcome to use a mix of both—the more eggs the merrier. If you’re not sure about how many to have on hand, we’d suggest hiding about 10 eggs per child, depending on the age group.
4. Have Easter Baskets, Buckets, and Pails at the Ready
You could host a BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket) Easter egg hunt—and it would be great if everyone showed up with baskets—but play it safe and assume you’ll need to have egg-collecting gear for all your hunt attendees. Plan to have at least one vessel for goodies for every guest invited. Easter baskets are the traditional option, but tote bags, beach pails, or even cute small boxes are fun Easter basket alternatives.
5. Hide the Easter Eggs
Before you start hiding anything, count the eggs. (You’ll thank yourself later.) Choose hiding spots that make sense for the ages of the kids invited. You’ll want some eggs in more obvious locations (right on the open lawn) for little ones, and others hidden in more challenging spots, like tucked inside a mailbox, in a plant bed, or hidden behind the stump of a tree for older participants.
6. Ready, Set, Hunt
If you’re hosting many kids of all different ages, think about letting kids start in rounds by age group or range. To be fair, let the the littlest hunters have first dibs on eggs. Once they go, start a countdown of a minute to 30 seconds (any longer and you’ll probably make some enemies) before giving the older age groups the go-ahead to join in.
7. Count the Eggs
When you’re certain that all the eggs have been found (this is where counting them before hiding them comes in handy), it’s time to make the final tally. Sometimes even the egg hiders forget about those clever hiding spots. If you choose to reward the all-star gatherers—beyond the goodies inside their bounty of plastic eggs—now’s the time to offer up festive Easter prizes.
