We are fast approaching the Easter holidays and many families will already be preparing for a well-earned break from school routines. Easter is often synonymous with chocolate eggs and sweet treats but there’s so much more it can offer. From providing opportunities for families to slow down and spend time together to creative pursuits and celebrating the arrival of spring.
For parents, nannies and care-givers, the Easter half-term is the perfect time to introduce seasonal traditions, encourage creativity and get children outdoors as the weather (hopefully) begins to improve. So, if you’re looking for ways to prepare for Easter, here are some of our suggestions for fun and engaging ideas that will keep children entertained and out of the snack cupboard!
Create Homemade Easter Decorations
Craft activities are a lovely way to get children engaged and excited for the build-up to Easter while encouraging creativity and fine motor skills. Decorations can also help transform the home into a colourful and festive space without requiring expensive supplies.
Some simple craft ideas include:
Paper Bunny Garlands
Simply cut out bunny shapes from coloured paper and string them together to create a cheerful Easter banner. You can decorate each bunny individually with a pom-pom tail, glitter, paint, googly eyes or other craft materials for added creative flare.
Painted Egg Ornaments:
Hollow out an egg by pricking a pinhole in either end and blowing the contents into a dish (this may need some help from a grown up to get started). Alternatively, you can use eggs or wooden craft eggs.
Once you have your wooden or hollowed egg at the ready, these can be decorated with paint, pens, glitter, decoupage or stickers and displayed around the house.
Spring Wreaths:
Using cardboard rings, children can let their creativity run wild and attach flowers from the garden, their homemade wooden eggs, cutout paper bunnies, ribbons, battery-operated fairy lights or an array of other materials to produce a colourful Easter door wreath.
Craft projects like these allow children to take pride in their work and give them something to display throughout the holiday.
Plant Something for Spring:
Easter coincides with the arrival of spring, making it the perfect time to introduce children to simple gardening activities. Planting seeds helps children understand how things grow while encouraging patience and responsibility.
Easy options include:
Cress or herbs in small pots.
A tomato plant
Sunflower seeds in cups or recycled containers
Decorating plant pots before planting flowers
Watching their plants grow over the following weeks can be incredibly rewarding for children, and it’s a great way to connect them with nature. For edible items, like tomatoes or herbs, you can also incorporate the fully grown and ripened plants in homemade recipes, encouraging children to explore new flavours and foods they’ve grown themselves.
Organise a Spring Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a brilliant activity for energetic children and works just as well indoors as it does outdoors, which is great news with unpredictable British weather! Instead of focusing on chocolate prizes, you can theme the hunt around signs of spring.
For example, children might search for:
Something yellow like a daffodil, buttercup or dandelion
A parakeet (you might hear them before you even see them) or bird’s feather
A green leaf
A drawing of an Easter bunny
Something shaped like an egg
For younger children, simple picture clues work well, while older children may enjoy riddles or puzzles leading them to the next clue.
Host an Easter Craft-ernoon
If you’re looking for a calm activity during the school holidays, a dedicated craft afternoon can keep children entertained for hours. This could also be an opportunity to invite their school or nursery peers around to encourage social interaction during school holidays.
Some fun Easter craft ideas include:
Decorating Easter cards for grandparents, nannies, neighbours and relatives
Making bunny ears using card and elastic
Upcycling Easter baskets using recycled boxes or a second-hand basket bought from a charity shop
Crafting not only fosters creativity and problem-solving but also gives children a chance to make thoughtful gifts for friends and family members.
However you choose to spend the holidays, Easter is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the arrival of spring, spend quality time together and encourage children to explore and expand their creativity.
For busy parents, preparing for school holidays and arranging such activities can feel like another task on an already full list but this is where nannies can play an invaluable role. By planning activities, organising craft materials and keeping children active and engaged during the day, nannies help create a relaxed and enjoyable environment for the whole family so everyone can make the most of the school break.
While Easter eggs are still a welcome treat, focusing on experiences can help to create lasting memories and help children relish the build-up to Easter just as much as the day itself.