We all know the toll that this pandemic is having on children and their mental health. Let’s make this Easter their best one yet and fill the day with fun activities to make them feel super special during these trying times.

Easter egg hunt

What is Easter without an egg hunt? Some of my fondest Easter memories consist of racing my brother to an egg that we both spotted from across the room. Whether you choose to carry the hunt out in your garden or within your house, there is no doubt it’ll bring excitement, tastiness and laughter to your household this Easter Sunday.

Bake an Easter treat

There are so many yummy Easter treats that you and your little one could make this Easter – just about anything chocolatey would suffice! If you want to make something less chocolatey, bunny-shaped cookies would be ideal, or your favourite type of fairy cakes topped with buttercream icing and mini eggs would go down a treat!

Here is a simple, yet delicious, Easter favourite that’s quick, easy and perfect for making with young children.

Easter nest crispy cakes:

Ingredients: 

• 150g dark chocolate (broken into little pieces) 
• 50g butter
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 100g Rice Krispie cereal
• 36 Mini-Eggs

Method: 

1. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Melt together the chocolate, butter and honey. 
3. Add the Rice Krispies and stir well. 
4. Spoon the mixture into the 12 cupcake cases. Gently press down with the back of a spoon to make small hollows and give a nest-like shape.
5. Pop three Mini-Eggs into each hollow. 
6. Put the cakes into the fridge for around an hour (or until the cakes have set). 
7. Enjoy a yummy Easter treat with your little one!

Decorate eggs

There are a couple of ways to go about getting creative with your egg decorating this Easter.

The first way is to keep it plain and simple: draw egg shapes on plain paper and cut these out, ready for your little one to draw, paint, glue, whatever it is you choose! 

The second way is a little more complex, but much more rewarding. Plus, it’s nice to do something a little different on such a special holiday. This method includes hollowing out an egg – don’t worry, you are still able to use its contents (perhaps make some scrumptious scrambled egg for an Easter breakfast?).

To hollow the egg, take a needle and make a hole in one end of it. Be sure to push the needle all the way in and break the yolk. It is best to do this over a bowl to avoid excess mess. 

Next, make a smaller hole on the other side of the egg. Blow through this hole and the contents of the egg should come out into the bowl below. Wash the empty egg under the tap and leave to dry before decorating. 

When it comes to decorating, be as creative and messy as you choose! When I was younger, I loved decorating my eggs with paint, sequins, pom-poms, googly eyes, the whole lot! 

Why do we celebrate Easter?

It is important to remind ourselves (and our kids) about why we celebrate Easter. Whether or not they are stories that you believe in, we should be aware of the origins of the holidays that we celebrate within our culture. Plus, what child doesn’t love storytime, right? 

The CBeebies offers a whole page of information around celebrating Easter and where the tradition stems from. This page can be found here. 

To encourage reading and engagement with books, why not buy a children’s book on the Easter story that you and your little one can read together on Easter? 

A perfect finish to this storytime could be to find an Easter song that you and your child could sing to together. Who doesn’t love a good old dance and sing along? 

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