EASTER MORNING SCAVENGER HUNT

Is there anything better than watching kids work together to solve problems- and actually enjoy doing it?  This Easter, bring that brain buzz into your home by introducing a new tradition: The Easter Morning Scavenger Hunt.

I first heard about the concept from a friend, who’s family would set up one such scavenger hunt every Easter morning, challenging their children to find their Easter baskets, which were hidden away.  Each child has their own set of clues (numbered sequentially and labeled with their names to avoid confusion).  Just like in traditional scavenger hunts, you must use the clue you have in hand to locate the next clue.  The result was a frantically fun race around their home to find their Easter baskets, each kid following their own set of clues.

After hearing of this exciting hunt, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to adopt for my family’s Easter traditions each year.  Of course, my 2.5 year old isn’t quite old enough to follow clues yet, but you better believe in the next few years we will be brainstorming clues the night before Easter, gearing up to challenge that little noggin.

What I love about this scavenger hunt, is that it can be a special time for just you and your kids before a bigger, public egg hunt. Plus, the scavenger hunt makes it extra exciting for the kids to get their Easter baskets, and they will probably savor each item in it even more, having worked for it.

Another great thing about this scavenger hunt is that it can be held entirely indoors, in case of nasty weather. But you could, of course, hide some clues around your yard too if it’s nice out.

Follow these simple steps to set up your own Easter Morning Scavenger Hunt.

1. Brainstorm a bunch of areas to hide clues around your home such as under the kitchen sink, in a coat closet, in the garden, in a toy chest, etc. etc. etc.
2. Make up simple clues that will lead a kid to each spot. For example: “Where water flows” for a sink or “rub-a-dub-dub” for a bathtub or “I’m just playing around” for a toy box. You can make these clues more or less complex depending on the kid’s age. Don’t forget that the final clue leads them to their basket!
3. Write out the clues on strips of paper, then label about 5 clues with each child’s name, since each child will have their own separate hunt and clues to follow.  You can also number each clue 1, 2, 3, etc. to ensure that they are finding their clues in order and cut down on confusion.
4. In the wee hours of the night, sometime after the kids go to bed or before they wake up, fold the paper clues up and stuff them in hollow Easter eggs (I’m loving these heirloom-quality wooden ones and these eco-friendly plastic eggs) and plant them around the house in the spaces their clue’s coordinate with. Also, hide the Easter Baskets in their proper places.
5. And GO!  Once all of your kids are awake, round them up and start the hunt.  Sit back and watch with glee as your little ones race around the house, excitedly hunting for their Easter bounty.

This scavenger hunt will quickly become a treasured family tradition that is not only fun for the kids, but exciting for the parents to plan and watch play out. The entire hunt only takes a small bit of time to plan out and you can create as many or as few clues as you like.

It’s also affordable! If you keep the eggs for the following year’s hunt, the whole endeavor only costs as much as you put into your Easter baskets (which you were going to give them anyway).

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