TL;DR: If you celebrate Easter and are on Easter Bunny duty this year, this blog is chock-full of great ideas for making the holiday magical for your kids. Plus, learn the history of the Easter bunny and get some great Easter basket filler ideas.
Easter Bunny Duty? 3 Ways to Make Easter Magical
Easter is such a fun day to celebrate with the kids! It’s a wonderful opportunity as a family to build some holiday traditions, create some magic, and give your children some meaningful gifts. If you are on Easter Bunny duty this year, we came up with some really great ideas you can use this year to make the holiday even more fun and magical. Keep reading for some great Easter bunny tips and tricks, as well as some great Easter basket filler ideas that won’t be broken (or eaten!) by the end of the day.
What is the History of the Easter Bunny?
Easter is known for many things, including its unofficial mascot, the Easter Bunny! Ever wondered where the Easter Bunny came from? Here is a little history lesson you can teach your kids.
Historians suggest that the Easter Bunny arrived in America through German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. They brought with them the tradition of a rabbit who would go from house to house, leaving eggs and gifts in the baskets that little children set out for them. Further investigation showed that this rabbit was originally a hare.
But where did this German tradition come from? There’s a mythological figure from Germany named Ostara, who was symbolic of the fertility and new life of the coming spring. It is said that Ostara changed her pet bird into a rabbit to amuse children, and the rabbit laid brightly colored eggs, which Ostara gave to children as gifts. This myth eventually brought about the tradition of the Easter Bunny, bringing colored eggs and other gifts to children.
The same tradition is practiced today in the US (and some, but not all, European countries), except that the moss nests have become baskets filled with grass. The addition of chocolates is relatively modern, having come about in the late 1800s.
What are 3 Ways to Make Easter Magical for My Kids?
Doing an Easter egg hunt, decorating eggs, creating an Easter basket for your kids, and maybe putting up some decorations are all great go-to’s for parents when celebrating Easter. Want to level it up a bit this year and add in some special magic? Our three favorite tips include leaving a trail of evidence, hiding a golden ticket, and doing a nighttime Easter egg hunt.
Leave a Trail of Evidence
One of the best ways you can make Easter magical is by creating a trail of evidence left behind by the Easter Bunny. Here are some ideas:
- Paw prints.Similar to Santa’s bootprints by the fireplace on Christmas morning, you can leave some bunny paw prints, too! Use a stencil and some flour, glitter, or dirt to create a trail around their Easter baskets.
- Partially-eaten carrots. If you leave out carrots the night before Easter, take a few bites and leave the rest behind!
- Photoshop some evidence. Grab a still from your outdoor security camera or Ring doorbell camera. Use Photoshop or an AI tool to help you place an Easter bunny there as if you caught him in the act of hiding eggs.
Hide a Golden Ticket
Doing your own Easter egg hunt around the house this year?
A great way to level up the hunt is by putting a Golden Ticket in one of the eggs. Here are some ideas for the golden ticket:
- “Yes Day” pass
- Stay up late for one night
- Get out of doing chores
- Pick any restaurant for dinner
Do a Night Hunt, Too!
You can make Easter extra magical by saving a few eggs for a night hunt! Here’s how:
- While your kids are busy eating dinner, watching a family movie, or taking a bath, grab a few empty eggs and put a glowstick inside.
- Stuff with some of your favorite Easter egg stuffers
- Hide them around the house or in the backyard
Your kids will be totally surprised to find a fun night hunt ready for them before they go to bed!
What Are Good Easter Basket Fillers?
Easter baskets are a great opportunity to give some gifts to your children. Traditionally, these are small gifts that can fit inside a basket and aren’t wrapped. However, candy, cheap toys, and future clutter are what a lot of parents see at the end of Easter day.
Want some great Easter basket fillers that are useful and fun?
Here are some ideas:
- Level up their essentials. Get your child some new utensils or bath scrubs.
- Get crafty. Coloring books, coloring supplies, Play-Doh, and kinetic sand are all great and useful Easter basket fillers.
- Outdoor fun. Now that spring is here, give them fun outdoor toys like chalk, jump ropes, or toddler-friendly bubbles.