Easter family breaks are the perfect time for all the family to do things together. Whether you go on holiday or stay at home you can have fun.
Easter Activity #1: Egg decorating
Eggs are a big part of what to do for Easter in Britain. Eggs symbolise new life and the resurrection of Jesus. Everyone enjoys chocolate eggs these days but before they were around, children liked to decorate ordinary eggs. And some families still do this. It is great fun. Here are a few tips on how to do it.
Firstly, hard boil your eggs for about fifteen minutes. While you are waiting for them to cook lay out some newspaper or paper towels because the next stage can get a bit messy.
If you are dyeing one egg, use a cup. For several you will need a plastic bowl. Or you could use several cups with different colours. Use water, a teaspoonful of white vinegar and a few drops of food colouring in each container.
If you want something more complicated, you can use acrylic paints on the eggs. Buy some glitter and dip the egg in a plastic cup of it while the paint is still wet. Glitter that’s the same colour as the paint creates the best effect. You can prop up the eggs to dry in an old egg box.
Easter Activity #2: Easter Egg Hunt
Easter egg hunts are very popular nowadays. Some big National Trust houses across the UK hold them. You can drive to one of these and have a great day out. Or you could create your own hunt if you have a garden. The trick is to not make it too easy. Write some fun clues so that your children will need a little bit of time to work them out. Make a map and give them a little basket to collect the eggs. Buy small eggs to hide. Or you can use a mix of painted eggs and chocolate ones. You can work up to finding one big one at the end. Don’t make it too easy!
Easter Activity #3: Baking
Baking can be fun for all the family. The two traditional Easter recipes are hot-cross buns for Good Friday and Simnel cake for Easter. But you do not have to stick with these. You can make it as easy or as complicated as you like. Young children may prefer decorating cupcakes or making easy things like coconut kisses or iced biscuits. All kinds of cakes can be topped with Eastery things like tiny eggs.
Easter Activity #4: Craft
Children love making things. Lots of fun can be had with coloured paper, paints, glue, felt and fabrics. Why not make some Easter-themed things like cards or rabbit finger puppets?
Easter Activity #5: Top Easter parades
Easter parades are not very common in Britain. There used to be a big one in Battersea Park and there is talk of bringing it back. Could be fun in the future. In London, the Salvation Army marches on Easter Sunday and you can enjoy the music of their brass band.
Easter Activity #6: Easter Bonnet Competitions
The tradition of the Easter bonnet is an interesting one. Easter was a time for new clothes after the rigours of Lent. Easter is also the coming of spring, so flowers got added from European traditions for elaborate floral head-dresses. Designing a hat can be great fun for kids. You can let them add decorations to a basic straw hat and the best one gets a prize.
Easter Activity #7: DIY / home improvements
Easter is a time to spruce up your home. It is a time when people like to throw out the old and bring in the new. Have a thorough spring clean then treat yourself to something new. Rent a car and drive out to a car boot sale or collector’s market. Treat yourself to an interesting antique or something collectable. Make a day of it with the family.
Or, if you are into DIY load up with paint and paper to refurbish your home. Assemble some flat pack furniture from IKEA. DIY is a great British tradition, and it can even be fun with a little help from the kids. Just don’t let them near your power tools.
If you don’t need any home improvements, there are always the garden centres, another great British institution. They are usually open across the holidays. Bring home a few plants for the garden or the house. Or maybe you’ll be tempted by a fountain, a statue, or a new garden shed.
