Did you know that the Easter egg hunt originated in Germany? It is believed that this tradition was first carried out by the German reformer Martin Luther, who organised egg hunts for his congregation. The men would hide the eggs from women and children as a symbolic representation of the Resurrection, when a group of women discovered the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. 1
Today, the Easter egg hunt is one of the most popular traditions in the UK — beloved by both adults and children. In this article, we'll go through the steps to put together a fun Easter egg hunt.
Step 1
Choose the Location (Indoor vs Outdoor)
Step 2
Set the Date/Time
Step 3
Determine Number of Participants
Step 4
Prepare and Decorate Eggs
Step 5
Design the Hunt
Step 6
Add Stations/Games, and Prepare Prizes
Step 7
Ensure Safety/Logistics
Step 8
Prepare Activities for Post-Hunt
📝 Planning Your Easter Egg Hunt
Now, let's look at these three important elements that you should factor in during your planning process.
✅ Choosing the Right Location
Whether you are planning to organise this event in your church, home, or the nearest park, here's an overview of the pros and cons of having the hunt at indoor or outdoor locations:
Indoors
- More suited for smaller groups
- Fewer concerns about weather unpredictability
- Easier monitoring and supervision for kids
- Less space for large-scale games and running
Outdoors
- Ideal for larger and more active participants
- More space to hide eggs
- More activity options, like races or picnics
- Very dependent on weather conditions
Make sure boundaries are well-defined for both the indoor and outdoor spaces
Ensure that any sharp objects or uneven surfaces are removed or avoided
Always make sure first aid kits are easily accessible
🗓️ Setting the Date and Time
When setting the date, it's best to choose a weekend when both adults and kids are free. In terms of timing, late morning to early afternoon is highly recommended as it's not too hot, with a substantial amount of daylight.
As for the event's duration, it's best to set it according to the age range of the participants. It's important to choose a suitable length for the event to maintain engagement. For example:
- Toddlers (2–4 years): 15–20 minutes
- Young children (5–8 years): 20–30 minutes
- Older children (9+ years): 30–45 minutes with added challenges
👥 Determining the Number of Participants
The number of participants will determine the scale of the egg hunt that you are planning in terms of level of difficulty and duration (as shown above). Remember, the primary goal of the egg hunt is to always include elements of fun, play, and safety amidst a mixture of challenges.
Have a specific age range in mind according to the location that you have chosen.
Decide if the egg hunt would be a group competition or a solo competition.
Divide the participants into age categories to ensure fairness.
Solo competition would allow every participant to immerse completely in the process and cultivate independence. On the other hand, a group competition (3 to 5 participants) would not only encourage teamwork but also allow for an overall larger participation.
🥚Preparing the Eggs
Now, let's look at how to make the main character of the hunt — the eggs more colourful and interesting.
Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all of your eggs in one basket.
Evan Esar
🧺 Types of Eggs
Here are the three most common eggs during Easter egg hunts:
Chocolate eggs
- Most traditional choice
- Make sure to standardise the size
- Choose quality chocolate
Plastic eggs
- Most eco-friendly (reusable)
- Fill with sweets, toys, coins, or clue notes
- Most durable
Real eggs
- Most classic choice
- Can be decorated creatively
- Must be hard-boiled for safety purposes
🍫 Filling Ideas
Here are some creative filling ideas to make the egg hunt more exciting and rewarding for both adults and children:
Adults
Chilldren
🎨Decorating the Eggs
As for the egg decoration, you can come up with a few themes and prepare the painting materials, such as acrylic paints, glitter, and stickers, ahead of time. 2 To make the hunt more engaging and immersive, you can join the children to decorate the eggs together beforehand as a pre-hunt activity.
Some theme suggestions could be related to Easter, such as:
- Different colours with different meanings (red, blue, or yellow)
- Nature and spring (flower motifs, clouds, the Sun)
- The story of the resurrection (empty tomb or the cross)
📌 Designing the Hunt
Additionally, the perfect Easter egg hunt needs to have a clear and well-defined structure. Participants should know how to play while still having fun and following the rules.
💡 Creating Clues and Challenges
Toddlers: Simple picture (location)
Younger children: Simple rhymes
Older children: Riddles, puzzles, or map-based clues
Younger children: Include fun facts about Easter in the clues.
Older children: Encourage collaboration through teamwork.
💡Establishing Rules
Set guidelines to ensure all participants have a fair chance.
📌Ensure egg limit per participant
📌Specify the colour of eggs according to age group to avoid confusion
📌Winner selection based on the completion time
Emphasise boundaries and acceptable behaviour during the hunt.
📌No running in restricted areas (roadside)
📌Stay within the hunt location
📌Immediate report of injuries or health issues (like allergies)
💡Incorporating Themes
Choose themes that appeal to the majority of the participants.
Some examples include:
📌Pirates (treasure hunt style)
📌Spring adventure of Easter
📌Jungle fun (if held near parks)
📌Space exploration
📌Favourite cartoons or films
(Eg, Peppa Pig or Zootopia)
Elevate the experience with matching decor and attire.
📌Matching with banners and props
📌Dressing up the children in costumes (Eg, Judy the Fox in Zootopia)
📌Playing the movie's soundtrack to enhance their immersion(sing-along)
🎯Enhancing the Experience
Besides hiding the eggs, you can make the hunt more engaging by adding extra Easter-themed games, prizes, and festive decorations.
🤝 Games and Activities
You can divide the egg hunt location into sections or stations. Every station has games or activities that revolve around eggs.
Station 1
Egg decorating or basket making
Station 2
Official starting point of egg hunting
Station 3
Egg-and-spoon relay races post-hunt
Don't forget to check out the Easter songs that you can play during the hunt or celebration at home.
🏆 Prizes and Awards
While there could be fillings inside the Easter eggs, prizes and awards are something participants look forward to at the end of completing the Easter egg hunts. Some prize ideas include children's books, board games, participation certificates or medals, gift bags, and hampers.
You can designate the awards for different game categories to encourage active engagement, healthy competition, and inclusiveness.
- Award for most eggs found --> Encourage active egg hunt
- Award for fastest egg-spoon player --> Encourage versatility
- Award for best team and team player--> Encourage teamwork
- Award for most creative costume --> Encourage creativity
- Award for the kindest participant --> Encourage kindness
⚠️ Safety and Logistics
Another important aspect that you should plan thoroughly is the overall event safety and logistics arrangement.
🛡️Ensuring Safety
Food safety is one of the main concerns for any Easter egg hunt event, as some participants may have allergy concerns. When it comes to the types of eggs, fillings, or treats during the games, it's best to have clear labels of the ingredients, such as nuts or dairy.
Regardless of the scale of the egg hunt, it's always important for organisers to ensure adult supervision and clear communication throughout the location.
Make sure there are at least two to three adults in different zones and stations. There should also be a regular headcount per team once the participants complete different tasks.
🛡️Managing Logistics
In terms of logistics, here's a checklist that you can refer to while planning the whole event:
🥳 Post-Hunt Activities
You may have noticed that many participants continue to stay and fellowship even after the egg hunt games have concluded.
🍰 Refreshments
Whether it's families within the same residential area or the Sunday School community, you can come out with a few snack selections, from sandwiches, pastries, food platters, juice, coffee, or tea (for adults). 3
For a more comfortable experience while having refreshments, you can prepare some folding chairs or tables near tents or a sheltered rest area. Additionally, you can provide picnic blankets for families to sit together if your egg hunt is held outdoors.
🌷Sharing Memories
One way to encourage family and community memories is to create a simple photo booth with Easter-themed props. This way, everyone would feel excited to take group photos and candid shots. If you have extra budget, you can even hire a photographer to print the photos instantly.
To mark the end of the event, you can also send personalised thank-you notes to the participants for their engagement.
We hope this article has offered you some creative and fun ideas to organise the perfect Easter egg hunt. Feel free to explore the Easter events near you during the festivities.
References
- A History of the Easter Egg Hunt. (2025). English Heritage. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/easter/history-of-the-easter-egg-hunt/
- Gautieri, A., & Thomas, M. (2018, March 22). 65 Best Easter Egg Decorating Ideas for the Whole Family. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/g419/easter-egg-decorating-ideas/
- Mattox, C. (2025, April 10). 19 Perfect Easter Snacks to Keep Everyone Happy. Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g64380309/easter-snack-recipes-ideas/
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