Easter looks different this year. It isn’t what any of us planned on, but it’s what we are stuck with. So how can we make the best of it? How can we make Easter special for our family, while stuck at home? Here are 12 ideas.
1. Stick with Tradition.
We can help our kids find joy by doing what we normally do every year. Decorate eggs, have an Easter egg hunt in your yard, make a special lunch, whatever it is your family does every year.
2. Start a New Tradition.
This year, since we couldn’t do our Easter egg hunt at church, we decided to take Easter to our church families. We made twenty baskets, loaded our family into the van, and drove around delivering Easter baskets to our church families. We had such a good time, this may become a yearly tradition.
3. FaceTime Family or Friends for an Easter Egg Hunt
Do an egg hunt in your backyard, but FaceTime family members or friends to watch so they can be a part of it. Or change it up for fun. Let your kids hide some eggs and see if their Grandparents or another family member or friend can “find” them by watching from the phone.
4. Make an Easter Candy Trail
Every year, we make candy trails for our kids to follow to find their Easter basket. We make four trails of candy. Each child follows their trail, picking up the candy as they go. At the end of their trail, they find their Easter basket.
5. Easter Basket Ideas for Kids
This is what we are putting in our kids’ baskets this year. It’s different every year. This is all stuff I got from Dollar Tree, except for the books.
- Flip flops
- Sunglasses
- Candy
- Notepad or journal
- Egg-shaped sidewalk chalk
- Stamps
- Football for Malachi
- Hula Hoops for the girls (those obviously don’t fit in their baskets)
- Books: I ordered a book from Amazon for Madison and Malachi and princess sticker books for Macey and Maggie
You can also create a Kids’ Devotional Basket for your kids. We did this two years ago for Easter.
6. Make an Easter Basket for Your Spouse
Parents usually get overlooked at Easter. This year, do something different. Make an Easter basket for your spouse. This is what I am putting in Matt’s Easter basket this year.
- Snickers eggs
- Beef jerky
- Pair of sunglasses
- A container of Mentos gum
- A book I ordered on Amazon
- Other ideas: coffee, summer sausage, a block of cheese, hot sauce, coffee mug or travel mug, pens
7. Easter Crafts
Dollar tree has lots of great kits this year for Easter. I snagged egg decorating kits and paint kits. Another easy idea is to get sponges from the dollar store and cut them into the shape of eggs. Kids can use these to sponge paint eggs on paper.
8. Listen to an Audiobook
While my kids painted and decorated eggs, they listened to The Tales of Beatrix Potter. I bought the audio version on Amazon. The first tale is Peter Rabbit. My kids had fun listening while painting, and it kept them from fighting with each other instead.
9. Watch an Easter Movie as a Family
Some families watch The Passion of the Christ; others watch Peter Rabbit. You choose what works for your family. A movie night is always special, especially when you add popcorn.
10. Make a Special Meal
Whether it’s brunch, lunch, or dinner, plan a special meal on Easter. Set a nice table. You can do that with a colored table cloth, Easter paper plates, napkins, and cups. Or put out your fine china- whatever works for you. Make something delicious that will bring the entire family together.
- Cheesy hashbrown casserole. This is the recipe I use except I don’t put in the cornflakes and I use onion powder instead of chopped onions.
- Coffee Cake. This is the recipe my mom has used for years and passed on to me. Now I make it all the time for my family.
- Cinnamon rolls. Feeling really ambitious? Try this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. They take a little bit of time, but they are worth it. I make these each year at Christmas.
- Make a ham and use this yummy ham glaze. I’ve used this glaze in years past.
- Melt some chocolate chips and dip strawberries and bananas. My kids love doing this!
11. Listen to Worship Music
Even though we can’t be at church, we can still worship together as a family. Spend time listening to uplifting worship songs as a family sometime this weekend. Here are some of our favorite Easter songs.
- Glorious Day by Casting Crowns
- The Power of the Cross by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend
- Resurrection Hymn by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend
- Because He Lives by Matt Maher
- Jesus Saves by James Cottrell (This one is covered by the Steve Petitt Evangelistic Team)
- At the Cross by Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Matt Armstrong
12. Do an Easter Devotional Together
My husband, Matt, has written a 30-Day Easter devotional, called Six Days to Sunday. Each day’s reading starts with a fun Easter story and ends with a detailed look at the Easter story. This book is perfect for reading with your kids. You can buy and download the kindle version and have it available right away.
Remember What’s Most Important
Hopefully, this list of ideas will get you started thinking about what you can do to make Easter special. Just remember, making Easter special for your family isn’t about all the stuff you do, it’s about spending quality time together as a family and celebrating Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us. If you remember those two things, your Easter will be perfect.
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