Tired of the same old egg hunts? This Easter, transform your holiday into a whirlwind of creativity, laughter, and connection—without breaking the bank!
Whether you’re dodging rain showers in Auckland or soaking up spring sunshine, we’ve got 20 unforgettable activities that turn recycled materials, nature treasures, and everyday household items into magical family moments. From brain-teasing missions to glow-in-the-dark adventures, these ideas aren’t just fun—they’re memory-makers in disguise. Ready to hop into a holiday that’s anything but ordinary? Let’s dive in!
20 Creative & Low-Cost Easter Activities
Egg Hunt Twists & Adventures
1. The Easter “Mission Unscramble” Hunt Instead of just finding eggs filled with treats, hide plastic eggs containing puzzle pieces or letters! Each child (or team) needs to find all their designated eggs (maybe colour-coded?). Once they have them all, they race back to a central spot to assemble their puzzle (could be a simple Easter picture you print and cut up) or unscramble the letters to spell out a word (like “BUNNY” or “GARDEN”). The first one to complete their mission wins a small prize, or maybe the unscrambled word reveals the location of a larger shared Easter basket!
- Why it’s cool: Adds a brain-teasing element beyond just searching, encourages teamwork if you do teams, and works perfectly fine scattering eggs inside or outside. Cost is minimal – just eggs, paper/printer, and the final prize/treats.
2. Easter Story Stones & Nature Crafts Gather smooth, flat stones (a walk in the park or beach could be part of the fun!) and some paints or permanent markers. Everyone gets to decorate their stones with Easter symbols (bunnies, chicks, eggs, flowers, carrots, crosses, etc.) or even parts of a story. Once dry, you can take turns drawing stones from a bag and collaboratively telling an Easter story, adding a sentence or two based on the stone you picked. Combine this with collecting natural items (leaves, twigs, petals – free!) to create Easter art collages or nature mandalas on paper plates or cardboard.
- Why it’s cool: It’s hands-on, encourages creativity and storytelling, and connects with nature. You can gather stones/nature items outside and craft/tell stories inside or vice-versa. Costs are just for paints/markers if you don’t already have some.
3. DIY Easter Character Creation Station Move over, Easter Bunny! Set up a table with loads of random craft supplies: cardboard tubes, old socks, scrap fabric, yarn, buttons, pipe cleaners, paper plates, egg cartons, googly eyes, natural bits like pinecones or seed pods, etc. (Raid your recycling and craft box!). The challenge? Invent and build a completely new Easter character! Maybe it’s the “Marshmallow Monster,” the “Rainbow Chick Guardian,” or the “Carrot Delivery Drone.” Kids (and adults!) can create their characters and then maybe put on a little parade or puppet show.
- Why it’s cool: Super imaginative, uses readily available/recycled materials (very low cost!), and lets everyone’s personality shine. It’s pure creative chaos in the best way possible and can be done anywhere you can make a bit of mess!
4. Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt Activate small glow sticks and place them inside plastic eggs, or paint eggs with glow-in-the-dark paint. Hide them around the house with lights dimmed or outside as dusk falls. Provide small torches/flashlights for extra fun if needed.
- Why it’s cool: Creates a magical, exciting atmosphere totally different from a daytime hunt. Super memorable and works in controlled light conditions indoors or during twilight outdoors. Cost is mainly for glow sticks or glow paint.
5. Reverse Egg Hunt The kids get to be the Easter Bunny! Give each child (or team of kids) a set number of eggs to hide within defined boundaries (a room, the garden). The adults then have to search for the eggs, perhaps with kids giving “hot/cold” clues.
- Why it’s cool: Empowers kids by letting them take charge, hilarious fun watching adults search, totally free if you reuse eggs, and works anywhere you set boundaries.
6. Golden Ticket Egg Hunt Among all the regular hidden eggs (filled with small treats or puzzle pieces), hide one special egg – maybe spray-painted gold, decorated uniquely, or noticeably larger. The person who finds this “Golden Ticket” egg wins a slightly bigger prize, a special privilege (like choosing the next game), or bragging rights.
- Why it’s cool: Adds an extra layer of excitement and anticipation to a standard hunt. Creates a fun focal point and a memorable winning moment. Cost is minimal, just requires one distinct egg and a slightly elevated prize.
Creative & Crafty Fun
7. Easter Sock Bunnies Use old (but clean!) socks. Fill the foot part with rice, dried beans, or stuffing. Tie off the ankle tightly with a rubber band or ribbon to form the body. Tie off another section above that for the head. Cut the top cuff part down the middle and shape into ears. Decorate with markers, glued-on buttons for eyes, felt pieces, or yarn whiskers.
- Why it’s cool: Adorable no-sew craft, upcycles old socks, provides a cute keepsake, and is great for fine motor skills. Can be done indoors at a table. Cost is negligible if you have socks and basic craft supplies.
8. Salt Dough Easter Ornaments Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and about ¾ cup of water to form a dough. Roll it out and use Easter-themed cookie cutters. Use a straw to poke a hole at the top for hanging. Bake at a low temperature (around 120°C / 250°F) for 2-3 hours or until hard. Once cool, paint and decorate with glitter, markers, etc.
- Why it’s cool: Simple ingredients, results in durable ornaments kids can keep or gift, allows for lots of painting creativity. Primarily an indoor activity (for baking/decorating). Cost involves basic pantry staples.
9. Egg Carton Critter Creation Cut individual cups or sections from cardboard egg cartons. These form the base bodies for chicks, bunnies, caterpillars, or even little baskets. Provide paint, glue, googly eyes, pipe cleaners (for legs/antennae), feathers, felt scraps, etc., for transforming them into Easter creatures.
- Why it’s cool: Excellent recycling craft, turns ‘junk’ into cute figures, encourages 3D thinking and imagination. Perfect indoor table activity. Cost is minimal, using recycling and basic craft items.
10. Nature’s Egg Dyeing Prepare natural dyes by boiling colourful plant materials in water. Use yellow onion skins (for yellow/orange), chopped beetroot (pink/red), turmeric powder (bright yellow), shredded red cabbage (boil then add vinegar for pink, baking soda for blue/green!), or strong coffee/tea (brown). Strain the dyes, let them cool slightly, then soak hard-boiled eggs until desired colour is reached.
- Why it’s cool: Fascinating science experiment, avoids artificial dyes, creates beautiful, subtle colours, and connects to nature/food. Mostly an indoor activity (kitchen-based). Cost uses common kitchen ingredients.
11. Recycled Easter Bonnet/Mask Parade Set out a ‘creation station’ with bases like paper plates, strips of cardboard, or old cereal boxes, plus decorating materials: newspaper, magazines, scrap fabric, yarn, bottle tops, tape, glue, leaves, twigs. Challenge everyone to design the most creative/silly Easter-themed hat or mask. Hold a parade afterwards to show them off.
- Why it’s cool: Promotes recycling and inventive thinking, results in unique wearable art, and the parade adds a fun performance element. Can be done indoors or outdoors (if not too windy!). Very low cost.
Active & Performance Play
12. Bunny Hop Obstacle Course Design a simple course indoors or out. Examples: lay cushions (‘lily pads’) to jump between, drape a blanket over chairs (‘tunnel’) to crawl through, place hula hoops to hop into, use masking tape lines (‘balance beams’) to walk on. Participants must navigate the course doing bunny hops wherever possible.
- Why it’s cool: Gets kids moving and burning energy, encourages coordination and following instructions, adaptable to any space size. Free if using household items.
13. Easter Freeze Dance Create a playlist of upbeat spring or Easter-related songs. Designate a DJ to randomly stop the music. While the music plays, everyone dances energetically – maybe incorporating specific moves like bunny hops, chick flaps, or lamb frolics. When the music cuts out, everyone must freeze instantly in position. Anyone caught moving is ‘out’ or has to do a funny Easter action (e.g., wiggle their nose like a bunny).
- Why it’s cool: Super simple, high energy, guarantees laughter, requires no props, and works well indoors or outdoors with a portable speaker. Totally free.
14. DIY Easter Photo Booth Hang a colourful sheet, large piece of wrapping paper, or butcher paper (kids can decorate it first) as a backdrop. Create props by cutting shapes from cardboard (bunny ears, carrots, Easter eggs, bow ties, funny glasses, chick beaks) and taping them to sticks or straws. Let everyone pose for silly photos using the props.
- Why it’s cool: Creates fun, lasting photo memories, encourages silliness and performance, props are easy and cheap to make from recycled materials. Best suited for an indoor corner or a sheltered outdoor spot.
Puzzles & Sensory Games
15. Sensory Egg Hunt Fill plastic eggs with various items that engage different senses – squishy playdough, noisy beans, soft cotton balls, textured rice, maybe even something scented like a drop of vanilla on a cotton ball. Kids find the eggs and guess the contents by shaking, feeling, or smelling before opening.
- Why it’s cool: Adds a fun sensory dimension beyond visual searching, great for younger kids too, encourages curiosity, and works indoors or out. Cost is just the egg fillings (often things you already have).
16. Jelly Bean Guesser You’ll need several distinct flavours of jelly beans. Prepare small bowls or bags for each flavour. Blindfold one participant at a time, give them a jelly bean, and have them guess the flavour. Keep score or just play for fun.
- Why it’s cool: Simple sensory game focusing on taste, can be surprisingly tricky and funny, easy to set up anywhere. Cost is just the jelly beans (ensure no allergies!).
17. Pin the Fluffy Tail on the Bunny Draw or print a large picture of a bunny (without its tail!) and tape it to a wall or sturdy board at kid-height. Prepare ‘tails’ using cotton balls with a piece of double-sided tape on the back. Blindfold a player, gently spin them once or twice, and have them try to stick the tail onto the correct spot on the bunny. Use a marker to note where each tail lands.
- Why it’s cool: Classic party game with an Easter twist, always generates giggles, easy to make yourself. Works well indoors or against an outdoor wall/fence. Cost is negligible (paper, cotton balls, tape).
18. Easter-themed “I Spy” Tray Gather a collection of small, interesting items and arrange them closely together on a tray or a defined space on a table/floor. Include several clearly Easter-related objects (e.g., a plastic egg, a tiny chick figure, a small chocolate bunny, a flower). Players take turns being the ‘spy,’ choosing an object and saying, “I spy with my little eye, something…” and giving a clue (e.g., “…that is pink,” “…that is fluffy,” “…that feels smooth,” “…that starts with the letter E”). The others try to guess the object.
- Why it’s cool: Encourages observation skills and descriptive language, can be easily adapted for different age levels by changing object complexity, quiet and engaging. Free if using existing toys/objects. Perfect for indoor or outdoor table play.
19. Build a Bunny Burrow (Fort!) Gather all available fort-building materials: blankets, sheets, pillows, chairs, couch cushions, large cardboard boxes. Work together to construct an amazing den or ‘bunny burrow’. Once built, decorate it with kids’ Easter drawings, paper chains, or safe battery-powered fairy lights. It can become a cosy reading nook or the HQ for other Easter activities.
- Why it’s cool: Collaborative building fun, creates a magical private space for kids, encourages imaginative play within the fort. Primarily an indoor activity, but could be adapted outdoors with trees/structures if weather permits. Free using household items.
20. Easter Seed Planting Collect small containers like yogurt pots, toilet paper tubes (staple one end closed), or eggshells (carefully cracked open near the top). Let kids decorate them with paints or markers. Fill with a little soil or damp cotton wool, then plant fast-germinating seeds like cress, grass seeds, radish, or bean sprouts. Water them.
- Why it’s cool: Hands-on nature activity, teaches kids about growth, provides a living souvenir of Easter that they need to care for. Can be done indoors at a table, then pots placed on a windowsill. Cost involves seeds and soil (or cotton wool).
This Easter, skip the pricey plastic toys and embrace the joy of doing instead of buying. Whether you’re crafting sock bunnies, solving ‘Mission Unscramble’ puzzles, or dancing like nobody’s watching (except maybe the cat), these activities aren’t just fun—they’re tiny time capsules of family joy.
So grab those recycled egg cartons, rally your mini creators, and let the magic unfold. Don’t forget to snap a pic of your DIY masterpieces or glow-in-the-dark chaos—tag us with #ThriftyEasterFun and inspire others to celebrate creatively.
Here’s to an Easter filled with laughter, imagination, and maybe a few jelly bean guessing fails. 🐣✨ Happy making, hunting, and memory-making!
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