Life
With its chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs, who is Easter for, really, if not a toddler? After a long winter trapped indoors, you know they're just dying to gambol in the grass, scavenge for hardboiled eggs, and eat lemon squares on an Easter picnic. And if this is your first Easter with a young child, you're truly in for a treat. Here are six Easter ideas for toddlers, inspired by the very best the internet has to offer, in dozens of perfect pastel shades.
I want to share my very favorite idea for the youngest toddlers with you right up front, because why should you wait? Country Living picked up on this genius, which first appeared in Celebrations At Home. For little ones, tie balloons to the eggs in the yard. The balloons will look great — especially in springy pastels — and as your child goes from balloon to balloon, the eggs will be easier to find. Also, when every egg has a flag, there's no reason to worry about them reaching into toddler-unfriendly spaces (like under the porch, or into the garden shed).
Honestly, almost no matter what you do, your toddler is going to have a blast this weekend. Break out the camera, and get ready for gleeful shrieks and sugar crashes, because this is happening. Happy Easter.
1
Decorate Eggs With Stickers, Markers, & Crayons
There are so many gorgeous Easter egg decorating ideas out there — from gold leaf to acrylics. But you want to make sure your toddler can get in on the action, right? For the youngest ones, What To Expect recommended decorating plain hardboiled eggs with stickers, kid-safe markers, and even crayons. (Crayons, especially, will cut down on the mess factor, noted Babble.) You can do this activity with your child in their high chair to keep things manageable. They're sure to love this time spent crafting with you.
2
Finger-Paint Egg Posters
I love this idea from Playtivities, collected at Hands On As We Grow, because it's exactly the sort of activity that can keep a toddler occupied and focused for 15 or 20 minutes (infinity in toddler time). Of course, you probably want to supervise this closely, especially if your toddler is on the younger side, even with washable, non-toxic paints.
The basic idea is simple: cut out an egg shape from a piece of white poster board, and let you toddler dip their fingers in happy spring colors and finger paint away. If you want, you can hang it up in the window after — they'll love contributing to the holiday decor.
3
Swap Candy For Games & Healthy Snacks
My 16-month-old is young enough that I don't love the idea of her stuffing herself full of Peeps and chocolate. Luckily, you can fill those eggs with something besides sugary treats. Baby Center recommended stickers, Hot Wheels, glow sticks, hair bows, confetti, and more, in a list of over 50. (My favorite suggestion is actually number 51, which is to leave the eggs empty, because, "seriously, your 2- and 3-year-olds won’t even care.") I also love Baby Center's idea of filling those eggs with love notes. What about a thumb-sized photo of family members? My toddler loves those.
4
Make It A Picnic
Instead of keeping your toddler inside for Easter meals, consider making it a picnic if the day is a nice one. I was recently reminded how much my kid craves spending time outdoors, which is something a lot of us lose as adults. For children though, sunshine is magic. Consider packing the Easter basket with cheese, celery sticks, and other snacks. (I'm planning to do this, and to bring some pint-sized Peter Rabbit books outside with us.) And per Country Living, consider packing some brunch-ready, strawberry cocktails for you.
5
Life-Sized Easter Basket
Guys, I'm crazy about this idea. Do you have an inflatable pool? If so, you'd better be planning to make this life-sized Easter basket, featured on Asia Citro's Fun At Home With Kids and collected at Fun-A-Day. Buy a bunch of bags of shredded paper or Easter grass, fill the tub with the shreds, and let your toddler fish for toys and eggs.
I actually don't have an inflatable pool, but I'm thinking of getting one, literally just for this.
6
The Great Toddler Egg-Roll
Busy Toddler and Toddler Approved collaborated on this amazing activity: a toddler egg-roll! Grab a big cardboard box and cut out, and append, a cardboard ramp or two. Show your toddler how to roll the eggs down the slide, and away you go.
Another fantastic choice in the Busy Toddler series, probably for slightly older toddlers, is to roll Easter eggs in paint and send them knocking in a plastic bin lined with paper. It's insta-art.
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