Start new traditions that don’t involve so much chocolate
If you ask most kids the best thing about Easter, they’ll tell you it’s the chocolate. So much chocolate.
And honestly – you can’t blame them.
The moment Christmas is done and dusted, the shelves are cleared, and supermarkets are stocking shelves with Easter eggs. Sure, they start slow, but by this time of the year, they’re everywhere. The local Coles even had bunnies all lines up along the end of each fruit and veggie aisle.
Hmmm, apple or chocolate…
Of course, you’ve always got the option of reducing the amount of chocolate, and many parents now opt for alternatives like books or PJs. You can find cute stories about rabbits, and shops sell PJs with Easter themed bunnies on them.
Or if you’re looking for something totally different, why not have some fun with your kids and start some new traditions with Easter crafts you can all do together?
Here are our top 5 Easter craft ideas your kids will love
1. Paint hard boiled eggs
Boil up some eggs and let them cool down. Grab some paint (watercolours work well and are safe for kids) or permanent markers and let the kids design their masterpieces. You can use them as the centrepiece for your family Easter feast (and eat them too), or you could get them to put names on the eggs (or paint them to resemble family members), so they act as the place setter at your table.
2. Paper plate bunnies
This one is very simple to do and great for younger kids. All you need is some paper plates, coloured paper, pom-poms and pipe cleaners (craft shops usually sell these in packs), googly eyes and some glue. Let the kids choose their favourite colour and using the plate as the base, stick on some ears, a pom-pom nose and pipe cleaner whiskers. Once the glue dries, hang them on their bedroom doors so the Easter bunny can find them. Here’s how the final version of your bunny plate could look.
3. Toilet roll bunnies
Not as funny as they sound, toilet roll bunnies are easy to make. All you need is empty toilet rolls, white paint, coloured paper, pom-poms, pipe cleaners and glue (if you’ve bought a pack, you’ll be able to make a few of these things!). Paint the toilet roll and then attach some ears (using the coloured paper), a pom-pom nose and pipe cleaner whiskers. You may like to paint a name down the bottom and use them as table decorations, or a spot for the Easter Bunny to drop a small egg on top. Here’s how the final version of your toilet roll bunny could look.
4. Easter bonnets
As Easter generally falls in the school holidays, many schools no longer have the old fashioned Easter bonnet parades (remember them!). So why not start one with your family? And if you’re meeting up with your relatives, get them all in on the fun and tell them the winner will get a prize. There are so many ways you can make an Easter bonnet, but here’s a blog from Kidspot with 5 fun ways to create a bonnet that won’t give you craft rage!
5. Easter egg hunt buckets
Kids of all ages love the traditional Easter egg hunt. Even when they’ve woken up to the fact that a rabbit doesn’t really deliver store-bought chocolate eggs, they still love running around like a little kid finding the best hiding spots. That’s where having your own Easter egg hunt bucket comes in handy. Buy a tin bucket and grab some permanent markers. Get them to decorate it and put their name on it. Then on Easter morning, they grab their bucket and go hunting. They can keep their eggs in their bucket and know that’s their personal stash.
But what do you do when you end up with a cupboard full of Easter eggs?
Yes, you can control the amount of chocolate the Easter bunny delivers (and you can also control the type of chocolate it is – carob, normal etc.), but you can’t stop grandma and the relatives all buying them, ‘just one little rabbit’.
Soon your shelves look like Coles supermarket, and if you’re like most people, you eventually throw out the chocolate as you’re all sick of it.
So, here’s a simple recipe that uses up that leftover chocolate and is perfect for school lunchboxes:
The ingenious 3-ingredient Easter egg brownie:
You need, 600g chocolate, 4 eggs and 1 cup of self-raising flour.
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Grease and line a 21cm square cake pan with baking paper.
2. Place 520g chocolate eggs in a food processor and chop. With the motor running, add eggs (1 at a time), whizzing until smooth. Add flour and whiz for 30 seconds or until thickened and combined.
3. Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Break up 40g of the remaining eggs and place them on top of the batter.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle gently wobbles.
5. Cool the brownies in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove and serve with the remaining chocolate eggs. And here are 28 other ideas for leftover Easter egg chocolate from Delicious!
Do you have any other fun activities or chocolate recipes to share?
If you’ve got any other craft or recipes ideas that your family love, please write them here in the comments for our community.
And if you’re struggling to cope with all the activities of the school holidays, perhaps you need to get a Daily Orders board to help you keep track.
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