Here are some tips to help simplify your backyard Easter Egg Hunt!

Have the kids decorate their own baskets for the Easter Egg Hunt. 

Don’t feel like this has to be a Pinterest worthy craft unless that’s something you would enjoy. Personally, I find the simpler the better, especially for the little ones. Turn paper grocery bags inside out, cut out handles, and put Easter grass, markers, crayons, and stickers out for the kids to use to decorate their “baskets.”

Color code the plastic eggs – either by child or by age group.  

When my girls were three, we had an egg hunt on Easter Sunday with just the two of them. E was an egg finding machine. G would find an egg, stare at it, point to it, but for whatever reason, not pick it up. Eventually E would pick it up and G would cry. After that year, we used only two colors of plastic eggs – blue for E and green for G.  That way G could linger forever over “her” green eggs knowing that they were safe. This system also works well if you have a larger mixed age group. Use one color for each age group. Before the hunt, explain to each child which is his or her group’s color. That way the little ones have a fighting chance to find their fair share of the eggs and everyone has fun!

Don’t hide real dyed eggs unless you make note of where you hid them.

As the weather gets warmer, it won’t be fun to stumble across the eggs that the kids didn’t find. ‘Nuff said.

We live in Florida, the Sunshine State, where chocolate melts even in the shade.

I remember the disaster Easter Egg Hunt of 2009. We filled and hid plastic eggs containing chocolate candy. Even though the hunt was finished well before noon, the chocolate was a squishy liquidy mess, and the kids (and parents) were none too happy.

If you decide to hide chocolate candy, consider freezing it the night before, so that it has a chance to withstand the Florida heat!

Fill plastic eggs with small toys.

The kids will love finding containers of mini play doh, rubber duckies, or just about any other Easter toy inside their eggs. Check out the Dollar Store, Oriental Trading, or Party City for inexpensive treasures.

Fill plastic eggs with coins or dollar bills.

The older kids will really love finding those eggs!

Hide a few golden eggs that can be traded for prizes at the end of the hunt.

Let those finding golden eggs trade them for bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Easter coloring books, packs of crayons, plush toys, or small games.  It’s best to have a golden egg for each child and instruct the “hunters” that they can only redeem one.

Happy Easter!