Making memorable Easter magic is easy with a little planning and creativity. To help you create a premium Easter experience, we’ve compiled a few ideas that put an elevated spins on fun Easter traditions and crafts with your family.
Easter Trees
Looking for a new tradition that you can build on, year after year? Dallas’ favorite party maven, Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, introduced the idea of these dazzling Easter trees in her book, A Loving Table, and they have grown into a cherished tradition as she adds eggs each year.
“The first eggs I received were a gift when we hosted one of our annual Easter egg hunts,” she recalls to DFWChild. “I then found some on a special trip and brought them home. My collection continues to grow, and we love pulling them out every year.”
Easter Baskets
Start preparing for Easter with the basket. If you are looking for move away from Target Dollar Spot fare, consider adding some beyond-Easter seasonal fun to your baskets. Nestling bubbles and sidewalk chalk amongst the Cadbury eggs, or consider a fun pool float, sunblock and a beach towel. Gardening supplies are always a fun favorite, and a colorful umbrella and a pain of galoshes are a gift that can see them through the rainy spring months.
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Debbie Sanders, owner of The Toy Tree toy store in Plano, makes custom Easter baskets ranging from the classic to the lavish. Her advice for the perfect basket? “Great sensory items, things they can touch and feel,” she explains, and get creative to break up monotony. “I love using baskets that can be used again [for something else] like overnight bags, trash cans or little purses. Practical is key!”
Papier-Mâché Eggs
There is a reason papier-mâché is just as popular now as it was when you were a kid. It’s an inexpensive and almost foolproof craft that kids love. Making oversized papier-mâché eggs for your Easter decorations or table setting is a snap.
1. Blow up a few balloons to the desired size of your eggs.
2. Let your kids shred up newspaper into palm-size pieces.
3. Mix together a 1/2 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup Elmer’s glue and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Dunk the strips in the flour mixture and layer them over the balloon, completely covering the balloon with two layers of paper.
5. Let it dry overnight and then paint or decorate your eggs however your kids would like.
Shaving Cream Egg Dyeing
We all know and love the perennial favorite PAAS egg dye, but if you forgot to pick a dye kit at the store or just want to elevate your egg dyeing, try this easy tie-dye method with shaving cream:
1. Boil your eggs
2. Soak cooled eggs in vinegar for 20–30 minutes.
3. Spread some shaving cream (the cheaper the better) in a bowl.
4. Add 2–3 drops of food coloring to the shaving cream.
5. Lightly stir with a spoon, then coat your egg completely with the dye.
6. Let the coated eggs sit on a piece of parchment or foil for an hour or more.
7. Rinse—and behold, you have the best looking eggs on the block.
Confetti Egg Fight
Confetti eggs have been popping up all over North Texas for the last few years. Arlington mom Carey Adams says her family buys dozens of them and has a full-blown Easter egg fight with them, similar to a snowball fight. This is a fun tradition for families of older children or teens who need a little more excitement than the typical egg hunt.
Easter Bunny Photos
Getting a photo with the Easter Bunny is still a favorite tradition for many families, and a great way to get a little more mileage out of those Easter outfits. Luckily, Dallas-Fort Worth has many great photo opportunities to get a photo for your little ones. To ease any pre-bunny anxiety, prepare them with what to expect. You might even read some fun books like The Easter Bunny is Coming to Texas or How to Catch the Easter Bunny from the series by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton.
Egg Hunts
Of course, Easter would not feel complete without an egg hunt. For some families, everyone wins with plastic eggs stuffed with treats, while others prefer the more competitive “prize egg” or “golden egg” hunt, with the winner taking home a single, coveted prize for finding the designated egg. To add a fun spin for school-age children, try a flashlight easter egg hunt when it gets dark, or a scavenger-style hunt with each egg containing a clue. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite egg hunt events here, and you can find egg hunt events and more Easter festivals near you by searching our calendar.
Now that you have a plan, spring into action and make this the best Easter yet.
Top photo by John Cain Photography, courtesy of Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, from her book The Loving Table.
