How To Enjoy Easter (Even If It’s a Bit Wet!)
We all know by now in the UK that if you want a bit of rain, make sure you choose to do something outside on a Bank Holiday weekend! The other rule of thumb is, if the kids are off school for a holiday before the summer, expect some rain. Well, we’ve checked the weather for the Easter holidays, and let’s just say…it’s not looking fab. This year, even Cornwall was snowed in, which never happens here! So we’ve got quite good at finding things to do in inclement weather, be that making massive snow armies or throwing the biggest snowball. However, the rain is a different matter entirely. Whilst we’ll be crossing everything that the sun does make an appearance, we thought it would be only fair to give you some ideas for your Easter holidays.
Some people may celebrate the Easter in the Christian sense of the word, and may go to church to talk about Easter and learn about what it means to Christians. Some people may not celebrate any religious festival at all this time of the year, but want to enjoy two weeks off school eating chocolate (in moderation, of course!). Others may just have two weeks off and bored children! Whatever you’re doing, hopefully we can give you some fun ideas. If you don’t celebrate Easter, perhaps you can use some of these activities to teach your kids, or the kids in your care, what the celebration of Easter is about, and why some people do celebrate it. Are there any other Spring festivals you can teach your children about? Perhaps you can find out more about the Spring equinox, and what other types of equinox are celebrated. Quite a few faiths celebrate their New Year around March when Spring starts, can you find out which ones they are? Perhaps you can draw some pictures or paint some cardboard images that represent those festivals. One of the biggest festivals to take place at this time of year is the Jewish festival of Passover; if you aren’t marking this time already perhaps you could teach your children, or those in your care, about Passover and what it means to people around the world. Any of these ideas can be incorporated into the tips we’ve set out below, or you could just do them because they’re fun!
Paint Eggs
Spring is undeniably linked with fresh starts, baby animals and, for many, Easter eggs. If you want to decorate your home for Easter, or to represent the beginning of new life, how about painting some eggs? You can use this really useful step-by-step guide about how to empty eggs, or “blow” an egg, which we found; just click here to read. Once the egg has been blown, you can then bake it, as the article says, and paint it however you like. Maybe you could have an egg painting competition? Who can paint the most colourful egg, or who can paint the most Spring-like scene! Whatever you do, make sure there’s always an adult supervising and that the paints are washable and non-toxic.
Make a Springtime Hat
You may not have a lot of straw hats in your house, but you can decorate whatever hat you like (as long as the parent or carer agrees!) or even make your own! There’s usually an old cereal box in the recycling, or a couple of boxes that can be cut up to fit onto your heads. When you’ve made the general hat shape (remember, as long as it fits on your head that’s a hat!) you can then decorate it with lots of flowers, or painted eggs (see above!), maybe grass, or images you’ve made out of paper or card. In the spirit of new beginnings, how about trying it without using any plastic? Prit-Stick can work well to stick things on, or use garden twine. Make sure that an adult is always around for this one, especially if scissors and glue are being used. This is the kind of activity that can take up an afternoon, as it can be as intricate or simple as you want it to be, and you can make as many hats as you have materials for. Perhaps at the end you can have a big Spring hat fashion show!
Draw Springtime Characters
Even if you aren’t naturally gifted in the art of drawing, you can still draw or colour-in characters that make you think of the Spring. How about a fluffy chick, to represent the beginnings that Spring offers? Or a really fluffy lamb – you could even do a 3D picture with cotton wool and glue! Perhaps you live by the seaside, and you can collect sand or pebbles to make a textured picture, or you live in a city and can draw people enjoying the Spring where you live. Everyone has a different way of looking at this lovely, hopeful time of year, so you don’t even need to make it animal related. How about drawing or painting the colours of Spring, or how it makes you feel? Perhaps you could look at painting all four seasons, or something that you enjoyed learning about Passover or Easter. Either way, adults should always be nearby when paints come out, and if you can find old clothes to wear then whoever gets to clean up at the end will thank you!
Write a Story About Your Favourite Spring Festival
Perhaps you were captured by the different stories of Easter, or you love the idea of celebrating a new year in Spring. Think of a character that may have been around to see the story you like, or could participate in the changing of the seasons. What would a songbird, quiet for so many months, make of the sun on their feathers again? What do you think the chilly fish in the river think of the warm sun and splashing people who come to cool off in their stream? Maybe you want to tell a story from the point of view of someone who met Jesus, or participates in Passover. There are so many stories that can be written about the Spring, and if you’re super smart you could even draw pictures to illustrate your story.
Make a Treasure/Egg Hunt
This is definitely the most fun option, especially if your family has Easter eggs! The possibilities for a fun hunt are endless, although all good treasure hunts start with a map! Maybe the hunt is in your garden, or you all decide to go to the park, or the beach. Make sure nobody peeks when the people getting the hunt ready are setting up, and make sure everybody has a good pirate hat (all the better to search for treasure with!) or a really bright Easter hat. Maybe you have already made your best treasure hunt hat in anticipation. Whatever you do to help you find the treasure, make sure you have a bucket or basket to collect your haul in, be fair (if you find it all you do have to share!) and make sure you don’t eat it all in one day! If it rains? Well, you’ll just have to do it inside. No problem!
