Here’s something fun: my boys, ages 12 and almost-14, still love to do an Easter egg hunt. Isn’t that awesome? They eagerly wake up on Easter Sunday morning, scurry from their bedroom into the upstairs hallway and search for the note containing the words of the first clue.
Yep, our hunts come with clues and are done scavenger-style instead of a straight up search for foil-covered eggs. Mostly, it’s because one of the hunters stands at a towering 6’ tall, and placing the tiny eggs on a window ledge poses no challenge to him whatsoever. So a few years ago I devised the Easter egg scavenger hunt, and I’m not going to lie, they love it. In fact, it’s one of their favourite things about Easter weekend, more so than the treats that they find at the end of game.
Here’s how it works: when the boys walk out of their bedroom and into the hallway they’re greeted with the first clue. I write them on brightly-coloured sticky notes because it’s much easier than using ordinary paper and tape. In other words, I’m too lazy for that method. The first clue is typically stuck on a wall or shelf, alongside two foil-wrapped eggs. The kids each claim a treat and take off in search of the next clue, where they will find two more eggs and another note.
The game carries on for 20-30 minutes, as the boys run around in search of the next clue. I try to make it more and more challenging each year, and some hints will make them think harder than others. For example, one note might say “shotgun!” which will hopefully direct them outside to the car since that’s what they say when they try to snag the front seat. We do have two vehicles so it takes some figuring out to determine which one contains the next clue and where it is (under the front passenger seat is a good place to tuck it), but that’s all part of the fun. Others might be more direct and say something like “Your next clue can be found where mom keeps the cheese” (a basket or drawer inside the fridge) or “If you are a living room dust bunny you might live here” (the answer is under the sofa).
The very last clue will direct the boys to a gift. Usually it’s more chocolate and something fun for outside, but it’s also been books and iTunes gift cards; it really just depends on the year. But along the way, they’ve collected their eggs – plain foil-wrapped, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and my personal favourite, Cadbury Mini Eggs - which is ultimately the point of the whole game.
Our scavenger-style of Easter egg hunting is a hit with the boys, and I’m glad. It can be tough to transition from kid to tween/teen and it often feels like you’re missing out on the fun that you once associated with certain special occasions. I’m not sure they’ll want to continue the game when they’re in high school, but last week they asked if they get to do it again this year, so for now it’s on. If you’re kids are younger than mine and are still into a traditional hunt, here are some good ideas for planning the perfect Easter egg search (also, how cute are these signs?).
Cadbury recently released some facts about Easter chocolate that I thought you would find interesting:
- The first Cadbury Easter Egg was made in England in 1875, and the first Cadbury Creme Egg started to appear in 1923.
- Canada’s Cadbury Creme Eggs are produced at the Cadbury factory on Gladstone Avenue in Toronto, ON.
- Over 22 million Cadbury Creme and Caramilk eggs are sold every year in Canada.
- Of all the provinces in Canada, Ontario buys the most Cadbury Creme Eggs.
- Over 750 million Cadbury Mini Eggs are sold in Canada each year.
I’m curious: does your family do an Easter egg hunt? Where do you do it? Do you hunt for just one type of egg, or an assortment of different kinds? Do you do it inside or outdoors? Let’s chat!
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This post was generously sponsored by Cadbury Creme Eggs, but the opinions and images are my own. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/CadburyCremeEggCanada
I'm just might borrow this for my boys! Happy Easter, Jan.
Posted by: Aimee @ Simple Bites | 04/19/2014 at 07:49 AM