7 Easter Games for Kids

Fun Easter games to play this spring

Easter is all about family time and what better way to spend it than playing some classic Easter games? From egg hunts, races, rolling and dancing to sack races and pin-the-tail-on-the-bunny, we’ve got everything you need to host an Easter to remember.

We recommend using wooden eggs (available online) rather than real ones as they’re more sustainable – and once painted, can double up as decorations and used year after year!

A quick safety tip from the Easter bunny! As fun as these festive activities are, always keep the children’s safety in mind. Avoid rough play, ensure running and hopping surfaces are grassy and level and no overhand throwing in the egg toss! Let’s keep it all fun and games with adequate adult supervision. Now let’s hop in and let’s get cracking on your most egg-citing Easter ever!

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1. Easter egg hunt

Want to get the kids away from a screen without a second thought? An Easter egg hunt is one of those rare opportunities. Whatever the setting, the sheer hide-and-seek excitement of uncovering or spying a hidden egg is the stuff that memories are made of – and each family has their own way of doing it.

Perhaps the Easter bunny visits in the early hours, carefully ‘scattering’ and hiding edible treasure all over the garden – so that the kids spring out of bed and pull on their dressing gowns, not unlike Christmas morning?

Or maybe there’s an element of map-reading and clue following, which challenges older (and grown-up) kids to earn their Easter hoard? Whether you want to keep it within your own family or team up with friends for a bigger event, our guide to How to Plan an Easter Egg Hunt has all the information you need to plan an unforgettable hunt.

How to play

The Easter egg hunt can be as simple or as challenging as you want to make it, but essentially either yourself or the Easter bunny hides a variety of chocolate Easter eggs either outside or indoors, for your participants to find. Keep an eye on the weather just in case of rain. No one wants to find a ruined soggy chocolate egg!

You will need

Easter eggs (either chocolate or refillable eggs containing sweets or other treats), perhaps some paper clues or a map if you want to include them, baskets or buckets for each participant and a dash of imagination!

Rules

These are up to you, but for fairness you can suggest everyone empties their spoils into a communal basket and shares equally. Or you can colour-code the treasures according to ages.

Overhead shot of a basket of pastel-coloured Easter Eggs in the grass

2. Easter egg-and-spoon race

Who can forget the egg-and-spoon race at your school sports days? Here is an Easter game that shows no sign of slowing down, ever since it was first recorded at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897! But there’s no need to wait until the last days of the summer term – it’s a perfect Easter game that both adults and children will love competing in. All you need is an outdoor space such as your local park, the right equipment and some willing participants.

How to play

All you need to do is balance a wooden egg on a spoon and walk or run as steadily as possible to the finish line without dropping the egg. When you drop the egg (and you will), you simply stop, put it back on the spoon and carry on.

You will need

A selection of wooden eggs, dessert spoons that have an equal depth of ‘scoop’ and possibly a whistle, if you’re going to get all serious about refereeing. Check the lawn or running surface before the game begins for any hidden holes or potential hazards.

Rules

The eggs must sit independently inside the spoons – fingers and thumbs are not allowed to make contact! When the egg is dropped, participants must stop completely until the egg's back on the spoon. For an extra challenge, try the race as a relay where the egg gets passed from person to person at different stages of the course. Or, for an extra challenge, why not add some obstacles to get over or under?

3. Easter egg rolling

If you happen to be in Preston, Lancashire on Easter Monday, you’ll get to see one of the whackiest Easter games around being celebrated as people come together to roll decorated hard-boiled eggs down the sloping lawns of Avenham and Miller Parks. But if you fancy joining in, there’s no need to travel to the North-East – just get your gang together and head to the nearest park with a hill!

How to play

Decorate your eggs in advance. You could even paint them as characters like Easter chicks or give them cheeky clown faces. Make sure you mark your name on them. Find a nicely mown sloping lawn, create a finish line at the bottom using two markers such as twigs or flags, and line your eggs up at the top. Gently roll the eggs down the hill!

You will need

Decorated wooden eggs and something to mark the finish line.

Rules

The first to cross the line wins, but you could also have categories for Best Design!

4. Easter bunny tag

For a quick, easy and always fun game that requires no equipment, you can’t go wrong with Easter bunny tag. It’s ideal for a mid-morning activity to burn off some of the excitement from the Easter egg hunt. Simply round up the kids, explain the rules and let the bouncy fun begin.

How to play

Grab 2-8 bouncing players and give them a wide-open space. A garden or park with grass is best in case of any tumbles. Assign 1-2 taggers and let the game begin! Unlike traditional tag, no running is allowed in bunny tag. Players must hop or be disqualified for the round.

You will need

A garden or local park, a few Smarties® or Milkybar® Mini Eggs for prizes, and bunny ears are optional but encouraged!

Rules

All players must hop! Once a player is tagged, they are out of the game. The last player standing wins a mini egg!

A group of mixed ages lined up on grassland in hessian sacks waiting to play Easter Bunny Hop Race.

5. Easter hop sack race

Another throw-back to school Sports Day that really should belong to the Easter bunny – it’s the Easter hop sack race! This is a marvellous leveller between adults and children, as kids are naturally at an advantage when holding up the sacks due to their height. Don bunny ears or sew on a cotton ball onto the sack as a tail if you want to make it themed!

How to play

Line up and step into your brown hessian sack. When the race starts, all you have to do is hop to the finish line first! We always recommend racing on a grassy surface to avoid potential bumps and scrapes.

You will need

Brown hessian sacks, the type for storing potatoes in. They are available online.

Rules

The first to cross the finish line wins! But for adults, you could also have Most Dignified and Most Committed categories as a little joke.

6. Pin the tail on the bunny

Perfect for either indoor or outdoor events, pin the tail on the bunny never disappoints. Test the kids’ spatial awareness and see if they can be the one to get closest to the target without seeing it! Draw your own bunny on a sheet of A3 or A2 paper, or the side of a large cardboard box, and cut out a cloud-shaped bunny tail.

How to play

Set your bunny up against a wall, and mark a line on the ground using chalk (or twigs) about 50cm away from it. The participant puts on a blindfold, takes the bunny tail and is gently spun around once until they’ve gone 360° but are facing the picture.

They then step forward and have a go at pinning the tail. When they’ve finished, the blindfold is removed and you make a mark where they pinned it. When everyone’s had a go, the person who pinned it closest to the right position is the winner! Have a parent on guard to catch any wayward players in case of a tumble as they stumble up to the poster.

You will need

A piece of A3 or A2 paper, plus a smaller sheet for the tail, a pair of scissors, pens, a wall and some sticky tack.

Rules

The only rule really is that the participant cannot see the board and doesn’t feel around on it too much to see where the holes are from previous attempts!

7. Guess how many

Another great leveller for adults and children alike, the guess-how-many game is another great Easter party game that’s not weather dependent. Fill a jar, or make an Easter Sweet Cone with a variety of chewy and colourful sweets and invite the kids to guess how many items are in the container. The prize? The cone, of course!

How to play

Create your jar or cone of sweet treats, counting as you add each one. Have it ready before the party and invite your guests to guess how many sweets it contains. Once everyone’s had a go, the closest one wins!

You will need

A clean, see-through receptacle or a cone and a range of tasty chewy sweets.

Rules

One guess per person. Write these down as they come in so there can be no arguments afterwards!

Top tip: While it may sound obvious, it's surprising how many a 'guess how many' game has been foiled by the organiser not counting the sweets as they put them in. Don’t get so carried away with the pretty layers of sweets that you forget this important step.

A woman holding a basket of pastel-coloured decorative eggs

Easter baking for kids

If you prefer your eggs cracked into a bowl with flour, sugar, spice and a pinch of all things Nestlé nice, read our Easter Baking for Kids article.

Easter FAQs

Why do we eat eggs at Easter?

Eggs have long been a symbol of new life and rebirth, which makes them a perfect fit for Easter and spring celebrations. In the past, people often gave decorated hen’s eggs as gifts. Today, the tradition has evolved into delicious chocolate eggs and sweets.

Why do we eat chocolate at Easter?

The custom of giving hollow chocolate eggs started in the 19th century. French and German chocolatiers created them as a treat to mark Easter. In 1873, British company J.S. Fry & Sons introduced the hollow chocolate egg to the UK.

Why does Easter change every year?

Easter’s date is based on the lunar calendar. It falls on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. This is why it can be celebrated any time between late March and late April.

Is the Easter bunny real?

To answer this question, we must first look at the evidence. Every Easter, eggs are mysteriously hidden by parents, teachers… and someone else, whom can't be identified. There is anecdotal evidence of rabbit footprints found in homes and gardens around Easter time, and occasional sightings of a single fluffy white tail disappearing around a corner.

Do you believe in the Easter Bunny? We certainly do!

Why do we celebrate Easter?

Easter is a Christian tradition that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, although its origins are thought by some to go further back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon festival honouring the goddess of spring, Eostre.

Let the Easter games begin

With our handy list of Easter games, you’ll all set to host a cracking day of fun-filled activities. Keep a few extra chocolate eggs like our Aero®, Milkybar®, Smarties®, After Eight® or KitKat® Mini Eggs on hand for winners on the day! For more fun, activities and recipes for all occasions, sign up for our monthly newsletter.