Easter plays a pivotal role in the calendar of early years events; alongside other holidays such as Ramadan and many more, it marks a monumental step into a well celebrated season.
Although Spring officially arrived at our doorsteps a couple of weeks ago (March 20th), for many people, the Easter holidays often signifies the start of this highly anticipated season. The dark nights seem to fade in the blink of an eye, the weather gets a little brighter and warmer, and we all feel a little happier.
You can explore the outdoors all year round but something about Spring makes the days just that little bit more magical. It’s a wonderful time to nurture curiosity in young children and there’s so much to be curious about, whether that be trying to catch the flying insects that float around them or gazing at the speed at which the clouds above move.
Easter is crackin’ good fun.
Easter is celebrated as a religious holiday however it can also be fun! In early years, celebrations can be interpreted however you wish and be made inclusive!
Easter can be both a useful event for learning, fun and development – isn’t that great?
Here at Millhouse, we’ve got a few creative Easter ideas to help promote physical development, messy/creative play, understanding the world and more!
Okay, let’s start with most obvious one… The famous Easter Egg Hunt!
This is an all-time favourite that cleverly combines messy and creative play with active play – all in one amazingly fun activity.
Step 1 - Set out an area for painting and decorating some eggs and encourage the children to paint them how they like – let them get messy!
Step 2 -Collect all the eggs and hide them around your outdoor space, along with some chocolate goodies (if the weather is changeable, this is just as fun indoors).
Step 3 -Now let them search for their own egg. The excitement on their faces when they find it, is precious.
Promotes: Active Play & Physical Development, Social Development, Expressive Arts & design, Collaboration & Communication and Curiosity.
Easter Play Tray Time.
Now this one is fairly simple and takes little preparation time.
Simply create an Easter themed activity play tray. You can include small craft chicks, some natural resources from your garden e.g., leaves, grass, cones or petals etc. and hide mini chocolate eggs as a little treat for the children to find. Why not use plastic tweezers to introduce some additional fine motor skills fun!
Alternatively, you can use the play tray as the decorating station for egg painting – most play trays are super easy to clean, so you can restore them to their natural state in preparation for future tasks! Check out the Millhouse indoor and outdoor play tray activity tables here.
Promotes: Expressive Arts & Design – Messy Play, Sensory Development, Exploration, Curiosity.
DR034-Outdoor Play Tray Activity Table (Toddler)
PT1097- Play Tray Activity Table (Toddler)
An Egg and Spoon Race
Incorporate some active play into Easter activities with an EGGcellent egg and spoon race.
Use the children’s hand decorated eggs (or hard-boiled eggs if you prefer) and some wooden cooking spoons for your race. To make it even more EGGciting, why not set out an obstacle course to help develop balance and coordination skills.
Promotes: Physical Development – Balance, Coordination and Agility
After all that hard work, surely some well-deserved downtime is required. Why not find a cosy spot and engage the children in an Easter story?
Taking part in Easter activities is not only a fun way to make the most of learning and development in early years but encouraging children to expand their understanding of celebrations, cultures and changing seasons. Put more simply – Understanding the World.