We know it barely feels like the children went back to school, and already they are home for the Easter break! At this point, you may have exhausted all of your creativity trying to think of ways to entertain the kids and make learning from home fun. So, with Easter on the doorstep, are there any fun activities for kids left? We’ve put together a few simple and cheap ideas because we know that money is quite tight right now. Remember, your kids’ imagination is wild so what may seem simple to you can be a world of adventure for them!

Bunny Bunting

First on the list is a really easy Easter decoration which should keep your children busy for a while. You will need:

  • Paper
  • Scissors
  • String
  • Pens, pencils, crayons – whatever colouring utensils your children have

Simply draw the rough outline of a bunny face and ears on your paper and cut them out for your kids to colour in. You’ll make more if you fold a sheet of A4 in half and remind your kids to colour both sides! They can enjoy decorating some fun Easter bunting and you don’t need to go out and buy anything new. Once they’ve finished, either use a holepunch or your scissors to make a hole at either side of the bunny’s face and thread the string through.

You can make this even simpler by cutting out an egg shape rather than a bunny, or maybe a carrot! When you take the decorations down, remember to recycle the paper! Arts and crafts are such an easy way to keep your children occupied and (hopefully!) peaceful while you work from home or catch up on housework.

Easter Egg Hunt

You may have already rolled your eyes, but Easter egg hunts are so much fun for children (and even young teens!). Even if you have a small outside space, you can still create a great treasure hunt for Easter eggs. Get creative with hiding spaces – under buckets, in trees or even just scattered on the grass. You can buy bunches of individually wrapped mini chocolate eggs for 50p or £1 in most supermarkets. And as we can’t yet mix with friends and family, one or two bunches should keep your kids hunting around for ages! If you don’t have an outside space, you can still create an Easter egg hunt indoors – you may even find there are many more hiding places than in a garden. Just remember where you’ve put them, so you don’t find melted chocolate down the back of the sofa at the end of the weekend! Activities like this are not only fun, but also keep your children active. If nothing else, it should tire them out a little and keep them from bouncing off the walls all evening.

Easter Biscuits

Maybe you jumped on the banana bread bandwagon in the first lockdown (or the second, or the third…) or maybe you avoid baking altogether: either way, Easter biscuits are an easy and festive bake. Plus, as a plain biscuit, your kids can have fun decorating them to their heart’s content.

This 5-step Easter biscuit recipe from BBC Good Food is sure to get your tummies rumbling and doesn’t include the traditional spices so they should be a crowd pleaser. You might find you have all the ingredients already, but if not, as a fairly basic recipe the ingredients shouldn’t be too expensive to buy. This recipe makes 18 biscuits, so you could double-up and deliver some lovingly made and decorated biscuits to family, or half the recipe if you’re not a fan of the sugary treats.

Self-Care this Easter

Sometimes it can be hard work keeping your children occupied and entertained all day. After all, that’s what school is for. And after such a long year of lockdowns and restrictions, you’re at no fault for feeling drained or uninspired – and no one is judging you if you just stick the telly on and let your kids watch cartoons for a few hours! Most children’s shows are educational these days anyway, so they might learn something as well. Ultimately, looking after your children, running a household and working is difficult, so remember that you deserve a break too. It shouldn’t be too long until we are back to normal, and you can go out for the day or share childcare with friends and family.

When you get the chance, take a moment to recharge and remind yourself that you’re doing a great job. Share the responsibilities with a partner, if you have one, or someone in your support bubble. Otherwise, try and have a catch up with close friends or relatives to vent about your stresses and have a little giggle. Mental health is more important than ever right now and even just a chat with a friendly face can improve your mood. Stay positive, where possible, and remember that by next Easter, this should all be a thing of the past!