The Easter Scavenger Hunt

The end of another successful Easter Scavenger Hunt

As we usher in the month of March, our thoughts are turned towards spring and with it, the Easter season. Like so many families, holidays hold a special place in our home. However, there seems to be a different level of planning and

preparation that goes into religious holidays, such as Easter and Christmas. Early on, my husband and I wanted to make sure our children understood the reasons we celebrate these holidays and what makes them so special, beyond the gifts and goodies. Rather than merely focusing on store bought traditions, we opted for home-crafted traditions, bridging the gap between spiritual and fun. With this philosophy as our inspiration, our Easter Scavenger Hunt was created. This tradition was a labor of love, yet it was always worth the time and effort we put into it each year. 

The groundwork for The Easter Scavenger Hunt officially began on Palm Sunday. Each night, from Palm Sunday on, we would gather as a family to read the events of Jesus’ last week as found in the four gospels of the New Testament. As we read, my husband and I would point out the specific details of these events and the people involved. As our children got older, we also shared historical or political insights of this time period to add to their understanding.    

Behind the scenes, I would gather small gifts for each child such as flip flops, bubbles, frisbees, tee-shirts, etc. Not only did all the children have the same number of gifts, but the number of gifts reflected the number of questions that would be used for the

Easter Scavenger Hunt. In other words, if I got each child 8 gifts, there would be 8 questions for each child from that week’s Easter reading.

Post-It Notes kept this process as organized as possible, providing each child with their own post-it color.

On Good Friday, after our children were in bed, my husband and I put in motion the Easter Scavenger Hunt. On the top of the color-coded Post-It for each child, we would write out their question from the Easter reading. On the bottom, we would write the location of the next item for their Easter basket. Creativity was key for both. We wanted to challenge our children with thought-provoking questions as much as we wanted them to have fun searching our house and yard for their gifts. Putting the scavenger hunt together always took longer than expected, but it was so much fun!

The following morning (Saturday), our children would wake to find the 1st Post-It stuck to their bedroom door as well as their Easter basket, waiting to be filled. However, before running off to gather their treasures, they had to read their question to a parent and answer it correctly. After passing this 'test', they could dart off to the location of their 1st gift and start filling those baskets. Once they found their 1st gift, they would also find their 2nd Post-It, complete with the 2nd question as well as the location of the 2nd gift. This pattern continued until all the gifts were accounted for. 

The prep work for the Easter Scavenger Hunt was time consuming. There's no doubt, it would've been much easier to buy a pre-filled basket at the store. However, the time spent laying the groundwork for this tradition was so worthwhile. As parents, we marveled at our children’s enthusiasm. There was a palpable energy in our home during our Easter Scavenger Hunt as children scurried from one floor to the next in search of a parent…or a hidden treasure.  Our children were thrilled with every question they got right; especially as they saw their baskets filling up from the knowledge they had gained during that week. Each item that was added to their basket was evidence that they had internalized what they were taught as we studied the scriptures as a family. In addition to bridging the gap between spiritual and fun, this home-crafted tradition strengthened our love as a family as it deepened our love for our Savior each Easter season.

Post-It in hand for the next question & location.