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Easter

Like so many families, holidays hold a special place in our home. However, there seem 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 store bought traditions, we opted for home crafted traditions that bridged the gap between spiritual and fun. 

With this philosophy as our inspiration, the Easter Scavenger Hunt was created. It was a labor of love, yet so worth the time and effort we put into it each year. 

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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 details of these events and the people involved. As our children got older, we also shared historical or political insights of the time to add to their understanding.    

 

Leading up to Easter, I would start gathering small gifts such as flip flops, bubbles, frisbee, tee-shirts, etc. If I got each child 8 gifts, there would be 8 questions for each child from that week’s reading. There would be a question assigned to every gift, as well as the location of the next gift. I found Post-Its to be the perfect solution for assigning questions & locations. They allowed everyone to have their own “Post-It color”, keeping things as organized as possible. Post-Its are also sticky, which is a bonus.  

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On Good Friday, after the children were in bed, my husband and I would plan out the scavenger hunt. Together, we would come up with the questions based on our reading. Each child had their own set of questions, which set each child out on their own scavenger hunt. This is where the spiritual and the fun came together. This is also where it became a labor of love. My husband and I would write the question at the top of each Post-It and the location of the gift at the bottom. 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 the house 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 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 get their items, they had to read their question to a parent and answer it correctly. Once they passed this “test”, they could dart off to the location of their gift and start filling those baskets. On the 1st gift would be the 2nd Post-It with the 2nd question as well as the location of the 2nd gift. This pattern continued until all the gifts were accounted for. 

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The prep work for the Easter Scavenger Hunt was time consuming. It would've been much easier to buy a pre-filled basket at the store. However, the time spent laying the groundwork 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. Their baskets were filled by the knowledge they 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, these Easter traditions strengthened our love as a family and deepened our love for our Savior.

  

* Post-It sample: Who betrayed Jesus and what was the payment for doing so?

                             Go to the dishwasher to find your gift and the next question.

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