Mindful Easter Egg Hunt

Mindful Easter Egg Hunt

Hello all and to those who celebrate: Happy Easter!  This post may be a bit late in coming but that's because we just invented it last night!  :-)  But this activity would be fun at any time of the year, not just on Easter.

The idea of the game is to think of an actual place that your child knows well (e.g. your back yard or inside your house) and "hide" Easter eggs around it.  Then have your child try to "find" the eggs.  Remember, as with all our activities, both of you should be lying quietly in bed next to each other.  This is a calming, mindful activity to connect with each other at the end of the day.

Here's an example of the hider's thought process:

Ok, I'm hiding 5 eggs in our back yard.  First one on the swing.  Second one in the flower pot.  Third one next to the mailbox.  Fourth one under the bird bath.  Fifth one up in the crook of the maple tree.

Now, remember where you hid everything?  OK, now your child tries to find the eggs!

Grown-up: Ok, I hid 5 eggs in our back yard.
Child: Ok, I'm walking down the porch steps now.  Am I getting warmer?
Grown-up: Yes, you're pretty warm with 2 eggs now.
Child: Ok, I'm walking toward the patio now.
Grown-up: Getting very warm with 1 now.
Child: Is there one on the picnic table?
Grown-up: No, but keep looking around the patio.  What else do you see?
Child: There are some flower pots. I'll look in the bigger one.
Grown-up: No egg there, but you're REALLY hot now!
Child: Is it in the smaller one?
Grown-up: Yes!  You found one.  It's blue and has rainbow jelly beans inside.  4 more to go!

The child continues "looking" until all the eggs are found.  Then you can switch and let the child "hide" the eggs now.  You might suggest hiding less eggs, depending on the age of the child because remembering where they are all hidden is tricky.  You could even do this on a smaller scale, such as in their bedroom, to help when children are afraid of the dark.  It can help to "illuminate" parts of their world and make things less scary.  Feel free to adjust what's inside the eggs too; maybe they contain extra kisses and hugs!

Please leave a comment or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook and tell us about your experiences with this activity or anything else!

We hope you enjoy the hunt and...mind the nap!