Holidays can be a stressful time for parents. There is so much to do, so little time, and now there’s someone who is always craving your undivided attention. What’s a parent to do? How do you divide your attention between the holiday responsibilities, the Spring season, and spending time with the little ones?
We’ve put together a few top-notch ideas that will help you include the kids in Easter game ideas. We’ve also provided some fun game ideas that will push the children’s creative limits, test their knowledge and their imagination, but also their skills. And, most importantly, we have some suggestions on how to get the kids out of the house and play in the great outdoors.
Table of Contents
17 Fun Backyard Easter Activities
1. Egg Toss
The quintessential Easter celebration always has some sort of egg toss included! While the traditional way is fine and dandy, you can add a twist to this year’s egg toss that will make it more hands-on and interactive than ever. To make your own DIY egg toss game, all you need is a cardboard box, a few strips of tape, and your choice of markers, and you’ll be on your way to a fun and positive Easter experience. If you would prefer the original Egg Toss, that is also a great option. But we would recommend giving the real Egg Toss a try if you want to add a little pizzazz to the already solidified Easter game.
2. Backyard Connect Four
A childhood favorite for as far back goes, Connect Four is a great way to curb some of your children’s energy into a more focused state. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Connect Four, either, as the pieces and overall size of the board add an extra piece of sustenance to the game. You can actually buy a life-sized backyard Connect Four set and we can almost guarantee you will experience the Easter memories of a lifetime. Just be sure not to ho too hard on the inexperienced new generation.
3. Backyard Tic-Tac-Toe
If you haven’t noticed yet, giant lawn games are all the craze this Easter holiday. Kids have a chance to show the adults their tried-and-true strategies. While tic-tac-toe is a great DIY option you can get a similar life-size Tic-Tac-Toe board on Amazon.
4. Easter Bean Bag Toss
What used to be considered a national pastime to some has now found its way into the Easter holiday tradition. Also known as “Cornhole”, the Easter Bean Bag Toss is a good way to repackage an already brilliant outdoor concept. By adding in a few funky colors and choosing bean bags that match the Easter vibe, you and your company have a great time scoring some points against each other.
5. Egg Hunt
This game has to be the epitome of outside fun during Easter. The thrill of finding a hidden egg with tons of chocolate inside is almost better than the Halloween version of Trick-or-Treat. Nevertheless, hiding eggs around the backyard and watching the kids burn off some steam is a great way to ensure a calmer Easter night. Once everyone has collected all the eggs and the chocolate rush has subsided, it may be the perfect opportunity to bring out the firewood and have a few Easter smores as your nightcap.
6. Mini Egg Pinatas
So yes, while supervising a group of children running around looking for eggs has its quirks, putting together a few DIY Mini Egg Pinatas is a cute and interactive way to bring in the Easter celebration. While pinatas are linked to a number of traditions around the world, it is no surprise that Easter would adopt the tradition into its own customs. If you consider yourself to be knowledgeable about arts and crafts, then put together your own version of Pinata. For everyone else, we recommend you pick one up from Amazon, or whichever retail outlet you prefer. The important part is that you choose an assortment of fruit and chocolate candies to fill the pinata with, and watch out for the crazy kids swinging that stick around!
7. Knock the Cans
You know all of those empty paint cans stuffed on a shelf in your garage? Well, now is the perfect time to paint a few of them in pastel colors and start stacking them up in the backyard. Easter is just as fun with carnival games as long as it’s paired with the traditional Egg Hunt and Pinata setup. The opportunity to knock over a few metal buckets with the force of your throw only shows up a few times in your life. Make sure Easter becomes a solidified holiday to get your rare round of Knock the Cans in.
8. Croquet
Croquet and Easter go together like peanut butter and jam and is almost just as sweet. The game of croquet has gravitated around the Easter holiday for decades and serves to be one of the more challenging routes you can take in terms of putting on an Easter day celebration. Depending on the level of competition at the party, the rules can be rather sophisticated. The kiddies can also put a few balls too, but don’t expect more than a friendly session if they decide to participate.
9. Flamingo Ring Toss
Okay, you caught us… We really like the idea of Easter and flamingos! We challenge you to set up a few of these flamingo bodies in your backyard and start aiming for the neck! We’ve heard that if you stand on one leg and make a ring onto the flamingo, it counts as double. And if you’re smart, you won’t tell the kids that rule until you make one yourself. If you can’t find a flamingo set to bring into your yard this Easter holiday, then consider picking up another type of ring toss and let the fun begin.
10. Lawn Dominoes
It’s amazing what a few pieces of wood and paint markers can do. The life-sized version of dominoes is the perfect way to get out of that lawn chair and move around a bit. Easter is not just a celebration of fertility and offspring, it is also an opportunity to engage in a few adventures that you don’t usually focus on. Lawn dominoes will bring all the players out for a few rounds at least. But this time, you’ll have to find a creative way to keep your Dominoes hidden.
11. Yard Yahtzee
If you have ever indulged in the tabletop version of Yahtzee, prepare to be absolutely blown away. Typically made with wooden blocks (but foam dice are available as well), the oversized version of DIY Yahtzee is almost better than the original. Choosing a carnation and white set would be ideal for the holiday spirit, but picking up any colorway is perfectly fine if you are in a pinch. Pro tip: make sure to designate the perfect person for the scorekeeper role, or forever wish that you did…
12. Easter Lemonade Stand
Why not tie in Easter with a bit of entrepreneurial spirit, and who doesn’t like a nice glass of lemonade after having some fun? For those who are acclimated to the concept, there are plenty of new ways to bring a lemonade stand for life. And for those who have not had the joys of owning a lemonade stand for the day, wait until the sugar rush kicks in before having that third cup.
Another good reason to bring a lemonade stand into your Easter tradition is because it is a very honorable way to teach the children how to apply themselves in the real world. Easter is a celebration of life and family, but that doesn’t mean that the lessons and experiences need to be aligned with a festival aesthetic. An Easter lemonade stand will build character each season, and will show the younger generation how to engage in commerce before they even hit the real world.
13. Pin the Tail on the Bunny
Are there ever any traditions that go out of style? For a while we thought this may be one of those games that faded away like “Hopscotch”, but nope, Pin the Tail on the Bunny is still alive and well. This is a great addition to your Easter celebration, especially if you are a bit fearful of blindfolded children swinging at a pinata. While this isn’t the high-intensity game that requires somewhat of group participation, Pin the Tail on the Bunny is a classic version of almost every American holiday there is (and birthdays to be precise).
14. Gardening
Here’s another outdoor Easter game for preschoolers. One of the greatest things about Easter is that we celebrate it during the season when all nature comes to life. This means that you can give life to plants, and what better way to do so than get your children to participate? Gardening is a wonderful hobby for kids (under adult supervision, of course), teaching them how to respect nature and how to be responsible for taking care of flowers.
15. Bunny, Bunny, Rabbit!
Bunny, bunny rabbit is an Easter-themed version of duck duck goose. It’s a fun outdoor Easter game to consider for a large crowd. If you are hosting a lot of kids for Easter, let time pass with this game that is sure to get hearts racing in excitement and suspense over who will be picked as the rabbit.
16. Easter Olympics
Here’s another fun way to get the family out of the house. You can create your own Easter Olympics with the bags branded with a bunny, to put everyone into the spirit of the holidays, while also appealing to their competitive side. If you’re up for it, how about a game of tag with live bait? If you’re willing to sacrifice an old shirt, stick some Easter treats on it and run around the yard, having your kids try to catch you and snatch away as many goodies as possible. It’s a great way to get your kids to exercise because we all know how much they love sitting in front of the computer.
17. Easter Trick or Treat!
Don’t tell me you didn’t know Easter had its own trick or treat! Well, it doesn’t, but there’s no harm in borrowing Halloween’s traditional trick and treat to celebrate Easter. Dress yourself and your kids up for Easter, grab a basket and scoot down the street for a neighborhood Easter trick or treat.
In Summary
Although Easter can be summed up with bunnies and chocolate eggs, the festivities range further than that. This holiday is a great way to make memories and establish or continue traditions, which can be achieved through the most elaborate and even simpler activities. Whether you’ll be entertaining activities indoors or partaking in outdoor Easter games, hopefully, your roster is filled with a fun mix of both.
Is there any other activity that you tried with your kids and feel like it could be turned into a permanent Easter tradition? Feel free to share, we know a bunch of parents who’d love all the suggestions and ideas they can get!
