Easter Games for Kids

If you have a sharp and focused group of players this game can last a surprisingly long time. Try to keep the pace of play rapid, sometimes guests will take forever trying to get it right.

The Set Up: Have your guests sit in a circle in a large open area and select a random player to start.

The Rules: The first player will say, “Next year I hope the Easter Bunny brings me __________” filling in the blank with whatever present they choose. It can be realistic like “a chocolate bunny” or outrageous like “a diamond ring”. For purposes of example the first person said ” a chocolate bunny”. The person to the left of the starter(clockwise) goes next. They will say, ” Next year I hope the Easter Bunny brings me a chocolate bunny and __________” filling in the blank with whatever they choose. The third person would say the entire phrase including both of the previous answers(in order) and add a third.

This continues moving left around the circle with each person repeating what the previous person said and adding an additional Easter present until someone forgets a present, messes up the order or in some way makes a mistake. That person is out and leaves the circle. The person to the left of the person that is now out starts the game over again from scratch. Continue playing and eliminating players until only one person remains. That person is a very deserving winner.

If the Game is Taking Too Long: Sometimes this game can bog down with guests taking long turns. If your game starts to slow down or even from the very beginning you can add a five second rule. So if any player on their turn goes for more than 5 seconds without adding to the list they are eliminated.

The simple instructions for this game are that you give each guest a spoon and a hardboiled egg. They race while carrying the egg with the spoon and are not allowed to touch the egg at all. If they drop the egg, they must pick it back up only using the spoon. The first person to cross the finish line is the winner. But there are a few options you can add to this game:

– Instead of a simple straightforward course you can make it zigzag or even add obstacles they have to navigate.
-You can run the race for the young kids with a simple course and then increase the difficulty for older party guests.
-Another way to level the playing field with younger and more mature guests is to change the size of the spoon. Give kids large serving spoons or even a ladle while the adults must use a small plastic spoon.
-For a real challenge require them to hop like an Easter bunny instead of running.

The first order of business is to select a taboo word, meaning a word your guests are not allowed to say. The most obvious choice is “Easter” which will work just fine, but if you wish you can choose another word like jellybean, chocolate, bunny, or anything you wish that is likely to be said frequently at your party. Now you need tokens. Clothespins are commonly used since they are easy to clip onto and remove from clothing without doing any damage.

To start the game inform all of your guests of the taboo word. Give them each a token and explain to them that whenever they say the taboo word they will lose their token to the first player to call them out. Now start the game. If Aunt Sue accidently says the taboo word and Cousin Earl is the first to point out her mistake, then Aunt Sue must give Cousin Earl her token. Now Sue has no tokens and Earl has two tokens. The only way for Aunt Sue to get a token back is to be the first to call out someone else when they say the taboo word.

The game continues throughout the party until close to the end when the person who has collected the most tokens is declared the winner.

Print out a copy of the lyrics for Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Highlight small sections of the lyrics where the guests will be asked to fill in the blank. For example the song starts: Here comes Peter Cottontail, Hoppin’ down the bunny trail. You could highlight “bunny trail” so your game sheet would read, “Here comes Peter Cottontail, Hoppin’ down the _________”. Go through the first verse(or first two if you want a real challenge) leaving about ten blanks per verse.

Pass out pens to your guests along with your game sheets with the blanks. Give them five minutes to fill in the blanks. The person with the most correct answers is the winner and leads the whole group in a singing of the song.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail Lyrics

Verse One:

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way

Bringin’ every girl and boy
Baskets full of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter bright and gay

He’s got jelly beans for Tommy
Colored eggs for sister Sue
There’s an orchid for your mommy
And an Easter bonnet too

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

Verse Two:

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppin’, Easter’s on its way

Try to do the things you should
Maybe if you’re extra good
He’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You’ll wake up on Easter mornin’
And you’ll know that he was there
When you find those chocolate bunnies
That he’s hiding everywhere

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

Hippity hoppity, happy Easter Day

Divide party guests up into teams of 6-8 players and have each team stand in a line. Give the first player in each line a hard boiled egg and have them hold it under their chin. When the game starts the first person has to try to pass the egg from their chin to under the chin of the second person without touching it. If successful the second person attempts to pass the egg to the third person, then third to the fourth and so on. If the egg should drop or be touch at any time it returns to the front of the line and that team starts over. The first team to successfully pass the egg to the last person wins.

This game is simple, the players hop their way through a course to the finish line. But, it does require some set up time and for most parties you are going to want to change the course a few times so all ages of guests can compete.

For Young Kids: Set up a simple course with one or two turns and a short distance between the start and finish line.

For Older Kids: Add a few turns as well as a few obstacles to hop over on a longer course.

For Teens and Adults: Make the course a nightmare with numerous turns, stairs or a steep hill to hop up, tall obstacles to hop over, anything you can imagine.

While it does take some time, it is rare to have one active game that can challenge all of your party guests. Be sure to reward the winner at each skill level with a prize.