Easter Fun With Letters From The Easter Bunny & Easter Games!

Imagine the delight on your child’s face as he or she reads a personalized letter from The Easter Bunny. You can easily make that a reality – all you have to do is supply a little information about your child – then wait for the magic to take place!

As you probably already know, in a child’s mind The Easter Bunny is almost as important as Santa Claus himself. Kids have a way of attaching themselves to these adorable characters. After all, Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny seem to know things about them that only a real friend would know.

When you think about it, these characters want nothing more than to make kids happy – so it just makes sense that kids would have nothing but adoration for them. And as someone that loves a kid it makes sense that you would help this process along.

One ideal way to create special memories is to plan a time that you and the kids you love can write letters to The Easter Bunny and play some special Easter games? All you need for the letters is some pastel paper, envelopes, stickers, markers, glitter and glue. Just let the kids get creative and decorate their letters and envelopes in a favorite Easter theme.

When it comes to games one idea is to create your own version of pin the tail on Peter Cottontail. You can use a cut out of a rabbit made from cardboard, poster board, or even construction paper. Just use cotton for the tail. You can add a piece of tape to the cotton to use to hold it on the rabbit cut out.

Of course there’s always the traditional Easter egg hunt. You can give out prizes to everyone that finds an egg. Just prepare zip lock bags filled with special goodies.  Another Easter game is called the ‘Egg Roller’. Let the kids race to get their egg from a starting point to an ending point. The trick is they have to roll the egg using only their noses.

Easter hats are a tradition so why not allow the kids to get in on the act? Purchase inexpensive painter’s hats or baseball style caps and let the kids go crazy decorating them. Your craft box will supply the decorative touches. You might want to offer up feathers, silk flowers, ribbons, lace, buttons, and even bits of fabric. Then you can enjoy a front seat at your own ‘Easter Parade’. 

Have the kids parade around as if they are giving a fashion show and give a prize to the ‘most creative hat’, the ‘silliest hat’, the ‘prettiest hat’, etc. Just be sure to come up with enough titles and prizes to ensure that everyone wins something!

One other game that we have played uses eggs and spoons. We call it ‘Pass The Egg’. As you may have guessed you have to place the egg on spoon and pass it into the next person’s spoon. The goal is to get the egg through a group of people without dropping it. Of course, we use plastic eggs for this so there is no harm done if the egg does fall.

The point is, Easter can be a lot of fun for young and old alike. All it takes is a little imagination and creativity. So put on your thinking cap and have a wonderful Easter celebration that will be remembered!

A Magical Easter Weekend

How do you celebrate Easter? Thousands and thousands of families with children will include some of the traditional holiday activities. This includes spending time coloring Easter eggs, preparing special treats, writing letters to The Easter Bunny and of course playing Easter games and having a fabulous dinner.

Many people will begin Easter Sunday at church, but long before that time they will enjoy discovering what The Easter Bunny brought them the night before. This is especially true for kids.

I have found that if I want a holiday to turn out great I need to plan for it. So I am sharing with you my plans for Easter weekend 2011. 

One of my first concerns is what I will serve for Easter Sunday dinner. The traditional dishes I serve include baked ham, potato salad, candied yams, garden fresh green beans, and deviled eggs. But of course, I have a tendency to get carried away when I am preparing holiday meals.

One of my favorite dishes is peas with cheese. I prefer frozen peas. With that in mind a friend shared one of her recipes with me and I plan to try it out on Easter. You begin with 2 of the larger packages of frozen peas. 

You cook the peas according to directions. In the meantime you crumble up a cup ½ of your favorite snack crackers. This can be any kind at all, from the typical Ritz style crackers to wheat and herb flavors. Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the crumbs and then mix in 2 – 3 melted tablespoons of butter.

After placing your prepared peas into a serving dish you simply use the crumbs to ‘frame’ the peas. This will be a quick and easy dish and I think it sounds delicious.

One other dish that will be on my menu is glazed carrots. 

I use the ‘baby carrots’ for this. Once they are cooked tender I drain off the liquid and I add my special glaze. To make it I simply mix 1 frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed), about ½ cup brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet and heat until hot. Then I pour the mixture over the carrots and mix. This is a family favorite.

When it comes to desserts my rule is I have to have at least 3. I still haven’t decided what they will be.

One of my other priorities is to ensure that my craft box is well stocked. I know the younger kids will spend time writing letters to The Easter Bunny and creating holiday craft projects.

I also try to ensure that The Easter Bunny makes a stop at my house. That means I have to have whatever I need to create a beautiful Easter basket filled with lots of goodies. I generally use an oversized basket because I only prepare one and it is shared by everyone that visits my home during Easter.

Besides adding a few special decorative touches to my home and ensuring that everything is in order, that’s about all the preparation I do for Easter. My goal is to make sure that my friends and family visit, that they have a good time and have plenty to eat, and that even while focusing on Easter Bunny letters we keep in mind what the holiday is really about.

Easy Easter Décor and Easter Bunny Letters

If you have kids preparing for Easter probably includes Easter Bunny letters and related holiday décor. The good news is all of your Easter decorations can easily be made from the things you typically have in your craft box.

One addition you may want to add is a package or two of the store-bought plastic Easter eggs. These eggs can easily be decorated to create exciting new looks that your kids will love. Not only will they have fun decorating the eggs but they will like displaying them and using them for those infamous Easter Egg Hunts.

The truth is, these eggs can be decorated using many of the same techniques that your kids will be using to decorate their letters to The Easter Bunny. An easy decorating idea is to simply apply stickers to the eggs. You can find stickers that Easter-themed that include bunnies, crosses, jellybeans, and even chicks and carrots. The idea is to be free in your designs.

You can also add glitter and sequins to the eggs. Just glue them on with craft glue. In fact, you could even use the little eyes and create adorable Easter creatures. Use yarn, ribbons and bits of cloth to ‘dress’ the creatures and you have an adorable display.

Feathers can be added to the eggs too. You can completely cover the eggs or just use feathers for a decorative touch. Because the feathers seem to give movement to the eggs most kids love this technique.

You can also paint these plastic eggs. Just use a small paint brush and craft paint. Be creative and make the process fun and imaginative. Or be a little more precise and create specific images related to Easter. You could add little bunnies, chicks, pastel hearts, smiley faces or religious images.

Other elements you may want to add to your eggs include bits of felt, beads, or small charms. You can use the caps from bottled drinks to ‘stand’ your eggs in or you can create a stand out of construction paper. 

Just cut strips of paper and glue together to create the appropriate sized ring to hold your egg upright. The strips of paper can be decorated to look like grass or even with glitter and sequins. The point is to have fun in the creative process.

Besides your displays of eggs you might want to add other decorations that can include letters to The Easter Bunny and mini Easter baskets. You can usually find ‘mini baskets’ at dollar stores. Obviously the baskets are extremely inexpensive. 

You can use some of the items from your craft box to decorate the baskets, including ribbon, lace, glitter and sequins. Then fill the baskets with finely cut ‘Easter grass’ and add tiny Easter decorations and candy. These baskets can be given to older kids and grandkids as an Easter gift. 

Easter symbolizes new beginnings and rebirth. It’s the perfect time to decorate with flowers as flowers also remind us of spring and new beginnings. Whether you prefer live plants or silk flowers you can add an Easter touch with small Easter-themed decorations.

Consider decorating your plants much like you decorate an artificial tree at Christmas time. Just create your Easter ornaments out of construction paper. Add a strand of jelly beans for garland. 

Have fun in your decorating adventures and try new things. The more you do the more fun you and your kids will have!

The Real Easter Bunny

My boys Doyle and Trenton found something better than an Easter egg in our yard the week before Easter. What they found that year made it one of our most memorable Easters ever.

I was in the kitchen with the girls. We were getting things ready to write letters to The Easter Bunny. Sally and Jackie were looking through the packs of stickers I bought. Melanie and I had our hands full making sure that everything we needed for their Easter letters to The Easter Bunny was ready.

Suddenly both of my boys came running in the door. Both of them were grabbing my hands and pulling me towards the yard. I followed them out the door and into the yard. They were both so excited and anxious - the way only adventurous little boys can. We stopped in front of the Japanese cherry tree. The boys made me kneel beneath the flower covered branches. Very delicately the boys brushed away a pile of leaves. Under the leaves was a small brown shivering bunny.

Then I certainly understood why the boys were so excited. The little bunny was so small and cute. By this time all five of my kids stood around me with pleading eyes. I told them I wasn’t sure if we would be able to keep the wild little bunny. I told the boys to stay with the bunny while the girls and I went to look for a cage. We found an old hamster cage that we decided would work.

The boys and I took the bunny to our vet for advice. He told us that the bunny was young and probably wouldn’t survive for long out in the wild alone. That sealed the deal. Doyle and Trenton had just become the new owners of a small brown bunny.

When we got home the excitement spread to the girls. All of the kids fell in love with the bunny and his fuzzy white tail. My husband Drew even thought that the bunny was cute. The boys named the bunny Cottontail. Not too original maybe but the name sure did seem appropriate!

Later that night we finally got back to our Easter letters. They kids all wrote about the newest member of the family. I took a picture of the boys with the bunny under the tree where they found him. They both sent the picture with their letters to The Easter Bunny.

 The next day we set up a cage in the boys’ room. My husband Drew later helped the boys build a cage outside. The three of them worked very hard on the cage together. It was fun for all of them – the kind of activity that creates lasting memories that we will all cherish for years to come.

By the end of the day Cottontail had a cage fit for a rabbit king. The girls had even painted a sign that said Cottontail to hang on the front of the cage. That little bunny earned a special place in all our hearts.

Making Letters To The Easter Bunny Special

My oldest daughter Melanie has always loved to write letters to The Easter Bunny. She is very selective about the paper and other supplies she uses. So this year I decided to take her with me when I went shopping.

When I told her that she was going to go on a special shopping trip with me to buy all the things we would need for our Easter letters. She was so excited. I was glad that we were going to have a day out together with just me and her. She got a pen and paper, she sit down and made a list of all supplies we would need.

We started the day at the craft store. She took her time making her choices. When it came to stickers she chose flowers in soft spring pastels. Then she found a pack that had baby animals. To my surprise she even picked out a pack of stickers with pictures of bugs. She explained that those were for her brothers. I was glad to see she was thinking of them too.

She picked out envelopes that had little bunnies and chicks along the bottom. She found paper that matched. She couldn’t wait to get home and start writing a letter to the Easter Bunny.

Next she went to the glitter. She picked colors to match her stickers. She wanted to get brown for the boys because the always play in dirt and they had bug stickers.

We stopped and had a nice lunch at her favorite pizza restaurant. We ordered her favorite toppings. We spent a couple of hours talking as we ate our pizza. It was nice for her to have some time without any of her brothers and sisters. She talked the whole time about her friends and school. I was glad to hear that things in her world were happy and sunny.

Our last stop was the post office to buy stamps. Melanie told the woman behind the counter that she needed stamps so she could mail a letter to The Easter Bunny. The woman showed her the different stamps they had to offer. She picked a book of flower stamps.

When we got back home Melanie showed her brothers and sisters what we had bought. The boys were thrilled with their bug stickers. The girls all worked on making fancy letters. I found them little pieces of lace to glue in the corners of their letters. They sit down and got started right away on their letters. Even my husband Drew helped with the letters. In the end they all turned out adorable. Melanie told The Easter Bunny all about her special day out with mom.

An Easter Bunny Letter Writing Party – Why Not!

Every year we have a ‘write to The Easter Bunny’ party. It is one of my favorite things we do for Easter. I take all the kids shopping with me so that they can help pick out the supplies for our party. We have such a good time picking out the decorations and writing supplies. We always find little surprises while we are shopping that will make our party a little more special.

I let the kids make home made invitations to send out to everyone. They really feel grown up filling out the address and putting the stamps on the envelopes. Sally makes sure that each envelope has an Easter sticker on the seal. At the post office they drop each invitation one by one into the big mailbox.

The day before the big party the kids and I bake lots and lots of sugar cookies. The girls love to spread the pastel colored icing and sugar crystals on the tops of the cookies. I make two trays of deviled eggs I have to keep those hidden from my husband Drew. My daughter Melanie helps me make the cheesecakes.

Outside we tape the brightly colored table clothes to the picnic tables. We double check that we will have everything we will need for our Easter Bunny letters. The kids always get so excited waiting for the party. They cut tulips and daffodils to put all around the house as decorations. I have to admit, I think the house looks wonderful with the beautiful flowers and pastel Easter decorations spread about.

On the morning of the big party I put out the streamers and balloons. I go through the house and make sure the house is ready for visitors. On the tables outside we set out the supplies we have collected. We always ensure that we have plenty of markers, crayons, stickers, glue, and glitter. Those are some of the basics needed for properly decorating an important Easter letter. Plus, some of the kids like to create imaginative Easter crafts while they are into the concept of writing and creating. I always make sure that we have plenty of tables set up so no one will be crowded while they are busy designing and writing letters to The Easter Bunny.

We are all so happy when people begin to show up. It is always nice when we get a chance to have a day to spend with so many of our friends and family. The kids run through the yard glad to be out in the warm sun after being stuck inside all winter.

All the kids work very hard on their letters. The older kids help the younger ones to decorate the letters with glue and glitter. The kids are always excited about getting a letter from The Easter Bunny. We have a special satin bag we put all of the letters in when they are finished.

The party is something we look forward to every year. I hope to hold one each year, even when the kids are grown. Hopefully then I will have some grandkids that will be running and playing and we can teach them how to write letters to The Easter Bunny. It is always nice to be surrounded by the ones you love. I am glad that we get this opportunity to connect with out friends and family.

Girl Days Are Good Days – Even If They Do Include The Easter Bunny

At Easter all the females, old and young in my family love making what we call “sherbet carnations”. We like to fill up vases with these flowers for Easter Sunday. They give our homes a warm and cheery feel. All you need to do this Easter craft is white carnations and food coloring. It is a simple way to add a little splash of color for spring.

First we gather up all the vases and glass bottles we will be placing the flowers in. The younger girls are given clear plastic cups to use just to be safe. We all sit around and talk while we fill the vases up with water. My mother always asks the younger girls what they are going to write in their Easter Bunny letters. They all flock to her side to tell her what their letters are going to say. She has always been a magnet to children.

My mom and my Aunts tell the girls what their moms had written in their letters to the Easter Bunny. My cousin Ruth always wrote funny letters to The Easter Bunny. Her mom told us about the time she asked The Easter Bunny to take her new baby brother back to wherever babies came from. We all got a good laugh out of that. I love when we get to relive happy old memories. It is so good when all of us girls get a chance to get together without any guys around.

After we get all of the vases filled with water we start to cut the flowers. You have to hold the flowers up to the vases to determine how much needs to be cut. Only the adults cut the stems. While we are cutting the flowers my mom shows the girls a letter to The Easter Bunny I wrote when I was little girl.

The next part is the girls’ favorite part of the day. They get to put the food coloring in the vases. The colored water in the vases seems to dance in the bright spring sun light. The girls make sure the water is turns bright vibrant color. After the water in the vases is colored the girls put the flowers into the water. Over a few days the flowers will absorb the dye in the water and become a pretty pastel color.

After our girl day of crafting sherbet carnations and girl talk my daughter was enthused about some of the things she had heard related to the olden days and letters to The Easter Bunny. My daughter called her grandma to tell her how much fun she had and that she loved her. She also told her all about what she was going to write in her letter to The Easter Bunny. My mom told her she was sure she would get a letter back from The Easter Bunny. My daughter went to bed that night so excited to mail off her letter. Not only that, but she was also looking forward to more ‘girl days’ and craft projects. It was another sign that my daughter was growing up.