28 fun Easter egg hunt ideas that are anything but ordinary

Easter egg hunts are a beloved tradition, and there are so many creative ways to do them.

They can be simple to set up, they encourage kids to burn off some energy and it may be the one time of year that little ones help "clean up."

While you can always take a traditional approach and simply scatter plastic Easter eggs throughout your yard or house, there are so many other ways to to embrace the thrill of the hunt.

Maybe you map out the treats to create an Easter-ified treasure hunt for the kids and adults in your crew. Or if you want to make the fun last even longer, challenge tiny hunters to perform songs (perhaps, a festive one) when they discover eggs.

All of these ideas can be tailored to the size of your crowd. Just be sure to nail down the plan before Easter Sunday so you're prepared to teach everyone else the ropes.

When the moment comes, be sure to snap a few pictures of the little bunnies (er, kids) hopping around for eggs and post 'em on Instagram with a cute Easter caption. That way, you can share your Easter fun with loved ones celebrating from afar.

Easter egg hunt trophies

No matter how many eggs end up in their basket, everyone will feel like a winner if they walk away with a trophy. Come up with enough awards for your whole crew — most eggs, most determined egg hunter and so on.

Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.

Blindfolded egg hunt

Assign hunters to work in pairs. Blindfold one member of the pair. The person who is not blindfolded has to tell the blindfolded person where to move to find eggs. It’s best to do this hunt on a clear, flat surface to minimize falls.

Three-legged egg hunt

If you like the idea of a partner egg hunt, try this one on for size. Stand two kids side by side and use a piece of cloth or a bandana to tie their middle legs together, just like you would in a three-legged race. But this time, it's not a race to the finish line — it's a race to find colored eggs!

Coin-filled eggs

To change up the hunt for older kids, you can ditch the jellybeans and fill eggs with coins instead. Don't worry — this game won't bankrupt you. You can just throw some pennies or nickels in each egg. To make things really exciting, include a "special" egg or two with a dollar bill inside.

Easter by-the-numbers

Write various numbers (from 1 to 10) on scraps of paper and put one number inside every plastic egg. Hide the eggs, and when they've all been found, instruct the kids to open the eggs and tally their numbers. The kid with the highest total wins!

It's not easy being green egg hunt

Sure, it's easy to find a bright pink egg in a patch of green grass. But it's much harder to find a green egg in green grass. For seasoned egg hunters, choose egg colors that blend into the surroundings. Maybe you want to go all green if you're mostly hunting outside. Or maybe grab a blue egg to put in your blue pot and a yellow egg to hide near the bananas in the kitchen.

Egg Haha-Hunt

Instead of filling eggs with candy or money, fill them with gag gifts, like mini whoopie cushions, plastic bugs, Christmas "coal" or other small trinkets that will make your kids say, "Ewwww."

Easter Egg Stomp

To level up the difficulty for older kids, blow up a balloon and use a length of string to tie it to each child's ankle. Conduct the egg hunt as usual, but if another player stomps on a child's balloon, that child is out of the hunt. The player with the highest total amount of eggs — with their balloon still intact — wins.

Here we glow egg hunt

Why hunt during the day when you can hunt in the dark? Find smaller glow-in-the-dark items, like bracelets, that can be curled up and stuffed inside plastic eggs. Wait until it's dark to scatter the eggs outside, which will make the hunt easier ... but also way cooler.

Reverse egg hunt

Have kids write things they really want (like having pizza delivered or going bowling) on slips of paper that they put inside the eggs. Then the kids hide the eggs and the parents have to find them. If the parents can't find some of the eggs, they will have to honor whatever request the kids have written inside.

Scrambled egg hunt

Place one letter from a word or phrase in each egg. After the kids find all the eggs, see how long it takes them to unscramble the message!

Rainbow egg hunt

Tell kids to find the eggs — but only in rainbow order! So they must find any red eggs first, then orange eggs, then yellow, and so on.

Hunt for the golden egg

To make things a little more exciting, throw a golden egg into the mix. Give a bonus to whoever finds the golden egg — it may count as extra points, it may have a monetary reward or maybe the finder gets to go to bed late for a week. Make sure it's a bonus that will be really attractive to your kids!

Puzzle egg hunt

Fill the eggs with puzzle pieces and then hide them. Once the kids think they've found all the eggs, open them up and start putting the puzzle together. If there seem to be pieces missing, the kids should keep hunting to find the missing eggs. When they can complete the puzzle, they'll know all the eggs have been located.

Sugar-free Easter egg hunt

OK, we promise this is more fun than it sounds. Instead of stuffing plastic eggs with coins and candy, fill them with slips of paper that outline egg-citing rewards like jumping on the bed or breakfast for dinner.

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.

Easter egg treasure hunt

Not only does this get kids excited, but it helps them develop problem-solving skills as they navigate a map. Create a treasure map for the kids, and just like a “real” treasure map, include sections on the map where the treasures will be different. One section might be “eggcrator” where all of the special Easter eggs are hidden.  The next section of the map can be “collector village” that includes lots of favorite collectibles the kids have been begging for. And of course, include something devoted to candy because after all, it’s Easter.

Egg hunt Olympics

Pair kids up into teams, and give them lists of sports and activities they need to complete. For example, they need to do five jumping jacks, followed by hopping on one foot, and followed by running around the yard twice. Kids learn to work together and when they complete each rotation, they get an Easter prize. You can either give them chocolate (always a win) or something non-edible, like a themed coloring book and markers.

Easter egg hunt by flashlight

Try a novel twist on the traditional daylight search: Arm your kids with flashlights, and send them out at dusk to hunt for eggs. For even more fun, make it a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt: Just fill plastic eggs with lit glow sticks and candy, tape them shut and hide them.

'The Voice,' bunny edition

Three adults sit down, their backs to the kids. And the kids, in turn, perform an Easter-themed song of their choice. Might we suggest such gems as "The Bunny Hokey Pokey" or "Little Bunny Foo Foo." The adults have to identify which child is singing, and decide which child joins which musical team. Of course, there’s a sing-off at the end.

Color-matching showdown

Perfect for kids who can’t yet read, but can recognize and name their colors, this one has you printing out swatches of vibrant shades. Yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, red, and the like. Each child gets a stack (ideally, because little hands are grubby, you’d laminate these) as well as a bag and kids have to find objects in the yard that match each color. And then, each swatch and matching item goes into the bag. Because kids this age are not great competitors, make sure there’s a prize for everyone.

Assign egg colors

If you’re having a hunt for kids with different age groups or searching abilities, consider ways to ensure the bounty is well distributed. You can opt to assign each child a certain color to hunt for, or a list of different colors to find (i.e. two red, three blue and one green).

Easter egg countdown

Great for kids who can’t yet read, this one relies on matching and color cues. Hide eggs of various colors around the yard. And then tell kids what they need to find. First, three blue eggs. Followed by two green eggs. Followed by four red eggs. You get it. You can either dye the eggs yourself, or purchase plastic eggs and fill them with treats. Kids stay active and learn to take turns and follow directions.

Easter egg scavenger hunt

You can cater this to either younger kids or older kids, making the challenges greater or more accessible depending on age group. Kids split up into groups, and each group gets an old-fashioned scroll map. On the map are clues: The ickiest book in your library; your favorite pair of shoes; mom’s favorite picture of you. When each team finds the correct clue, they pick up an egg. The team who finishes first with all the eggs wins a prize.

Easter’s Got Talent

A great activity both for younger and older kids, this one unifies everyone because of its sheer silliness. An adult holds a stack of activity cards and asks kids to yodel, spin around on one leg, moo like a cow, quack like a duck, hop backwards, you get the drift. Not only is this a fun group activity, but everyone gets a prize for completing their challenge with panache, finesse and pure talent, of course.

Easter egg relay

First, find the eggs the traditional way, but to win the highly coveted “Easter basket,” take the eggs, take a spoon, and get ready to run!!  Balance, physical activity and lots of laughs make this a great way to keep the entire family engaged, as kids and parents race each other to the finish line without dropping the eggs.

Egg crate competition

Save those egg crates. And when you have enough, bring them out at Easter. First, let kids decorate them with stickers, glitter, and markers. And then, have them line up at the starting line. The first child to fill the egg crate with eggs (either real or plastic or chocolate) wins … a later bedtime or a movie of their choice.

The bunny hop

Instead of eggs, hide stuffed bunnies all over the yard. They come in a shocking variety of shapes, sizes and colors, so go nuts. And here’s the kicker: To find them, kids have to hop around like … bunnies. The kid who finds the most bunnies wins. It’s a fun twist on the original egg hunt.

Adults-only Easter egg hunt

Turn the tables on your kids — let them each hide a few eggs for you and the other adults at your party to find. The child who stumps you the most (with the last egg found) gets a prize.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com