Easter For Children

Easter is a day to dress in your Sunday best, go to church, celebrate life, enjoy brunch with your family and of course eat way too much chocolate. But, sometimes we forget about the children in our lives. Have you thought to include some fun family games in your Easter celebration? It's a great way to occupy sugar fueled kids and build memories. Gather friends and family around the table for a fun filled day of Easter games and activities.

Chris my brother coloring eggs late 1960's 

I remember when I was growing up and it was a week before Easter, we would color hard boiled eggs. My Mom would use the Paas Easter egg coloring kit. It was always fun to see what different designs we could create by mixing some of the colors together. My Mom would get out her coffee mugs and each one of us would have a mug and a teaspoon. Then my Mom would put in the mugs, water, white vinegar and a Paas color tablet. The Paas colors were so pretty, just want you wanted for Easter time. They usually were pastel colors, but depending on how long you left your egg in cup, would depend on how deep the color would be. Sometimes my brothers and I would fight over which color we wanted to use, but we always had an opportunity to have one egg in each of the Easter colors.
Then on Easter Sunday, we would always have an Easter egg hunt after Church services. My parents would scatter the plastic colored eggs which would be filled with candy and coins, and try to hide them in our yard. Then we would run all over the yard and see how many we could find. That tradition continued when my brothers and I had children of our own. It was always fun and great activity for the kids.
After Easter dinner is finished and the table is being cleared, it is a perfect time to play a multitude of games and participate in some fun activities. You can find these games and many others on the internet. You will be able to learn how to play them and you can even print out coloring pages as well.

But these are some of my favorites:
1. Guess how many M&M’s are in a jar
2. A scavenger hunt---kids love to find things
3. Egg on a spoon race
4. Easter Bingo game
5. Easter Coloring pages
6. Pass the Easter egg (similar to hot potato)
7. Word finds and puzzles with Easter theme
8. Baking Easter cookies and cupcakes/nests with coconut

I do have a fun and easy recipe that you can do with your children for a really cute Easter Bunny Cake. My niece Lauren made this Bunny Cake for my parents one Easter a few years ago. I am sure most of my readers have seen this cake and may have made it before, but for those of you that are not familiar with this recipe I will be happy to share it with you.

Bunny Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg. cake mix, (any flavor)
2 cans ready to spread vanilla frosting
¾ cup of marshmallow fluff (which you combine with vanilla frosting)
2 cups Baker's angel flake coconut
2 snowballs (coconut cupcakes: white)
Food coloring
Licorice
Candy to decorate (jelly beans (for eyes) M&M’s etc.)

Directions:
Prepare and bake cake in two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans as directed on package. Pour batter evenly into pans. Cool completely. Prepare fluffy frosting with food coloring. Cut one of the cake rounds as shown in first diagram to form ears and body.
Frost sides of each cake piece. Assemble pieces as shown in lower diagram on cookie sheet, large tray or 18x15 inch cardboard covered with aluminum foil. Frost top of cake.
Sprinkle about 2-2/3 cups coconut evenly over top and sides of cake, gently pressing coconut onto sides.

To Tint Coconut:
In small bowl, toss 3/4 cup coconut with 2 to 3 drops red food coloring until evenly colored. Repeat with 1-1/4 cups coconut and 2 to 3 drops green food coloring.
Sprinkle pink coconut over ears and bow tie; outline with chocolate chips. Use snowball cupcakes for cheeks Decorate bunny face using jelly beans for eyes (and maybe even a pink nose!). Sprinkle green coconut evenly around cake for grass. Surround the bunny with foil wrapped chocolate Easter eggs.


I wish each one of my readers a very “Blessed” and “Happy Easter.” Try this recipe, it is easy and fun. It gets your kids involved. They really love to help and it gives them self esteem that they have created a wonderful dessert. Also enjoy playing games with your children and I hope that new traditions will be born with your family and friends. Till next time…….

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