Easter Ideas for Older Kids...

What? No St Patrick's Day?

Easter Egg hunts are always fun but instead of lot's of candy you can put a quarter inside plastic eggs for the kids to find and if a few are not found they won't spoil, stink and/or draw ants.

When my kids were about those ages, their Easter project was "being the Easter Bunny" to other people. Real credulity in E. Bun didn't last long at our house, anyhow, because they were supposed to get Easter baskets right after church, but sometimes Mr. Bunny's, um, helper forgot and the kids had to wait until, um, she got her act together.

So... Easter week we would color eggs and collect some candy. We'd find *small* baskets at the thrift store or the craft store, because nobody needs
an overabundance of either sugar or hard-boiled eggs. The kids made a list of neighbors and family friends who would enjoy a basket. A day or two before Resurrection Day, I'd chauffeur them around. The recipients all enjoyed it. So did the kids.

If you celebrate Lent in your family, there are activities you can enjoy, too. Ask your church for ideas, or google "Family Activities for Lent."

Mine are 8 and 11. They will get a basket with the usual stuff (chocolate bunny, a dvd, a book, chapstick etc). We will go to church early for a special Easter breakfast before the service (hard boiled coloured eggs, hot cross buns, cheese and fruit) and after the service we will go home and hunt for eggs (there will still be too much snow to hunt outdoors, so it will be indoors). We often take a trip to the zoo in the afternoon, as there are usually as few new zoo babies by then. I will probably make a ham for supper. We have in the past made meringue cookies, with the hollow centers representing the empty tomb. There are lots of Lenten activities you can do such as a pancake supper for Mardi Gras, or making Lenten pretzels.

ETA: I have my Sunday school class bake and decorate sugar cookies to deliver to home bound seniors during Holy week.

They're at a great age to bake and decorate egg-shaped cookies - not for you or them, but for someone who would really appreciate a home-baked treat (staff at a nearby nursing home, a local fire station, neighbors, a family you know who is struggling financially or physically, your church pastors and staff members, etc). Just get a sugar cookie recipe, cookie cutters, pastel frostings and sprinkles, and have a cookie decorating party. Then go together and deliver the treats on a pretty paper plate wrapped in pastel cellophane (dollar stores always have nice bags and plates for seasonal treats).

I think that you can totally do the traditional stuff but apply it to your kids interests. If you do an egg hunt with plastic eggs add coins, maybe sneak in a few dollar bills or dollar coins, give them coupons for time to play on the ipad, a sleep over, time at the skate park, whatever their interests are.

We are a non-religious household, so we celebrate the return of the sun, the lengthening of days, and the beginnings of new life rather than he resurrection of Christ.

So, accordingly, we usually get new games/activities that are meant to be played with outside as a family. We don't really do gifts or anything like that for each kid (granted, we only have one right now... But she doesn't get any specific gifts either unless they are from her grandparents.) last year it was a pool, the year before was a set of toys that included badminton (sp?), volleyball, lacrosse, etc. A good go-to if we don't have the money for something "big" is to just get (or make) cheap kites for the family.

And... Kids get a basket with some candy, and an Easter egg hunt. (Which we enjoyed up until we were old enough to move out! Just hide better according to the age group.)

We also usually have a barbecue outside, if the weather is cooperative. If they are able to my in-laws try to visit. (They live close enough that sometimes they will come down for he weekend.) Most of the eggs from e egg hunt get turned into deviled eggs or potato salad, hamburgers and hot dogs, all that jazz.

Often, to keep the kids busy, we will make bird feeders. Sometimes they are pre-made, and we just decorate them... Sometimes it's pine cones with peanut butter and birdseed, stuff like that.

Some years, we would go up in the mountains for a family hike instead of staying home.

Pretty much, for my family Easter is about spending time outside as a family. :)

when my son was nine, he still liked treasure hunts.. I'd write down clues and he'd search for a gift.. it's fun... ok a little childish, but still a challenge if you make the clues fun.. you could have the oldest one help prepare the clues for the two younger ones...
then have the younger ones prepare a hunt for the older... also, at that age, decorating cakes or cookies can still be fun, particularly if you make them for your special friends or family and have the kids dropped them off..
I like for the holidays NOT to be just about my son getting things, I also like to give him the opportunity to make things for others.. this also includes cards..
why not have the kids all make fun cards for people.. you can buy blank white cards at Michaels and buy stickers and color... I think these simple projects are fun..

Also, don't discount the fun of a pinata!!! <<< gotta say, kids always love those.. for any occasion...

St. Patrick's day is sooo much fun ! I put green food colring in the toilets.
I turn things upside down ...because the leprechaun is sneaky. And I leave gold dust or chocolate wrapped in gold.

For Easter, my child makes cards for relatives by hand w/ Spring pictures. I leave some baskets of organic chocolate for from the bunny. I put chocolate pcs all around the house (and up high because choc is toxic to dogs---and I have dogs !)

My kids are 13.5 and almost 12. They still love it when I hide candy-filled eggs around yard if weather permits. With Easter being late this year, maybe we won't be buried in snow by then!

Indoors, I've done a treasure hunt of clues leading them to find their baskets. I used this Printable Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt Clues Game last year:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NMFRUG/ref=oh_d__o00...

I still put the Easter baskets my kids (16 and 13) have always used out, but instead of hunting for eggs, they will already have a gift in their basket. I use this as the time to get them ready for summer with a new bathing suit, beach towel or flip flops and maybe a little candy. The kids always look forward to the "summery" gift the Easter Bunny will bring them!

I give baskets according to age so let's say it's for my 15 yr old son, he'd
get a basketball, some chocolates & some cool socks.
My 16 yr old would get a gas card, pizza certif & candy.
The little ones get plastic eggs filled w/fun things in a basket of jelly beans
& choc bunnies.
Hubby gets some thing, too. A bottle of wine wrapped w/his fave chocolates.
Things you could get:
-shirts
-shoe laces
-phone case/cover
-board game
-cool athletic socks
-socks for their fave sports team
-puzzles.
Games: I still put little things in plastic eggs. Even folded dollar bills.
Activites: egg hunt inside w/plastic eggs, walk in nice weather
Food: baked ham, mashed potoates, salad, cupcakes, cheese & crackers.
(For me, it's not because of what they put out in the stores, it's because of
the upcoming holidays on the calendar that make me excited. It's fun &
my mom did such fun things for us, I want to continue that for my kids.) :)

Theme socks or shirts, hair things, small toiletries, candy, bath stuff, small games, pez, books...