3 “Egg Substitutes” for Filling the Easter Basket

This week, many families like to celebrate Easter or spring with egg hunts and egg decorating, but this time of social distancing can make it hard to get to the store to buy eggs or even those small plastic egg filler items that are normally easy to find this time of year.

This doesn’t mean parents and kids staying in for the season need to miss out on a favorite seasonal activity. Here are three easy substitutes for regular egg decorating that will still make the weekend feel special.

Painted Rocks

One activity my kids enjoy doing anytime is finding smooth little rocks and stepping stones and painting them for the garden. Rocks can be painted in bright, spring colors and hidden just like dyed eggs. Plus, they last longer than eggs, and kids can use them for paperweights and garden art or save and pass on little gifts to family and friends.

Papercraft Eggs

If you have paper and a printer, you can make Easter eggs and other seasonal decorations using some of the papercraft templates from various artists and family sites. Cardstock works best, but some of these will work fine with regular printer paper. They weigh nearly nothing, and they won’t break when they fall out of the basket.

Some good places to find templates include:

• The Disney Family site’s Thumper Cutie paper model and Alice in Wonderland Easter Egg Diorama.
• The Toy Maker’s Easter designs, including little baskets and a simple Easter egg with four different designs.
• HomespunMagixx has some that look like fancy Ukrainian egg designs and even rabbit mask DIYs.
• Canon Creative Park has a range of crafts, from simple Easter Eggs to some more difficult paper bunnies of various exotic breeds.

Finally, if this season has taught us anything, it is to not take the “little things” for granted, and this last activity is a good way to remember that, as well as offer something to look forward to in the future.

Promise Notes

If you have some plastic eggs left over from past years, write some little notes for simple, fun activities to do in the future. These don’t have to be elaborate trips or big gifts, but small, fun, favorite activities your kids will look forward to:

• “Good for a trip to the book store for one new book”
• “This gets you a cup of pineapple Dole Whip at the yogurt shop.”
• “Movie with giant popcorn and slushie.”

If you can, add a few pieces of small candy to this. If you can’t find plastic eggs, use some little decorated envelopes, bags, or boxes.

When we are constantly talking about ways to streamline, cut back, or “do without,” strive to brighten each day with some little gestures of hope.

My hope is everyone has a beautiful weekend and finds a reason to celebrate, however of whatever they will celebrate this weekend.