Easter is the perfect time to have some old-fashioned fun, so why not plan a few traditional activities for your family this bank holiday?
Egg hunts are a great way to burn off extra Easter calories and have fun into the bargain. There are plenty of local events on offer, including the YMCA’s Easter egg hunt, which takes place during their holiday club for 5-11-year-olds. This runs from the 3rd to the 6th of April.
Looking for a little history to go with your hunt? Then check out the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter’s egg hunt, which runs from the 30th March to the 11th April and includes entrance to the museum. Daily tours offer a family-friendly introduction to Brum’s jewellery making heritage and you can watch live jewellery making demonstrations.
If you’re feeling creative, why not set up your own Easter egg hunt at home? This will last longer if you give your family riddles, anagrams or picture clues to help them find your carefully concealed eggs.
Preparing your egg properly is the key to this cracking Easter craft. You’ll need liquid food colouring, white vinegar, PVA glue and plenty of sparkly decorations.
Start by filling a bowl with 3 cups of boiled water, then add 2 teaspoons of the vinegar and a few drops of your favourite food colouring. Once the mixture has cooled, pop the egg into the bowl and wait until you’re happy with its colour. Allow it to dry on a piece of kitchen towel.
Next, hold your egg over a bowl and pierce a small hole in the top of the egg with a pin. Pierce a slightly bigger hole in the base, then use the pin to break the yolk. You can now blow the contents of the egg into the bowl.
To prevent your egg from rolling around, we recommend standing it in an egg cup while you decorate it with glitter, paint, ribbon, beads and stickers. Alternatively, you could create a traditional Easter “pace egg” by tying red onion skins around your egg, boiling it for 5-7 minutes and peeling off the layers to reveal a gorgeous mottled effect.
Egg rolling is said to symbolize rolling away the stone from Jesus’s tomb. The tradition goes back hundreds of years and still takes place every Easter in parts of England and on the Whitehouse lawn.
The game involves gently rolling eggs down a grassy hill to see whose goes the furthest without breaking. If your egg ends up with the fewest cracks, you are crowned the winner. This is such a simple game that friends and family of any age can take part. All you need are some eggs and a grassy hill with a steady slope.
The tradition of wearing an Easter bonnet harks back to the days when ladies wore their best clothes and hats church on Easter Day. If your family fancies making some, you’ll find plenty of plain straw bonnets in your local shops, or you can have a go at making your own.
Once you’ve got your basic bonnet, it’s time to let your imagination run wild. Suggestions for your decorating kit include glitter, plastic or fabric eggs, mini chicks, fabric flowers, feathers, ribbon and some tissue paper. You could even try making your own tissue paper flowers.
Whether you prefer Simnel cake, freshly baked hot cross buns or a slice of gooey chocolate gateau, Easter Day tea isn’t complete without a celebratory cake to. Kids of all ages love making chocolate cornflake chick cakes and you’re never too old to join in!
The recipe for these teatime treats is super simple. All you need is 225g of plain chocolate, 2 tbsps. of golden syrup, 50g of butter, 75g of cornflakes, some mini chicks and a 12 hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.
Start by breaking the chocolate into pieces, then melt the chocolate, syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Once everything has melted, it’s time to stir in the cornflakes and spoon the mixture into your cake cases. Finally, pop an Easter chick onto the middle of each nest and chill in fridge for an hour. What could be easier?
