Easter Fun and Menu Ideas [year]
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Easter is BIG DOINGS where I’m from so today I’m going to share with you some fun ideas for the kids and some yummy ideas for your table!
Game and Activity Ideas
My mother makes Easter FUN by taking part in all sorts of neat activities with the kids (of all ages!)
Old Fashioned Party Games – We all gather at Mama’s house for Easter Dinner and a big egg hunt in her back yard. The kids most look forward to the old fashioned party games my mother plays with them.
Drop the clothespin in the jar – Give each child a clothes pin and place a large mason jar at their feet. Have them hold the clothes pin at chest level and try to drop it in the jar.
Pin the tail on the donkey – Place a drawing of a donkey or bunny rabbit on the wall. Give each child a tail with tape on the end of it. Blindfold them and turn them around a time or two, then point them in the direction of the wall and let ’em go!
Egg Race – Give each child a spoon with an egg on it. Line ’em up at a starting line and send ’em off! Whoever gets to the finish line first with their egg still on their spoon wins.
Egg toss – Have two kids face each other, one with an egg. Toss the egg to the child opposite them and then take a step back. Toss the egg back. Take another step back. Repeat until someone drops the egg. The team that makes it furthest apart wins! Mama never cooks the eggs so this one is always a little more exciting and someone ends up having to wash egg off their hands.
Vaseline Cotton Ball Pickup – Place a dab of vaseline on the tip of the kids noses and have them move cotton balls from one bowl to another using just their vaseline tipped noses, seeing who can move the most in an allotted amount of time. We’re weird, but we have fun!
Egg Hunt – In recent years we’ve stopped putting prizes in the eggs and started awarding prizes instead. We have the same prizes and number for every kid in the family but they haven’t caught on that they’re all winning the same things and in equal amounts just yet. Mama will sit everyone down and have them go through their baskets to find out who has the most pink eggs, who has the most blue eggs, who found the most two tone eggs, etc.
Dyeing Eggs – Last year we found that not all of the kids in our family had got to dye eggs at their house, so Mama cooked up a dozen eggs for each child and we set up a big table for them to dye the eggs on Easter day. I just brought my kid’s eggs and dye supplies with me and they had a lot of fun getting to do it with all of their cousins. Even though a lot of folks aren’t doing this anymore, it is one of my most cherished memories as a kid at Easter and I encourage you to continue this simple tradition with your kids, too! Besides, deviled eggs, egg salad, ham salad, chicken casserole, and many more delicious recipes await you the following week as a result! Don’t forget to store your dyed eggs in the fridge! Hint: Just to make sure you know, you’re never too old to have fun dyeing Easter Eggs!
Peep Sword Fighting – NEW this year in my family. My mother has always had a fun spirit and loves to do new things to thrill the kids. Since we have mostly boys, she’s decided to let them do peeps sword fighting this year. You take two marshmallow peeps of different colors, have them face each other on a plate and stick a toothpick in each one like it’s a sword. Place them in the microwave and turn it on and watch. As they heat up they will expand and the one who sticks the other with his little toothpick first wins. Of course, these will eventually explode in your microwave so you wanna watch and stop the fight when the opponent is stuck. I’m just glad this is Mama’s microwave and not mine but she’s right, the boys will love it (and think she is a cool grandmama, too!).
Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt – A few years ago when we moved into our new house, we found out that the community hosted a flashlight Easter Egg Hunt! We took the kids, looking forward to some fun, but upon seeing how it was executed and the crowds involved we quickly realized this was not a safe event for our kids to participate in. Not wanting the kids to miss out on our planned fun, we headed to our local dollar store and picked up some prizes to come home and have our own. Flashlight egg hunts are SO easy and fun to pull off in your own back yard because there is no real need to hide anything due to the dark. We divide our back yard in half and each kid gets their own exclusive hunting grounds. I hide tons of eggs but also include some other random goodies as well. Since we had to set it up on the fly that first year, I ended up using some odd things as prizes but they’ve stuck as tradition now! This means that in addition to eggs in the yard, the kids will also find a random can of Pringles and whatever else I can come up with (chicken noodle soup, fruit snack packs, etc). We usually do this the night before Easter and it has become one of the things we all most look forward to.
I’d LOVE to hear what you do at your house on Easter in the comments section!
Menu Ideas
Now that we’ve given you plenty of game and fun ideas, here are some ideas on what to cook for the big meal!
Just click on the link below each picture to be taken to the recipe. I’m also going to tell you beneath each recipe how far ahead I assemble the dishes in case you want to streamline your Easter as well and leave you spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your family!
This post contains ideas and links to recipes for side dishes, breads, main courses, desserts, and beverages!
Deviled Eggs, a Southern Staple!
You gotta have at LEAST one tray of deviled eggs at Easter because they are so good …
..and also something you can have a bit of fun with!
*Can make two to three days ahead of time.
For an extra special treat, serve these with honey!
*Make Day of Meal
This is my personal roll recipe and I just love them. If you are serving ham, they make the best sandwiches with leftover pieces.
*Make these fresh the day of the meal
Granny Jordan’s English Pea Pimento Casserole,
and Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
*Can assemble each of these the day before meal. Baking the casseroles in the oven just before serving and reheating the mashed potatoes in the microwave.
(Two different ham recipes are below)
This recipe uses frozen green beans but makes them taste garden fresh!
*Can make now and freeze, reheating day of the meal. Or, make two days ahead of time, store in fridge, and heat in microwave.
Mama and Grandmama are ga-ga over this salad!
*Can make two days ahead of time.
This is just a classic congealed salad but it’s also fun because you can change the color and flavor just by using different flavors of gelatin.
*Can make three days ahead of time.
I love this stuff. My Daddy loves this stuff. My Mama loves this stuff. My Grandmama loves this stuff….
*Can make three days ahead of time.
If you’re feeding children who tend to be on the picky side, a relish tray on the table is the way to go! All of their favorites that they can put on their plate, but all healthy options, too! This is how I round out the meal for my pickiest eaters.
*Make day of meal.
Baked Ham with Easy Peasy Glaze
*Cook day before and reheat
For an even simpler ham recipe, see below.
How to Bake A Ham (and get at least four meals out of it!)
You got a ham, now what do you do with it? This post shows you how to easily bake a ham and then offers yummy (and easy ) ideas for the leftovers!
*Can bake day before and reheat.
Mama’s Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
We have to have this every year at Easter or the men and children will disown us.
*Make day of meal
Mama’s Chicken Poulet (or Chicken chicken!)
In case you’re not in the mood for ham, here is a chicken recipe that is assembled the night before and baked just before serving.
Wait a minute, why wouldn’t you be in the mood for ham? ~blinks~ Well on the off chance ya are, here ya go!
*This recipe must be assembled the night before and baked just before the meal.
Lemon Meringue Pie with Cookie Crumb Crust
This is the MUST HAVE pie each Easter. While store bought ones are all good and well, anyone can make this homemade version in about the same amount of time it would take you to go buy one at the grocery store and I can guarantee you the reviews will make your efforts more than worth it!
A lemon meringue pie unlike any other. (Click the name to view a full photographic tutorial and get the recipe!)
*Can make up to two days ahead of time.
I love this pie so much, Mama always makes two so she can send one home with me!
She told me this morning that she’s making them later this week for Sunday! WEEE!
What a delightful dessert! Serve it as a side salad along with the meal if you like.
*Make no more than one day ahead of time.
This is my Daddy’s favorite cake for Christmas and Easter. Some folks around here call it “Rotten cake” because it is sooooo good you want folks to think it’s rotten and keep it all to yourself!
*Can make three days ahead of time
“Well look at that, Christy just put a dessert right smack dab in the middle of the side dishes. Lawd help me, that girl ain’t got a plum lick of sense…”
*Can make up to two days ahead of time.
Every meal, without question 🙂
I make mine with Splenda.
*We always make tea fresh every day.
This is such a treat, especially for your guests who are watching their sugar! So easy to whip up and such a treat!
*Can make two days ahead of time
HAVE A WONDERFUL EASTER!
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Spring is nature’s way of saying,
“Let’s party!”
~Robin Williams
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EasterSunday I get up early and go to Sunrise Service at my church, then we havea breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham juice and toast. After morning service i go to my daughter’s home for a great dinner, she always has baked ham, sweet potatoes and way too much food! Praising the Lord is what it is al about.
What a special and blessed day. Thank you so much for sharing Beulah and I hope you have a blessed weekend!!
I have no little ones left but I found a need at our church. For the past 12 years I have held an Easter Egg hunt on Holy Saturday on the lawn of the parish center. We hide over 1,000 eggs with only 25 having a prize in them – we check a certain color egg for a prize indicator but those that don’t are excitedly told that they have won a bag of candy. The first year we did it (trial and error) I had $50 worth of candy that dropped into the bottom of the bag and looked like I had 5 cents worth in each bag. We ran out and got big candy bars to fill the void. Now I give a full package of the cheese & crackers, a big candy bar or the equivalent & and few small pieces – looks like we gave them the world. Our prizes are bunnies of all sizes we have three categories – 1-3 yrs, 4-5 yrs & 6-10yrs. We even have our own Easter Bunny who poses for pictures with the children. Our youth group helps put the eggs out for the hunt and face paints the children. Amazingly we start the hunt at 9am sharp, by 10am we are cleaning up the crumbs of the cookies & milk we serve. We usually get around 65-80 children so it is quite easy to manage. It is great fun!
That sounds like a wonderful day!!! I am so glad to hear how blessed those children are!
LOVED reading about your mama’s Easter Sunday games! What fun! I’ve always loved participating in Easter egg hunts (guess I’ll never grow up either). One year, I invited a friend’s day care children over to hung eggs and treat them with some snacks after they finished hunting eggs. Those kids are now teenagers but still remember coming here to hunt eggs. Have a BLESSED Easter!
I hope you have a blessed Easter as well Patricia!!
Mama Franks ( my grandmother ) always told me when someone was calling me a name, or trying to start something ” Don’t wrestle with the pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it”. I have always loved this one.
We enjoy your Jordan Roll recipe so much that no holiday meal would be complete without them! Course, I’ll be adding several other Southern Plate recipes to our Easter menu as well!
Debbie, you always make my day!! I hope you have a wonderful Easter and are blessed beyond measure!
Debbie, I was just reading the comments on Christy Jordan’s southern plate blog and saw your comment about her Jordan Rolls. I have made them several times and love them, but I never seem to know how much flower to add when I am rolling them out. It is a very wet dough, so I know you have to use some, but how much do you add when patting or rolling them out? Don’t want to add too much and make them tough! Thanks, Donna
We always dye eggs and do the traditional egg hunt, but I like to start off the festivities by reading or telling the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrectiion. That way each one knows just what it is we are celebrating. We have even used the “resurrection eggs” as a way of telling the story. There are small reminders of the events leading up to Jesus crucifixion in each egg. Whoever finds the egg, shows what’s inside and tells what it means.
What wonderful traditions Patty!!! I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter!!!
I love the idea of a flashlight egg hunt! I’d like to try it but since we have a large patch of woods that borders our backyard, I’m afraid one of the young’uns might step on a snake!! We’ve seen a few already this year. Maybe we’ll try some of the other ideas instead…
I think I might would have to pass as well Lorrie, wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt. And well, I am just not fond of even SEEING a snake.
We have the same issue with snakes and bugs here in my neck of the woods. So I always have an indoor flashlight egg hunt. Make the kids stay in their room while you hide them all over, then I put one candle in the kitchen and turn off all the lights and let them go!