No massive egg hunts this year. Here’s how to add some fun to a stay-at-home Easter

With all of the restrictions in place to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus, it’s a relief to know that the Easter Bunny is an essential worker.

It’s true — at least in New Zealand, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ahern made a speech about the beloved rabbit, granting both it and the Tooth Fairy the right to continue to visit true believers.

Of course, securing the needed basket-filling supplies might be more difficult right now, but candy is nowhere near as scarce as toilet paper, and — as the hippity-hopper in chief likely knows — eggs can be dyed with spices, vegetables, coffee and more.

But what about Easter egg hunting? You won’t be able to take the kids to a park or athletic field to scramble for eggs amid hordes of their peers — and that’s a favorite part of the holiday for lots of youngsters.

“Easter egg hunting is my preschooler’s favorite holiday tradition,” said Toni Dewees of Lacey. “He loves the search and doesn’t care what’s inside the eggs.”

At Dewees’ home and all over South Sound, the hunts will go on — as they will in New Zealand, where Ahern suggested people place pictures of eggs in their front windows for children to discover as they walk around their neighborhoods. Here are some other ideas.

Chalk your own egg hunt

Claire Grossmann of Olympia created a sidewalk chalk egg hunt for local kids to enjoy.

“I’ve lived in Olympia my whole life and know kids look forward to doing Easter egg hunts put on by the community,” she told The Olympian. “I was once that kid.”

She drew a dozen eggs on the sidewalks of her parents’ Tumwater neighborhood, embellishing some with suggestions such as “Wave to a neighbor” and “Can you bunny hop?”

See how she did it in a video posted on her Instagram feed.

Get creative at home

Plenty of egg hunts happen at home, anyway, and this year, South Sound parents and grandparents are coming up with twists on that tradition.

“We’ve decided to ‘borrow’ the yard of the children’s great-grandmother for hiding the eggs and candy,” said Lorrine Thompson of Lacey. “Great-Grandma — who has a big yard with lots of hiding spots — will stay inside, behind the glass, and can watch as the kids hunt for their eggs and candy and baskets. Then we will wave to her and leave flowers and candy and artwork the kids made for her.

“My mom is pretty excited to see the great-grandkids, even through the windows,” she told The Olympian.

Dewees is planning an indoor-outdoor egg hunt that doesn’t require spending money.

“I collected small rocks from our yard, and my husband and I painted them, and that’s what we’re putting in the eggs,” she said.

She and other parents are planning scavenger hunts, too. You can make your own, buy a ready-to-print one online, or print the free one at http://www.passionforsavings.com/outdoor-scavenger-hunt-for-kids/.

Compete for prizes in Tumwater’s online hunt

The city of Tumwater’s annual Easter Egg Dash, which usually attracts thousands of people, can’t happen this year. But the city is keeping the competitive holiday spirit alive with its Virtual Easter Egg Hunt.

Each day, the city’s Parks and Recreation staff is posting pictures of eggs nestled in an iconic Tumwater location. (On Tuesday, for example, the eggs were cradled in the arm of the Mark Twain statue at Point Plaza East.) Participants guess the location and get a chance to win prizes for each correct guess.

The hunt started Monday, but it’s not too late to participate: It continues through Saturday.

Marisa Worden of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department saw a huge response to the hunt as soon as she posted it on Facebook. “Anything we can do to connect as a community feels really good right now,” she said.

Prize winners will be announced Monday, and the prizes include restaurant coupons and vouchers for recreational activities, which are, of course, closed right now.

“It will be more delayed gratification,” Worden said.

This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:45 AM.