Valentine’s Day was a reminder that I don’t want a lot of tiny, plastic junk in the house. We love experience gifts and planning family time together, so that’s going to be our focus for Easter. Here are 10 experience gifts — Easter edition — for kids.
And if you’re wondering how to gift these experiences in lieu of the traditional Easter basket, make an egg scavenger hunt with paper clues and a picture of the experience in the final egg. (Make sure the kids are not expecting candy!) Or, keep the Easter basket and fill it with items related to your experience for the day. For example, if you’re going to the zoo, put a stuffed animal that your child loves in the basket along with an item, picture, or book that represents the zoo.
Ready? Here we go!
1. Bunny Time
Petting zoos can be so much fun for kiddos and families that like animals. It is a fun treat to get to see and interact with animals you don’t usually get to, like bunnies! Our favorite local petting zoo, Cathy’s Critters, even has kangaroos! Visiting a farm is a fun experience Easter gift. Check out some family-friendly farms with petting zoos in Collin County right here. And find local petting zoo party options here.
Be sure to check out “Easter Events and Egg Hunts in Collin County” if you want to see THE Easter bunny. Additionally, schedule an appointment for pictures with the Easter Bunny over Easter weekend at Cabella’s and Bass Pro Shops.
2. Camping
Since Easter falls at the very beginning of spring, there’s a chance that the weather won’t cooperate. But the great thing about tents is that they are portable! You can set them up inside, in your backyard, or at an official camp site. Throw in some bunny chocolate with your smore kit to make a yummy camping Easter treat!
<< RECOMMENDED RESOURCE :: 2024 Summer Camps for Collin County Kids >>
3. Game Time!
There are plenty of sporting events you can attend. From local games to national league games, there are a lot of options in the metroplex.
For those that aren’t sports fans, consider more hands-on activities like axe throwing for older kids or an all-ages laser tag game. A fun day at the arcade would be a great experience Easter gift as well.
We’re gearing up for the summer games, too! Consider watching a team event in person, leading up to the games. We also enjoy going to Special Olympic games to cheer on the kids and my brother-in-law. It’s always a fun afternoon.
4. Host a Hunt
Egg hunts aren’t just for the littles, get the whole family involved! One of our favorite Easter experiences ever was an egg hunt hosted specifically for college students. The eggs were filled with coins, cash, food coupons, and candy. Host an egg hunt with eggs filled with goodies not just for the kids, but also for the tweens, teens, and adults in the group.
For ideas, check out this blog for a fun list of egg and basket fillers for teens and adults (Did someone say scented bookmarks and pop sockets?). Think stocking stuffers, travel-size things and, of course, cash.
Don’t feel like hosting a hunt? Make a whole day out of egg hunting and visit two different, local events together! Find them in our guide to “Easter Events and Egg Hunts in Collin County.”
5. Kite Adventures
Going to the park together is a wonderful family activity. Add in kites and you have a fantastically fun day. When is the last time you flew a kite? It’s a blast! We use a sturdy cloth kite as well as the cheap grocery store kites with cartoon characters printed on them. Check out this guide to local parks for some ideas on where to find a park and field in Collin County.
If you have younger kids, I highly suggest going to a new park you haven’t been to before. This way, the kids can explore the new playground if weather conditions are not ideal for kite flying.
<< RECOMMENDED RESOURCE :: Save the Date: March Kid-Friendly Events in Collin County >>
6. Pizza Garden
Did you know that tomatoes grow really well in North Texas? Building a spring garden together is a fruitful family activity. For both beginners or pros, planting things to make your own pizza sauce is fun and doable in our climate. Grab seed packets for oregano and basil and a tomato plant that has already started growing (because starting tomatoes from seed is not fool-proof). In the garden, make sure to give your tomato plenty of room to grow. When they’re ready to harvest, you can make homemade pizza sauce together! Check out this article with tips and tricks for gardening with kids.
7. Science Adventure
A great experience Easter gift idea is visiting one of our great local science museums together. If you get a family pass to the Perot, you can use your membership to get free passes to the Heard museum as well because they are part of a science passport program. The Dallas Zoo currently has an outdoor dinosaur trail. You can even extend the fun by looking for experiments from the museum that you can replicate at home.
8. Theater Tickets
A day at the theater is an out-of-the-ordinary experience gift. Live theater venues like North Texas Performing Arts and The Dallas Children’s Theater both have fantastic children shows year round. There are family-friendly shows to see at Broadway Dallas’ line up, too. Not up for live theater? Try a dine-in movie! Luca is being re-released over Easter and is a family-friendly option.
9. Random Acts of Kindness
Easter is a largely religious holiday. Working together to help others is a great way to honor that. From bringing treats to firefighters to collecting things for your local animal shelter, serving with kids can be a lot of fun! Here’s a list of acts of kindness that kids can do, too.
10. Park Cleanup
There will be a lot of egg hunts and events happening outdoors around Easter. And while you would hope that the organizers would clean up after themselves, that is not always the case. There’s usually plenty of trash and egg pieces to be found. Helping clean up green spaces can be a great family activity. Plus, you have the perk of playing together in the park afterwards.
What are your favorite family spring activities?
