5 Ways to Celebrate Easter Without Candy

Green lawns. Blossoming daffodils. Warm sun. There’s no denying spring is in the air at Copperleaf Community, and that means Easter is approaching fast on April 1st. If you’re trying to stick to a healthier plan for 2018, this is the year to do a candy-free Easter. If you plan ahead, your kids won’t even miss the unnecessary sugary treats. Here’s how!

Focus the entire day on rejoicing with family and friends. We love the idea of bonding over a few kitchen projects, getting playful with some games and appreciating the beauty of the outdoors.

Make Breakfast Together

Kick off the morning with a whimsical meal of bunny-shaped pancakes, a rainbow fruit salad and of course — colored hard-boiled eggs. Work as a team to decorate the breakfast foods and be sure to snap lots of photos along the way. We love the idea of coloring eggs with natural dyes like turmeric spice (yellow, orange), the juice from canned beets (pink) and cooked blueberries (purple). What other foods can you think of that might color eggshells?

Have an Egg Hunt

Get up and moving by hosting a plastic egg hunt in the yard for your family and neighbors. As you visit one another over some morning coffee, the kids can get a little exercise looking for the eggs. Hide them in bushes, behind landscape rocks, and under patio overhangs. Fill the eggs with little prizes such as stickers, temporary tattoos, coins, miniature figurines and bouncy balls.

Discover a Special Snack

When the kids start asking for a something to munch on, tell them they can find it in the bunny patch! Set off a small section of the yard with a low, garden edging. Place one plush bunny toy for each child in the grass. Next to each toy should be a bowl of bunny food that they can share with their new fuzzy friend. Include carrot sticks, tubs of ranch dressing for dunking, a mix of green and purple grapes and celery sticks filled with nut butter. Yum!

Play a Family Game

Put an Easter spin on some old classics. Upgrade pin the tail on the donkey with a bunny using cotton balls for this tail. Get out the corn hole set and use plush toy Easter eggs in lieu of sandbags. Love Scrabble? Give it an Easter theme and only allow players to create words related to the holiday! Or, head over to the sports court and play a game of B-U-N-N-Y basketball. Use the rules for Horse for this holiday game.

Give An Easter Basket

Whether it’s part of an egg hunt or presented during a different family event, don’t forget the holiday basket. Easter baskets without candy are simple to create if you focus the baskets on the kids’ hobbies. Does your son love to draw? Fill his basket with colored pencils, funky erasers, a drawing pad, plastic stencils and other cool art supplies. Then, round out the baskets with healthy snacks like dried fruit leather and chocolate-covered nuts as well as a few spring toys like bubbles and sidewalk chalk.

A candy-free Easter can be packed with engaging activities, memory-making moments and yummy food that isn’t loaded with refined sugar. After your holiday fun, be sure to take in the spring beauty in our community by walking the nature trails or visiting the Arboretum to see what’s blooming.