Set the Scene
One of the best ways to help younger children maintain their early childhood belief in the Easter Bunny is to engage them in the story of the rabbit. As with Santa Claus at Christmas, you can read an Easter book or watch an Easter movie. Ask your kids to leave a carrot and some water for the bunny the night before the holiday.
Leave Clues
After you’ve explained who the Easter Bunny is, here are a few activities you can do with your children or on your own to further the illusion:
If you left out carrots and water for the Easter bunny, nibble off the carrot tip while everyone’s sleeping and empty some of the water.Leave “bunny fur” around the house. Pull apart some cotton balls and leave a trail leading from the front door to the hidden Easter baskets.Create bunny footprints that go to and from the Easter baskets by sprinkling glitter or baby powder on the floor. Make a bunny paw print impression in the glitter or powder. (Hint: Use a stuffed animal’s paw to make the prints).Have the Easter Bunny drop a jelly bean trail from your child’s bedroom to the Easter basket to start the holiday morning on a sweet note. If you don’t want your child to fill up on sweets too early, leave a special trail later in the day when your little one is busy with other activities.
Hunts for Easter Eggs or a Treasure Trove
According to tradition, the Easter Bunny would arrive over Easter weekend, either on Easter Sunday morning or the night before, in time for when the children wake up on Easter morning to find their eggs. The first Easter eggs that were hidden were painted or dyed chicken eggs. In Europe, families still use chicken eggs. In the U.S., it’s more customary to stuff plastic eggs with treats or toys. To maintain the tradition, hide Easter eggs in your yard or house the night before or early in the morning. Give each child an Easter basket to go on the hunt.Or, instead of searching for eggs, the Easter Bunny can entice your children with an Easter basket scavenger hunt. The Easter Bunny hides each child’s Easter basket and leaves them a note leading them to clues that eventually point them to their treat-loaded Easter basket.
Track the Easter Bunny
Send a Letter to the Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny has a mailing address on Easter Island, of course. Each year, letters are sent to the Easter Bunny from children and families across the globe to Easter Bunny, 123 Carrot Road, Easter Island, 88888. You can also send an email by going to https://trackeasterbunny.com. Get email messages back from the Easter Bunny by filling out a simple form. You will need to provide an email address to become subscribed (at no cost). You’ll receive the latest Easter Bunny news and emails from the Easter Bunny Helpers and Littles, the Easter Bunny’s friends.
Call the Easter Bunny
An app called “Call Easter Bunny” connects your children directly to the Easter Bunny. It’s available for iPhone and Android. Or, if you get the premium version, the Easter Bunny will call your child at a set time that works for you. The call is a recording from the Easter Bunny, where the Easter Bunny says hello to your child, asks your child’s name, and reminds them to keep behaving. Even if you only have the free version, you can replay the conversation between the bunny and your child at any time and also save it.
Celebrating With Older Children
If your child is getting older, you might need to be more convincing. They may be at the age where they are curious but not convinced that there is an Easter Bunny, but a few ideas could keep the myth alive.
Leave a letter from the bunny in the kids’ Easter baskets. Write a quick note on bunny- or spring-themed stationery and sign it with a paw print. Write a message from the Easter Bunny on your driveway or sidewalk using colorful chalk if the weather is nice. For even older children, consider asking a friend or family member to wear a bunny costume and hop through your yard at a specific time. Make sure your kids are looking out the window and that your live Easter Bunny has a quick escape route. Ask your friend to drop a few eggs or chocolates for extra points so the kids have something tangible to prove the bunny was in the yard.
More Ways to Spice up Easter
There are many ways you can make Easter morning a little more magical. Sure, they won’t necessarily prove the existence of the Easter Bunny, but they may bring laughter and joy to your holiday.
Turn a regular jug of milk into a bottle of “Easter Bunny juice.” Add a drop of red, green, or blue food coloring to the milk and mix it in or replace white milk with strawberry or chocolate milk. After the kids go to bed, color or dye a dozen raw eggs and put them back in the original container. When you pull out the eggs to make breakfast in the morning, act surprised that they’re now colored.
