For me, the Easter holiday is always a symbol of hope, rebirth and the arrival of spring. But this year it feels very different. How could it not? We are all staying safe in our homes and that means, for most of us, very different Easter plans than we are used to, not to mention feelings of uncertainty and fear.

Normally I write a biog post detailing all of the best Easter egg hunts and events happening around Ottawa. This year the only Easter egg hunts you should be having are in your house, or in your backyard. I am determined to make the most of it for my kids and for me! We all need to focus on feeling hopeful. So, I have been lining up a list of baking, arts and crafts and different ideas for us to do around the home to make the holiday special. I wanted to share some of them with you, in case you like any of the ideas for your family!

Easter Baking

This one is a no brainer. Who doesn’t want a reason to make delicious Easter treats? Not to mention, with the kids home all the time, baking is a great activity to do together. Here are a few of the recipes I enjoy making or hope to make for the first time:

• Coconut Nest Cake – this beautiful thing is not too tricky to make, you just need a bundt cake pan. It’s from my favourite baking website Sally’s Baking Addiction.
• Easter Bunny Bark – this is another one from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Really pretty and a great way to use up some of those many mini eggs so many of us have lying around.
• Hot Cross Buns – this recipe from Monika Hibbs is meant to be baked with kids, the only thing is, you have to have some yeast and that has been a hot commodity these days! I have been saving some yeast to give these a try.
• Decorate some Sugar Cookies – if you don’t feel like baking, but want to enjoy something yummy and involve the kids, then consider ordering a cookie decorating kit from someone local (you get to support local businesses too!) We got a kit from Thyme and Again last week and it was great – they are doing curb side pickup and delivery for close by. Batter Up Bakery is also doing awesome cookie decorating kits for pick up.

Easter Crafts

I’m not the craftiest person but I like to choose a few (easy) arts and crafts to do with the kids the week leading up to Easter. So here are a few things I have planned.

• Dyed Easter Eggs – you can buy a egg dyeing package from the store, but seeing as we are supposed to be staying home, that might be hard to come by. Good news – you can easily do it yourself, check out the link for more.
• Stained Glass Chalk Art– we did a stained glass chalk drawing on our driveway last week and loved how it turned out. So this week we want to do the same thing but this time shape them into easter eggs! All you need is some painters tape or masking tape and chalk.
• Sock Bunny – I saw a friend on Instagram do this with her daughter and I thought it looked so cute! I’m going to give it a try. You don’t need much – mostly an old kids sock, rice, and some elastic bands to get you started.
• Coffee Filter Tie Dye Easter Eggs – a super easy project that requires minimal supplies.

Other Family Easter Activities

• Easter Egg Hunt – We will of course be doing our own Easter Egg hunt at home. My fingers are crossed for good weather so we can do it outside in our backyard. We will miss those larger egg hunts that always happen in our neighbourhood’s park, but I will try to make it as fun as possible just with our family.
• Watching Easter Mass Online – if going to church is part of your normal Easter celebrations there are lots of options for lifestreams to be found online. You can stay at home and still follow along.
• Go for a Family Walk – getting out for a walk is still okay (as long as you are social distancing). Get outside, perhaps make it a nature scavenger hunt where you are trying to find signs of spring. Make it a time to reflect as a family and maybe share what you are most excited about when these restrictions are finally lifted, or perhaps the people you are most excited to see and hug.
• Take a Family Photo – as unsettling as this time in history is, the reality is, this is a major historical event that we are a part of. As we are spending so much time together as a family (trapped really), I think it is a good idea to try to capture this time in a family photo. Even if you don’t have a tripod or anything official – just set up your phone leaning against something, set the timer function for 10 seconds and then hustle back into position with your family (I do this a lot). It may take a few tries to get a winner, but take that Easter family photo with everyone in it.

I hope that all of you are staying safe and holding your loved ones close. If you celebrate Easter, or for those of you who will be celebrating Passover – I am wishing you all a special with your family.