Easter can be a complicated holiday. It’s a moveable feast so sometimes it’s very early and sometimes very late in spring. This means the weather is unpredictable and smart families have a plan B for every activity to ensure that whatever the climate throws at us. We’re able to have a good time. That’s not the only difficulty. Easter is also a religious holiday. Which means observant families will be spending time in church and non-observant ones will not. That can cause friction as different families try to organise things together. It’s quite common for Nannies to have a different religion or culture to the families they work for and that can require negotiation too. All in all, it’s quite a holiday to navigate!
Based on the experience of our Elite Nannies. We have some suggestions to make Easter easier for all concerned.
Easy Easter crafts
We like this project as it’s non-denominational. Which means nobody gets upset or offended and can be created by children of different ages and skill sets. What it requires is a little homework. Nanny needs to cut out the masks from thick card before the project starts because that allows the children to sit down and get straight to work.
Materials
White card for mask base with holes punched on each side for elastic.
Pink paper for ears and noses.
Cotton wool balls.
Elastic to fix mask to head.
Pipe cleaners for whiskers.
Glue.
Process
Give each child a cut out mask and their own set of materials. Smaller children may just glue cotton wool to the mask. Whilst more sophisticated older ones can line the ears with pink and then glue cotton all round the outside. As well as making small holes with blunt scissors to poke the pipe cleaners through for whiskers. Help the children thread the elastic. They can wear their masks for an Easter Egg Hunt if you like!
Easy Easter activities
Easter Egg Hunt
Begin by establishing the rules.
Have a base to which children must return when they have collected say, three eggs. This means you can corral them and give them something else to do whilst the slower children can complete the tasks. A plain cardboard box for each child makes a great distraction. You can get them to create their own Easter Egg basket back at base while Nanny helps the other children find some eggs.
Also, pair up children if you have more than a two or three taking part. Smaller kiddies are working with an older child which gives them more confidence.
Finally, and most importantly. Make sure you have a clear rule about when Easter Eggs can be eaten. In some houses our nannies don’t hand out chocolate eggs. But plastic ones, which can be redeemed for chocolate at the end of the activity. This means parents can supervise how much chocolate gets eaten!
We’ve found that activity Easter Egg Hunts work very well. Instead of clues, set out actions. “March on the spot for a count of ten” or “bounce the ball five times”. Get the children to have their activity card stamped by an adult standing at each activity station. This means the children get to be active and practice following instructions as well as blowing off a bit of steam.
Above all, don’t let Easter become stressful. While the holiday itself might be spiritually significant to you or just a week off in early spring. It’s always a chance to enjoy the lighter evenings and increasing warmth and sunlight and if you work with your nanny, it should be fun for all.