Easter for Kids: Ideas, Traditions & Play Fun

Easter is just around the corner, and with it the most wonderful time for kids: hunting for colorful eggs, waiting for the Easter Bunny and finally romping around outdoors again. For families, Easter is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, get creative and create lasting memories. Large foam building blocks are especially popular, with which kids can create bunny burrows, Easter landscapes and imaginative play worlds. In this article we show you how to celebrate Easter with kids in a relaxed and joyful way, from child-friendly explanations to craft instructions to active games.

What you can expect in this post:

• How to explain Easter in a child-friendly way and what the holiday means
• Popular Easter traditions like the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and family rituals
• Tips for relaxed Easter planning without stress
• Meaningful gift ideas instead of excess
• Creative craft ideas for home, daycare and kindergarten
• Active and Easter games for indoors and outdoors
• How RIWI® XXL building blocks enrich Easter
• Practical ideas for educational facilities
• Answers to common parent questions about Easter

Key takeaways

• With the egg hunt, the Easter Bunny and family time, Easter offers kids unforgettable experiences.
• Easter combines Christian meaning (the resurrection of Jesus) with cheerful spring traditions. Both can be conveyed in a child-friendly way.
• Simple rituals, craft ideas and active games with RIWI® XXL foam building blocks create special moments without much effort.
• Safe, durable and washable toys like the RIWI® buildit building blocks are ideal for Easter activities in the home, garden, daycare and kindergarten.
• At the end of the article you will find an FAQ section with answers to typical parent questions about Easter with kids.

Easter for kids, simply explained

Easter is a cheerful spring festival full of surprises: bunnies hop through the gardens, chicks hatch from eggs, lambs jump in the meadows and colorful Easter eggs glow everywhere. For kids, Easter means above all excitement, fun and the joy of searching and finding.

For Christians, the holiday has a special meaning: they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Easter story tells how Jesus was raised back to life after his death on the cross. For many people, this is a symbol of hope and new beginnings, similar to spring, which brings new life after winter.

In Germany, Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. This means:

• No kindergarten and no primary school
• Time for the family
• Shared activities and rituals

Easter falls on a different date every year, always on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. In 2025 we celebrate from April 18 to 21. Whether at daycare, with the family or with friends: Easter is one of the nicest holidays of the year for kids.

Why do we celebrate Easter? Faith & spring in a child-friendly way

Easter has two sides: a religious meaning and many cheerful spring traditions. Both can be explained wonderfully in a child-friendly way.

The Easter story for kids

The Passion story can be divided into simple sections:

Day	What happened	Child-friendly explanation
Palm Sunday	Jesus enters Jerusalem	People welcome Jesus with palm branches like a king
Maundy Thursday	The Last Supper	Jesus eats one last time with his friends
Good Friday	Crucifixion of Jesus	A sad day on which Jesus died
Easter Sunday	Resurrection	The joy is great: Jesus lives again!

Important: with small children, it is enough to talk about a sad day and the great joy afterwards. The details of the crucifixion don't have to be explained at length.

Understanding Lent

Lent begins 40 days before Easter. Some families deliberately give something up during this time, for example:

• Sweets
• TV or tablet
• Certain foods

This can be exciting for kids: what would you leave out for a few weeks? At the end, the holiday awaits with all the greater joy!

Easter as a spring festival

Regardless of faith, many people celebrate Easter as a spring festival. The name "Easter" possibly derives from the Germanic spring goddess Ostara or from the word "east" for the sun rising in the east. Both fit the theme of new beginnings and light.

Spring brings:

• Longer days and more sunshine
• Blooming flowers in the meadows
• Returning birds
• New life in nature

When kids have questions about death and grief, picture books and children's books can help. Reading together creates natural opportunities for conversation without pressure and in a familiar setting.

Easter traditions for kids: bunny, eggs & more

The typical Easter symbols like the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs, chicks and Easter lamb all have something to do with life, spring and new beginnings. For kids, these figures are the most exciting part of the holiday.

The Easter Bunny

Why of all animals does a rabbit bring the eggs? Rabbits are nimble animals that multiply strongly in spring. They used to be regarded as heralds of spring and symbols of fertility. The tradition of the Easter Bunny hiding eggs developed in the 17th century in Germany.

Kids love being "surprised" by the bunny. The excitement of searching and the joy of finding make the egg hunt the highlight of Easter.

Easter eggs

The egg has stood for new life for thousands of years. After Lent, during which eggs were formerly not allowed to be eaten, the collected eggs were painted in bright colors and given as gifts.

Why kids love dyeing eggs:

• Creative design with color
• Every egg becomes unique
• You can eat the result or give it as a gift

Easter traditions around the world

The bunny doesn't bring the eggs everywhere:

Country	Easter tradition
Sweden	Easter chicks as a symbol
Australia	Easter bilby (a native marsupial)
France	Church bells returning from Rome
Finland	Kids dress up as Easter witches

Inventing your own family rituals

Easter traditions are allowed to change! Every family can develop its own Easter traditions:

• Building an Easter nest from blankets and cushions every year
• A particular song that is only played at Easter
• Baking a special cake together
• A walk to a favorite spot

Planning Easter with kids: relaxed holidays instead of stress

Easter doesn't have to be perfect. A simple plan with a few rituals is completely enough for kids. The nicest memories often arise spontaneously.

Rough schedule for the Easter days

Day	Activity
Good Friday	Quiet day, maybe crafting together or reading Easter books
Holy Saturday	Dyeing eggs, preparing the Easter basket, baking
Easter Sunday	Egg hunt, Easter breakfast, family time
Easter Monday	Outing, walk or visit to relatives

Planning Easter breakfast

Plan the Easter meal together with the kids:

• Braided yeast bread or Easter lamb cake from pound cake batter
• Colorful eggs from your own production
• Veggie sticks as "bunny food"
• Fresh rolls and cold cuts

Getting materials in time

A short checklist for relaxed Easter days:

• Finger paint and brushes for dyeing eggs
• Cardboard, paper and scissors for Easter decorations
• Natural materials like moss and twigs
• Chocolate and little things for the Easter basket
• RIWI® building blocks for the indoor obstacle course

Developing fixed family rituals

Rituals that repeat every year give kids security and anticipation:

• An Easter story in the evening before bedtime
• Singing spring songs together
• A particular game that is only played at Easter
• Visiting the Easter bonfire in the neighborhood

Easter gifts for kids: fewer, but meaningful

Kids look forward to the Easter basket, but Easter doesn't have to be a second Christmas with huge piles of gifts. Less is often more.

Meaningful Easter gifts

Instead of lots of small items, well-thought-out gifts are recommended:

• Picture books and children's books fitting the Easter season
• Painting and craft materials
• Outdoor toys for spring
• Seeds for a little garden bed of their own
• Stuffed animals as bunnies or chicks

Quality over quantity

With toys, it pays to look for age-appropriate and safe products that bring joy in the long term. Instead of lots of little plastic items, one high-quality toy can bring joy for years.

One idea: instead of lots of small surprises, invest in a RIWI® XXL foam building block set. The building blocks foster creative and active play without a screen and are played with for years.

Giving to several kids fairly

With siblings, this helps:

• A similar number and value of gifts
• A shared family gift (e.g. large building block set)
• Individual small surprises based on interests

Easter crafts with kids: decorations, gifts & play ideas

Crafting is part of getting into the Easter mood and is a wonderful creative activity for kids ages 3 and up. Depending on the kids' age, the ideas can be adapted, from simple dabbing pictures for kindergarten kids to more elaborate projects for primary school kids.

Simple craft ideas for home

Designing your own Easter cards:

• Fold colorful cardboard
• Draw bunnies or eggs
• Decorate with cotton balls or fabric scraps

Window pictures with spring motifs:

• Bunnies and eggs from tissue paper
• Paint on foil with finger paint
• Laminate dried flowers

Painted stones as "Easter eggs to go":

• Collect smooth stones
• Paint with acrylic paint
• Hide in the park for other kids

Materials from the household and nature

You don't have to buy much for Easter crafts:

• Cardboard and egg cartons
• Twigs and moss from a walk
• Fabric scraps and cotton balls
• Non-toxic paints and finger paint

Creative big construction site with RIWI® building blocks

A special idea for the kids' room: with RIWI® building blocks, you can lay out huge Easter Bunny or egg shapes on the floor. These can then be "decorated" with cloths, paper or fabric, a creative big construction site that kids love.

Craft ideas for daycare & kindergarten kids

Group projects in kindergarten foster not only creativity but also teamwork and fine motor skills.

Colorful Easter garland:

• Each child designs a bunny or an egg
• All shapes are hung on a string
• A shared result for the group room

Wrapped egg from cardboard and yarn:

• Cut out an egg shape from cardboard (approx. 10 cm tall)
• Wind colorful yarn around it
• Fosters finger dexterity and concentration

Dabbed eggs with cotton swabs:

• Pre-draw egg outlines on paper
• Dab patterns with finger paint or stamps
• Also suitable for very young kids

Tip: Combine the craft projects with a small Easter exhibition or a parents' afternoon. This gives kids pride in their work and opens the door to conversations about the holiday.

Easter games & movement: romping outdoors, building indoors

At Easter, kids have lots of joy in movement. Whether in the garden or in the living room, the right games let excess energy be burned off meaningfully.

Classic Easter games for outdoors

Egg-and-spoon race:

• Place an egg on a spoon
• Run to the finish line without dropping the egg
• Whoever arrives first wins

Bunny hopping (sack race):

• Step into burlap sacks
• Hop to the finish like bunnies
• Is fun and trains coordination

Egg rolling:

• Roll hard-boiled eggs down a hill
• Whose egg gets the furthest wins
• Traditional game in many countries

Quiet games for indoors

Easter memory:

• Find pairs with Easter pictures
• Self-made cards with bunnies, eggs, chicks

Stories in a jar:

• Put small Easter figures in a jar
• Kids invent stories about them

Sound riddle with rattle eggs:

• Fill plastic eggs with different materials
• Kids guess what's inside

You'll also find more play ideas for indoors in our guide with lots of suggestions for rainy days.

Movement with RIWI® building blocks

The XXL foam building blocks from RIWI® offer numerous possibilities for active games:

Bunny obstacle course:

• Build obstacles from building blocks
• Kids hop through like bunnies
• Different levels of difficulty possible

Balance paths:

• Lay building blocks in a row
• Balance across them like on a balance beam
• Fosters balance and concentration

Bunny burrow for hiding:

• Build a den from building blocks
• Perfect for the indoor egg hunt
• Kids love hiding and discovering

We have compiled even more inspiration for active games with kids in our extensive active games guide.

Safety notes

• Stable setups with a wide base
• Use non-slip underlays
• Supervision by parents
• Prefer soft materials like foam building blocks

Easter with RIWI® buildit: creative, safe play without a screen

RIWI® buildit is a manufacturer of XXL foam building blocks for kids of about 3 to 12 years. The focus is on safety, washability and creative play without a screen, perfect for the Easter season and beyond.

Incorporating RIWI® building blocks into Easter activities

The versatile building blocks can be integrated into your Easter celebrations in many ways:

Building Easter nest landscapes:

• Shape large nests from building blocks
• Pad with cloths and cushions
• Hide Easter eggs and gifts in them

Tunnel for the Easter Bunny:

• Build a crawl-through tunnel
• Kids play Easter Bunny and hide eggs
• Combines movement with role play

Obstacle course for the egg hunt:

• Set up different stations
• At each station there is a clue or an egg
• Adventure and excitement in the living room

Sustainable alternative to disposable decorations

The RIWI® building blocks can serve as an alternative to disposable plastic decorations. Instead of loading new Easter decorations into the shopping cart every year, the building blocks are integrated into play worlds again and again, at Easter, in summer and in winter.

Benefits for parents

Feature	Benefit
Sturdy	Withstands years of play
Washable	Easy to clean after playing
Quiet	No noise when they fall over
Versatile	For Easter and the whole year
Safe	Soft foam without sharp edges

Discover the RIWI® foam building blocks in the online shop now! With EU-wide free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can find the right set for your family.

Easter in daycare & kindergarten: ideas for professionals

In everyday educational work, Easter plays an important role, both from a religious perspective and for teaching about the seasons and values like tolerance and community.

Projects around the bunny, egg and chicken

Station learning:

• Station 1: Paint eggs with different techniques
• Station 2: Fold bunnies from paper
• Station 3: Craft chickens from egg cartons

Movement construction site:

• Set up an Easter obstacle course with RIWI® building blocks
• Kids climb through, jump over, run around
• Fosters gross motor skills and is fun

Small experiments:

• Floating egg: how does an egg behave in salt water?
• Egg in vinegar: what happens to the shell?
• Kids learn scientific connections in a playful way

Conversation starters on difficult topics

For conversations about death, grief and new beginnings, the following are suitable:

• Kamishibai cards with Easter stories
• Picture books about the circle of life
• Observations in nature (buds, chicks)

It is important to take kids' questions seriously and to answer honestly but gently. The Easter season offers natural opportunities to talk about life and faith.

Group movement games with an Easter theme

"Where is the Easter Bunny?"

• One child is the bunny and hides
• The others search and call "warm" or "cold"

Egg-and-spoon race competition:

• Teams compete against each other
• Relay format creates excitement

Bunny yoga in morning circle:

• Bunny pose (on all fours, wiggle your nose)
• Egg roll (curled up on the floor)
• Chick stretch (stretch arms like wings)

RIWI® in the group room

The RIWI® building blocks are excellently suited for use at daycare:

• Modular movement and climbing area
• Easy cleaning after playing
• High safety thanks to soft foam
• Fosters cooperative building and play

Many facilities use the building blocks all year round, from Easter landscapes to winter castles. The purchase pays off for education and movement alike.

FAQ on Easter with kids

From what age do kids understand Easter?

Kids from about 3 years understand simple symbols like the bunny, egg and spring. They enjoy the egg hunt and the colorful bustle without grasping the deeper meaning. From preschool age (5–6 years), kids can understand first religious content and take in information about the Easter story.

Adapt your way of telling it to the age: with small kids, the focus is on spring, joy and community. Take kids' questions seriously and answer honestly but gently.

How do I find a good measure for Easter gifts?

1 to 3 well-thought-out, small to medium gifts per child are usually enough. The focus should be on shared experiences, not on quantity.

A good mix:

• Consumable materials (pens, craft materials)

• Experiences (outing, shared play afternoon)

• Durable toys (e.g. RIWI® building blocks)

Agree on expectations early with grandparents and relatives to avoid floods of gifts.

What to do if it rains at Easter and the outdoor egg hunt is canceled?

An indoor egg hunt can be just as exciting! Hide eggs in the home and use clue cards or little riddles. The living room can be turned into a "bunny burrow" or an Easter obstacle course with blankets, cushions and RIWI® building blocks.

Kids love above all the excitement and the shared play; whether indoors or outdoors makes little difference to them.

How can Easter be celebrated sustainably?

For a sustainable Easter:

• Reusable Easter decorations made of fabric, wood or foam building blocks instead of disposable plastic
• Choose regional foods for Easter breakfast
• Collect natural materials like twigs, flowers and moss for decoration
• High-quality, durable toys instead of lots of small disposable items

RIWI® foam building blocks are a sustainable choice: they are played with for years and replace many small plastic toys.

With these ideas, suggestions and practical tips, Easter 2025 is guaranteed to be an experience full of joy and fun for your family. Whether crafting, hunting for eggs or building with RIWI® building blocks, the nicest moments arise when you simply spend time together with your kids. Happy Easter!