One of the much-anticipated Easter traditions is The Great Easter Egg Hunt. The pressure mounts as grocery stores display stacks of individually wrapped and foiled Easter treats, packed in brightly printed boxes that are also covered in plastic. It's very tempting. That makes the Easter Bunny's job super easy. Tear it open, throw them around the backyard and hop on to the next task on the list.
How can we do this with as much excitement and a lot less plastic and foil? Will the kids think something is amiss with the Easter Bunny this year? On a practical note, one of the conveniences of plastic packaged Easter treats is that they are protected from the damp and dirt in all of the best outdoor hiding places. (not to mention pets) The Easter Bunny may need to add creativity to its list of magical talents, but it can be done. Here are some suggestions.
Overcoming the challenge of the weather and dirt.
- A treasure hunt for 'golden tickets' or any tokens to be redeemed for treats and goodie bags indoors.
- Leave clues in the garden as to where they can find hidden goodies indoors.
- Use reusable and eco-friendly containers. Some ideas listed below.
- A hunt that leads to a hidden treasure in reusable or eco-friendly container.
A good place to start is your grocery store’s offering of refill or bulk shopping.
- We found a variety of chocolate covered nuts, nougat, and fruits
- Candy covered nuts, raisons, nougat, and smarties
- If you are in South Africa, The Refinery has a great selection of treats here>
- A variety of jelly beans and sour worm things that don't look like they should be eaten but I'm sure the kids will love them:)
Use containers that are functional all year around.
- Baskets, storage boxes, mugs, cups, bowls, bees wax wraps, lunch boxes and eco-friendly on-the go accessories like our food wraps or dry goods bags.
- Decorate with string, ribbon, paper string and paper labels, that can be removed. We don't want to wear out Easter!
- Paper packets and egg cartons are also great biodegradable options, especially if you can add a little Easter Bunny branding or tape a bit of ribbon to it.
For those who like to bake.
- Roll and cut out sugar cookies or chocolate cookies in egg, and bunny shapes. Consider making holes in the top to string ribbon through them and hang around the garden or in doors.
- Cupcakes are relatively easy and super versatile plus the paper lining is helpful. Cut out a well in the top and fill with treats found at the bulk store or simply top before baking or add to icing.
- For this picture, I wanted to play with piping icing. It requires some equipment and practise but it was a lot of fun. There is a much easier method involving dipping. Google decorating cookies by dipping.
Whether you are a zero- waste-er or just wanting to reduce waste this Easter, the important message is- better is best. Enjoy the family time and the games that Easter inspires. Hey kids, the Easter Bunny has gone green! Happy Easter.