A community Easter egg hunt is a great way to bring neighborhood kids together. But, organizing one can come as a challenge if you don’t know where to begin.
How to Plan Your Own Community Easter Egg Hunt
Easter is a special holiday for Christians, as it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, though, the holiday has become synonymous with a joyous activity primarily targeted at children — the Easter egg hunt.
This year, Easter takes place on April 17, 2022. In preparation for the occasion, homeowners associations everywhere are organizing Easter egg hunts for neighborhood children to enjoy. When done right, Easter egg hunts can be an effective way to instill a sense of community among kids and adults alike. But, so many things can go wrong if you plan the event incorrectly.
If you want to do your own HOA Easter egg hunt, here are the steps to follow.
1. Look for the Right Space
First of all, you need a venue. Look for a space large enough to accommodate all the guests and participants. The venue should also have places where you can hide the Easter eggs. A flat, grassy field may be good, space-wise, but it doesn’t leave much room for hiding.
Many HOA communities use the general neighborhood as a venue. This works well if you have a gated community where the association has more control over the streets. But, if your association has public streets, you may want to seek a permit from your local governing agency to close those streets off for a few hours. Safety is paramount, so you want to make sure no vehicles interfere and endanger the kids.
2. Have a Contingency Plan
It is imperative to check weather forecasts for the actual day of the hunt. Sunny or cloudy weather is ideal so that kids can look for eggs freely without worrying about getting wet. But, for rainy weather, you might want to go with a covered venue. Your community clubhouse, covered court, or indoor pool area are all good options. If you don’t have any of those, try booking a local church or school.
Easter egg hunts are admittedly best when done outdoors. It gives children a chance to breathe in fresh air, take in some healthy vitamin D, and get some exercise at the same time. But, even if the forecast works out in your favor, it is still a good idea to have a backup venue in case something goes awry on the day itself.
3. Advertise and Estimate
Getting the word out is essential to planning a successful community Easter egg hunt. After all, no one will participate if they don’t know about the event in the first place.
Make sure to advertise the event in all the ways possible. Put up flyers around your neighborhood or door-to-door and include the announcement in your HOA newsletter. You might also want to consider putting up a banner on your community website (if you have one). Market the event weeks in advance so that parents can block out their calendars.
In addition to advertising, you may also want to estimate attendance at this point. Ask each household whether they plan to attend and how many kids will be participating. This will allow you to plan for the next step properly.
4. Get Your Materials Ready
Once you have an estimated attendance, it is time to prepare your materials. Real eggs may be fun to paint, but they can quickly make a mess of things, especially when handled by kids. Go with colorful plastic eggs instead. Plastic eggs are great because you can stuff them with goodies inside, and you can reuse them, too.
Prepare about 10-15 eggs per participating child. You can buy plastic eggs at your local store or online. Alternatively, you can ask each household to donate plastic eggs to the HOA for the event. This is a good way to save money and get the word out at the same time. You should also prepare baskets for kids to put their collected eggs in.
One of the best community Easter egg hunt ideas that can spice up your event is to prepare a special egg, too. This egg should stand out (i.e. be in a different color than the rest or be bigger than the rest). The person who finds this special egg gets to collect a special prize at the end of the game.
5. Hide the Eggs
After stuffing every plastic egg with candies, stickers, and toys, it is time to hide the eggs. Make sure to do this about an hour ahead of the event. When hiding community Easter eggs, take the children’s age into consideration. Younger kids are more likely to stumble, lose focus, or give up halfway through the event. As such, you might want to hide them in more visible places.
6. Supervise, But Don’t Help
During the event itself, HOA committee members should oversee everything. Post members in each area so that there is always an adult watching over the kids.
While parents can certainly supervise their children, you should discourage them from actively helping their kids search for eggs. This is an opportunity for kids to learn and have fun, and having an adult hand them all the answers can disrupt that. Of course, you should allow parents to help if the child is under 3 years of age or if the child has special needs.
7. Put Up a Snack Stand
This part is optional, but it’s a good way to encourage some post-hunt socializing. Consider putting up a snack stand filled with yummy treats and refreshments for everyone to enjoy (including adults). This is where kids can play together and adults can get to know one another. If your association doesn’t have enough room in the budget for this, you can always ask parents to bring snacks or beverages and do things potluck-style.
Happy Easter!
A community Easter egg hunt may seem easy to organize at a glance. But, without proper preparation and consideration, things can quickly fall into chaos. Make your next Easter event a successful one by following these tips.
RELATED ARTICLES:
- 9 Extra Fun HOA Event Ideas For Spring And Summer
- 5 Tips For HOA Fire Safety In Your Neighborhood
- 10 Summer Safety Tips For HOA Pets
