Easter holidays are finally here. The kids are probably ecstatic, but you may be slightly dreading it so we've come up with some of our favourite Easter activities to keep the whole family occupied for the long weekend ahead!
Things to do at home this Easter
Easter holidays are finally here. The kids are probably ecstatic, but you may be slightly dreading it so we've come up with some of our favourite Easter activities to keep the whole family occupied for the long weekend ahead!
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Baking - Easter Cupcakes
Baking: We love any excuse to bake! A really cute and simple recipe to make is Easter themed cupcakes. It is easy for the kids to get involved in too.
Ingredients:
Serves: 12 Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 tsp Baking Powder
200g Caster Sugar
5 large Fresh Eggs
1 packet Mini Chocolate Eggs
400g Plain Flour
200g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Vanilla Cream Frosting
200g Butter
400g Icing Sugar
2 - Vanilla Pod or 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Chocolate flake
Method:
Cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. To make the cupcakes, soften the butter and beat in a large mixing bowl with the sugar.
3. Add in the vanilla extract at this stage also and beat well until the mixture is really light and fluffy.
4. It is important to spend a little time on the creaming stage to make sure that the mixture is very light prior to adding the eggs and flour.
5. When this mixture is creamy and fluffy add in the eggs and sieve in the flour.
6. If you find the mixture is a little tight you can add a dessertspoon of milk to loosen it up a little.
7. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with deep muffin papers (if you prefer you can actually use smaller bun tins or even some mini muffin trays).
8. Divide the mixture between the muffin papers, filling about ¾ way full.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and cooked through and then allow to cool.
Vanilla Cream Frosting:
1. When the cupcakes are cool you can make up the frosting.
2. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, add the vanilla seeds or extract and beat well.
3. Gradually add the icing sugar and beat until creamy and well combined.
4. To serve, use a piping bag to pipe the topping on the cupcake or alternatively you can spread it over the top using a spoon.
5. Decorate with some mini chocolate eggs and crumble the chocolate flake.
Easter Egg Hunt
It wouldn’t be Easter without an egg hunt. You can either join a virtual hunt online or plan your own in the back garden.
The key to planning a good Easter egg hunt is simplicity, especially if younger children will be taking part.
- Don’t hide too many eggs (or they’ll never be found) or make the clues too difficult.
- You can try to keep order by getting the kids to work in teams.
- Hide your eggs around the garden - or the house if it’s raining - and consider having one main chocolate prize at the end rather than using chocolate eggs.
- If over excited kids eat as they go, you could end up with a sugar-related meltdown on your hands.
Visit a Museum or Gallery
While it is hard to beat the experience of seeing a piece or art or history in person it is now achievable virtually. Fortunately, the digital age has made it possible to visit some of the world’s most famous museums from the comfort of your own home.
To make a virtual visit to one all of our chosen museums or galleries just click on the link below to take you to their website and start your virtual tour.
- National Museum of Ireland - Dublin
- Irish Museum of Modern Art - Dublin
- Tate Britain - London
- The Louvre - Paris
- Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - Washington D.C
- Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York
- NASA - Langley Research Center, Virginia Glenn Research Center, Ohio
- Country Music Hall of Fame - Nashville
A trip to the cinema
Looking for some inspiring ways to make family movie night fun extra special? Below you will find some tips for enjoying a great and affordable family movie night right from your own living room!
There’s no need to go into full on techy stuff like surround sound systems, but why not recreate the experience of going to the movies at home. So for your next movie evening, why not have a bit of fun and set up your home “cinema” with a few little extras?
- Choose a movie
First thing to do is to choose the film, either using a voting system or drawing choices out of a hat. Or perhaps the youngest child gets to choose one time, second youngest next time and so on.
- Make a sign.
A sheet of a paper or a chalkboard announcing what is “Now Showing” and at what time is a great finishing touch!
- Set up a Box Office!
A small table set up with paper tickets, play money (find your Monopoly set), and a calculator or play cash register is all you need.
- Prepare some snacks
You cannot have movie time without popcorn and sweets! So, organise some drinks and make some popcorn.
If you do not have popcorn bags, you can make simple cones out of paper (twist the bottom so the popcorn doesn’t fall out) to use a bowl for your popped corn.
- It’s ShowTime!
Close the curtains, dim the lights in the room, hand over your ticket when you arrive. Now it is time to snuggle up under a blanket while watching the movie to together.
Get crafty
Everytime we cook something with eggs we feel bad for throwing away all the shells so here is a way to use them for crafting. If you'd like to give eggshell candleholders a crack (pardon the pun), here's how:
What you’ll need:
- Eggshells
- Food colouring
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- Warm water
- Tealight candles
- Egg holder.
Method:
- Empty the eggshells, wash and clean them, removing the membrane as well.
- Simply dye and sink the shells in a cup of warm water with a few tablespoons of vinegar and a couple of drops of food colouring for 5-10 minutes.
- Let dry completely.
- Add the tealight inside the egg.
- Light up and admire your crafting!
