Easter can be a joyful time in early childhood settings, offering opportunities for play, creativity, and learning. Activities should be age-appropriate, inclusive, and respectful of diverse family values.
Babies (0–2 years)
- Sensory Eggs: Provide large plastic eggs filled with safe materials (fabric scraps, rice, bells) for shaking and exploring.
- Texture Play: Offer bunny-shaped soft toys or textured mats for tactile discovery.
- Music & Movement: Gentle Easter songs with clapping or bouncing to rhythms.
- Visual Stimulation: Hang pastel-colored mobiles shaped like eggs or chicks.
Toddlers (2–3 years)
- Simple Egg Hunt: Hide large eggs in visible spots for easy discovery.
- Sticker Eggs: Provide egg-shaped cutouts and stickers for decorating.
- Bunny Hop Game: Encourage toddlers to hop short distances, supporting gross motor skills.
- Storytime: Read short, colorful Easter-themed picture books.
Preschoolers (3–5 years)
- Creative Crafts: Egg carton chicks, paper plate bunnies, or collage eggs.
- Math & Literacy Hunts: Hide eggs with letters, numbers, or picture prompts to match.
- Cooking Together: Make simple no-bake Easter nests with cereal and chocolate.
- Science Links: Explore life cycles of chicks or plants, connecting Easter to spring renewal.
Food & Culture
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Hot Cross Bun Tasting: Introduce children to traditional Easter foods, discussing their history and symbolism.
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Fruit Bunny Faces: Healthy snacks shaped into festive designs.
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Cooking Together: Simple no-bake Easter treats children can help prepare.
Respecting Family Choices
Not all families celebrate Easter. Educators should:
- Offer Opt-In Activities: Frame Easter experiences as optional, focusing on spring, renewal, or kindness themes.
- Use Neutral Language: Refer to activities as “spring celebrations” or “seasonal crafts” rather than religious observances.
- Provide Alternatives: Children who don’t participate can engage in parallel activities (e.g., nature play, art, or storytelling).
- Communicate with Families: Ask families about their preferences and respect cultural or religious boundaries.
- Focus on Universal Values: Highlight kindness, sharing, and community—values that transcend specific traditions.
Inclusive Practices
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Celebrating Diversity: Discuss how Easter is celebrated differently around the world, encouraging respect for cultural traditions.
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Kindness Eggs: Fill eggs with prompts like “help a friend” or “share a smile,” embedding social-emotional learning.
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Family Engagement: Invite families to share their own traditions or join in craft sessions.
Educator Reflection Prompts
- How can I adapt Easter activities to ensure inclusivity and respect for diverse family values?
- What developmental outcomes can be embedded in festive play for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers?
- How can I balance cultural celebration with universal themes of growth, renewal, and kindness?
Linking to Frameworks
- EYLF Outcome 1: Children develop identity through shared and respectful celebrations.
- Outcome 2: Children connect with their world by exploring cultural diversity.
- Outcome 3: Children build wellbeing through active play and healthy food experiences.
- Outcome 4: Children become confident learners through problem-solving and creativity.
- Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators through storytelling, songs, and collaborative crafts.
Photo Ideas
Printables For Children
Easter Egg Alphabet Match - Easter Egg Alphabet Match enables children to go on an "easter egg hunt" and find the correct matching letter to add to their Easter basket.
Easter Egg Colouring Pages - Easter Egg Colouring Pages can be used in a variety of ways such as children's painting, colouring or using collage items for each pattern.
Easter Basket Colour Match - The Easter Basket Colour Match is a colour-matching activity that enables children to match the correct colour eggs to the correct colour basket.
Easter Bunny Shapes Match - Easter Bunny Shapes Matching enables children to match the correct shape to the Easter bunny egg. This helps children to recognise and identify different shapes.
Easter Egg Tracing Dots - Easter Egg Tracing Dots enables children to trace the dots to complete the Easter Egg. These are great for children to develop their pre-writing skills and for hand-eye coordination.
Bunny Number Counting - Bunny Number Counting is a simple counting activity for children to match the bunnies to the correct number background. This activity is great for number recognition, for children learning their numbers, for one-to-one correspondence and more.
Bunny Shapes Mat - The Bunny Shapes Match is a simple shape-matching activity for children. Children have to choose the correct shape carrot to match the correct online corresponding shape.
Easter Egg Tracing Lines - Easter Egg Tracing Lines aims to help children in the development of pre-writing skills. It provides children with the ability to use cognitive development, observations, and hand-eye coordination and encourages the child to draw in a specific direction.
Templates
Easter Celebration Portfolio Template—The Easter Template is a keepsake for the child's portfolio. Educators can provide details on what the children participated in during Easter celebrations at the centre.
Easter Family Egg—The Easter Family Egg template gives families an opportunity to participate in the program with their child by decorating an egg for Easter. The family can decorate however they would like along with their child at home. Then return it to the centre for it to be displayed within the room on an Easter Egg Tree.
Some Bunny Loves You - The Some Bunny Loves You is a free template. It can be used with babies and toddlers by adding their footprints to the bunny's feet. These then can be laminated and given to families as a keepsake to celebrate Easter.
Activities
Bunny Photo Frames - Create a simple and cute bunny photo frame for Easter.
Clay Dough Easter Eggs—This interesting clay dough egg-making art is perfect for making Easter eggs that will stay with you forever.
No Sew Sock Bunnies - Easter is in the air! So why not make some bunnies with our little bunnies? Here is a wonderful way of making bunnies out of socks.
Easter in early childhood education is more than chocolate eggs and bunny crafts, it’s an opportunity to nurture creativity, curiosity, and community. By tailoring activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, educators can scaffold learning through play while respecting diverse family values. Whether families choose to celebrate Easter or prefer alternative seasonal experiences, the focus remains on fostering joy, kindness, and belonging. With thoughtful planning, Easter-inspired or spring-themed activities can enrich children’s development and create lasting memories in inclusive, meaningful ways.
Image References:
Image 1 - Rebecca, Pinterest
Image 2 - Christel Goor, Pinterest
Image 3 - Aurore Hubeaux, Pinterest
Image 4 - The Mommy Mess, Pinterest
Image 5 - Olga ROZ, Pinterest
Image 6 - No Name, Pinterest
Image 7 - Rebecca, Pinterest
Image 8 - WānaClassRoom, Pinterest
Image 9 - Valerie Greene, Pinterest
Image 10 - Coolibah Kids FDC, Pinterest
Image 11 - No name, Pinterest
Image 12 - Heidi Jørgensen, Pinterest
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