Happy Easter: 4 ways to celebrate when you can't leave home
Easter is Sunday, April 12., and, usually, the region would be full of egg hunts, Easter Bunny visits and early morning church services. But the coronavirus pandemic is forcing different plans for all of us. And that means many of us will be marking Easter at home.
For those who would be heading to church, many local churches are offering virtual services on Sunday mornings.
Here are other ways to mark the day.
Egg Decorating
If you've mostly relied on those store-bought decorating kits to decorate your eggs — or maybe can't manage to find them online right now or in the stores, there are plenty of other ways decorate them.
In a post we shared on Go Ask Mom several years ago, I decorated hot boiled eggs with crayons, added temporary tattoos, used stickers to create a two-tone effect and added some bling. And a couple of years ago, we dyed Easter eggs in whipped cream, which was a lot of fun (and a little messy).
Easter Basket Goodies
We don't go big on Easter in my house, but I like to give my kids a few little gifts in their Easter basket beyond the usual candy (which I ordered through Target a couple of weeks ago). This year, for obvious reasons, I'm not going out on quick shopping expeditions to find something just right. But one way to support local businesses — and give your kids something fun — is to give them a virtual gift card.
I'd recommend local bookstores like Quail Ridge Books, Read With Me, The Regulator and McIntyre's Books; the fantastic Teach Me Store in north Raleigh, which offers all kinds of educational toys; gift shops at local museums, including Marbles Kids Museum and the Museum of Life and Science; and your children's favorite restaurant or ice cream shop. Many of these businesses are offering shipping now or curbside pickup, or you can save the gift cards as a fun treat for when the world opens back up.
Other local business also are offering special activities right now as well, which you may be able to purchase for delivery or pickup.
At-Home Egg Hunt
My family has never been big on community egg hunts. Instead, I've always staged an at-home hunt on Easter morning, hiding plastic eggs full of candy and coins all over the house and, if the weather is nice, in the yard.
If you're looking for alternatives to the candy and plastic toys that usually fill those eggs, we have some ideas here, here and here.
I also love the idea of doing a treasure hunt, and luckily, a local business has offered some on its website as part of a fundraising campaign to support nonprofits that are helping to keep people fed right now. Check it out ...
Family Time
One of the upsides of all this, and I'm looking for the upsides, is the family time we have. And I know, after a day of dealing with fighting kids and juggling your own responsibilities, it doesn't seem like an upside, but it is. When this is all over, what I hope my kids will remember are the memories we made together. So, on Easter, set aside some time to do something that you all enjoy as a family. Watch a movie. Play a game. Make dinner together. Decorate cookies. Take a bike ride. Find a moment to laugh and smile with each other because those are the kinds of moments that will sustain us.
