How to Host the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt

Plan a fair, fun Easter egg hunt for all ages — hiding tips, clues, age zones and wet-weather backups.

A good egg hunt is all about fairness and a bit of planning. Here's how to keep every age group happy.

Plan your zones

**Under 5s:** a small, fenced area with eggs in plain sight

**5–9 year olds:** a larger area with eggs half hidden

**10+:** clue-based treasure hunt or harder hiding spots

Allow roughly 8–12 small eggs per child, plus a few spares. Assign each child a colour to collect so everyone ends up with a fair share.

Hide eggs in the shade — chocolate melts fast in the sun

Avoid garden beds with sprays, bait or prickly plants

**Count and write down** every hiding spot so none are left for the dog

Easter falls in autumn in NZ, so have an indoor backup. Plastic eggs with small prizes or tokens work well inside and can be reused.

Egg-and-spoon or sack races

Egg-decorating station with hard-boiled eggs and food colouring

Hot cross buns and a thermos of hot chocolate for the adults

Dairy-free and nut-free chocolate eggs are widely available at NZ supermarkets — label them clearly or use a different coloured foil.