II‘m an unabashed holiday enthusiast, and Easter is no exception. For me, it’s a cherished time when family gathers, and the weather finally beckons us outdoors. With a clan as expansive as mine, that is important, since we do not all fit comfortably into a single house!

Ever since my daughters were little, we would have an Easter egg hunt every year on Easter Sunday. When their preteen years arrived, they were ready to give up the hunt. However, I wasn’t ready to let go of the tradition just yet. So, I decided to inject a little excitement—riddles and clues would be the new stars of our annual egg hunt.

That first year, I am not sure if I even knew what I was getting myself into. I just thought it would be a lot of fun. I spent a couple of weeks thinking up clues, planning where the eggs would be hidden, and mapping it all out. Each plastic egg that they found had a clue to help them find their next egg. The grand finale? The last egg, which revealed the location of their Easter present. I started fairly small that year with just five or six clues that led them around the house. It was so much fun! Some clues they guessed rather quickly, while others they need a little help. We had revitalized the egg hunt, and all were happy!

The following year, my ambitions grew. The eggs were hidden in the house and in the yard. There were eight or nine clues while being careful not to repeat any hiding spots from the year before. The kids may have rolled their eyes, but they didn’t stop until each clue was solved.

By the third year, we decided to take our hunt beyond the confines of our property and into the neighborhood. This unleashed a plethora of creative clue possibilities. The tradition kept evolving, and one memorable year, we replaced eggs with selfies. I’d text a clue, they’d rush to the specified location, snap a selfie, and send it to me for the next clue. It was a modern twist that added a new layer of excitement.

Word got around, and soon, friends and neighbors wanted in on the fun. They became helpful clue bearers. My daughters would have a clue that would lead them to this person’s house, where they would wish them a Happy Easter and collect their next egg.

The fun just expanded when my oldest daughter got her license. Now I didn’t have to limit my clues to what was within walking distance. They could go anywhere (within reason)! Now I was hiding eggs at the park, the ball field, the ice-cream shop, and any other place I could think of. The Easter egg hunt had become a full-fledged adventure.

FFast-forward to today, and my daughters, now 24 and 22, still eagerly anticipate these hunts. Sometimes, they even invite friends to join the escapade. Every year when I am trying to think of new clues, or wondering when I am going to have time to create and hide these clues, I think about the disappointment I felt when they were preteens and ready to stop. I pause and remember that a few hours of planning yield years of cherished memories. So, with pen and paper in hand, I eagerly start plotting new hiding spots.

I would love to hear about any fun or quirky traditions that you and your family have!