
Fluffy baby farm animals, baked goodies, pastel colours, leisurely family meals, a four-day weekend, and a valid excuse to eat sweets. What isn’t there to love about Easter?
No matter what your background is, this holiday does a decent job of conjuring up fond childhood memories. Do you remember pining after the biggest chocolate Easter Bunny in the drugstore (which wouldn’t fit in the family wagon anyways)? Hot cross buns, PAAS egg dying kits in the kitchen, Easter baskets stuffed with chocolates, jelly beans, and chenille chicks caught in the shredded pink plastic. Oh and egg hunts in the house, with a missed chocolate egg found underneath something in August.
Fast forward to the explosion of lifestyle blogs and baking shows, and Easter these days provides oodles of opportunity to roll up your sleeves and spend quality time together with family.
Now that we’re spending extended amounts of time at home together – feeling more than a little glum about the world around us – why not pore over some beautiful Easter images and get inspired by the arrival of spring? At the very least, one or two of these fresh ideas should help tick off the creativity, social connection, and ‘what will we do today?!’ boxes.
Graze

Whether you’re an Easter brunch family or an Easter dinner family, here’s something fun to nosh on: grazing boards (or snack boards) take on a new life with fresh spring flavours, flowers, and a few bunny/egg details. Yes, these examples are over-the-top-gorgeous but see what you can find in your pantry, fridge, garden and get creative!

Grazing boards are a great replacement for a casual lunch if you add ample protein to the spread. And if you just can’t decide upon just one dessert (one of life’s big challenges), unite your indecision with colourful fruits and a couple of cheeses—for those of you committed to keto, or somehow weren’t born with a sweet tooth.
Set

Set the table together. What a contrast from December tables: this one is more fun, floral, and filled with candy colours. Gather greenery, eggs, spring flowers, feathers, linens, and get creative. The kids can help make many of these table settings —with your supervision, of course.
If you can find blooming branches like yellow forsythia and pussy willow, they look great in a hefty vase, or fill a jar full of pink tulips.

What do kids love more than rainbow colours and candy? Eggs-actly, the two together. These are easy-to-make place settings that double as dessert. Or as an appetizer, if you have a toddler at the table.
Bake

Just here to remind you that Easter involves baked treats: Eggy breads, sweet loaves, pretty pastel cookies & cupcakes, lemony goodness, cakes covered in coconut, etc. If you’re not a baker, that’s okay, you can support your local bakery (available via food delivery service during the COVID-19 crisis) and your family will love you just the same.

Here are a couple of Eastery-looking treats that caught our eye. Carrot cake is classic, AND this one boasts orange cream cheese with adorable carrots made from marzipan. Fondant would work here too.

Does your keen tween baker love watching baking competitions? Challenge them to make this Apricot Coconut chocolate cake, covered in green coconut ‘grass’, for your guests arriving in two hours. Start the clock!
Plant
What better time is there to start gardening than now when scheduled activities are cancelled? If spring showers are holding off, grab your gardening gloves and head out to plant seeds. The best time is after the last frost, usually the end of March.
Plant easy-peasy fast-growing radishes, spinach, lettuces, and bush beans. Did you know: most kids are more likely to eat their veggies if they’re actually theirs, i.e. they grew and cared for them? Truth—try it.

If it’s raining cats and dogs, garden indoors. Make a terrarium with grape hyacinth or planter full of primulas as a gift for Grandma.
Decorate

Easter holiday is a fun time to decorate the house with a sprinkling of bunnies and other signs of spring. There are umpteen ideas on Pinterest, and we barely managed to zero in on just a couple for crafting inspiration.

If you’re into the three Rs of recycling – like a true Vancouverite – you can make a gorgeous springtime wreath from the egg cartons that formerly housed all those colourful dyed eggs that you made.
Stroll

Put on something bright and go for a stroll in the neighbourhood. Admire the spring blossoms, take a breath of fresh air, and rediscover simple pleasures.
Enjoy your holiday weekend!