In a typical year, this post would be promoting all of the Austin-area Easter events – egg hunts, egg drops via helicopters, Easter brunches, and more. Needless to say, Easter this year will not find us in normal routines or circumstances. Adults can rationalize the situation better (most of the time) than children, and it falls on the parent’s shoulders to try to make this Easter as normal as possible for the kids who are dealing with so many adjustments.
Now that we’re several weeks into practicing social distancing, we’ve all got the virtual social life down. This Easter, you may find yourself connecting and even dining online with your loved ones via Zoom, FaceTime, or Duo. Most local churches are offering streaming Easter services, so while meeting with loved ones and attending church will be done differently, it’s still doable, right?
Now that the social aspect is solved, and to make the day as perfect as we can for the little ones, we need… candy, sweets, food, Easter baskets… oh my! Unless you planned well in advance, hitting up the typical stores to buy all of the items needed for Easter baskets and brunch may be a bit challenging, especially with the recent recommendation for people to stay out of stores for the next two weeks. Thanks to the ingenuity and quick thinking of local business owners, it is still possible to pull off a successful Easter with curbside pick up available at many local stores and restaurants throughout the Austin area. Voila, problem solved!
Easter Baskets
Terra Toys
Shop online and choose from a wide selection of beautiful pre-made assembled baskets including fluff, available on their newly launched online store. Orders are typically fulfilled on the same day or first thing the next morning. Terra Toys has been an Austin institution for over 40 years and the support has helped them keep employees working and the lights on. All online orders are only available for curbside pick up and each order receives a free gift!
All Things Kids
The personal shoppers at All Things Kids in Georgetown can either create a basket filled with goodies or just come up with the goodies for those of you who already have baskets but need the fillers. Find them on Facebook and send a message with the child’s age, interests, and budget. They are offering free delivery within Georgetown, a $10 flat-rate delivery for locations within a 15-mile radius of Georgetown (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville), and a custom rate for locations further out.
Easter Meals
We’ve all been home and cooking lots of meals, right? Celebrate Easter by taking a day off in the kitchen. Special Easter menus are available at restaurants all over town, and they include brunch-type foods, mimosa kits, as well as complete lunch or dinner kits.
Easter Sweets
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
Pick up a cake, cupcakes, or a giant macaron at Mozart’s while you also pick up a DIY Pastry Chef kit for the littles to decorate. The kit includes a variety of Easter cookies with a paint pallete for $35. Place your order online before picking up.
Tiny Pies
Send some tiny hand pies to your loved ones while enjoying a Not-So-Tiny fruit tart or strawberry icebox pie yourself! Tiny Pies is offering adorable Easter hand pies that come in a variety pack of bunnies, eggs, a tulip, and a daisy that will ship anywhere in the US. They also offer both breakfast and dinner family meals, so you could have a one-stop Easter meal from Tiny Pies!
Easter Egg Hunt
Luckily, I have a stockpile of those plastic eggs that we’ve hidden around the yard for the past several years. I don’t have much candy, so I’ll be getting creative with alternatives to use as stuffing this year. I’m thinking of coins, snacks, and small trinkets that I find around the house. But yeah, I’m thinking my kids may appreciate an Easter coin-filled egg hunt this year.
If you don’t have a stockpile of plastic easter eggs, below are some alternative hunts that you can have on Easter day.
- Fill up water balloons, hide them around outside (or inside if you are brave) and then have a massive water balloon fight at the end of the hunt.
- Have a scavenger hunt – this can easily be done inside or outside should the weather not cooperate – with the final item being a full-size candy bar, a sweet treat, or a larger item for kids who don’t have a sweet tooth.
- If you have plastic eggs but not enough stuff to fill them, hide several eggs with clues to the next egg’s location, leading kids on a hunt to find the “winning” egg. The winning egg can contain a crisp $5 bill that can be redeemed for online shopping. Got to be creative in these times.
- Follow the bunny tracks to find a prize. Use chalk to draw bunny prints around the outside of your house, down the street, throughout the neighborhood. It’s up to you on how far you want to take them, but I bet other kids in the neighborhood will also appreciate some mystery bunny prints on the sidewalk by their house.
- A flashlight egg hunt may be a great way to have a little extra fun this year. I’d recommend an indoor flashlight egg hunt because Texas + springtime + nighttime = snakes.
Egg Dyeing
In lieu of the annual dyeing of the eggs on the lawn at Neill-Cochran House, they will host an online Easter Egg Dye-O-Rama. Register at https://zoom.us/j/888766235.
Materials Needed
White Eggs (either blown or boiled) or Brown Eggs (if you want to experiment)
Food Coloring (preferable) or Egg Dying Kit
White Crayon for Resistance Drawing (or white wax pencil)
Black Crayon for Decorating
Paper Towels
White Vinegar
Cups
Thanks to one of our readers for recommending we limit how many eggs we dye this year so we can make sure there are plenty left on the store shelves for others who need them. Do you really need 24 hard-boiled eggs? Probably not.
Lastly, please continue to support our local businesses that have had to close their doors temporarily during this time. Many stores and restaurants are selling gift cards for future use, and we think that would make an excellent item to go into an Easter basket.
Stay healthy, Austin!
