An egg hunt that works for several ages rests on one rule: each child has their own colour and only looks for that one. The three year old's eggs sit in plain view at eye level, the seven year old's under and behind things, the ten year old's are found via clues. Five to eight eggs per child, counted before they are hidden, and a treasure at the end that everyone shares.
Eleven o'clock on påskafton (Easter Saturday) in a flat in Hammarby sjöstad: a three year old who wants to start now, a seven year old who wants it to be hard and a cousin of ten who thinks the whole thing is childish but does not want to miss it. All three can have a good egg hunt at the same time, if you plan it in three layers. It takes a quarter of an hour to prepare and saves a morning of whingeing.
The basic rule: one colour per child
Everything else follows from this. Each child gets a colour, or a symbol if you have paper eggs: yellow for the youngest, blue for the middle child, green for the eldest. The child only looks for their own colour and is not allowed to touch anyone else's. That solves three problems at once: the fast seven year old does not empty the room before the three year old has even started, you can hide each child's eggs at a difficulty that suits them, and everyone gets exactly the same number. Say the number out loud before you start: there are six yellow, six blue and six green. Then the children know when they are done, and you know when you can have your coffee.
Hiding places by age
| Age | How the eggs are hidden | Example | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 years | In full view, at knee height, in a single room | On the sofa cushion, in a shoe, in a bowl on the floor | 3 to 5 |
| 3 to 4 years | Visible but not obvious, at eye level | Behind the edge of the curtain, in the fruit bowl, on a bookshelf | 5 to 8 |
| 5 to 7 years | Partly hidden, under and behind things | Under the cushion, in a wellington boot, behind the plant pot | 6 to 8 |
| 8 to 12 years | Clues or riddles, one egg leads to the next | A note in the first egg points to the next hiding place | 5 to 6 plus treasure |
Clues for the older children
From around seven, the searching itself is not enough, the children want a problem. Put a note in each egg that points to the next hiding place. Simple riddles work best, and rhyming ones are a bonus but not a requirement. This is where the water comes when you are dirty: the bath. I am cold inside and full of milk: the fridge. Here sleeps someone who is not you: a sibling's bed. Here hangs the thing that keeps you warm: the coat rack. Six or seven steps is enough. The last note leads to the treasure, which is shared with the younger siblings, so that the older children's longer hunt does not turn into a bigger prize.
If you have a ten year old who thinks it is all childish: ask them to write the clues for the younger ones. It is a job with status, and the child still gets to take part. More riddles that work are in our guide 100 riddles for kids with answers, sorted by age.
Indoors or outside?
Indoors is easier for children under five: contained, no other families' eggs, no dog. Set a clear boundary, for example only the living room, kitchen and hall, so nobody turns the bedrooms upside down. Outdoors is more fun from around five, but requires more adults if there are a lot of children. In a courtyard or a park in Stockholm on påskafton you are rarely alone: another child may find your eggs before your own do. Put the eggs in a limited area you can see from one spot, and keep an adult pair of eyes on the little ones. If the ground is wet, put the eggs in small plastic bags or use plastic eggs.
What to put in the eggs
- Sweets in every egg. The classic and the most short-lived. The three year old eats while the seven year old searches, and there is a row about who got the most.
- The sweets in the treasure. Empty or almost empty eggs along the way, a bag or one big egg at the end that is shared equally. Calmer.
- Letters. Each egg contains a letter, together they make a word that says where the treasure is. From age six.
- Puzzle pieces. A small puzzle split across the eggs, assembled when all are found, the picture shows the hiding place.
- Challenges. Jump ten times, say something kind to someone, fetch grandma a glass of water. Fun for four to seven year olds.
- Something to keep. Small figures, stickers, an eraser. Small things last longer than a piece of chocolate, but do not put small parts in eggs for children under three.
How to avoid what usually goes wrong
- Count the eggs. Before you hide them. Note the hiding places on your phone. An egg still lying behind the radiator in July smells.
- Let the little ones start first. A minute's head start, then release the middle child, then the eldest. Otherwise the three year old stands watching while everything disappears.
- Do not make it too hard. A child who finds nothing in three minutes gives up. Point discreetly, or play warmer and colder.
- Set a time limit. Fifteen minutes. If not all the eggs have been found by then, everyone helps find the rest.
- The treasure is shared. Equally to everyone, regardless of how many eggs each one found. That takes the competition out of it for the little ones and makes the eldest happy to help.
- Allergies. If cousins are coming, ask beforehand. A child with a nut allergy should be able to eat what is in their egg without an adult having to read every wrapper.
How we do it with our families
Denise has a family in Bromma with a two year old and a six year old, and during påsklov (the Easter school break) last year she organised an egg hunt on the Thursday because the parents were going away over the weekend and wanted something at home beforehand. She hid five yellow paper eggs in plain view on the floor and in the sofa for the two year old, and six blue ones with notes for the six year old, where the last note led to a bag with both children's names on it. The two year old was done in four minutes and then found two of the blue ones, which the six year old took fairly well since the notes were his anyway. The whole game took twenty minutes, and Denise wrote on her note to the parents where the sixth blue egg had been, because it was never found.
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Frequently asked questions
How many eggs should you hide?
The same number per child, and count them before you hide them. Five to eight per child is enough, more turns into searching after twenty minutes rather than fun. Write down where you hid them. Everyone who has ever hidden eggs has found one in August.
How do you make it fair when the children are different ages?
Give each child their own colour. The three year old only looks for yellow eggs that sit in plain view at eye level, the seven year old looks for blue ones under and behind things. Nobody can take anyone else's, and nobody goes without.
Can you have an egg hunt indoors in a flat?
Yes, and it is often better for children under five. Ten hiding places in the living room and hall is enough. Put a rope or a strip of tape on the floor as a boundary so the bedrooms do not get turned upside down.
What do you put in the eggs if you do not want sweets?
Small paper eggs with notes: a challenge, a letter that forms part of a word, a piece of a puzzle. Or plastic eggs with stickers, small figures or a key to the final treasure. The sweets can go in a single big egg at the end instead.
How long does a good egg hunt last?
Ten to fifteen minutes for children under five, twenty to thirty for older children with clues. If it goes on longer, it is too hard. Better five more minutes when the children want more than ten minutes with children who have lost interest.