Jennifer Reynolds, the editor-in-chief of Canadian Family Magazine, shares these easy ideas to host a fun-filled Easter egg for your family.

Bunny tracks

  • Best for toddlers and preschoolers
  • Using the prettiest scrap paper, construct a collection of rabbit footprints and lay out a trail before the kids start to hunt for Easter treats: Cut out three small ovals for the toes and a medium-sized oval for the foot. Glue the pieces to a larger oval that widens at the front. The footprints should be positioned about a ruler-length apart. The number of footprints needed will depend on how long the Easter egg hunt runs.
  • Tip: If you have pets, use non-marking tape to secure the cut-out footprints in place.

The secret garden

  • Best for toddlers and preschoolers
  • The day before Easter, mothers can help little ones bundle colourful jellybeans in small plastic bags sealed with ribbon. Once they are completed, lead youngsters into the backyard to find a spot to plant the magical beans. The planting hole doesn't need to be very deep; just one-trowel full should do, with enough topsoil to cover the bags. Before the kids wake up on Easter, replace these buried treasures with newly-sprouted lollipops. Use indoor pots if the weather isn't ideal or you don't have a garden.
  • Tip: Parents should remind children that this magical occurrence only comes once a year, so they don't end up with a garden full of un-magical jellybeans.

A tangled web

  • Best for ages five and up
  • Quietly slip into your sleeping child's room the night before Easter and tie the end of spool wool around the bottom the bed. Weave the wool under the furniture, around doorknobs and through cupboards to create a web-like maze. When your child wakes up, have them follow the coloured strands until they find their Easter bounty.

Getting a clue

  • Best for ages five and up
  • Before Easter arrives, think about what clues or tasks to include in your hunt. For example, simple jokes and funny riddles work well. Next, number your clues and organize them in an order that makes sense. On Easter morning, lay out the clues in their respective spots, beginning with a bedside note that asks kids to follow the hints to find their reward. Sign every clue from the Easter Bunny.
  • Tip: Type and print clues for great legibility.

Egg Exchange

  • Best for all ages
  • To begin, get your team of helpers to collect plastic eggs and arrange them by colour. Each age group involved in the hunt is assigned a colour and numbered pieces of paper are placed in the eggs. Next, get your team gather up toys for each age group and assign each toy to a corresponding egg number. Gender-neutral toys make the hand-out process simpler for moms and dads. Hide the eggs outdoors, placing them close to the ground for younger children and higher up for older kids. Then go to town and stick to he rules. For example, kids only pick eggs that correspond to their age.

Additional tips for a better hunt:

  • Keep anegg count or a list of hiding spots to make sure you don't find a rotting egg next fall.
  • Set boundaries to limit the time of the hunt.
  • For neighbourhood-wide or large-scale hunts, keep a stash of extra candy and toys handy in case someone brings a friend. Leftover candies can be used as bonuses for extra-helpful seekers. Extra trinkets and toys can be kept for next year's hunt.
  • Use temporary tattoos, stickers, tiny nail polishes and homemade gift certificates as Easter gifts.
  • Continue the celebration all afternoon! Have kids look for birds' nests, budding flowers and rain puddles in a spring-themed scavenger hunt, or have them hide empty egg containers for mom and dad to find.

Products featured on Canada AM:

Baskets

Décor

Clothing and accessories

Sweet treats

  • Easter cookies, $11.50, Indigo.
  • Marshmallow eggs, $8, Indigo.
  • Chocolate crispy eggs, $8, Indigo.

Egg filler ideas

  • Plush bunny bookmark, $8, Indigo.
  • Plush duck bookmark, $8, Indigo.
  • Plush sheep bookmark, $8, Indigo.
  • Bunny organic finger puppet, $12, Indigo.
  • Ducky organic finger puppet, $12, Indigo.
  • Flower snap bracelet, $3.50, Old Navy.
  • Ty Beanie Boos keychain animals, $6, Old Navy.
  • Play-Doh Treat Without the Sweet Spring Eggs, $8, Hasbro. Available at all major retailers.
  • Play-Doh Treat Without the Sweet Bunny and Chick Stampers, $6, Hasbro. Available at all major retailers.
  • Gogo's Crazy Bones, available at Walmart, Toys"R"Us and Indigo.

Toy exchange ideas

  • That's Not My Bunny by Fiona Cervantes Watt, $11.95
  • Duck and Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny! by Tad Hills, $7.99, Indigo.
  • Easter Sticker Book by J Greenwell, $8.95, Indigo.
  • My Easter Bunny! by Lily Karr, $5.99, Indigo.
  • Easter egg chalk, $5, Old Navy.
  • Playskool Mr. Potato Head Spud Bunny, $5, Hasbro. Available at Toys"R"Us.
  • Furreal Friends Dizzy Dancers Twirlicious Collection Lulablu Pet, $10, Hasbro. Available at all major retailers

Plush bunnies and bunny characters

  • Itty Bitty Bunny, $15, Indigo.
  • Mini Bashful Bunny, $10, Indigo.
  • Bashful Huge Bunny, $60, Indigo.
  • Angry Birds 5′ Easter Red Bird, $11.95, Indigo.
  • Angry Birds 5′ Easter Yellow Bird, $11.95, Indigo.
  • Angry Birds 5′ Easter Pig, $11.95, Indigo.
  • Colour & Cuddle Bunny, $16.95, Indigo.
  • Ty Beanie Boos purple bunny, $8, Old Navy.
  • Hello Kitty Beanie Babies bunny, $8, Old Navy.
  • Furreal Friends Hop ‘N Cuddle Bunnies, $32, Hasbro. Available at all major retailers.