Make your kids' lunch into an Easter Egg Lunch Hunt! They'll have a blast opening each egg to see what surprise awaits them! Lunchtime has never been so fun! You can also place them inside a lunchbox for an elementary school option!
You might also like our mini bundt carrot cake recipe, our Easter Basket sugar cookies or our toasted coconut cupcakes---such a fun Easter dessert and the coconut taste really shines through!
8 years ago, Kaylee and I decided to do something a little different with lunch! We filled hollow plastic Easter eggs with all sorts of lunch items. Bite-sized lunch items for a fun Easter egg hunt. Even little peanut butter & honey sandwiches. It has become one of our favorite activities and we also go on Easter egg lunch hunts (or snack hunts!) when friends come over.
This is the most popular Easter post on Gluesticks and for good reason. Easter eggs aren't just candy in Easter baskets! It's SO EASY and SO FUN and honestly, the quickest way to skyrocket yourself to "best mom ever" status for the 5 and under crowd, ha!
Easter egg Lunch Idea
Step 1: Collect plastic eggs.
Step 2: Fill with lunch foods.
Step 3: Place eggs in a lunchbox to take to school OR hide eggs around the yard for a Easer egg lunch hunt!
What food items can you use for this Easter themed lunch hunt?
There are so many foods that would make a yummy and festive alternative to candy: grapes, raisins, nuts, goldfish crackers, cheese cubes, berries, mini sandwiches, cubed turkey or ham, or dry cereal!
How do you split the Easter eggs evenly amongst groups of kids?
I like marking the eggs when multiple children are going to be hunting for lunch, that way everyone has a well-rounded collection at the end. The unmarked eggs were Aaron's and the marked eggs were Kaylee's. At the end of the egg hunt, they exchanged eggs.
Where do you hide the Easter eggs?
We've had just as many Easter egg lunch hunts indoors as we have outdoors. It just depends on the weather. Make sure to find all of those eggs so that the food doesn't go bad!
For our first hunt 8 years ago, Kaylee ran right up to the bus when Aaron got home from kindergarten, handed him a basket, and they hit the grass running looking for their lunch. He was totally game for having to search for his lunch!
After the Easter eggs were found, the sorting began.
Easter egg Lunchbox IDea
I filled Dallin's lunch box with Easter eggs as a fun "last day before Spring Break" celebration lunch. He loved it and was very surprised when he opened his lunch box. He said that when he saw them he said, "What the heck?!?!?!?" and all of the kids in his 2nd-grade class came over to see. They thought it was "SO FUNNY!!" and liked watching him open each and every egg to see what lunch item was inside. Score! It's been 7 years since we started this tradition and the kids think it is hilarious---my boys not as much now that they are in middle and high school, but they are good sports, haha!
Here are a couple more Easter ideas for kids!
Easter Bunny Luncheon for Kids.
We've also got a great Make an Easter Bunny Cake you can make as well!
Try some of these spring activities for even more fun!
Sarah @ The DIY Mommy says
I love, LOVE your Easter Egg Hunt lunch idea - so fun! The bunny donut cups are adorable too! Great Post!
Tisha says
Such a fun mom! I have to do this! Love it. Linking back to my blog. Darling.
Brandy says
Thank you so much, Tisha!
glenda crane says
This one caught my eye right away. Love it.
Brandy says
Thanks Glenda! It was so much fun!
Carrie at Rhubarbsky says
Love this idea. . . . i clicked through a pin on pinterest, but it came up as a suspicious link and I had to bypass that to get here. Just FYI.
Can't wait to surprise my girl with this in her lunchbox on Friday!
Maniks Read says
Wow this very nice post and thanks for sharing the wonderful post.
lunch warwick qld.
Randy Arton says
Hi, good idea thanks for sharing.
lunch warwick qld.
Emilee says
Thanks for the fun idea! My daughter's birthday is in April so last spring I filled up the eggs for their lunch. It was fun to see how they all ate them differently. Some ate one egg at a time, some emptied them all out at once.
I didn't hide them, but maybe next time I will...
wilderlamb says
Saw this on Pinterest earlier this year and did it for my kids' lunch at school. They loved it! Thanks for the great idea.
Brandy says
You are welcome! I can't wait to do it again!
Cheryl says
Just a thought. You might want to check and see if the plastic eggs are food safe. Sometimes you never really know what is being put in the plastics that might leach into food.
dassith wanasinghe says
ok I am going to try it on easter weekend
richardwilkins says
A moment that every kids will cherished.
National Labor Relation Act
kirsty says
So I did end up doing this, and my kids had a blast! They thought it was so much fun and enjoyed all the surprises in the eggs (we had cheese sandwiches, grapes, banana, tiny teddies, savoury crackers and ham).
Thanks for the inspiration!
Ami Allison says
I'm doing this today for my sweet girl! Thanks for sharing this adorable idea! 🙂
~~Evelyn~~ says
We usually have lunch/dinner around 3 with the in-laws on Easter Sunday. That's tough for a 7 year old. If I feed him lunch, he isn't hungry at 3. But it is too long for him to wait to eat.
I am going to use this idea (found you on Pinterest, btw) and put mostly fruits with a couple of small protein items so that it will tide him over until we have our main meal.
EXCELLENT idea.
Melissa says
This is simply brilliant! Thank you for the idea! It's nice to fill easter eggs with something besides candy.
Brandy says
So awesome to heaar KDodson!! How fun! And kuddos to you for preparing that 3x!
kDodson says
Thanks so much for the idea!! Did this for my 1st grader and Kindergardener's lunches today and sent them to school with the egg carton as their lunch box. they LOVED it!! So much that I had to do a half-carton for my preschooler to take for her snack. Yay!! Super-mom!!
Myra of Mommy+Me Lunchbox says
THANKS for the lunch-in-egg idea! I used it for my daughter's lunch at preschool!
http://mommyandmelunchbox.blogspot.com/2012/04/bunny-hop.html
Amy - while wearing heels says
Brilliant. Totally pinning this asap. What a fun idea.
amy @ whilewearingheels.blogspot.com
Brian, Michelle, Teagan and Isla says
Oh wow! What an awesome memory for your little ones! I am SO excited and am going to try this with my three year and 11 month olds! My toddler doesn't want to eat anythinnnnnnng at the moment so maybe this will do the trick and be fun at the same time? Pinning this idea.
Would love if you would link it up too on my party going on now at Teagan's Travels!
http://teaganstravels.blogspot.com/2012/04/destination-inspiration-linky-party-9.html
Happy Easter,
Michelle
Cari says
I will definetly try this with my two little girls! They will love the novelty and enjoy all the tiney foods!!
Jennifer says
Oh my gosh... I am TOTALLY going to pack my daughter's lunch like this on the last day before Easter! IN LOVE!
Jen Hansard says
What a great idea! We actually shared in on Family Sponge today— thank you for the inspiration! Look forward to reading your blog more.
Jen at Family Sponge
nsmerkt says
What a terrific idea! Thanks for sharing!
4 Sisters @ bringingbeauty.blogspot.com says
This is such an amazing idea! Way to add some fun to lunchtime!
We have our first ever Beautify It Monday link party going on now and we'd love for you to stop by and link up @ bringingbeauty.blogspot.com
{ L } says
This is such an AWESOME idea!! I am in love with it. 😀 Brilliant.
Love and Lollipops says
Such a cute idea!
Jenny from Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line says
Fabulous idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jill says
Such a cute idea for lunch. 🙂
Just found your blog and became your newest follower.
Have a great day!
Blessings,
Jill
Sugarr2518 says
Such a cute idea:) Thanks for sharing!!!
Lindsay @Artsy-Fartsy Mama says
LOVE this, so fun! Definitely going to try it with my daughter.
Featured you on my blog today, stop by & check it out:
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2012/03/pinteresting-features-n-shtuff-27.html
Stef says
This is the BEST idea!!! My girls are going to be all over this one. Thank you so much! Sometimes, the meal preparation is such a drag over and over and over again. I'm sure the kids feel the same - this ought to liven things up.
Beth Jackson Klosterboer says
If I had little ones at home, I would be doing this for sure. What a fun idea. I'm sure your kids had a blast.
Beth @ Hungry Happenings
Lisa @ Two Bears Farm says
What a fun idea!
The Pink Giraffe says
What a darling idea!!
Chrissy says
Oh!! How clever and such a fun idea! My kids would love this! I may try it out!
Mama Jodi says
I absolutely love this idea, and I want to do it. Thanks so much for sharing it. Very clever.
Sam&Gail says
Two things: I'm a grown up (last kid soon to leave the teen years) and *I* want a lunch in eggs! How fun! Second, I'm repinning this to my Bento board, because it is cute, clever, nutritious, and let's add another clever in there 🙂
Word Nerd says
Very creative! I think this would also be a fun treat for a child that takes a lunch or treat to school...so much more fun to find a bunch of brightly colored eggs than a couple of plastic baggies.
Laura [Beauty & the Beard] says
SUCH a cute idea, so doing with my niece when she's older!
kirsty says
What a wonderful idea! Will definitely be doing this one! 🙂
Deedra Hickman says
That is a fantastic idea!
Firehousecrafts says
What a great idea! I'm going to have to try this!
Kali Drane says
What a great idea! Looks like your kiddos loved it! This is a must do for me now. Thank you!
Kali
http://www.thedranefamily.blogspot.com
Kei says
That looks like so much fun! I love the idea of putting food in the eggs 🙂
Stevie MooreBabies says
Oh my... I love it! I pinned it 🙂
Lyndsey says
This is too fun - looks like a blast !! My kids would love it too 🙂