Everything You Need to Host an Easter Egg Hunt

A time for redemption, rebirth, and celebrating with family, Easter serves as a wonderful opportunity to gather together with loved ones. One of the most cherished (and fun) traditions of the holiday is the Easter egg hunt. While a main concern might be finding challenging places to hide the goodie-filled eggs, there are a number of other items to consider when planning a truly memorable gathering.

Prepare for a day of fun while remaining tidy with our mess-free tips. We know that decorating Easter eggs and creating baskets are great ways to spend time together before Easter Sunday, but the activities can also mean quite the cleanup. Take the preventative road and avoid stains on everyone's holiday attire by donning adorable aprons. Meanwhile, sidestep splashes of paint or dye at the get-go by using a slotted spoon. It's an unexpected kitchen tool that wins the prize for most innovative way to remove excess dye from eggs. Of course, you'll need a safe way to stash the eggs after decorating—a plastic egg holder not only serves as a safe place for your beautiful eggs to dry, but it can also be put to good use year-round to house the often-used ingredient.

After the search for eggs is over, the kids (and adults) are bound to be hungry. Have delicious and festive eats on-hand for your post-hunt picnic. If you choose to host your Easter egg quest after your big meal, use leftover ham to create savory sandwiches, and bake some gorgeous Easter cookies for a sweet treat.  Ahead, find everything you need to host an enchanting Easter egg hunt.

Let your neighbors know about the impending festivities (and stay on theme, too) with this DIY egg-themed stationery.

Easter egg dyeing can be a stain-filled business. Keep your kids and their clothes clean with cheerful aprons.

Shop Now: Anthropologie "Maroa" Kid's Apron, $32, anthropologie.com.

There's no need to get your hands and fingers dirty while dip-dyeing eggs. Use a slotted spoon to retrieve eggs from the dye and keep yourself squeaky clean while you're at it.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Stainless Steel Head Slotted Spoon, $14.99, macys.com.

For a successful Easter egg hunt (and no broken eggs), you'll need to make sure the eggs are clearly visible. What better way to make that happen than with eye-catching ink dye? Kids will love making these, while you'll enjoy the colorful final result.

Storing your eggs has never been easier. This bin will keep your eggs safe while you're waiting to hide them.

Shop Now: iDesign Plastic Egg Holder, $12.27, amazon.com.

These painted egg cookies are a cinch to make, and their festive colors will be the talk of the event. Plus, snacks are a must—hunting eggs takes a lot of energy. Bring festive cookies along to satisfy everyone's hunger.

These cast-iron pots—a great size for boiling eggs—come in a wonderful range of colors for spring, including Sea Foam and Sky Blue.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Enameled Cast Iron Cookware, from $79.99, macys.com.

When kids ask you why certain colors are associated with Easter, you'll finally have an answer. From white's innocence and purity to green's association with growth, there's a symbol behind every color in your Easter basket.

Headed outside for your Easter egg hunt? Make it a picnic and bring along a water-resistant floral blanket on which everyone can perch. It also makes a beautiful backdrop for baked goods and other delicious fares.

Shop Now: Little Unicorn Outdoor Blanket, in Primrose Patch, $60, nordstrom.com.

Balloons get an extra pop of cheer with stickers (even circular office supply stickers work just fine). String them together with a length of string for a photo-worthy porch garland.

Use naturally-dyed eggs, wooden stuffers, and wheatgrass to create this fun and decorative Easter basket.

This bunny-themed Easter basket is a picture-perfect vehicle to tote around eggs. Handmade from cotton rope, raffia, and rattan, it's both festive and stylish.

Shop Now: Pottery Barn Kids Bunny Shaped Woven Small Easter Basket, $34, potterybarnkids.com.