If you’re hosting Easter festivities at your house this year, you’d better get busy! Whether Easter is a religious observation for your family or it’s simply a celebration of spring’s welcome return, it is the perfect time to get family and friends together. Everyone is undoubtedly salivating, thinking of the delicious dinner you’ll be serving. But they are also looking forward to pre-dinner games outdoors.
Thank heaven you switched to artificial turf! It’s always ready to play – none the worse for winter’s rain and cold. Still, you will want to do a few spring cleaning tasks to make sure the rest of your yard looks tidy and welcoming. Don’t forget to decorate with colorful pastels befitting the season, including strings of festive themed lights.
Fun and games for all ages
There are lots of Easter games you can play on your artificial grass, and most require little pre-planning other than a quick trip to the party or craft store. Here are some of our favorites for all ages, not just the little ones:
- Easter egg hunts are a must. Worried about rotting eggs not found quickly by the kids (or your dog)? Use the plastic egg-shaped containers that are everywhere in the stores right now, and fill them with little candies. If your party includes older children and teens, turn the event into a more complex scavenger hunt with eggs hidden in the house, around the yard, even around the neighborhood. If there are enough kids, form them up into teams for the hunt.
- Or, consider an egg rolling contest instead, like the famous annual event held on the South Lawn at the White House. Did you know this tradition was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes way back in 1878? That’s a lot of Easter eggs ago!
- Balance an egg on a teaspoon – this is just as fun for adults and kids. Set it up as a single “pass” across the grass, or create teams and do it as a relay. Hard-boiled eggs make less of a mess if dropped than fresh eggs. Want to kick it up a notch? Create an obstacle course participants have to traverse, or make participants wear a blindfold (not if you’re using obstacles, though!).
- Egg toss is also fun, though more hazardous when it comes to potential mess. You can even use fresh eggs if you’re feeling especially brave.
- Pin the tail (or maybe an ear) on the Easter bunny.
- Make your own paper Easter egg piñatas.
- Bunny bowling. Buy wooden pins, paint them in Easter egg colors, and add paper ears to the tops. Or paint empty soup cans or plastic pop/water bottles in pastel colors and use them as pins. Use a soccer ball to bowl.
- Ring toss – over the head of pink lawn flamingos. Stick them in flower pots or other containers with soil, NOT into your artificial grass. Puncturing holes into your turf is a big no-no.)
- Get more plastic eggs than you’ll need for your other games, and see who can stack up the most halves.
Cooked or raw, eggs can make a mess on your lawn. No worries, though, because artificial grass is easy to clean. Be sure to carefully pick up any debris, to avoid inviting mold or other bacteria, then rinse with the hose. If you’re using raw eggs and one cracks open on your grass, do rinse that away immediately so the egg doesn’t congeal on the blades. Then, let the games resume!
Be sure to offer prizes for all your games, something appropriate like Peeps chicks, chocolate bunnies, or small gift baskets. Whether your guests win a prize or not, everyone will have a good time because the point is just being together. Besides, once the games are over, it’s time to eat!
