~Countryside Heaven~

~Easter Fun~

Here are some great ideas to make your Easter more memorable and something the kids will look forward to again next year. Most of the time, it's over so fast...lol, so you have to come up with other things to do other than just egg hunting and wolfing down all the goodies! (Food ideas are also included)

Before Easter, have the kids write to the Easter Bunny for the map to the egg hunt. This works great for little ones if they need help looking for eggs. Your map can be made of pictures from magazines or drawn using markers or crayons.

To make hunting more interesting, try putting treats inside the plastic eggs. A plastic toy maybe, a hershey kiss, a small bracelet, a quarter... If the treat is too big, put in a piece of paper with a claim number to that prize.

The ideas below are to be done before the egg hunt, so let's see what else we can do to keep them happily occupied! =0)

I made this small invitation card to send to your little guests.
(click on the card to save it)

~Egg-Hunter's Mask~

(Materials)
*2 ltweight paper plates
*Pink construction paper or crayons
*White glue
*Stapler
*Hole punch
*Narrow elastic Directions:
Cut one plate in half. Cut half-moon shapes from the pink paper to make the ears. (Trim so they're smaller than a plate half. Kids can color the insides of the ears too.
Position the ears on the other plate and stape in place. cut out openings for the eyes and trim around the mouth to shape cheeks. Draw on a nose & whiskers. Punch holes on the sides near the child's ears and use elastic to fit the mask snuggly on the child's head.

~Bunny Basket~

(Materials)
*Scissors or craft knife
*¼ gallon milk or juice carton
*Stapler
*Pastel contruction paper
*Glue or dbl-sided tape
*Hole punch
*Pipe cleaners
*Googly eyes Directions:
(This part for adults only) use scissors or knife to remove one panel of the carton (same side as the open spout), save panel to make handle. Staple the open spout closed. Cover the sides of the carton with one color of construction paper, using glue or dbl-sided tape. Trim to fit the carton.
Punch a hole in the center of the carton spout ridge & insert pipe cleaners for whiskers. Glue on a pair of large googly eyes. For ears, cut out large paper ear shapes from the same color you used to cover the carton.
Cut pink shapes a size smaller and glue them in place in the middle of the ears. Staple the ears to the top of the bunny base so they stand up. for a handle, trim the cut carton side, cover it with paper and staple it to the basket.

~Easter Ham Salad Sandwiches~

(Ingredients)
*1 lb. cooked ham
*½ cup minced celery
*¼ cup minced onion
*½ cup mayonnaise
*2 tsp. Dijon mustard
*¼ tsp. pepper
*48 bread slices, thinly sliced *Cookie cutters in Easter shapes Directions:
Finely chop the ham in a food processor for 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add celery, onion, mayo, mustard, and pepper. Mix well.
Assemble sandwiches using 2 tbsp. of filling per sandwich. Use cookie cutter to cut in shapes. Save trimmings for parents to eat (lol). You can also decorate the sandwiches with olive eyes, parsley whiskers, and fresh dill for feathers.

~Easter Basket Cake~

(Materials)
*1 lb. (2.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
*1 lb. container white frosting
*1 cup shredded coconut
*Green food coloring
*Jelly beans and other Easter candy
*Ribbons Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 1¼-quart stainless steel bowl. Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Pour the batter into the bowl and bake for 70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the bowl (15 min.), unmold onto a wire rack & let it cool completely.
Turn the cake right side up and place it on a platter. Cut a circle out of the center of the cake. For the grass, add several drops of green food coloring to the coconut in a ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake it well (a good job for kids). Fill the crater with the coconut, jelly bean eggs, and the other Easter candy. For a handle, arch two pipe cleaners over the cake. Wrap ribbons around the handle and tie a big bow in the center.

~A special thank you to "Family Fun" for providing all these wonderful ideas.~
Background, eggbar & card graphics by ~ME~ except lil' cutie pie bunnies/chicks, pink flowerbar, and esp. the beautiful train by my good friend Aimee. Thank you so much, Aimes!!! *Hugz*

Where to now?

~Egg-Hunter's Mask~
(Materials) 2 ltweight paper plates Pink construction paper or crayons White glue Stapler Hole punch Narrow elastic	Directions: Cut one plate in half. Cut half-moon shapes from the pink paper to make the ears. (Trim so they're smaller than a plate half. Kids can color the insides of the ears too. Position the ears on the other plate and stape in place. cut out openings for the eyes and trim around the mouth to shape cheeks. Draw on a nose & whiskers. Punch holes on the sides near the child's ears and use elastic to fit the mask snuggly on the child's head.

~Bunny Basket~
(Materials) Scissors or craft knife ¼ gallon milk or juice carton Stapler Pastel contruction paper Glue or dbl-sided tape Hole punch Pipe cleaners Googly eyes	Directions: (This part for adults only) use scissors or knife to remove one panel of the carton (same side as the open spout), save panel to make handle. Staple the open spout closed. Cover the sides of the carton with one color of construction paper, using glue or dbl-sided tape. Trim to fit the carton. Punch a hole in the center of the carton spout ridge & insert pipe cleaners for whiskers. Glue on a pair of large googly eyes. For ears, cut out large paper ear shapes from the same color you used to cover the carton. Cut pink shapes a size smaller and glue them in place in the middle of the ears. Staple the ears to the top of the bunny base so they stand up. for a handle, trim the cut carton side, cover it with paper and staple it to the basket.

~Easter Ham Salad Sandwiches~
(Ingredients) 1 lb. cooked ham ½ cup minced celery ¼ cup minced onion ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tsp. Dijon mustard ¼ tsp. pepper 48 bread slices, thinly sliced Cookie cutters in Easter shapes	Directions: Finely chop the ham in a food processor for 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add celery, onion, mayo, mustard, and pepper. Mix well. Assemble sandwiches using 2 tbsp. of filling per sandwich. Use cookie cutter to cut in shapes. Save trimmings for parents to eat (lol). You can also decorate the sandwiches with olive eyes, parsley whiskers, and fresh dill for feathers.

~Easter Basket Cake~
(Materials) 1 lb. (2.25 oz) box yellow cake mix 1 lb. container white frosting 1 cup shredded coconut Green food coloring Jelly beans and other Easter candy Ribbons	Directions: Heat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 1¼-quart stainless steel bowl. Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Pour the batter into the bowl and bake for 70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the bowl (15 min.), unmold onto a wire rack & let it cool completely. Turn the cake right side up and place it on a platter. Cut a circle out of the center of the cake. For the grass, add several drops of green food coloring to the coconut in a ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake it well (a good job for kids). Fill the crater with the coconut, jelly bean eggs, and the other Easter candy. For a handle, arch two pipe cleaners over the cake. Wrap ribbons around the handle and tie a big bow in the center.