Easter


Easter Crafts, Activities and Food for Kids - Looking for Easter crafts, activities and food for families? Well, look no further I have a complete resource of them all in one place for you, including DIY Crafts, Easter recipes, Egg Decorating, Cards and simple art activities for kids

Easter Crafts, Activities and Food for Kids 11

Looking for Easter crafts, activities and food for kids? Well, look no further I have The Mad House’s complete resource of them all in one place for you here. As I do more I will make sure that they are added, so make sure you pin or bookmark this page. I love learning, creating, making and baking seasonally and these cute Easter Crafts and activities are the perfect activities to keep the kids busy over Easter. We have things suitable for kids of all ages, from toddlers and preschoolers through to teens and adults depending on skills and time available including Easter printable templates for a lot of the papercrafts.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle decorated eggs 19

Do your kids decorate eggs for easter?  It is one of the things the boys love and they have egg decorating competitions at school, cubs and also the Easter Party we attend annually. We are one of those families that believe in the kids decorating their own eggs, so I sit on my hands and provide encouragement only!  These Teenage Mutant Ninja decorated eggs won Maxi the cubs competition this year and even better they are simple and all his own work!


20 Amazing Easter bonnets. Celebrate Spring and Easter with this brilliant Easter bonnets and hat. There is something for kids of all ages. We adore #3

Easter Bonnet Ideas 26

Part of our Spring tradition is making an Easter Bonnet for the Kids Easter Party.  I used to be one of those parents that wanted it all to be perfect and symmetrical, but over the years I have learnt to sit on my hands and let the boys take over.   In my humble opinion, my boys Easter Bonnets might not look perfect, but they are kid made.


Pompom tailed bunny garland 26

How cute is this bunny garland! I have not hidden my love of pom poms from you and Easter is the perfect time to use pom poms in your crafts.  This pompom tailed bunny garland is adorable and so simple to make.  If you don’t fancy making pompoms for it, then make it smaller and use cotton wool balls for the fluffy tails!


Frugal decorating ideas for Easter – #fabulouslyfrugal 14/03/15 16

I love Easter.  It really is a wonderful time of the year.  A time of renewal, a time for rejoicing and also new beginnings.  I love to decorate our home with the changes of seasons and Easter is no exception. I also love how our decorations are building up and being added to over the years.  Most of them are homemade and hold lots of memories and none of them were expensive.  My top tip is to buy them after Easter is over in the sales and put them away for next year, just remember where you have stored them!


Chocolate cornflake nests – cooking with kids 27

This shop and recipe for chocolate Cornflake nests has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias Sometimes when you are trying to encourage your kids into the kitchen you just need a simple recipe that is fun to make and chocolate cornflake nests fit that bill and are super fun for kids of all ages to make as there is no baking or oven involved.


101 Low cost activities for Spring Bored Jar 27

I can almost taste it, Spring is in the air and that means a whole new bored jar and a whole new list of low cost or no cost activities for Spring for kids and families.  Sometimes we just need a nudge in the right direction, some inspiration to encourage our kids away from technology and that is what this fantastic list is. Not sure what a bored jar is, well here I tell you how to make your own bored jar. Our Spring Bored Jar has all the below activities in and a bunch of chores too.  I hope that the added chores encourage the children to think twice before […]


Eggs decorated with washi tape 3

This is one of those craft activities that you can do whilst mindlessly watching the TV. Sometimes on an evening when I spend time with MadDad I have the urge to craft, but it needs to be be something that I can do whilst chatting about our day and perhaps watching TV or listening to music. These masking (washi) tape eggs really fitted the bill.

To make it even easier you could use polystyrene eggs rather than blown eggs and then you wouldn’t worry about pressing too hard either. All I did was place strips of tape length way on the eggs from heat to point and kept going over lapping each time.

They would look lovely hunt onto a branch as an Easter tree too, however, mine make me happy in one of my many cake stands and dishes.


Pom Pom Bunnies and Chicks 1

Method – Chicks

Make a largeish pom pom in yellow wool for the chick’s body
In yellow felt cut out two shapes for the chicks wings and one for the chicks tail feathers. Also cut a small triangle for the chicks beak – in future ones I will make this orange to stand out more.
Stick the wings and tail to the pom pom using a glue gun.
Stick the eyes and beak on using fabric glue


Spring is suffering an identity crisis 1

Spring is suffering an identity crisis

Those of us looking at an Easter break of more frigid and dismal days won’t be thrilled at the news that record numbers of British holidaymakers are booking last-minute travels to lands that promise sunshine, warmth and bodies bared to the elements instead of bracing against the cold. Meanwhile, we’ll be welcoming April more like Scandinavians than Spaniards.

Which got me thinking: how do our Nordic neighbours cope with copious snow and cold for months on end? If their exported crime dramas are to be believed, they’re all too busy chasing homicidal maniacs in their Volvos whilst wearing sensible knitwear to notice the temperatures, but I suspect that’s an unfair generalisation. The Scandinavians of my acquaintance all drive VWs, for a start.

Since Britain’s not going to look anything like Ibiza anytime soon, we might as well make like we, too, live in the land of the midnight sun. Starting with:

● Let there be light. Boxes, that is. Technically the sun does still make an occasional appearance over the British Isles, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting enough Vitamin D or any of the other vital benefits of sunshine. Have you spent the past few months feeling particularly sluggish, fatigued, sad or irritable? Do you avoid social or physical contact, crave sugary foods and generally feel a bit blue? You could be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. Don’t do anything without speaking to your GP, but light boxes, which mimic the effects of daylight on hormone levels, work well for some people who suffer from SAD.
● Fire. You may not have a fireplace or wood burner and it’s likely a springtime bonfire wouldn’t be welcomed by your neighbours or local council, but there’s nothing to stop you adding a few candles to brighten things up. Well, your lease might stop you. Or the threat of small children, pets or absentmindedness, but used responsibly candles can add a cheery glow when evenings draw in.
● A nourishing meal. Scandinavians love nothing more than a jolly big (candlelit) feast with friends and family and though Christmas Eve and Midsummer are the main times to celebrate with lots of food and good company, they don’t limit socialising to the holidays. My Little Norway touches on this in the brilliant post, How to survive the dark winters, which has plenty of useful advice that translates to their southern counterparts. So buy some fish (good for so many things, including vitamins A and D), fire up the electric range cooker and get your mates around – guaranteed to lift your spirits and boost your nutritional intake.
● Bundle up and get down with the cold. Yes, it looks miserable outside, but so what? Make the effort to exercise anyway and you’ll be glad you did – if only because you can enjoy all the extra calories you’re craving, smug in the knowledge you’ve earned them. Or try a new winter sport. It’s surprising how many sled dog clubs exist in Britain, with events that are open to all. Hopefully the snow is now behind us but you can still look for a local ski slope (indoor or outdoor) or ice rink or try Nordic walking.
● Prioritise. Try to get on top of those jobs you won’t want to do when the weather’s perfect for just soaking up the sunshine. Tackle the hedge trimming, turn over some soil, dig a new border, sharpen your mower blades, make a plan to landscape or do house repairs or clean the car or wash the windows.

Last of all, don’t lose hope. Before you know it, summer will be here with enough rain and cloud cover to satisfy all your whinging needs.

A one-time journalist for metropolitan daily newspapers in the USA, Laura Potts moved to England in 2005 where she is a writer and editor. She plans to spend the Easter break with her children and an array of hats, scarves and mittens.


Easter Baskets and Egg Free Peppermint Creams 4

Ingredients

225g icing sugar, sifted
115g Condensed Milk
peppermint extract
Food colouring
Dark Chocolate
Method

Gradually mix the icing sugar together with the condensed milk. We used the mixer for this on slow.
Add peppermint extract to taste and knead until smooth.
Dust a clean surface with icing sugar and roll out the mixture to 5mm thickness. Cut into shapes with small cutter (the boys chose hearts and bells).
Leave in a cool place to dry for two to three hours.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
3. Drizzle the peppermint creams with the melted chocolate
Allow to set.
This keeps refrigerated for up to three weeks.


All this chocolate is obscene….. 12

As a family we look forward to Easter for the traditions we have developed and the memories we are making. We craft, bake and spend quality time together. We have an Easter egg hunt, but only for decorative ones. I give my nieces craft kits or sometimes even nothing. I do not feel the need to purchase them a gift for Easter and do not expect that they receive anything in return.

So what does Easter mean to you and how much is too much?


An Easter Sunday at Narnia Newby Hall 3

We are lucky to have Newby Hall just a short drive away and when we were invited to an Easter event there courtesy of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we thought it would be a great way to spend Easter Sunday. Especially as it is the first one without mum and she would help me organise the Easter egg hunts, plus mum loved Newby Hall and we had taken the boys there together.

We were also lucky enough to receive a cop of the movie on Blue Ray and DVD and have to say the boys have watched it 3 times since receiving it and we have watched it as a family too. It is a great movie with fantastical special effects and we loved the previous movies.