How to have a fun Easter break in isolation

People often panic about keeping children entertained during the usual two-week Easter holidays, but what happens when you’ve already been in quarantine for several weeks and you still can’t leave the house? And how do you celebrate the most important Christian festival of the year when you’re stuck indoors? It’s time to get creative!

1. Focus on the Easter message. Find a child-friendly version of the Easter story and read it aloud together. Take time to talk it through and answer questions. You could get the children to draw a picture or make playdough models that relate to part of the story, or you could act it out, giving each family member a part to play. For older kids you could make a ‘live’ news piece based on these events or ask them to write a poem in response to how the story makes them feel.
2. Focus on family. You may not be able to see extended family at this time, but you can still keep them in mind. Why not make Easter cards together and send them through the post? If you’re feeling really ambitious you could organise a virtual Easter lunch and have a meal together via video link, as if you’re all sitting around the table together.
3. Focus on fun. Easter isn’t about bunnies, chicks and chocolate eggs… but those things can be fun too. Why not organise an egg hunt around your home or garden? A trail with riddle-based clues can work well for older children. You could make Easter bonnets, paint hollowed-out eggshells or decorate pictures of Easter-related images with tissue paper and glitter, then stick them up in the window for others to see as they take their daily exercise. If you can get hold of the right ingredients you could make chocolate Easter nests or hot cross buns and enjoy eating them together.
4. Focus on entertainment. There are plenty of Easter-related films you could watch as a family. Grab some snacks and enjoy a movie together, then talk about the bits you liked and didn’t like afterwards. Give each film a rating out of ten and watch the best one again if you’re all keen! Older kids might like to write a critic’s review as a homeschool task or to pretend they’re famous actors/actresses at an awards ceremony. Universal Studios has decided to release brand-new movies on Amazon and Sky, while Disney+ is offering a free seven-day trial. If you’re looking for something active to do, Body Coach Joe Wicks is hosting live PE sessions and Strictly’s Oti Mabuse is putting out daily dance classes for kids. If your kids love books, David Walliams is releasing a free audio story every day for 30 days.
5. Focus on the future. Start planning exciting adventures for post-lockdown times. You could try to make up for anything you’d booked for this Easter another time or come up with other fun things to do as a family once the quarantine period is over, for example collecting shells on the beach, going camping with friends or organising a big street party. If you can’t go out, bring the adventure into your living room, then follow up with a visit in person when the lockdown is lifted. Take a virtual tour of museums around the world or visit the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo via webcam while you continue to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

“…Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).