Easter 2020 is a little different than what we expected. With no in-person events, we need to think about how to make Easter fun and meaningful, especially for kids, at home.

Make sure to also check out this list of places in Charlotte to order Easter Brunch or Dinner to go, or for delivery.

Here are some ideas.

Virtual Easter Egg Hunts and Easter Bunny Visits

Some organizers of Easter egg hunts and bunny visits are transitioning their events to virtual events. For that reason, we’re able to include events that are occurring outside of the Charlotte area, too. Many of the details are being worked out, so make sure to follow the links for the events to get the details.

Please also be patient at the virtual events. This is a first for many people, and technology can be quirky at times.

We expect more virtual events to be announced in the upcoming days, and we will add them here, as time permits.

Virtual Easter Bunny Meet and Greet
Saturday, April 4th, 2020
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

All the way from Pennsylvania! Dream Home Realty will be streaming the Easter Bunny from his home. If you don’t see a link in the above event (follow the link) go to Dream Home Realty’s Facebook page.

Virtual Easter Egg Hunt
Thursday, April 9th, 2020
4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

From City of Hickory Parks and Recreation. Get your little ones online Thursday, April 9 at 4:00 pm for our very first virtual Easter Egg Hunt! Easter Eggs will be hidden at one of our parks or Recreation Centers, and by using Facebook Live, children will be able to help guide the Easter Bunny as he collects the eggs and safely makes it back home! If you don’t see a link in the above event (follow the link) go to City of Hickory’s Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Virtual Easter Egg Hunt at 1870 Farm in Chapel Hill
Saturday, April 11th, 2020
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Come to the farm (virtually, of course) for a Free online easter egg hunt! All of your favorite farm animals, farmers & characters will be there to guide you through the farm while you hunt for easter eggs. PRIZES will be won, including summer camp, classes & workshops! More details to come on if this will be on Zoom or Facebook Live.

 

Easter Activities at Home

Google 3D Easter Bunny

Can’t take your kids to see the Easter Bunny? Invite the Easter Bunny to your home for virtual pictures. Google has added the Easter Bunny to its list of 3D animals, and you can take your child’s picture with it!

“Easter Egg” Hunts in the Neighborhood

Many neighborhoods have set up “teddy bear hunts.” Neighbors put teddy bears in their windows, and then parents drive kids around the neighborhood, and the kids spot the teddy bears. Why not do the same for Easter eggs? Organize with your neighborhood to hang up colorful pictures of Easter eggs in windows for kids to spot.

Easter Egg Hunts with Zoom

Have an Easter egg hunt in your own yard or home, and invite far-flung relatives to join in through Zoom or Google Hangouts. We have a getting started guide to both Zoom and Google Hangouts if you’re new to them. 

Involve family members who can’t be with you to be an active participants in the egg hunt. Instead of a free-for-all egg hunt, make it more like a treasure hunt, and have Grandma help think up the clues remotely, and then watch along via streaming. 

Another fun way to involve remote friends and family is to label the eggs with their names. Then, when the kids find Grandma’s egg, they can show her.

And have some prizes that are from the far away guests (even if you really provided them.)

The important thing is for kids and the people who love them to feel connected. It’s harder right now, so we need to work harder at it.

Splurge on local chocolate

During normal times, you might not want to splurge on high quality chocolate, but these are not normal times. With all that kids are missing out on, why not introduce them to some truly delicious chocolate that’s a step or two above the supermarket chocolate? Ok, who are we fooling? The good stuff is for you.

Check out The Secret Chocolatier’s Easter collection. They’ve got a number of chocolate bunnies and eggs, as well as prepared baskets of chocolate treats. Don’t delay in ordering.

Also, Chocolatier Barrucand, in downtown Concord, is still open, with limited hours, and creates beautiful and delicious chocolates, for Easter or any time.

Drive-By Dinosaur Show

This doesn’t technically have anything to do with Easter, but Dakota and Friends, a group of dinosaurs, are going to be outside, at 780 Treasure Drive, Concord, if the weather is okay, from 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 11th, until dark on Sunday, April 12th. Important: This is a drive-by experience. Do NOT get out of your cars. Please be polite and courteous to other drivers if there’s traffic, and give other cars lots of space. Learn more here.

Easter Ecards

Have fun making and sending an Easter Ecard.

Make an Easter Ecard with JibJab

Turn your family into dancing Easter Bunnies with JibJab’s Easter Ecards. This is goofy fun.

Punchbowl

Customize and send free Easter greeting ecards to friends and family at Punchbowl.com. 

American Greetings

American Greetings also has customizable Easter ecards, including ones where you can turn your face into an Easter Bunny face and one where you can type out a message for a bunny to say out loud.

Easter Crafts

With a little more time on hand, maybe it’s time to up your craft game. Here are a few ideas, with links to how-to videos or articles. We kept this list to projects that don’t need any hard-to-find materials.

Paper Mache Bunny

Learn how to make an adorable paper mache bunny!

Cotton Ball Handprint Chick Craft

Check out this very easy and adorable craft for kids.The end product is a happy chick with handprints for wings. All it requres is construction paper, paint, cotton ball, glues, and, if you have them, googly eyes (although you could use construction paper for eyes.)

Cotton Ball Bunny

With those same materials you could also make this cute cotton ball bunny.

Shaving Cream Painted Easter Eggs

This project is great for kids who like to get a little messy. The end result can be as elegant or, well, non-elegant, as desired.

Get Creative with the Eggs

Check out these very different ideas for decorating eggs, from Country Living. Many use paint pens or watercolors. 

DIY Easter String Eggs 

All you need is glue, water, yarn and a balloon, and chocolate eggs to put inside them. Watch this video to learn how.

Origami Bunny Corner Bookmarks

This craft is super simple, and useful, because it serves as a bookmark!

Salt Dough Easter Eggs

Salt dough is easy to make. All you need is flour, salt and water. Here are instructions for turning the dough into colorful Easter eggs that you can hang around the house.

Live Streamed Easter Services

It may be difficult for you to not be able to join others in worship. Here are some live stream services. This is by no means anything close to a comprehensive list. We just wanted to share a few options. Check with your own church to see if it’s streaming for Easter. If it is, and you’d like it to be on this list, let us know by emailing jody@charlotteonthecheap.com and we’ll add it, time permitting. 

Calvary Church: Good Friday Service will be streamed Friday, April 10th, at 7 p.m., and Easter Sunday Service will be streamed Sunday, April 12th, at 9:45 am.

Freedom House: Streaming several services, including Saturday, April 11th, at 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 12th, at 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Central Church: Streaming April 12th, at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Myers Park Presbyterian Church: Streaming April 12th at 8:45 a.m.

Myers Park Baptist Church: Easter Service is streamed online April 12th at 10 a.m.