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For those who celebrate, Easter is just around the corner! There are so many fun activities for this holiday, including Easter egg hunts, dying eggs, playing games outside, planting flowers, and so much more. We are, unfortunately, still dealing with Covid-19 so large groups, brunch, and other activities should be avoided and safety precautions still followed (i.e. wearing face masks and social distancing). There are still so many activities you can do with your family, pets, or just by yourself! Here are a few things you can do:

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Painting and dying eggs during the spring predates Easter and Christianity itself, going back thousands of years. Iranians and others have been hand painting eggs in celebration of Nowruz (Persian New Year/vernal equinox) for over 4,000 years! There are so many ways to dye eggs. You can use cilantro or twine to make patterns on the eggs by pressing it on the egg while dying. Or you could use tissue paper to both dye and create patterns!

There are plenty of things in your kitchen or local farmer’s market or grocery store that you can actually use to dye eggs. You can make dye by boiling 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 2 cups of the following: beets for a red/pink color, yellow onion skins for a deep orange, chopped red cabbage for teal, and peeled red onion skins for a dark brown. You can also use 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of ground turmeric powder for a golden yellow and 16 ounces of frozen blueberries for a plum or navy color.

After boiling any of the above for roughly 30 minutes and letting it cool, strain it and put the water in individual mason jars. Add hardboiled eggs to the dyes and let them sit in the fridge overnight! If you want a leaf pattern on an egg, place cilantro (or other small plants) on the egg and wrap it with cheesecloth. Place that into a mason jar with the dye you made and let sit overnight. You can also tie twine, tape, or rubber bands on the eggs to make lines/patterns.

The good news about using natural dyes made from food is that there are no toxins in the hardboiled eggs, making them safer to eat! Just make sure to refrigerate the eggs and not let them sit out for a significant amount of time before eating.

Plant Flowers

The date for Easter changes each year but it’s always right around the start of spring, making it a perfect time to plant flowers, trees, and other plants! There are so many great pollinator-friendly plants to add to pots or a garden that will make any space look amazing and provide nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Easter Egg Hunt

Egg hunts can be another fun Easter activity and one you can even plan for your dog(s)! By adding smelly/high value treats to plastic eggs (or just hiding the treats by themselves) and hiding them around your home or yard can create a fun scent work challenge for your dog.

Some things to keep in mind: make sure to do separate egg hunts for kids and dogs! It wouldn’t be too much fun if your dog got into a kid’s Easter egg and ate some chocolate… And keep a tally/map of the kid Easter egg hunt to make sure all the eggs were found! If your dog has issues with resource guarding, individual hunts for multiple dogs will be a good idea to make sure there are no problems. Lastly, make sure your dog is either in a fenced-in/off-leash area or adhere to leash rules.

• Fun Dog Easter Games with Plastic Eggs – Life With Mutts

Easter Photoshoot

Doing an Easter photo shoot with your pet can be a lot of fun! You can make your own bunny ears headband, paper flowers, and other Easter decorations (like carrots, an Easter basket, and eggs) if you want to be crafty and have the time. Some tips for taking photos of your dog include: tire them out beforehand, turn the flash off, have treats, and get on their level.

Go For A Hike

Some of the great things about spring are the longer days and better weather! Hiking with your pup can be a great activity, including on Easter Sunday. There are so many dog-friendly trails and parks in the Pacific Northwest and resources out there. You Did What With Your Weiner is an especially great site for small dog owners who’d like to hike with their dogs!

• 4 Gorgeous Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Pacific Northwest – Away With Mars

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What are some of your favorite Easter activities?