10 fun activities for families and friends to enjoy at home at Easter

We’ve compiled a list of exciting and creative plans to do over the bank holiday weekend that will allow you to spend quality time with loved ones without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re spending Easter with the family, friends or at work, here’s a list of fun and affordable activities you can plan at home.

Family activities

Here are five fun activities you can plan with the kids

1. Baking mini egg crispy cakes

There’s nothing better than spending a lazy day over the weekend baking your favourite sweet treats. It’s way more rewarding than buying them from the shop and a lot cheaper too.

You can get the kids involved in making mini egg crispy cakes for Easter and you don’t have to worry about navigating an over-complicated recipe. Whatever your age, everyone loves the crispy chocolate cornflake cakes and they don’t cost a lot to make. You probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard anyway.

Person baking (Image: Canva)

What you’ll need:

50g butter, cubed

50g of golden syrup or about 3 heaped tablespoons

100g of rice krispies or cornflakes

100g of milk or dark chocolate, broken into chunks

Pack of mini eggs

How to make: Melt the chocolate, butter, and syrup in a pan or microwave. Pour in the cereal of your choice until completely covered. Scoop the mixture into cupcake paper cases and add a few mini eggs on top. Store in the fridge for about an hour and then enjoy!

2. Design an Easter Egg Hunt

An Easter without an Easter Egg Hunt is like Christmas without laying out milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. You don’t have to go overboard but making a few signs and decorations around the house or garden can make the world of a difference.

Amazon is selling 100 chocolate Easter Eggs for less than £10 so that will keep your kids busy for the rest of the weekend! If you’re not keen on chocolate, you can fill some plastic eggs with other treats or fun surprises.

3. Easter Jewellery

All you’ll need to make fun easter-themed jewellery is plain flour, salt, water, paint and string.

You can make salt dough jewellery by mixing the three food ingredients and using a stamp cutter or a steady hand to create whatever shapes you like. Heat the over to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.

Method:

Mix two parts flour with one part salt and one part water until it turns into a dough. Knead the mixture and then roll it out on a floured surface.

Shape the dough and poke a hole at the top if you’re creating a necklace or in the middle of the shapes if you’re making a charm bracelet.

Bake for two to three hours on the bottom shelf or until they’re hard. Let them cool and then decorate however you like with paint. Once dry, thread the string through for a necklace or bracelet.

4. Easter games

You can’t go wrong with a sports-day style afternoon of games. From an egg and spoon race to egg tossing, to an Easter-themed obstacle course, you can get as creative and competitive as you like and this activity is absolutely free!

5. Egg carton bird feeder

Creating your own bird feeder is a simple activity and a fun way to connect with nature. Make sure to save your egg cartons for this one. All you need other than that is bird feed some paint or pen, string and scissors.

Cut the lid off the egg box and then decorate. Take some string or wool and thread through two holes in the raised part or the peaks of the egg box and add the bird feeder you’ve bought or made. Hang outside and watch the birds flock for their food.

Activities for friends

If you're spending Easter without any kids then here are five more activities for you

6. Come Dine with Me

Friends enjoying a dinner party (Image: Canva)

The Channel 4 cooking show has been entertaining viewers since 2005 and if you’ve ever dreamt of having a crack then the Easter Bank Holiday weekend is the perfect time to host your own with friends. You can spread it out over the weekend or divide the meal into courses and do it that way.

7. Film Marathon

If you're more of a low effort person and can’t be bothered to plan anything extravagant then a full day of films might be the best option for you. You can grab some popcorn and easter egg treats and cosy up on the couch enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.

8. Easter egg decorating

This one’s a classic and you’re never too old to sit down and paint an egg. Depending on how many of you there are, or even if you’re on your own, boil some eggs and get as creative as you like. You can turn it into a competition and challenge yourselves to painting the best portraits.

9. Makeup looks

This is more of a niche one but if you’re having a chilled night in with a couple of friends why not challenge yourselves to creating an Easter makeup look. There are plenty of reference photos on Instagram and TikTok to try and recreate. It’s a great activity for self-expression as well as being a brilliant bonding session with your friends. And it’s free!

10. Cocktail making

If you’re having friends round for a small party or gathering then this is a fun way to mix things up. Ask each guest to prepare their own Easter-themed cocktail for everyone and get as creative and unique as possible.

A fun twist on a classic cocktail is the mini egg martini.

What you need:

25g mini chocolate eggs

1 teaspoon honey

25ml crème de cacao

25ml Irish cream

50ml vodka

Ice

How to make: Crush the mini eggs and tip them onto a small plate. Brush the rim of a martini glass with some honey and dip the glassed into the crushed chocolate to stick them on like you would with a classic martini glass dipped in sugar.

Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a handful ice and shake. Strain into your glass and serve.

If you can think of any other fun and free activities, let us know!