Easter is just around the corner and the Easter Bunny needs a little extra help preparing for the big day. Follow these tips and kids of all ages are sure to have an enjoyable and memorable Easter egg hunt.

1. Ask the Easter Bunny for an egg count.

Or a list of his hiding spots (especially with young, less skilled seekers) to make sure you don’t find a rotting egg next fall.

2. Set boundaries.

To prevent the hunt from lasting until next Easter. Keep it to one floor of the house for smaller kids or from point A to B for outdoor hunts.

3. Use different coloured eggs by age.

Colour code the eggs you hide according to age so that means the littlies, or the two- to four-year-olds can hunt for blue eggs, while the older kids go for purple. This gives little kids have an equal chance to find eggs and encourages the older kids to help them as well.

4. Stash some extras.

For large-scale hunts, just in case someone brings a friend. Leftover candies can be used as bonuses for extra-helpful seekers, and trinkets or toys can be kept for next year’s hunt.

5. Leave tell-tale bunny prints.

Make bunny footprints near each hidden Easter egg to give the kids some easy hints as to where the eggs are hidden. You can also try making the footprints out of plain paper or even sprinkle some talcum powder and put a bunny paw print in it with your fingers.

6. Add letters to each egg so kids can make words.

Buy some alphabet stickers or write a different letter on the outside of each egg. Then when the hunt is done, hold a contest for kids to create the longest words or most complicated words, and then award them with non-candy prizes.

7. Think beyond the candy.

Other great egg fillers include temporary tattoos, stickers, tiny nail polishes and homemade gift certificates. See our comprehensive list of candy-free Easter treats.

8. Make it into a game. 

Instead of the tradition scattering of a million eggs, hide an egg which has a written clue wrapped around it. The clue should be a rhyme or question or even a drawing that will lead the child or children to the next egg. If you have more than one child, there first clue for each of them should lead to the same second clue where they can do the hunt together. There is no age limit on this activity.

9. The hunt doesn’t have to be the end of the fun.

Continue the celebration all day. Have kids look for birds’ nests, budding flowers and rain puddles in a spring-themed scavenger hunt, or have the kids hide empty egg containers for grown-ups to find.

Want more great Easter activity ideas? Find everything you need in our Easter Guide.