The Easter long weekend is a beautiful time to pause, play, and enjoy a few slow, meaningful moments together as a family. Whether your family celebrates Easter or simply welcomes the break, these simple, nature-based activity ideas are designed for families with young children to enjoy outdoors - no complicated prep, just good old-fashioned fun.
At Milestones Early Learning, we know that children under five learn best through play - especially when they’re playing alongside the people they love most.
In this post, you’ll find:
- Easy Easter craft ideas using natural materials
- Outdoor play ideas that build motor skills and creativity
- Autumn-inspired sensory fun
- Tips to help you make the most of family time together
Before You Begin: Quick Prep Tips for Busy Families
- Keep it simple - choose one or two activities that suit your child’s interests
- Let your child help gather materials like leaves or stones
- Be ready for mess, giggles, and lots of imagination
- Don’t worry about perfection - your presence is the best part
1. Nature-Based Easter Treasure Hunt
Create a backyard or park-based hunt using autumn leaves, feathers, pinecones, or decorated paper eggs. You can even hide hand-drawn bunny clues or little nature facts for your child to discover.
Why it’s great for little ones: This activity encourages gross motor development, problem-solving, and outdoor exploration. It also builds social skills when done with friends or siblings.
2. Leafy Bunny Ears Craft
Using cardboard, glue, and collected natural items (leaves, petals, twigs), your child can create their own one-of-a-kind bunny ears. Let them lead the design - there are no rules here!
Why it’s great for little ones: Crafting promotes fine motor development, creativity, and confidence. It's also a lovely way to slow down and connect.
Bonus idea: Press your favourite leaves into a scrapbook or take a photo to create a holiday memory together.
3. Autumn Sensory Basket
Fill a shallow tub or box with safe, textured items like shredded paper, fabric scraps, cinnamon sticks, wooden eggs, or seed pods. Sit with your child as they explore the different textures and smells.
Why it’s great for little ones: Sensory play supports language development, emotional regulation, and brain growth - all through fun, hands-on exploration.
4. Outdoor Picnic and Movement Play
Enjoy a simple picnic lunch and bring along a playlist of your child’s favourite tunes. Dance together, try a bunny-hop race, or make shapes with your bodies in the grass.
Why it’s great for little ones: Physical movement supports coordination, balance, and wellbeing. And dancing together? That’s just pure joy.
The Magic of Shared Family Time
Spending time together doing simple, joyful activities has lasting benefits for your child’s development. These kinds of shared experiences:
- Build strong emotional bonds
- Encourage language through conversation
- Support social and self-help skills
- Help your child feel secure, curious, and confident
At Milestones, we believe the best learning doesn’t just happen in our centres - it happens in everyday moments with family, friends, and community.
We'd Love to Hear From You!
Trying out one of these activities over the Easter long weekend? Share your creations with your Centre Manager or tag your Milestones centre on Facebook - we’d love to see what your little learner gets up to!