BERNICE HARRISONon alternatives to movies and the mall
Easter-egg hunts
Not so long ago, Easter egg hunts were what posh people did in their very large gardens, but it’s an activity that has become popular for all kids. The best fun is to head for a local park or green space with a group of families and organise one yourself, complete with handwritten clues to guide little ones to the eggs that an adult has hidden earlier in the day. Favourite easy clues include “Go to the garden and find a bear” (put a teddy bear in the garden), and “You are getting close to finding your treat, look for a clue by a seat”.
If organising your own hunt is too much, there are several organised Easter egg hunts around the country tomorrow, including one in Offaly, in Birr Castle Demesne (above) and Ireland’s Historic Science Centre (057-9120336, for children under 10, €7 per child), and in Brigit’s Garden, Roscahill, Co Galway (091-550905, 2-5pm, family ticket €24).
Free events include: Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park, where there’s an Easter egg treasure hunt (1-4pm) with Fluffy the Farmleigh rabbit (Cowshed Theatre/grounds); and the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (1-5pm, www.dlrevents.ie) at Deerpark, Mount Merrion, Dublin, where there’s a new Easter egg trail. Follow the signs around the park, collect the code words from the back of the signs, get them correct, and collect an Easter treat.