Looking for ways to entertain your little ones this Easter holiday? Charlotte, our most experienced nanny at The Governess & Co, shares her favorite crafts that create beautiful memories without the usual craft-time chaos.
Easter presents the perfect opportunity to engage children in creative activities that celebrate the season while developing their fine motor skills and artistic expression. As Charlotte explains, “The key to successful crafting with children is finding that sweet spot between creativity and simplicity. These activities hit that balance perfectly—they’re engaging enough to hold children’s attention but straightforward enough that they can take genuine ownership of the process.”
1. Sea Treasures Easter Eggs
If you’re fortunate enough to be spending Easter in beautiful Marbella or another coastal location, this craft offers a wonderful way to incorporate your surroundings into your Easter celebrations.
What you’ll need:
- Cardstock or thick paper cut into egg shapes
- Sea glass, small shells, or pebbles collected from the beach
- Child-safe craft glue
- String for hanging (optional)
- Clear varnish (optional, for older children)
Instructions:
- Begin your day with a morning beach walk, encouraging children to collect small pieces of sea glass, shells, or smooth pebbles. This treasure hunt becomes part of the experience!
- Back at home, set up a crafting station with paper egg cutouts and child-safe glue.
- Guide children in arranging their beach treasures on the egg shapes, creating patterns or simply covering the surface.
- Once dry, hang the eggs near a window where the Mediterranean sunshine (or any natural light) can shine through the sea glass, creating a beautiful illuminated effect.
“This craft is particularly special,” shares Charlotte, “because it combines the Easter tradition with memories of your holiday. These eggs become keepsakes that remind children of their time by the sea long after Easter has passed.”
2. No-Sew Sock Bunnies
This craft gives new life to single socks that have lost their partners—a common occurrence in most family homes!
What you’ll need:
- Clean, colorful socks (ankle length works best)
- Rice, dried beans, or cotton stuffing
- Rubber bands or string
- Decorative items: buttons, fabric scraps, ribbons, pom-poms
- Glue suitable for fabric
- Markers for drawing faces
Instructions:
- Fill the sock about 2/3 full with rice, dried beans, or cotton stuffing.
- Secure the open end with a rubber band or string.
- About 1/3 down from the closed end, secure another rubber band to create the head and body sections.
- Cut the top section (above the second rubber band) in half lengthwise to create ears.
- Let children decorate their bunnies with buttons for eyes, pom-poms for noses, and fabric scraps for clothing.
“Children absolutely adore these sock bunnies,” Charlotte notes. “They’re not just decorative items but become beloved toys that can be incorporated into Easter egg hunts or imaginative play. The tactile experience of filling and shaping the sock is also wonderful for developing fine motor control.”
3. Nature Paintbrushes
This activity combines a refreshing outdoor walk with creative art-making, perfect for enjoying spring weather.
What you’ll need:
- Craft sticks or sturdy twigs
- String or rubber bands
- Natural materials: small flowers, leaves, grass, pine needles
- Watercolor paints and paper
- Small containers for water
Instructions:
- Take children on a nature walk to collect small natural items that might create interesting textures.
- Secure these materials to the ends of craft sticks using string or rubber bands.
- Set up a painting station with watercolors and paper.
- Encourage children to experiment with their nature brushes, observing how different materials create different textures and patterns.
- Once dry, these paintings can be cut into egg shapes or used as Easter cards.
“What I love about this activity,” Charlotte explains, “is how it encourages children to observe nature closely and then use those observations creatively. It’s also wonderfully open-ended—there’s no ‘right way’ to make or use these brushes, which builds children’s confidence in their creative choices.”
Benefits Beyond the Craft
According to Charlotte, these Easter crafts offer benefits that extend far beyond the finished products:
“When we craft with children, we’re nurturing multiple developmental areas simultaneously. They’re strengthening fine motor skills when they manipulate small objects, developing language as we discuss the process, building confidence as they make choices, and learning to follow multi-step instructions.”
She also emphasizes the importance of the connection formed during crafting sessions: “These quiet, focused activities create wonderful opportunities for meaningful conversations. Some of my most insightful moments with children have happened while we’re crafting side by side.”
At The Governess & Co, our nannies are experts at facilitating creative activities that develop essential skills while maintaining the all-important fun factor. If you’re looking for professional childcare support this Easter season or beyond, our carefully selected nannies bring a wealth of experience and creative ideas to your family.
Which craft will you try this Easter season? We’d love to see your creations!