It seems like every holiday brings the expectation of high-calorie, sugar-loaded treats…followed by temper tantrums and belly aches. It’s not just me who knows Easter (similar to Halloween) is the ultimate when it comes to those not-so-sweet sugar highs.

Peep on these Easter candy facts:

• Close to 16 BILLION jelly beans are purchased each year (that would circle the globe almost 3x over)
• People in the US spend 2 billion dollars on candy for this holiday weekend!
• 700 million Peeps are purchased (that’s over 23 billion grams of sugar—holy smokes!)

With those kinds of numbers, I know I’m not the only one dreading those jelly-belly-filled Easter shenanigans! It’s half the reason I switched to giving mostly sugar-free gifts to my kiddos throughout the years.

Here’s the good news: My kids love our Easter Scavenger Hunt that incorporates gift giving, fitness, and some laughs too. I promise: If you try this, your kids won’t miss the full on sugar high when they’re having this much fun.

Healthy Easter Fitness Hunt

I start by hiding eggs for my kid’s egg hunt. BUT (and here’s the fun part), instead of filling eggs with candy, I fill them with quarters, love notes, and pranks or chores for the kids to do. You never know what you’re going to find on this egg hunt! The best part about this hunt is it requires ZERO visits to the store, and if you’re used to doing an egg hunt family-style, consider using video chat on your mobile devices to share the experience wherever you are.

• To put together this fun family adventure, I hide fun-riddled eggs spanning the entire backyard! Start by opening the first clue together. Have your kids bunny hop to their next clue.
• Some of the clues include fun activities like swinging and shooting hoops, and they all included a quick exercise. Nothing too strenuous, just something to get the blood flowing and endorphins running! The next egg should be another clue that directs them to their next egg AND it should also include an exercise like I just mentioned, a prank, a chore, or some treats if you’re feeling sweet.
• Continue the scavenger hunt with any combination of the above. It is also mandatory that the kids “bunny hop” from one egg and clue to the next.

They love it, and I’m telling you it actually provides a dang good workout. And….it’s adorable! The whole hunt leads the kiddos on a wild bunny chase around the yard, laughing and giggling the whole way through. The number one rule for this game is that there are no rules. You can do as many eggs as you want, and that’s the best part. If your family likes a good old-fashioned egg hunt without the clues, hide your eggs all around your yard or house, but make sure to fill them with exercises, chores, a prank, and some goodies too! It’s always fun to see which kiddos end up with more pranks or more chores.

Note: We save the eggs every year so there’s no need to buy them again. If you haven’t picked up eggs yet, here are a couple of my favorite Easter Eggs:

• Wooden Easter Eggs (so cute + plastic free)
• Diamond Easter Eggs (for when you’re feeling fancy)
• Glow in the dark Easter Eggs

If you want to completely forgo the plastic eggs, hide paper slips or notes on sticks behind different natural features in your yard like plants, rocks, etc. Honestly, this is one of the funnest holidays we spend together, and only a few sugary treats are consumed. The best part is that none of the kids (big or small) will feel like they are missing out!

During the holidays, I am totally okay with indulgences (in moderation, of course), but if I can avoid filling my sweet kiddos’ tummies full of sugar without limiting their fun, then I am one happy mama. How does your family celebrate Easter together? Tell me in the comments below!

Hope you all have a safe, happy holiday! Happy Easter!

xo,

Related reading:

Easter Bunny’s (Almost) Sugar-Free Easter Basket Ideas for All Ages
Easter Made Easy: 5 Hacks for Busy Moms!
Easter Brunch: Apple Chicken Hash
Fun Easter Activ-ities