Easter in Autumn
Traditionally, Easter is a Northern Hemisphere spring festival based on Christian faith and Pagan origins. It celebrates springtime signs of rebirth and bunnies and chicks.
But living here in the Southern Hemisphere we are moving through Autumn – and Easter is when leaves are falling, it is when we harvest, when the cooler weather sets in.
The shop shelves are heavy with chocolates of all kinds, wrapped in all kinds of packaging and from all kinds of places around the world. In our family, my kids of course notice, and anticipate a chocolate egg hunt. For this, we try and buy chocolate from NZ based businesses and minimal packaging.
It takes more effort to create time with the kids, rather than simply buy chocolate and gifts. In our busy lives, I do see the appeal.
But, it also can feel wasteful, or as hollow as the chocolate eggs, and I’m always up for creating some opportunities to try and connect with our kids and communities, in a slow, seasonally aligned and more meaningful way.
Ideas for celebrating Easter in Autumn:
While chocolate and eggs still enjoyed in moderation, here is a list of a few nature based ideas for inspiration that you might find are more in keeping with Easter in our Autumn season:
AUTUMN EASTER HUNT
Minimise the chocolate as you maximise the treasure hunt! Use Autumn or Easter themed printables to glue onto stick and place around the yard. Encourage kids to find one of each, checking them off against a list, or even better find the real life nature treasures too! Ive watched the kids delight over running about and seek these out, they could even get a little treat at the end for finding all the items.
PRINTABLE AUTUMNAL TREASURE HUNT:
Hunting for chocolate isn’t always the best choice, who really wants a bunch of sugar loaded hyper kids afterward lol! Another alternative is to offer a nature hunt. This could be in the form of a treasure map, in a tick-the-boxes check list, or cutout pictures and glue Ice-block stick to the back and dot them around the yard.
AUTUMN THEMED EASTER TEA PARTY
Tea parties are a simple and special way to share Easter with grandparents, friends or playgroups too.
Start with a short walk to collect Autumn nature treasures to decorate the table, as well as herbs for making tea / potions.
Together we make simple food – often buns, scrolls, or hotcakes , or go for some Easter themed baking with an Easter Tea Ring or Hot Cross Buns – and share with all this abundant seasonal fruit, and some jam or honey.
TALKS AND STORIES
Encourage understanding of this celebration by talking about the Christian and Pagan origins. This can be done through watching video clips, talking to others, or getting books from the library.
You may know Jesus’s Easter story, but did you know the celebration with the eggs and bunnies was a seasonal Spring celebration in the Northern Hemisphere? Little talks can bring about learning that can be rich and wide – awareness of places around the world, cultural, religious, historic, language, and even Earth science through discussing why the seasons are different here.
AUTUMN EASTER NATURE TABLE
A nature table is often used in Early Childhood Centres as a way to display seasonal treasures and encourage observations around seasons and festivals. It is also simple to setup a nature space in our homes – on a shelf or table or windowsill – and a lovely active way to incorporate natures findings into our lives, changing this space as the season changes.
Beautiful spaces like this even benefit us as adults!
Incorporate Easter themed decorations such as art, painted wooden eggs, alongside books and foraged Autumn treasures to invoke the curiosity of children and aid a deeper connection with with our environment and seasons.
PRINTABLE SEASONAL RESOURCES
Check out this selection of printable, downloadable resources to decorate your Autumn Nature table. Designed for the Southern Hemisphere!
VISITING ELDERS
A few years back I organised for our playgroup kids to visit the local rest home. We took along craft activities and chocolate eggs and the elders helped the children search for them on a simple egg hunt. We shared morning tea together and made bunny ears out of paper plates. It was lovely to see how the elders and young ones interacted, drawing together and wearing their creations as well as smiles. Such a special connection that happens between these ages.
The kids have hand written letters, with drawings and some photos to post down to 91yo Great Nana. A stamped, self addressed envelope was included too so she can write back and keep the kōrero going. It’s nice to receive mail! Especially when so few of us write anymore.
DYING EASTER EGGS
Autumn leaves, ferns or Spring flowers can be pressed against eggs, which are then wrapped in cotton squares and tied with string before dyeing. Using plant based natural dyes such as onion skins, tumeric, red cabbage and beetroot dyes created a rainbow of colours and much excitement from the kids, as we researched, collected, made and observed (and ate!) the results.
AUTUMN FRUITS + CHOC FONDUE
A twist on the Easter chocolate theme – make the most of the bountiful, seasonal Autumn fruits with an Easter chocolate fondue.
Autumn fruits + dipped in melted chocolate + time together with family or friends. What a seasonal win!
WHITE CRAYON + WATERCOLOUR: EASTER ART
We drew some egg shapes on watercolour paper and the kids drew patterns with a white crayon. We dunked the paper in a tub of water so it was thoroughly wet, then placed onto a perspex art board, removing excess water. Using watercolour, they painted their art and watched the magic – wet-on-wet watercolour painting allows the colours to dance and bleed into each other, and there was added magic with watching the white crayon decorations appear before their eyes. This type of gift can also be recycled afterward rather than ending up in the landfill – something we always consider!
This type of art allows you to be creative with your own theme: Try leaf rubbings with a white crayon within the Easter egg shape; Bunny art; or the Easter story, creating art and connection between festival and season.
EASTER CRAFTS WITH AUTUMN LEAVES
Creating art with Autumn leaves is a special thing. Use cardboard as a base for your creations or grab some fresh or dried Autumn leaves and some posca pens. Then get creative! Glue, draw and cut out Easter shapes such as bunnies or eggs. This ideas can also be centered around the Easter story.
Display or gift your stunning creations. (If you use biodegradable glue you can also return it all to the compost when finished!)
PRINTABLE AUTUMN EQUINOX RESOURCE
What causes the seasons? Learn about the Autumn Equinox with this downloadable printable resource!
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