Easter is coming! Easter 2017 is Sunday, April 16, and there are lots of fun activities and Easter Egg hunts around Portland for families to enjoy together during this spring season.
Alpenrose Dairy
The 55th annual Easter Egg Hunt is, as you might imagine, a longstanding tradition for a lot of Portland-area families. It features two hunts (ages 3-5 at 10:30 am, ages 6-8 at 12:30 pm), with all sorts of exciting prizes. Last year one lucky hunter won a weekend stay at Great Wolf Lodge.
Saturday, April 15, free
Code Orange Helicopter Egg Drop
That’s right—helicopter egg drop. For kids who like a little (or a lot) of excitement in their lives, register for Brentwood Park’s “Code Orange” hunt. Parents, from what we hear, should be ready for a bit of adventure and crowds themselves. This hunt is one of the few we’ve found that lets two-year-olds in on the fun. Everything is free, from the hunt to the bouncy house, but be sure to register ahead of time.
Saturday, April 8
There’s also an Easter Bunny arriving by helicopter at an Alice in Wonderland-themed extravaganza in Happy Valley’s Eagle’s Landing, for our friends further south and east.
Saturday, April 15
Edgefield Easter Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt
Bring your basket and your appetite, because if you have a buffet brunch at Edgefield’s Blackberry Hall, it comes with an Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones. Groups are divided by age, and this being Edgefield, the grownups can feel free to observe with drink of choice in hand. Reservations are required.
Sunday, April 16
Oregon Zoo Rabbit Romp
Take a trip to the zoo, with a side of exciting egg hunts. Rather than one huge rush, there will be smaller groups hunting for compostable eggs filled with responsibly sourced treats every 10-15 minutes. Check out the separate hunt for the 2 & under crowd. Kids can only hunt for candy one time due to the popularity of the event, but there will be bunnies to pet, “crafts, games, and photo opportunities” in addition to the usual zoo excitement.
Saturday, April 15
Pix Patisserie
For bigger kids who think of themselves as “too old” for Easter Egg hunts, there’s this Easter brunch that just happens to have eggs to find for the first 50 people in the door on Easter Sunday. Each one holds a “golden ticket” for up to $50 worth of treats at Pix. Stay if you’d like for the fancy tea service, but make a reservation first.
Sunday, April 16
Tips: Talk with your kids about what to expect before letting them loose at an Easter Egg hunt, and put them in clothes or accessories that will be easy to pick out of a crowd. When you’re focused on finding eggs, it’s easy to wander a little farther from grownups than you expected! This is a great time to talk about sharing and helping others, and focusing on the fun of the hunt.
If the Easter Bunny needs a few ideas for the baskets at your house, send her over to Kids at Heart Toys. We’ve got a vast assortment of Jellycat bunnies, spring-themed books, gardening tools, and Easter egg sidewalk chalk. Small basket stuffers like Chenille Chicks, Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty, Schleich rabbits, Easter themed Japanese Erasers, and Calico Critter rabbits are going fast, so stop by before we run out!